Hi NETT-ers:

I really enjoyed sort of being part of the Wednesday night work out this week, and 5 X 1000 is my favorite five days before a marathon workout. If anybody wants to virtually suffer with me on Monday, I'm number 9673. If you're out on the course, I wear an orange baseball cap and the blue BAA singlet, and I am going to try to run 7:50 per mile plus about six minutes to get over the starting line. I appreciate all of the NETT support, even though I'm sort of an affiliate member. I also enjoy being a member of the BAA (special bus to the start, VIP tag at the finish) and Boston has always sort of been my raison'd'run - but NETT has much more of the good humor I like in runners.

Not getting anything done at work today gave me motivation to make a few pre-race observations:

  • It appears my wife might really hold onto this baby until at least Tuesday so I'm hoping to get in Boston number 29.
  • In my previous 28 I've had 26 same day finishes. This is the 25th anniversary of my best time at Boston and I will be delighted if I can get within an hour of that time. I have pasted in the evidence of my decline below. A bit discouraging to know that my best time was more than half of my life ago.
  • As of now the forecast for Monday is 55 and partly cloudy with a west wind. Perfect. But that's been the forecast on Friday the last two years also and by Monday it's been HOT!
  • Did you know that the commuter trains that run into town along the course through Framingham, Natick and Wellesley have the engine at the back and get pushed in? That's how I like to think of those of us with numbers near 10000 ... pushing wave 1 to the finish. (For those who don't know, there's now a wave start ... slowest 10000 qualifiers start at 12:30. I just barely made the first wave.)

    • -Rick

    Rick's BAA times
    Year Time Note
    1977 3:06 Hot! First half 1:23, then 1:43
    1978 xxx Did not run
    1979 2:52 In control all the way
    1980 2:45 Negative split! (1:24/1:21)
    1981 2:39 Finally sub 2:40! (PR'd at 2:34 in Ottawa 3 weeks later)
    1982 3:01 Hot day, gave up
    1983 2:44 Seemed easy
    1984 2:46 Good run for a new Dad
    1985 3:23 Hot day, gave up
    1986 3:15 Recovering from bronchitis
    1987 2:59 Just barely re-qualified
    1988 3:07 Sub-3 pace to 20, croaked
    1989 3:21 Forgot to train
    1990 xxx Stopped at 20, finished on March 23, 1998.
    1991 2:51 Negative split! (1:26, 1:25)
    1992 2:57 Muggy day, stayed strong
    1993 3:14 Hot day, hung on
    1994 3:10 Perfect weather, imperfect shape
    1995 2:59 Very good effort
    1996 3:09 Big crowd at BAA 100
    1997 3:06 Deja vu of 1988 race
    1998 2:58 My sub 3 swan song?
    1999 3:15 Not sure why not faster
    2000 3:11 Great to 22, tired badly
    2001 3:09 Last long drive before moving to Boston area
    2002 3:14 Time matches pi to five digits!
    2003 xxx Stopped at 15, ran back to 13 to have a hot dog. Finished in early July
    2004 4:06 VERY hot
    2005 4:03 VERY hot again.