Boston Marathon Recap: Undertrained & Overjoyed

*I wrote this post a few days ago. Since then, I’ve tried to think of how to edit this so it would better capture what April 21st meant to me on a personal level and what it meant to our larger running community. However, I haven’t been able to find the words. The memory and the meaning of it all will forever be bigger than I ever imagined it to be.  

What I do want to tell you is this, if you want to BQ, go for it! Work hard. Dream Big. Make it a priority. Learn from your mistakes. Never give up and you too can BQ. The blood, sweat, tears, and the money spent on racing fees, running shoes and body glide were all worth it. 

Gosh! I wish the title of this recap were slightly different, but it’s the truth. I can’t go back and change things and I’m totally okay with it. I’ve ran two marathons this year and wasn’t properly trained for either one of them.  Excuses aren’t valid here, so I won’t give you any as to why I didn’t really train. Just know, I promise not to run any more marathons without proper training.

The good thing about not working hard for this race is I was able to enjoy it and soak up every moment instead of zoning/freaking out I like I normally do. I didn’t wear a watch and had zero expectations other than taking a victory lap that ran from Hopkinton to Boylston.

The Expo

One word sums up the expo, C-R-A-Z-Y! I went to the expo Saturday afternoon and it was a complete zoo. They were already sold out of official gear and race shirts in size xs and it was only day two!

Since it was such a complete nut house, I snagged a few too many “official” items (including the safety orange coveted or not so coveted Boston marathon jacket) and high-tailed it out of there to pick up my number. The line for number pick-up was short and sweet. (Something to note, number pick-up is on a separate floor from the expo so you can avoid all the chaos by just going here and ordering your Boston Marathon gear online. I wish I had known this ahead of time.)

The Bus Ride, Athlete Village & Starting Line

The bus ride was uneventful. I was lucky enough to snag one of the last seats on an 8:30am bus just before it departed to Hopkinton. I was happy to have Maura with me to chatter nervously with and keep me organized. Once we arrived at the Athlete’s Village, I was surprised to find security was less strict than it was at the New York City Marathon.

The athlete village felt small and crowded. I nearly peed my pants waiting in the long line for the port-a-potties, but luckily dodged an accident. 😉 I don’t think I’ve ever stood inline that long for a port-a-potty! It was nuts. People were relieving themselves everywhere. Runners apparently don’t suffer from performance anxiety when it comes to urinating in public. We saw lots of naked bums while waiting!

I was the least organized I’ve ever been before a marathon. So much so that somehow, I managed to walk so slowly to my corral, I missed the official start of my wave! I’m told the starting line is about a one mile walk from the Athlete’s Village, so I guess not wearing a watch didn’t do me any favors when it came to getting there on time.

The  Race & the Crowds

Oh my goodness, oh my goodness! {Cue tears…} I’m running the Boston Marathon!  Me, little ‘ole me who isn’t fast and doesn’t run high mileage is running the marathon of  her dreams. See this is proof, I can do anything I set my mind to! Now, stop with this nonsense before you’re crying so hard you can’t see. You need to be able to breathe to be able to run. Get a grip and pay attention to what’s going on around you.

And so I did. I ran the race of my dreams and here are a few things I did during that 26.2 mile celebration:

I hugged this guy:

I high-fived so many people, I had to take a break from high-fiving people because I feared I’d injure my rotator cuff.

I nearly cried 26.2 times because of the signs and words of encouragement from spectators. I mean a woman thanked me for running. She’s the one who needed to be thanked!

I took a popsicle break (not unlike in San Diego) with three miles to go because: #1 I love eating popsicles during marathons and #2 I didn’t want the race to end.

I thought my mouth was bleeding from the sun and my lack of sunscreen, but it was just the red dye from the popsicle.

No other marathon finish compares to turning right on Hereford and left on Boylston.

In conclusion

Marathon Monday was everything I dreamt it to be and more. After running the New York City Marathon (read my recap here) the year after it was cancelled and now having run Boston after the tragedy, I’m not sure any other races will compare. If I never run another race again, I’ll retire with satisfaction.