Congratulations to the Running Doc on his Boston Finish!

This past April, Dr. Richard Graves not only finished his first Boston Marathon but also ran his fastest marathon yet. Go Graves!

Post Marathon Interview with the Dr. Richard H. Graves:

Q: When did you make the Boston Marathon a running goal?

A: Dr. G - Last year I made a goal of running the Boston Marathon. Everyone knows that Boston is the Mecca of marathons. I really don't consider myself a "marathoner" and I knew it would take something significant to motivate me to run another race after two not-so-great performances in the Long Beach Marathon. Boston gave me the motivation I needed to get out there again and put in the necessary training.

Q: How does it feel to have participated and completed in the world's oldest and most prestigious marathon?

A: It feels great to have completed Boston!  Especially since I ran my fastest marathon there. Many runners recommend against trying to run a fast time there because of the crowds and also the risk of breaking down after Heartbreak Hill. I did break down a bit the last 3 miles, but I was proud of myself for continuing to run through the pain, which I was unable to do in my previous marathons.

Q: What was the best part of running the Boston marathon?

A: For sure, the best part was the crowds of people lining the course. Everyone was 100% positive and cheering for every runner that went by. I must have heard "Go Beach City Runners" a few hundred times during the race. I would say there were cheering fans lining at least 80 percent of the course, all of them braving the rain, wind and cold.

They were great motivation to keep running and really helped to keep your mind off of the struggle of running 26.2 miles!


Q: What was the most difficult part of the race?

A: I was really psyched up to run the hills and I had incorporated a significant amount of hill work into my training for the race. But, the hard part to prepare for is how you feel AFTER running up the hills 23 miles into a marathon. That's when things got tough.

Also, the weather was definitely an issue for me. My hands and feet were pretty frozen within the first 10 miles of the race

Q: Any other unexpected happenings or nuances worth noting?

A: I usually wear a pair of socks as "mittens" when the weather is cold. I find that my fingers stay much warmer than if I wear gloves and if it gets hot and I have to throw them away, it's no big deal. Unfortunately, I somehow lost one of my sock-mittens on the way to the starting line and, with the throngs of people, there was no way to go back to look for it.

I improvised by using a sock for one hand and my stocking cap for the other. I ended up throwing away the sock when it became completely soaked with water, but I held onto the stocking cap till the very end.

"Boston gave me the motivation I needed to get out there again and to put in the necessary training."

 

Boston Marathon 2015 Results for Richard H. Graves, DPM

  Finish Time 3:10:08
  Overall 4669/26610
  In Division 466/2485

 

 

 

See more photos on Instagram!

 

 


 

Join The Conversation
Steve Schatz 05/09/2015 12:08 AM
Dr. Graves, CONGRATULATIONS! That is an absolutely blazing fast time! You're such an inspiration! Congratulations again! Look forward to seeing soon at AREC.
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