Tomorrow the granddaddy of marathons will be run in Boston. The Boston Marathon has a sort of mystique in marathon lore; and for some reason, it stands out as the marathon to run if you are a runner.

I think one of the reasons for this standing as the marathon to run is that not everyone can run this marathon. A runner has to qualify by running in a certified marathon between September and April and be able to run an established time in that race. The time varies with age and sex, but it still comes down to being able to run a decent marathon time. I ran Boston in 1982 after qualifying in marathons in Houston and Dallas. I just wanted to see if I could run a qualifying time without ever actually taking the cross-country trip to the east coast to actually run in Boston.

I was basically told that to qualify and then not run was a taboo that you just did not do. I had two things going for me that helped change my mind to run Boston. One is that I had a sister who lived in Maine, and I could visit her before the race. The second thing was that a competitor of mine in Seguin by the name of Preston Reeves also qualified and found a airplane travel deal where two people could fly for one price; and if I went, we would each pay half fare. Between the facts that I was breaking a taboo of marathoners by not going, a chance to visit my sister and to get there for half price was enough to change my mind.

All in all, it was worth the trip.

A few things went wrong during the trip that were not intended. One, my sister thinks that if you visit Maine you should have some great Maine lobster for a meal. Lobster is not the best pre-race meal for a marathoner. The second miscue happened when some of her friends who were going to run gave me a ride to the starting line. The problem was that they were “bandits” and did not have numbers, and had to park a good mile away from the starting line. I ran a warm-up mile to the start, and was told that in order to get your number you had to go up to the school on the hill to pick it up.

Another half-mile run up the hill, get my number and give them my clothes to take to the finish line, and then a quick downhill half-mile run to the start. I arrive and find Preston, and ask if there is some water nearby to drink before the run. Before he can answer, the cannon roars the start of the race. After the first water stop, I never saw Preston again until the finish line when we were picking up our clothes.

There is a segment of the race called “Heartbreak Hill” which is really a series of five hills: not big hills, but they arrive around mile 21 when things are starting to hurt. My sister took a picture of me going up one of those heartbreak hills after a lobster pre-race meal, and both feet were on the ground as I was leaning into the incline. Was it all worth it? You better believe it, as even today runners will ask if you have ever run Boston, and I can say that I have.

I didn’t have time to change clothes after the race, and flew home in my running clothes and warm-ups. One guy was also dressed in his running gear; and at regular intervals he would scream, stand up and try to get the cramps out of his legs. He said, “They wouldn’t let me stop!” He was referring to the fact that spectators along the route have programs with every runner’s name in it; and if they saw you walking, they would look up your number and name and yell at you to keep running.

Running by Wellesley College, an all-woman college on the route, you have three deep co-eds screaming at you and cheering you on. It is very easy to keep running during that stretch of the marathon.

In order to be eligible to run the Boston Marathon, you need to run that qualifying time. Back when I ran, I had to run under a 3:10 time.

I ran just under a 3:04 to give myself a little cushion in case I was having trouble. Today, that same qualifying time is now 3:30 for that age. It basically changed running a seven-minute pace to an eight-minute pace for the 45-49-year age class. If I should ever get it into my head to try again, my new time for my age is now 4:30 or a ten-minute pace.

Somebody needs to kick me in the shins and clear those thoughts from my head, and remind me that my knees may not make it for 26.2 miles anymore.

Gina Moore is running her ninth consecutive Boston Marathon on Monday. She has run a qualifying time for nine years in a row that is really remarkable. She mentioned that, as she is now over 55 years, her time is 4:15 and that she does under that time on a regular basis. She said there are a number of local runners going to Boston this year. Tim Bayliss and Elizabeth Black-Wills have both qualified and are running. Randall Wood also qualified but is bothered by an injury and may not run, but is going along anyway. Running Boston is the frosting on the cake, and running a fast time is not necessary; and just to run in the race, whether fast or slow, is an experience a runner will not forget. I hope to have the results of our local runners for next week and relate their experience at the race.