First, a big thank you for all the calls, messages, emails, FB, smoke signals that came my way before and after the race. It makes the pressure to succeed, immense...: - )
It was a wonderful day, minus the wind. I shared the bus ride to Hopkinton with a young girl from Duluth MN. She knew one person doing the race and planned to meet her at the Athlete's Village. To the uninformed, the AV is basically a refugee camp built for 25K runners. We camp out like homeless people waiting to leave to for our wave/corral.
As soon as we arrived, we headed for the port-o-potties...(those of you on the edge of your seat, I had my mom's phone with me...: - ) We started talking to a very amusing Canadian who did his best to keep my mind off the fact the line was not moving. Without thinking, I blurted out...'I hope I make to the starting line without wetting my pants!' Without missing a beat he said, 'it's a big day for all of us, we all have to have goals' I always fear I don't aim high enough.
We make it out of there incident free and find ourselves a spot to spread out my garbage bags and contemplate blowing up a raft I brought. We decided we didn't want to waste our breath. Not wanting to risk another potty line dance, I headed back in line and Christine said she would watch our stuff. So I start talking to two new girls, one mentions a race in Duluth she just did. I said, 'MN?' she said, yes! I told her I was with a girl from Duluth, looking for her friend from Duluth. At the same time, we both said, Christine?
I was happy to hook them up and now found myself sheparding three young girls whose combined age was probably still younger than me. We were all in the same wave, so I guided them through the bag check-in process and we headed to our corral. It was an uneventful start, other than the announcement that Bill Rodgers (former Boston winner) would be starting with us!
I wished them well and they all took off like you do when you are young and naive. Last year, I did everything they tell you not to, and I suffered all the repercussions they said I would. I re-read the article I blew off last year, a dozen times this weekend. It promised if I let everyone pass me, I would meet up with them later. So I let them all pass me.
I was a little nervous because my first mile split was faster than last year, but I was getting smoked. A wierd feeling came over me at the mile two marker. I thought, for the first time ever in a marathon, it is going to work today. I stuck with my plan, I remembered when course flattened out and pushed the pace. I slowed down on the declines. I practiced self-preservation.
The first highlight of the race came at 4.5. Amy Becker passes 4-time Boston champ Bill Rodgers...woo-hoo!
I told myself I could start to push it at mile 5, which I did. I also knew my mom and Melissa were trying to get to mile six. The thing with Boston, the wave of runners never stops. And I happened to be running near another Amy, who obviously had her name on her shirt because for 10 miles, all I heard was, 'Go Amy' and 'Go Canada'...weird. I was like, I will never see them, I will never figure out if they are yelling at me Amy, or the other Amy?
And then I heard Melissa, and made a bee-line for them flapping my arms bird-like, which has become my habit when I see people I know? I was taking in everything and I could see the people around them, cheering, getting excited for them...they found their runner! I gave my mom a quick hug and kept moving.
My adrenaline was kicking as I headed into Natick. So was the wind! Natick has a big open city square, nothing to trap the wind. I was ticked. But I remember last year...Natick was when I knew I screwed up. Screwed by mile 10 of a 26 miles, but Monday it wasn't like that, a big confidence boost.
Heading into Wellesley was another boost, last year at Wellesley, I didn't think I could finish. This year I rejoiced that the bad downhill was over, it was just another few miles to the hills, which I was looking forward to??
One thing didn't go as I hoped, I didn't eat enough pre-race, yes, read it again, Amy left food on the table. The result was having to dig into my gels earlier than I planned and I knew I didn't have enough 'food' to finish strong. So I started taking food from people..like unwrapped who knows where it came from food...(and I thought of you Sandi while I was eating it...: - ) I ate popsicle? I took some gels from a stranger, one which made me want to hurl, but I recovered and spit a lot.
So I hit the hills at mile 16. I slowed down, a lot. I had a watch and a pace bracelet on, so I knew I was slowing down, but I didn't do anything about it...I don't know why. I love the hills. No one passed me and as promised, I recognized a lot of people that left me behind hours ago. And the crowds are just wonderful here, they will up the hills, lot's of tailgate parties, which could be distracting...: - ) But I was kind of out of my mind...I was losing speed and not doing anything to combat it. I can only think, because I was passing people, I thought I was going fast? And I kept thinking the hills ended at 21.5 and at 20, people are telling me I am at the top and I was very confused. Why is everyone celebrating, we ain't done?
And I think it is kind of pessimistic that they have about eight various medical tents at the top of Heartbreak Hill. It is a circus up there, you almost hate to crest the hill. They make you forget you still have to run 6 miles! So I crest Heartbreak Hill and snap out of it. I really can't explain the weird slow trance I was in on those hills.
So I head for Boston College where Kolleen, Brad, their two year old twins and Megan were waiting.
Wellesley gets all the attention, but really, the kids at BC are kept at bay by the National Guard. I don't think they get enough props for that. I really thought, there is no way I will see Kolleen, the place is a zoo, a drunk zoo, and the animals were crazy. At this point, I have left 'Amy' and 'Canada' behind and I am now running with someone named, 'USA?' I still hear the chant. In my mile 21 delirum, I thought I was on the basketball court with the Dream Team playing Ukraine or something?
But I hear Brad, he is on the left side of the road, I am on the right. I don't know how I heard him. I look over my shoulder and out of the corner of my eye, Kolleen is on the course, chasing me. I turn around and run to her, and hug her. She has dragged her husband and toddlers out here, for you, next year, I will wear yellow. I love you for many reasons, especially for being right there!
I was so lucky, I was having a great race, and I saw all my people, I found all the needles in a haystack! The adrenaline was kicking now!
On to Brookline. The last four miles, I know now, are a reward, for not screwing up the first 22. For everyone else, this was, 'Dead Man Walking'. Lots of runners giving into the ghost. The wind also really picked up here too. I was passing people, zig-zagging to get around them, actually getting frustrated with the 'slow people'. 3:35 was lost on the hills, but now I was fighting for 3:40.
Then a weird thing happened at mile 25. I felt a sharp pain in my foot I had never felt before. I took another step and it kind of moved. Then I said something I have never said in 13 marathons....'oh darn, I have a blister'...(I have actually never said that, but you get my drift.) At this point, the shredded quads, painful hip all became non-issues, it was the blister. But at mile 25 what do you do? Do what I have done for the last 8 months as my hamstrings, butt and hips threatened to shut me down. I just kept running.
So, I am turning on Hereford. This is the time to savor Boston, tell yourself, I am going to finish the Boston Marathon, that most runners, only dream of. I start my hyper-venilation avoidance plan. I start breathing in through my nose out my mouth, hoping to stay calm before I hit Boylston. I hit the turn with my arms over my head and just screamed. I made it in one piece, nothing was broken, not my body, not my spirit. And I never took my eyes off the finish line.
I hit the finish line with a joy I hadn't felt in a long time. A joy in earning my finish, on a challenging course on a challenging day.
Marathonfoto.com has some of the pictures already up. Normally, my race photo's look like I have just bitten something really sour and awful tasting. One race, I really focused on smiling for the camera. So I looked like someone who had just eaten something sour, who was trying to smile. Monday, I am smiling...in all the pic's. I love it!
I had it in my head that I would pass on Boston in 2010 and go back in 2011. I don't know. I am runner and I love being with runner people. I think I need to go back and be with my people.
I am passing on a fall marathon...to rest and focus on speed for shorter distances. Most of you know I have battled injuries since the summer. I have never been even 80%. I need to rest, I know that...but I can't wait to start running again...: - )
The stats, if you are still with me: 3:39:19, finished 10044, beating my starting number of 14736, by over 4500! I broke out my 5K splits, for the math people: 5K - 8:15 10K - 8:05 15K - 8:00 20K - 8:07 25K - 8:19 30K - 8:48 35K - 8:47 40K - 8:27 and the last 1.4M average - 8:10
A consistent 8:10 would have got me to 3:35...maybe next year...: - )? Most importantly, I requalified at Boston. Only 30% of all runners requalify at Boston. I am most proud of that. It was 14 minute improvement over last year.
Thank you again, to family, friends, co-workers. You all accomodated me over and over, with running schedules, Dr visits, or just letting me talk running...(reading this...: - )
A lot of running friends that never thought Boston was a goal, are now penciling it in. A lot of friends who feared they couldn't run from a burning building are now calling me for running shoe advice, (Kolleen, a nuetral shoe will go with anything...: -)
Bigger than any PR, is that you think I have the answers, that keeps me striving to stay ahead, especially ahead of Jennifer who is closing the gap way too quickly...: - )
A marathon is like a lifetime in 26 miles, elation and dread, joy and pain, hope and faith and at the finish line, you are just grateful to have had the opportunity.
leave you, (finally) with one of my favorite inspiration quotes, by Amby Burfoot, former Boston winner: "People run the marathon to prove that there is still triumph, and there is still possibility in the their lives."
I hope you all find your triumphs and unlimited possibilities!
