Artichoke's Running Blog (Ken Spence)

Boston Marathon #4.  DNF'd.  Dropped out between 15-16 miles.  Back got increasingly worse after 5K.  I figure I'd be dropping out.  Hadn't run much since Moab with 13 miles and then 7 miles 2 weeks later and only some stationary cycling after that.  My back and piriformis had been hurting even when walking, but the day before the marathon, walking around Boston I was feeling really good and so then I got optimistic that maybe I would be okay if I kept the pace slow.  But it got quite bad until I was walking at 11 miles.  Started running again from 12 to 14.  Walking again until almost 15 and then just couldn't run without a lot of pain.  When I realized I couldn't even keep a decent walking pace without pain I dropped out at the Red Cross tent after mile 15.  The sweep van came to get me and another guy and then we picked up two older runners and then on other at the next station. One was an older 70 year+ runner who had over 100 marathons under his belt.  He said this was his last one.  (I doubt it, he looked pretty fit).  When we got off at the Med tent at the finish line, Bill Rodgers was outside the hotel across the street talking with a couple of guys.  This older runner with us had met Rodgers before.  Pat got his picture taken with him at his store the next day before flying out.  

My 28th marathon and my first DNF.  First time dropping out of a race after doing 172 races without ever having to do that.  A bit hard to swallow, but it was definitely the thing to do.  It allowed me not to ruin the rest of our vacation walking around Washington D.C. for four days, which was a great trip.