I have to blame some of this on Chris Medley. He had the hair-brained scheme of qualifying for the great race together. He started to jab me at the end of Bible Study Fellowship, around February or March 2012. We really started looking at timing and dates and possibilities and realized we would need to do this out of state. We picked Sioux Falls 9-9-2012, right at the wire for 2013 Boston Registration.
This was just the beginning of "The Going Down To The Wire" thread for this Boston Marathon Saga.
Chris and I did our training diligently and unfortunately, he sustained an injury that kept him from running. It did NOT keep him from driving us to and from South Dakota, organizing, mapping, coaching, running race course support, and photographing it all in that magical three days last fall.
He helped me finish just "Under The Wire" for my age class 3:24:09...made it by 51 seconds.
I was concerned after entering my Boston Registration later in September. Would all the deferrals from 2012 hurt my "Just Under The Wire" qualifying time and render me Boston-less? Then, it came. That glorious Sunday in late September.....
Dear Curt G. Metzger,
This is to notify you that your entry into the 117th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 15, 2013 has been accepted, provided that the information you submitted is accurate.
A Confirmation of Acceptance card will soon be mailed to you via US Postal Service mail.
In early April 2013, an official Number Pick-up Card and Welcome Booklet regarding the B.A.A. Boston Marathon and related race week activities will be mailed to you via US Postal Service first class mail. If you do not receive your Number Pick-up Card (required to claim number) and brochure by April 9, please contact our Registration Office at registration@baa.org. Registration related inquiries may also be directed to 508-435-6905.
Note that bib numbers will not be distributed on Race Day. Your travel arrangements should take into account picking up your number at the Hynes Convention Center, 900 Boylston Street, on Friday, April 12 from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., or Saturday, April 13 or Sunday, April 14 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
.......................Personally, this was down to the wire.
Training. 20 weeks or so. A few of the Local Marathons mixed in. What do I target for my finishing this Boston Marathon? Will I ever get to return? What does the future hold? We never know. Put the training in, diet right, get plenty of rest, and just enjoy the run.
Life does go on. You gotta pay the bills. You need to bring home the bacon. Sometimes you have to make tough decisions.
After 30 years with Kroger, I decide to make the a break and move to Sprouts. With just six weeks till our trip to Boston, Kathy and I are completely at peace with this life changing decision. So many questions had to be answered, with fun stuff like time off and weekend getaways to the Northeast buried at the bottom. Would my new employer be willing to make concessions after just bringing me onboard. Would I have to wait to run Boston. Down to the Wire we went.
We had waited to buy airfare since there were questions and really needed to get things finalized or cancelled. YES! Book the flight plans! Such sweet words uttered by my new boss. What a relief and what a freeing statement. I seemed to have a new lease on life. Thank you Sprouts. Down to the wire we went.
March! WOW. I have never trained so much. 155 miles. The training has been put in for sure. The most miles I have ever trained.
March! WOW. A brand new place of employment. After 30 years. Starting over is very different. Learning new ways. Putting my hands on many new items, machines, and programs. So very new. So very exciting. As the Kroger "Wire" was at it's end, this new Sprouts "Wire" was....well, Sprouting.
Down To The WIRE we go folks. What a ride. From Mansfield to Sioux Falls to Hopkinton to Boston...here we go.
No comments:
Post a Comment