Boston Marathon

Yesterday Wayne and I returned from a fabulous (and painful) trip from Boston.  Painful, you ask?  Oh yes, Very.

Some very dear running friends supplied with all kinds of goodies.

We left for Boston early Sunday morning to pick up my bib number and packet for the Boston Marathon.  It's been a whirlwind preparing for this race.  Everything was going pretty well until about four weeks ago when I strained my right calf.  Every run was met with a massive tightening in my ankle region.  At first I thought it was my Achilles, but after seeing several professionals it was definitely coming from my calf.  I was advised to continue to run as much as I could, but each run had me limping down the stairs and I finally decided to follow my gut, cross train on the bike and elliptical and save the run for the race.  I was worried this would be my five hour marathon, but was determined to cross that finish line come hell or high water.

The Expo was HUGE.  We arrived about four hours before the end so most of the popular apparel was sold out.  Apparently sporting a Boston Marathon jacket is a big deal.  Everywhere I turned someone was wearing one.

After picking up my stuff and registering Wayne's cell to track my number we took the train back to our car and headed to the Residence Inn.  I was exhausted.  Not so good a day before a marathon, but I had been an insomniac for a few nights.  Having all kinds of dreams about not being able to make it to the start line and such.  Blah, blah, blah.  I really wasn't freaking out about it, but I guess my subconscious was my Mr. Jekyll and felt differently.

My running buddy and friend, Eileen, was also staying at the Residence Inn with her Team Bean crew of which Wayne and I were honorary members.  Seriously, Eileen has a dozen people who come to cheer for her on each major marathon that she does.  Matching shirts are involved.  Copious planning.  Awards.  It's a party to boot.  Wayne had a blast running around with her husband, Steve, and friend, Rob.  That's a story in and of itself.  We all went to Bertucci's the night before the race.  YUM.

Steve and Wayne drove Eileen and me to Hopkington State Park where we caught the bus that drove us to the start line.  It was a .7 mile walk to Athlete Village and another .7 to the start.  I was so happy that Eileen was there for our three hour wait until the start of the race.

Eileen and I were FREEZING!!!  The wind was COLD, but we had been told time and time again that it would be tailwind the entire length of the race!

We were planning on seeing Team Bean at mile 7, 16, and the finish.  Eileen and I were whizzing by, feeling great and saw the team screaming, snapping pictures, shaking cow bells, and slapping some kind of noise maker.  SaWeet!  So much fun. . . notice our matching Team Bean shirts?  Ha ha.  Love it.

Look at us!  We were having a great time.  Eileen is right behind the man in the middle.  Around mile 11 I started to feel some tightening in my quads.  What?  This hasn't happened before, this early anyway.  I knew Boston was full of all kinds of downhills.  I slowed down a bit to try to save my legs, but it became progressively harder and I continued to slow down.  I thought maybe I just needed more fluid, so I grabbed Gatorade at almost all of the mile markers, walked for a minute, and somehow pushed my legs forward again.  Thankfully I didn't cramp, but felt on the verge of cramping for, Oh I don't know, 15 MILES!  The energy and amount of fans pushed me through.  Running by Wellesley was a riot.  Those girls all had signs saying "Kiss Me if you're Irish" or "Kiss me if your British." or simply "Kiss ME".  The noise level was astronomical and it kept my mind off of how much I was hurting . . . and it was only mile 13.

Weirdly the uphills were a welcome relief since it took pressure off of my quads, but of course where there is an uphill, there is a downhill and after Heartbreak Hill it was five miles of downhill.  You heard me right.  FIVE MILES.  Normally I would sing praises, but it was more like silent curses.

I kept looking for Team Bean.  I was going to have my personal doctor stretch me out and continue on.  I didn't see them and didn't see them.  They had the most chaotic time getting on a train.  Two trains in a row were full.  Wayne even said it was going to walk the final four miles to see me.  Finally they found a less traveled train on a different line by crossing the marathon route and kinds of wacky stuff thanks to Wayne.    They were at mile 22, but at that point I thought I had missed them.  I couldn't hear them screaming my name when I passed.   You can tell from the picture how tired and sore I was at that point.

I finally knew that I was going to finish.  I was at mile 22, 23, 24, only two more miles, 25, the fans became more concentrated, more layers, turned the corner onto Boylston Street and saw eight layers of people smashed on both sides of the road.  I saw the finish line less than a half a mile away.  A grand stand was set up and was packed with people all cheering.  I hurt so much.  I was so proud of myself.  I saw people cramping and falling a few strides before the finish.  I couldn't believe I finished with so much pain in 3:47:53.  If I had any more fluid in me I would have cried.

I had to walk almost a mile after the race.  They keep you walking through water, Gatorade, Mylar blankets, medals, food, and finally my athlete bag.  Wayne was just around the corner.  Thank goodness for cell phones.  Eileen had a personal record, 3:33.  Three should be her lucky number.

That night Team Bean had a delicious dinner at Not Your Average Joes.  Awards were presented.  We laughed and laughed.  Steve said Wayne really stepped up.  That there was no way they would have been able to see us after mile 7 if he hadn't been there.  

I have a massive blister on my big toe.  My quads keep giving out on me like when someone sees you standing with your knee locked out and they tap you from behind and your leg gives out.  Yup, that's the feeling.   Wayne is worried that I'm going to lose it and hurt myself.

I still insisted on heading to Boston on Tuesday. We saw parts of the Freedom Trail, went to an Italian restaurant on the North End, and had some delicious treats at a pastry shop.  I really wanted to see Harvard, but I could barely move and we decided to head back to the hotel.

What a fabulous trip with Wayne.  This will not be my last marathon with Team Bean.  Now . . Chicago 2012?