Eric

Before I even begin with a race report, I need to start with the journey to Boston. Since it has been a hell of a journey and this being my first Boston Marathon I feel that it’s most important to start from the beginning…so I HIGHLY recommend that you grab a cold drink, this maybe long, CHEERS!

Here is my journey to Boston. When I talk with a lot of runners, they find out that I’m a Boston Qualifier, so they assume I have been running my whole life. Not at all! My first ever 5K was the 2011 January Resolution Fun Run. This was my attempt at fulfilling a New Year’s Resolution by getting into shape (I was pushing 205 lbs). Well I finished, with a time of 28:05! Great time! Bad news is that I slipped on a patch of ice tearing my MCL and Meniscus requiring surgery. This obviously delayed my resolution and short lived training. It wasn’t until 18 months later after running sporadically here and there that I signed up to run the October 2012 Allstate Half Marathon. This mind you was from a 2 a.m. drunken beer challenge from a neighbor that ran just as sporadic as me. We trained together in the heat, cold and rain. Once I was on the starting line all the way to the finish, I knew I was hooked! From there I ran the Dallas Half, Stonebridge Half, Big D Half and Hospital Hill Half all in a 6 month timeframe. All this running got me down to 185 lbs and I could actually walk after my half marathons with no pain! I knew next step was the marathon!

If I have one piece of advice for any runner, it’s to find a running partner with similar goals. I had met Clay Shapiro in the Winter of 2013 (kids went to school together) and he was a veteran marathoner, with a ‘kick you in the nuts’ training plan. I knew he was a great runner and decided to approach him at a school assembly. Next thing you know we have run 1,000’s of miles and many races together in a short 2 year span. Now training for the Leadville 100 Trail Run!

Having a running partner keeps you accountable on the early morning runs when everyone you know is sleeping in, provides accountability and motivation to run in the rain/snow/wind/cold/mud/heat. A running partner also gives you someone to talk to during all those hours of training, pick you up when you’re having a bad run and motivate them when their having a similar bad run. It’s a true team effort, if you don’t have training partner find one.

So we began our 2013 Dallas Marathon training (my first marathon). Hands down the best training cycle I had ever done, maybe because I was 39 years old at the time 🙂 Within the training I had PR’d my 5K 18:50 and PR’d my Half Marathon 1:28:12, most importantly was in the best shape of my life weighing 160 lbs, loosing 45 lbs! Unfortunately, as most of you know the marathon was cancelled!

So, on my 40th Birthday I ran my first Ultra Marathon the Cowtown 50K and wven drank a few beers along the way. It was my 40th! I felt really good about being able to finish a 50K. I knew right then I really had a chance at finishing a marathon! (Joke). Clay and I decided that we would both put our names into the 2014 Chicago Marathon if we both got in we would train together. We both got in, what a great race everyone should have this on your bucket list! I ran a 3:15:10, missing my first marathon BQ by 10 secs. Very disappointed in those 10secs. Like all runners I can blame a lot of things, but there are lessons to be learned in every race/run. I decided to sign up for the 2014 San Antonio Marathon where I BQ’d with a time of 3:11:24. I was on Cloud 9 all that hard work and it paid off. Onto the next marathon, 7 days later I ran the 2014 Dallas Marathon. Then moved onto the 2015 Rocky Raccoon 50mi, to date my biggest running accomplishment. Clay was fortunate to BQ at the Woodlands Marathon. We both went on to run the 2015 Irving Marathon, 2015 Pandora Box of Rocks Trail Marathon (hardest to date), 2015 Palo Duro Trail Ultra, 2016 Houston Marathon and the 2016 New Orleans Marathon, this was my most memorable and best marathon to date, my running partner was much prettier and smelled so much better than Clay until she started getting sick at Mile 20 (sorry Clay & love you Kristal).

Eric3

I wasn’t sure what I was going to do going into the Boston Marathon. Run it hard or kick back and enjoy it. I was partly bummed because Clay had missed the cutoff by less than a minute. He FOR SURE BQ’d last month for the 2017 Boston Marathon with a time of 3:10, Awesome! Kristal and I decided to pull the kids out of school for the week before the marathon for a Northeast vacation flying into NYC seeing all the sights there for a few days before heading to Boston. Once in Boston I had my little entourage with me, Kristal’s parents flew in, work friend came in from CT, and my first ever running partner (and family), the one that made the drunken challenge to run the 2012 Allstate Half Marathon with him at 2 a.m. (see above my first half that started this crazy running thing). We all had a great time in Boston! I’m pretty certain I DID everything you shouldn’t do before a marathon, CHEERS! For me I had realized it was time to celebrate and enjoy the accomplishment. The journey from the beginning until now. The 70 degree weather and 100% UV Rays was also a big factor in this decision , HA!

With that being said I ‘KICKED IT’ at the 120th Boston Marathon!

Eric2

I’m so fortunate for all those in my life that have supported me on this journey. I want to give a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has run with me, supported me, supported Hugs Cafe, commented, liked/hearted/wowed/haha’ed, texted, and followed my race online. I assure you that this dream/goal of mine could never have come true without each and everyone of you. Love MRC so let’s keep KICKING IT!