Boston Marathon: Rain and Wind No Match For Determination
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| Williams College biology Professor and Boston Marathon competitor Henry "Hank" Art [photo courtesy of Williams College] |
"She Glides"
But the windy wetness did not stop town resident Sheila Mason, 40, from finishing in the Top 100 women racers - she was listed as the 54th woman to cross the finish line - nor did the inclement conditions force Williams College biology Professor Henry "Hank" Art or area orthopedic surgeon Eric White from the race.
Speaking during a telephone interview today, Art talked about the windy conditions and the wonderful race run by Mason, who qualified to run as an "elite" runner.
"She's a wonderful runner, she just glides," Art said of Mason, who is a Williams College employee.
Clunkers?
"The winds were much tougher than the rain," he continued. "It rained for about an hour, which got you wet, but it was the winds coming off 'Heartbreak Hill' that really got you."
White and Art ran together "like the clunkers at the end of the pack," Art said. Both finished the race in a little over four hours.
Mason's time was 3:02:42.
The area between mile 17 and mile 20 is a series of hills that "just go up, down, up, down," and then become easier terrain, Art said.
"But by that time, you've done so much, your legs feel like hamburger," he said.
Sibling Encouragement...Or Something Like That
Art began running nine years ago about the time he turned 50 years old, he said.
"My brother kind of goaded me into running the Chicago marathon," he said with a chuckle. "Now I do about two marathons a year."
Last year, Art participated during four marathons, he said. He's run over 30 marathons during the past nine years. White has been an avid runner for over 20 years.
Robert Cheruiyot of Kenya won the marathon with a time of 2:14:13, and Lidiya Grigoryeva of Russia captured the women's best time, running the race in 2:29:18. The 111th Boston Marathon marked Grigoryeva's first traditional Patriot's Day run.
He did not run today, but Art said that tomorrow he might return to a morning routine he shares with White and a few friends who meet to start their day with a three-mile run. He has plans to tackle a 10-mile run in about two weeks, he said.
He has no plans to abandon running as long as issues such as arthritis do not develop, he said. The experience is simply too enjoyable to give up.
"There is a 'high' with running," he said. "You might feel sluggish for the first mile or so but then everything kicks in. Then, it's great."
