So, it's over! The Boston Marathon has come and gone and for the first time I can say, I was a part of it! Man, talk about an amazing, humbling, exciting, challenging, motivating experience!! I know it may surprise some to hear that marathons are emotional for me on so many levels. This year's marathon was emotion for the following reasons: 1. 8 years ago I could barely even run, I tried to be active and involved but running was a challenge for me, now, I just ran the Boston Marathon! 2. There is so much history that goes behind the Boston Marathon that I am honored by those that sacrificed so much to put the race together and that assisted in making the Boston Marathon the success that it is today!! 3. I was in Boston, with my Husband running one of the most well known marathons in the world! It is so exciting to love a sport that both my husband and I appreciate. It was special to be doing it together with him and to have him sacrifice his time to run with me. 4. There is a spirit to the city, so many people, all running for one reason or another. Something has driven each and every person that was there to run that race and they did it!! 5. It took a lot of work, time, blood, sweat, and tears to get there and I was finally there!!! Despite the challenge that it was, it was fun and a life experience! I am so thankful that I got to be a part of it!
I am basically going to use this blog to not only report my actual marathon but my Trip to Boston. Just a warning for those who choose not to read my inapt ability to talk for hours on end :) So, Sunday Tyler and I just went down to the Expo to get our bibs, etc and walk around. We ended up having to leave the expo to run up to Marathon Sports to get the Hoddies we wanted because the Expo was all out of them (You should have seen the people, CRAZY). So, we ended up getting lunch and then heading back to the Expo so all in all, we spent almost 5 hours down by the finish line! The people are honestly amazing and the entire experience is one that I will not be forgetting!
Race day morning we woke up at 5:00am (3:00 Utah Time) to head to the bus. By the time we got off of the bus, it was almost 7:00 and by mistake, we were dropped off at the Finish Line (our bus driver was following the elite runner's bus that went to the starting line. Too bad we never got to see the elites, but seeing the Police Escort was certainly entertaining). So, we had to walk 3/4 of a mile to get to Athlete's Village where we again sat for almost 2 hours before heading to the start line. It took us almost 10 minutes walking time to get to the start line before we took off and were running the course of the Boston Marathon!! Tyler brought his Ipod that has recording features that allowed to record the people, etc. I had told him that I wanted to dedicate each mile to someone so he was able to record me giving my tributes up until the batteries died at mile 20 (SHOOT). I know this was cheesy, but it really helped my mind focus on other things then just running. It was nice to think about all of the important people in my life and the people that make me want to run and run better. I was feeling really good and getting into my zone at about mile 6 when suddenly, I had to take a potty break. This may not seem like a big deal but for me, it was! I have NEVER, in the history of any race I have done, had to take a potty break and now, at the Boston marathon, my body decides to take a potty break!?????? NO!!! So, we found a porta potty at about mile 7 and make a quick stop. OH, I forgot to mention that my shoe lace also came untied at mile 6 (another first and another sto[ :(). So, I was feeling a bit frustrated but ready to run. I was a bit upset when my feet started hurting at mile 8. I thought they would feel better as time went on but unfortunately they didn't. We dropped from an 8:05 average to a 8:12 average within 2 miles and I started psyching myself out mentally (BAD BAD GIRL). All I can say is Thank goodness that I had Tyler with me, Thank goodness for the crowds and the music along the way! I was actually feeling relatively decent until about mile 17 when my feet were killing me, my back had started hurting and again, the negative mental thoughts were taking their toll. It's hard because I was still enjoying the experience and loving the fact that I was running the Boston marathon, but my body just did not feel very good. I wouldn't say the course was hard but different then what I have ever trained on. Rather then extreme ups or down, the course literally rolled the entire way. This made it hard for me because I could feel the gradual incline but never felt the ease of down hill because it too was very gradual. All in all, I was ready to be done and I was telling myself that (again, BAD GIRL). Tyler made it so much better but even he could tell that I was having a hard time. I had my watch set so that only my average pace was showing and when I crossed the finish line, my watch registered a 8:18 pace overall. However, it also registered 26.6 miles in distance so I must have been wandering all over the road. My time resulted in 3:41:07 a mere 8 seconds short of a BQ at Boston. This is the part that I am struggling with most because I could have easily shaved 8 seconds off but again, it's the mental part that is bothering me!! So, with all of the nagging and complaining what did I think of the marathon?!?! I loved it! It was hard, and challenging but honestly Humbling and amazing! I am so glad that I did it! So glad that I can run, So thankful for the circumstances that allow me to run, so grateful to my husband for running and experiencing it with me and SO grateful for a fun trip to Boston!!! It was a life experience that I will always remember and be grateful for!!!!
Later that night we met up with Scott and Kelli, Teena and Ryan, Smooth and Larry, Lark (first time meeting) and Rhett and Dune (first time meeting ) and Kathy and SHOOT, I can't remember her name, SO SORRY!, for dinner!! It was so great to see them and do a date night in Boston!!! It was fun hearing all of the stories and enjoying their company!! Later we parted ways and Tyler and I went to get some Jelly Beans at a little store right in the Park Place mall we had eaten in. We left the Mall and were walking down the street heading to the subway (and to the hotel) and were talking about Ryan Hall when all of a sudden 2 men walked out of a restaurant and started walking down the side walk right in front of us. We had gotten a glimpse of the one man who we swore was RYAN HALL but we weren't certain as our luck typically is the exact opposite of that! Tyler and I kept asking back and forth "Is that really him?" "Do you really think he would just be down here in town?", so I very quietly said "Ryan", and sure enough he turned around. All I thought was, "What?!?! It was really Ryan Hall"?? So, I asked him "Would you mind if I got a picture of you with my husband, it would really make his day?" He was so dang nice and willingly accepted so I snapped a pic, we made a bit of small talk and he walked off!! Wow, that was really the highlight of our trip!! We couldn't stop talking about it and it totally made Tyler's trip!! SO FUN!!!!
That pretty much completed our marathon experience with no complaints!!! IT was a great Patriots day/Marathon Day for us!
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