My first time at the Boston Marathon, and it was an amazing experience! I’ve never seen crowds like that for a running event, and was blown away by the support, both here, from my wife and daughter who came with me to Boston, and from my running friends back home (and elsewhere).

As for my run itself, I knew that I was playing with fire. After a productive training cycle, I had my eyes set on a new PR, which can be difficult at Boston given the crowded field and the rolling-hill course. So I pushed hard, aware that it would result in either a PR or a “blow-up” in the second half. Sure enough, with an unseasonably warm day (high exceeded 70 degrees), my strong first 16 miles wobbled a bit going into the Newton hills, and by Heartbreak Hill, things really went, um, downhill.

But really, you couldn’t ask for a more quintessentially “Boston Marathon” experience than to fall apart on Heartbreak Hill! And I managed to finish in what is technically a Boston-Qualifying 3:17:04. So I have no regrets.