the lucky t

Hopkinton, April 1999: My friend Dylan and I are bursting with excitement for what will be my first and his second marathon. Somone has a indelible ink pen, and is passing it around. Dylan writes a “D” on my white Nike T-shirt. I’m disappointed with my race — I go out way too fast, never did enough long runs and and end up most walking a good deal of the course after mile 18. But cries of “go, D!” spur me on. Finish in 3:48.

New York, November 1999: My friend Jon’s roommate Abigail is also running NYC. She decides the black “D” isn’t strong enough, and outlines another red “D” outside it. In Central Park with a few miles to left, I whip off my Sugoi long-sleeved jersey to reveal the Nike shirt. People are yelling “Go, D!, Go!” I’m much happier with my 3:38, having run a much more even race.

I can’t remember if I wore the Nike shirt at Jacksonville about a month later, where I ran a about 3:26 and came from behind at around mile 24 to beat a friend whom I had badly wanted to beat after she had teased me about being faster. I know I wore it in Pittsburgh (right), my worst ‘thon ever. I thought I was poised to run a 3:10 … but should have realized I had no chance after a heat wave struck. I went for it anyway and ended up walking by mile 8. Finished in a miserable 5:30ish, upchucked and spent time in the medical tent afterward.

But recovered that fall to run a 3:18:11 in Chicago — again, wearing the shirt (left). I was roughly on pace for a 3:10 until about mile 18, then just couldn’t keep it together. But hey, it’s still my PR.

I’m pretty sure the shirt made appearances in St. George (2001), NYC again (2003) and Burlington (2004), although I don’t have photographic proof.

Today I retrieved it from my draw full of technical running shirts and dusted it off. Looks like that “D” could use some reinforcements. But I have no doubt what I’ll be wearing come Sunday.