Boston 1 Me 1

Scored settled.

I can't believe that I can say that running 26.2 miles was fun, but it actually was. The race didn't go as I had planned but that ended up being for the better. I was on track to break 3:40 when at about mile 15 my ankle started acting up. So I had to make a decision, go for 3:40 and risk another blow out or dialed it back. I ended up backing off my pace and as a result I had no problem with the last 11 miles. This was way better because I was able to really enjoy it and I did. The only problem was that I never saw the family who were screaming for me as I turned towards Boylston. I ended up with a 3:49 but couldn't have been happier. After finding Kate I hooked up with the rest of the family, my kids who had some killer signs made, my sister and her two kids, my mom and of course my dad. My dad tried to shake my hand but instead I gave him a hug. And for about a minute he returned to his old self, he knew what I had done and mentioned his past marathons. He was also smiling which he doesn't do as much as he used to. Soon after he returned to his quiet self, but for that one moment on Monday April 18th the Ed Daley that everyone knew had been back and that made all the 5am runs and the 20 mile training runs worth it. Dad and I can finally share something else, we are both marathoners.

And while I can't wait to start playing hockey again next week I am not ready to leave the running thing behind. There are more marathons in my future, but not any in my immediate future, just some IPAs.

Here goes nothing.

Nothing much to say the night before. Pretty excited and just hoping the ankle can make it, even sprinkled a little holy water on it at church today. My team coach gave me a 3:33-3:34 goal based on New Bedford half and training runs. I would love to break 3:40 which seems very doable as long as everything goes as planned. I could really dial it back and play it safe with the ankle but what's the fun in that. I want to race this thing not just run it. Thanks to everyone for the support of the cause, together we have raised about $5500 for Alzeimers research and as a team we raised over $150,000.

The race will be a breeze compared to what dads going thru. See you in Boston.

Finally, I get it.

"Mothers, there's a mad man running in the streets, and he's humming a tune, and he's snarling at dogs, and he still has four more miles to go. "

This is a classic "Nike ad from before I got into the ad business and even though I always thought it was a great I never really "got it" until the last few months. I understand what makes someone get up at 5am in the dead of winter and worry about their pace when no one is watching. Over these months of training I have covered over 1000 miles* with one goal in mind, have the tendon in my ankle last 26.2 miles so I can meet my dad at the finish line. Thats why this ad hits home, my ankle blew at mile 22 and I feel like I am that mad man who still has four(well actually 4.2) more miles to go.

I can't wait until Monday. I've got unfinished business in Boston.

*Legal disclaimer: Some of those runs were without my Nikeplus and therefore have not been registerd.

A question for the B.A.A.

So today my five year old son, Declan, asked me if I would like it if he became Darth Vader and used his Jedi Force to "Force" me to the finish line of the marathon. And while I am not sure I want to see Dec go to the dark side, I am intrigued by the idea of flying by every Kenyan while exsurting very little effort. I do however wonder what the B.A.A. ruling would be.

Had I known this was an option I probably would'nt have spent the last four months logging all those miles.

I hope they don't make me pee in a cup before this thing.

So my training is coming to an end and I am entering the last week of my taper, thank god. The ankle has held up but not without a little help from my morning cocktail of pills and vitamins. It's funny, I remember growing up and my dad would be constantly taking all sorts of crazy vitamins to help with his running (Dyno-Vites was my fav, I never knew Jimmy Walker was a Pharmacist). This was the early eighties so who knows what the hell was in them. And now here I am thirty years later doing the exact same thing. I have to be honest, if Greg Anderson walked in my house and said he had some miracle cream/pill I would probably try it.