Twenty Six Point Two A Pale Kenyan History

As I attempt to channel my inner Cher and "Turn Back Time" tomorrow and run my first marathon in twelve years what better time to reflect on my marathon history......if you are sitting comfortably I'll begin......

Harrow 11.3.85
2.55.11
A stunning debut if I say so myself to brake the three hour barrier at the first attempt,lucked out in the respect it was a loop course and knew what to expect on the second loop

London 4.20.86
3.08.01
A disappointment given my debut 5 months prior,the truth was I didn't work as hard for London as I did for  Harrow

Philly 11.29.87
3.27.23
A combination of not putting the work in either side of leaving home in London at the end of October and my arrival in Philly a month b4 the marathon and getting severely dehydrated lead to my second slowest marathon to date,a dark day for one so pale......

New York City 11.4.90
3.06.21
You can't keep a good Kenyan down for long!
Three years after my darkest day I bounced back w/ a gutsy 3.06.21 and reached "the promised land" aka Boston inside the 3.10 qualifying time

Boston 4.15.91
2.54.32
Beginners luck in Boston??? maybe but a then PR and back under the three hour mark again

Philly 11.18.01
3.04.24
Ten and a half years after my last marathon I proved you can"teach an old Kenyan new tricks" and while I failed to get under three hours I did once again qualify for Boston

Boston 4.15.02
2.56.53
No pr but sub three again and thoughts of a "l Heart Boston" tattoo,any thoughts of moving to Beantown were obliterated by how cold it is there,it never gets that cold in the Rift Valley......

Chicago 10.13.02
2.48.56
A PR and sub 2.50,Chicago is a pr course sadly I never got close to sub 2.50 again....maybe I should've returned to the "Windy City"

London 4.13.03
3.30.13
Bad day at the office,w/ hindsight not enough recovery time from my flight from Philly,0 for 2 in London at sub 3......

New York City 11.2.03
3.08.44
0 for 2 in NYC at Sub 3,was Chicago a fluke? were my sub 3 days behind me.......

Sea Isle 3.28.04
2.53.46
Never write off a Pale Kenyan! not only sub 3 but.....third overall having lead most of the race

Philly 11.21.04
2.52.40
Clearly Sea Isle wasn't a fluke but as ever the glass half empty in me rued not going sub 2.50

Boston 4.18.05
2.59.53
Sub 3 by the skin of my teeth thanks to a frantic sprint up Boyleston St,channeling my inner Murtaugh from "Lethal Weapon" I'm getting too old for this shit.......

Athens 11.6.05
2.55.28
Where better to mark the 20th anniversary of my Marathon debut than the birthplace of the Marathon......evidently in 20 years I'd only lost 17 seconds......

Philly 11.19.17
????????????
It remains to be seen if the last three months of hard work and sacrifice and dedication are enough to get my now 54 year old bones around 26.2 miles......I guess we'll find out in the morning......
To Be Continued.....