Four years and three months.

I am getting ready to go to Boston tomorrow.  On Monday, I will take part in the 114th running of the Boston Marathon.

These past few days I’ve been giving a lot of thought to how much I’ve developed as a runner since I started, and how much I’ve developed as a person through running.

I have never been athletic.  On the contrary, growing up in the Boston suburbs, I was always the fattest or second fattest kid in my class.  I was extremely insecure about my weight and fitness, dreaded gym class, and was always humiliated by being the last person picked or the last one to finish.  In fourth grade gym class, Mr. Driscoll made me sit out the class and watch because we were doing gymnastics and I couldn’t run fast enough to the stupid vault to propel fat ass over it.  I sat on the side crying in front of everyone in my class.

In middle school, my parents sent me to the Lexington Youth Soccer league.  And although I enjoyed the game, I was not any good at it, and I was never given any opportunity to try.  Although it was a noncompetitive league, there didn’t seem to be any room in  it for someone fat and slow.  While the fast kids got to play almost the entire game, and got the offensive positions where they received all the glory of scoring, I rarely got to play for more than 5 minutes before getting subbed out.

I started smoking in high school, at age 15.  I continued to smoke through college, law school and beyond, between 10-15 cigarettes a day.  During this time, I had no interest in being physically active, and would feel my heart pounding and be short of breath after climbing just a flight of stairs.

After law school, I lived in New Mexico for a year.  And although it was one of the most rewarding experiences in my life, I ended up breaking my leg in a skiing accident.  I was immobile for several months, with few friends, nothing to do, and way too easy access to the Santa Fe drive thru Taco Bell.

When I came to New York, I knew I needed to make a change in my life.  For my 2006 New Year's resolution, I vowed to start running.  Having not run at all in many, many years I signed up for the Fred Lebow Classic 5-miler on January 8, 2006.  Waking up early Sunday morning was not something I was accustomed to, let alone to go out for a run.  But I wrested myself out of bed that day and made it over to Central Park.

That race was so hard.  I was dry heaving less than a mile into it, and it seemed like it would just never end.  But slowly, the miles ticked off, and 44:24 later, I was at the finish line (8:52 pace), with the biggest feeling of accomplishment ever.  I had never run that fast and that long in my life.  Right then and there, I knew I would love this sport.  I couldn't wait to run another race, and to get better and faster.

The following Saturday, I went to my very first Front Runners New York fun run.  Of course, I didn't know anyone.  I was insecure and shy all over again.  But through the great warmth and welcoming reception that I got from then-president Kelsey and all the other Front Runners, I soon felt like that's where I belonged.  Two months after I joined FRNY, I ran my first half, the Brooklyn Half (2:06:06, 9:37 pace), and by the end of the year I ran the ING New York City Marathon in 4:12:47 (9:38 pace).

During this time, it was just so amazing to me that people, many of whom I barely even knew, would congratulate me, support me or encourage me after my races.  I wasn't the fastest, or the cutest, or the most sociable, but I was made to feel welcomed.  I was so proud to be part of a community, a large family of gay runners.

Three days from now--four years and three months after my very first race--I will be running just a few miles away from where I grew up, following in the footsteps of some of the most elite runners in the world.  The Boston Marathon is the most legendary, venerable race in the world.  It is the only marathon, other than the Olympics and Olympic Trials, which requires its runners to meet strict qualifying standards.

Four years and three months ago, I never would have thought that I'd be a runner, let alone a marathon runner.  But three days from now, I will be at the start of the greatest marathon in the world.  To all of you who have helped me along the way--by running with me, encouraging me, coaching me, or just putting up with me when I was spending all my time running--thank you.  I will be running for you on Monday.