Boston 2007

Hey Girls. Wow, what can I say. Boston was an adventure! I left Iowa late Friday afternoon on April 13th. Flew to Milwaukee. While in the Milwaukee airport I met 2 other Boston runners. Matt, who works for Trek (how cool!)and running his 4th Boston. Kara who was meeting her Dad in Boston and running her 1st Boston. Then on the flight to Boston I sat next to a fine young man from New Hampshire named Josh. Just returning from Spring Break in the Dominican Republic. Josh wants to be a doctor. Keep reaching for that dream, Josh!

Saturday and Sunday were spent working at the IRUN booth at the Expo and loving every minute of it! It was so much fun to be around so many runners and talking about the sport I love. On Sunday, a dear friend, Ellen, from Philly joined the team bringing a ray of sunshine. I was having a difficult time getting mentally prepared for the marathon. There was a lot of talk about the weather. Predictions of heavy rains and 50 mph headwinds scared me. I know I wasn't alone. It was hard to sleep Sunday night as we listened to the wind and rain. I worried about the race.

Monday morning, Ellen and I left for Government Center at 6am. The rain was still coming down and the winds were strong. Our plan was to have Ellen join me at mile 17 and finish the last 9 miles. Thank God for friends that help you through the tough things. Government Center was filled with thousands of runners wrapped in ponchos and garbage bags waiting to get on the busses that would take us out to Hopkinton. THIS was definitely the most adventurous marathon I'd run! I met some great people on the 1 1/2 hour bus ride out to Hopkinton. I love hearing running stories and sharing words of wisdom.

At the Start, by some higher power, the rain subsided. This wasn't so bad. The first 16 miles of the race went great. At the start of Heartbreak Hill I saw Janet, a lady I was a nanny for 18 years ago in Newton. I stopped to give her a hug and went on my way. Heartbreak Hill from miles 18-20 (where it peaks) was very tough. I thought about my husband and sons back home and how I wished they were there to cheer me on and hug me at the Finish. I thought about my running buddy that had just lost their baby during the 20th week of pregnancy. The back of my shirt read "This Ones for Grace." I prayed that the pain I was feeling was nothing compared to their pain of losing Grace. I thought about my running buddy, Connie who has done the last 7 marathons with me but was injured for Boston. I missed her terribly. Along with my thoughts, I tried to listen to the wonderful spectators that lined the streets of Boston. It was so great to see so many people. They helped me get through the last miles. I finished in 3:39 and that was fine with me. Ellen and I had missed each other at mile 17 but met up at the Finish.

I had to make a trip to the Med Tent-which was my first. I feared hypothermia because I couldn't stop shaking and my lips were blue (Ellen kept telling me). I sat on a cot with blankets and drank warm soup. Then something strange happened. The guy across from me poked his head up. It looked just like a guy I dated in college 18 years ago! I asked a nurse to find out his name. It was HIM! I asked if I could be moved next to him. The nurses were totally into this. I was able to spend a few minutes with John. Just a reminder of the small world we live in.

So there you go, Girls. My Boston adventure. So....here's the next question. What was your most adventurous run?

So many of us women are dedicated to our running as well as our friends. Sharing the first time race experience with a friend is something you both will treasure. Thank you for all the great replies. If any of you are running Boston, please stop by the IRUNLIKEAGIRL booth at the expo. Keep running ladies!

Sandy

iRUNLIKEAGIRL introduces "Going the Distance" with Sandy

Hey Girls,

My name is Sandy and I admit that I am addicted to running. Full admission and quite proud of it.

I run because I love the way it makes me feel.

In the mail today, I received Boston Marathon information. I’ll be running my 2nd Boston in April. On the cover of the official merchandise guide, it reads: Reason No: 2007 with numerous hand-written reasons such as “Impossible is Nothing,” “The farther I run, the harder it is to stop,” “Resume says I’m goal oriented,” “Sweating is cleansing,” and more. These motivating words inspire me to keep running.

I’ve been running for nearly 8 years. All that I have learned is from experience. I am not a professional nor do I have any sports degrees. Yet, I do have a deep passion for running and helping other runners and non-runners. My goal with this Blog is to help answer any questions regarding topics such as nutrition, injuries, how to start running, time constraints, where to lodge when traveling, and so much more. I will give you advice to the best of my ability. If I don’t know the answer, I will look to my own resources and to you. Women learn from women. This Blog is a collection of our stories.

We’re creating an iRUNLIKEAGIRL team and I hope you will take part. Not exactly knowing the direction we will take, we do have a definite starting line right here and now in my home state of Iowa.

So girls, here’s the question…

If you had a choice of being the first-place finisher in your favorite 5K or running along the side of a friend who is running her first 5K, which would you do?