My Boston Marathon

This is a long post, but I wanted to document my marathon, my feelings and my thoughts. 

So I ran the Boston Marathon a week ago and it still seems surreal to me. I remember thinking about this marathon back in December and thinking it was so far away.. but it came and went and I am still alive with a stronger body, mind and testimony of the power of prayer. This marathon was by far my hardest and definitely kicked my trashed, but I feel like I came out on top more mentally and spiritually than physically. 

A month before the marathon, I got an injury in my high-hamstring area. It was a sharp pain near my sit-bone that left me hurting when I ran and walked. I was devastated! I felt like I had eased into my training really well and hadn't over done it. I was doing speed workouts and hill repeats and long runs with my running friend Lizzie. We were feeling good and doing so well with our training. Anyway, after my injury, I signed up for a gym membership and started cross training on the elliptical and doing spin classes. I felt good about cross training and was still getting a pretty good workout. 

Spencer and I started praying each night for my injury and that it would heal and he also gave me a blessing that I would be able to heal in time for my marathon. I know those prayers were heard and answered! 

I remember each week I would lay on my back and lift a leg one at a time and it would really hurt my injury but a week before my marathon I tried it and sure enough... I couldn't feel it anymore! It no longer hurt to walk and the week before my marathon while I was in Mexico I tried running a few miles on the treadmill and it didn't hurt! I was so excited to run and kept praying that I wouldn't feel it during the marathon. 

We got home from Mexico and the next day drove up to Boston. It was a busy couple days unpacking from vacation and packing again for my race. My mom was still with us and helped so much with Charley. We drove up to Boston and met up with Spencer's brother and wife, Alan and Rosa. We all went to the Expo together where I picked up my BIB number and saw my friend Lizzie! We exchanged "good lucks" and then went to dinner- PHO and FRIED RICE. A good carb dinner but not super heavy. 

The next morning I woke up around 6am and got dressed. Spencer and I drove to Alan and Rosa's house where we met Alan and then went to catch the subway from their house. We went to Boston Common where I would catch the bus up to the start. Since I am still nursing Charley, I pumped before I got on the bus, gave spencer the clothes I wanted after the race and my breast pump and then got on the bus. I sat by the coolest guy on the bus! He had ran 125 marathons!! I kid you not.. I wish I could have talked to him for hours! He was so dialed into his run.. he had goos, vitamins, salt packets, Advil and knew what time he was going to take everything! It was really cool to talk to him, get advice and learn from his experience. 

The bus took us up to Hopkinton where there is the Athlete's Village. It's pretty much this huge High-School field where the athletes hang out until their wave/corral is ready to begin. I got up there, stood in the bathroom line, grabbed a blanket to sit on, ate some granola, stood in the bathroom line again and then had to go to the start. I thought I would have to wait a longer time, but the time went by super fast and I was one of the last ones to my corral. I had just enough time to ask the guy next to me if I could use some of his vaseline to rub on my underarms, stretch out my legs and then we were off! The energy and excitement that you feel around so many runners is unreal and indescribable. I LOVE it! Everyone is so happy and energetic and full of endorphins. Runners have a really cool aura about them that gets you pumped to run. Especially here where there are 36,000 runners around you!

I started the race and was feeling really good! Surprisingly good! I kept at a 7:15 pace and around mile 4 this guy came up to me and said that we kept passing each other. His name was Derek and we talked for a bit and ended up running together until mile 11. He was my first ANGEL on the course. He is in the orange tank top in the picture above. He really helped me keep going and pushed me. He liked it because we kept a steady pace and said that I was pushing him too! Around mile 6, I saw my mom, Rosa and Charley. It was such a nice surprise! I needed to see them to give me some energy to keep going! I am so grateful they were there on the course to cheer me on! I stopped, gave them all a

hug and then went on my way.  

(ps. do you see all the runners around? this is how the course is all. the. way! there are so many runners you are never running by yourself)

Around mile 7 my legs started cramping really bad! I was so surprised and shocked that I was already cramping up! Usually that happens the last 4-5 miles around mile 21.. not mile 7. In my mind I was so sad and thinking.. "I still have 19 miles to go! This can't be happening!" I told Derek around mile 9 that he should go on ahead because I was starting to slow down, but he was super nice and said that we would run together and that "we got this!" We ran a few more miles together and my legs were getting worse and worse and cramping sooo bad! Like a HURT BAD cramp. Like it felt like a thousand beebees were being pelted into my legs. I have never felt that bad of a cramp before. Finally at mile 11 I stopped and told Derek to go on ahead without me! I needed to stretch out my legs and rub them out for a bit. I saw a spectator on the side of the road that looked big and burley so I walked over to him and asked him to rub my quads as hard as he could. He was my second ANGEL who graciously gave me a good rub down and sent me on my way. From mile 11 on, I basically walk/ran the rest of the race. Every mile or so I would have to stop and stretch out my quads, rub them while I ran, or ask someone to rub them for me. At one point I saw a bunch of college guys and knew they would be good and strong, so I went over to them and sat down on the road and said I needed to really strong guys! Two guys volunteered and I showed them what to do. They each took a leg and started rubbing my quads! It was so nice. A runner ran up next to me and started massaging my legs as well and then grabbed my hand and said, "ok let's go!" I was so discouraged at this point that I started crying and told him I was cramping so bad and had never cramped this bad before! He was my third ANGEL because he then ran with me for a while, stayed positive and told me I would get through this run. I really needed to hear that because no matter how many times I stopped to stretch my legs, or grabbed orange slices and bananas or drank gaterade for electrolytes, NOTHING was helping my cramping. I just had to run through it. The spectators are seriously amazing at this race! They are lining the course handing out orange slices, cold wet wipes, water, licorice, jelly beans.. you name it! They are cheering you on and so supportive. Its truly amazing and you feel so good about yourself and your race because the energy they give out.

Spencer and Alan were at mile 21. Spencer knew something was wrong when he saw my half marathon pace at 7:15 and it dropped a whole minute the next few miles to a 8:15. He said he was pretty excited when I was doing so well the first half of the race, but started to get worried when he would get text updates and knew I was slowing down quite a bit. By the time I reached them, I was walking, crying and in pain. I hugged Spencer for a long time and told him how badly my legs hurt and how they were so crampy and nothing was helping. He rubbed them out for a bit he gave me another hug and sent me on my way. I had 5 miles left and at that point I just wanted to finish and get my Boston medal! 

The last 5 miles were pretty painful, my knee was starting to flare up and hurt, my IT bands on both legs were shot and my quads were screaming for me to stop. I would run a half mile and then walk the rest of the mile. I did this till mile 24 and then told myself I was going to run the last 2 miles. I cried a little bit more, said a prayer and pushed through the excruciating pain my legs were in. 

Seeing the finish line was most amazing site I have seen in a long time! I was so happy to be done. I crossed the finish line and knew I couldn't sit down or stop walking or I would cramp up super bad. I knew Charley needed to be fed and wanted to see my family, so I walked another 1/2 mile to get the food/water/chocolate milk they provide and then met up with my family! Next to the finish line they were giving free massages so I went and got a massage and sat on the sidewalk and stretched for a long time. I looked at my phone and had 56 text messages! I felt so loved and that so many people were cheering for me. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement!! 

I was done! I was feeling it all over my body! Sure my time was my slowest marathon time. Yes I walked and have never walked a marathon before. Yes I have ran a marathon a whole HOUR faster a year ago.. but I still finished. Mentally I knew I had accomplished something great. I had pushed my body to a new limit. I had told myself I could do something and I did it. Above all, I knew that I was being looked after and from this I realized (again) that my God is a good God. He is a gracious and merciful God and he watches over us and no matter how small our task or want is.. he is there is help us and to carry us through. I realized the power of prayer and faith. And that we can all do hard things.

ps. cool article here