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?
3 comments:
My most adventurous race was a 5k trail race I did about a year ago. It was easily the hardest race I have ever done (although that might change this weekend when I run my first 1/2 marathon). I wasn't entirely sure I would actually finish this race. There was about 200 people running it, and from the start is a straight and steep downhill slope for about 100ft, followed by straight up a steeper uphill slope that required clawing with your hands to work your way back up. (Did I mention it rained the entire night before this?... so it was one giant mudslide). This was actually the worst part of the race... until the finish. There were a lot of hills and creeks to cross. I even witnessed some guy that looked to be more of a rugby player than a runner give a girl a piggy back ride across one of the larger streams. The middle mile of this race was quite enjoyable with big open fields and flat ground, then the last mile you start going downhill...for a looonnnggg time. Which was great until you make a u-turn, cross another creek and then realize that you have to go 1/4 mile back up this long hill to get to the finish line. It was a rough race and very muddy but at the same time very fun. I highly recommend a trail race to anyone who hasn't run one yet, they are a nice change of pace from roads!
Most adventurous? I've ran my 10 marathons in nearly perfect weather conditions, so I would go back to my Chicago Lakefront days where the wheel from my jogger stroller popped 3 miles from home. It was a 3-wheeler, so I jogged my son home using the left 2 wheels. He's 6 yrs old now and doesn't seem to show signs of shock. I'm sure my first bad-weather marathon is coming sooner than later! Way to go Sandy in Boston!
One of my most adventurous runs was on an island off the coast of Belize. My husband and I were on a yacht for 3 days and being a running addict I needed a run on the 2nd day. So him and the captain dropped me off on this tiny island. It was probably 1/4 mile around the whole thing. I ran for an hour and within that time I met every person and dog on the island! It was great fun and I got my daily runner's high!
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