Week 16 - 20 Miles to Taper Town

Before I get into my weekly recap, I want to talk a little bit about the charity I am running the Boston Marathon for - Victory Programs.  If you've been reading my blog from the start, you know that I am the Communications Manager for this incredible agency for over two years.  This Tuesday, March 24, Victory Programs held its annual Gratitude Dinner, a yearly gathering of our clients, staff, alumni, board and special guests to pause, reflect and celebrate what we are grateful for.

VPI President & CEO, Jonathan Scott

The highlight of this event are the Messages of Gratitude, when clients from across our 18 housing and health programs share their stories.  This year we heard from a women who was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS just 10 months ago.  She talked about how scared she was and how becoming a member of our Boston Living Center gave her peace and community when she was at her most terrified.  We had a clients from our Portis Family Home talk about her struggled with heroin addiction and how for the first year and a half of her baby's life, she wasn't able to take care of him and leaving him in the custody of her mother.  Today, both mother and son live together as she seeks permanent housing.  We heard from a client whose alcoholism gave him a DUI and court ordered enrollment in our Victory House program.  He is now sober and about to move into our new permanent housing program, Serenity Supportive Housing in Topsfield.  All of these individuals credit Victory Programs for helping them get to the new, healthy part of their life.

This event is an yearly reminder of why the work I get up every morning to do is important and valuable.  It's also a reminder that people who are struggling with homelessness, addiction and chronic illnesses are just that - people.  Every one of our clients is worthy of love, respect and a second (third or fourth) chance at a healthy and happy life.

To help support me AND this amazing agency, please click here today.

Marathon Runners Packet

All week I had been checking the mailbox, waiting for my Marathon packet from the BAA and it FINALLY CAME!  It was pretty funny because all in the same day my Facebook and Twitter feed exploded with photos just the like one I took and posted.  It seems everyone, no matter if they've run the Marathon a million times or are doing it for the first time like me, posted a nearly identical photo.  The packet included all kinds of logistical information, a map of the John Hancock Fitness Expo, our ticket to the pre-race dinner at City Hall Plaza the night before, the ticket to the post-race party at Fenway Park and MOST importantly our bib pick up slip!

I'll be picking up my bib (#28145) and runner's swag bag during the Expo, which begins on Friday, April 17 at 2pm and is free to EVERYONE.  If you're a runner, come by the Hynes Convention Center and check it out!

The Big Test

This was a big week in my Marathon training, friends!  On Saturday, I embarked on my last truly long run before the big day.  Due to nearly constant knee pain, I did next to no running during the week, which was less than ideal for a variety of reasons.  I did make it to the gym a few times to do some weight work and a whopping 1 mile on the treadmill.

To be 100% honest with all of you, I was pretty much terrified on this 20 mile run.  For me, this was a big test.  If I made it through the 20 ok, I felt like conquering the Marathon was completely within reach.  If I couldn't make it through the 20 miles...well...I'd be up a creek.  My stomach just wasn't right all week thanks to nerves and I couldn't wait to get it over with!

I woke up to rain and snow and pretty cold weather.  Up until this point, I had been really careful working my long runs around bad weather, going as far as taking a day off of work to do my 18 miler, but there was no getting around this.  In a way, I felt like I was finally earning my stripes by braving the weather like a good Marathon soldier should.

I joined up with my friend Dani and her charity runners from Tedy's Team to run the 20 miles from Framingham to Boston.  This is a big day for almost anyone running the Marathon.  Runners from all different charity teams all get out and run the course this day, making it a mini-Marathon day.  I met Dani at her house at 6:30 in the morning, got a ride into Kenmore with our friend Page and got on the buses to Framingham.  Everyone was chatting away on the bus and as we rode, my eyes started to well up.  I don't know if it was nerves or what, but I was so overcome with emotion, I had a hard time keeping it inside.  This was it.  The test run.

The bus dropped us off in a parking lot across from the Framingham commuter rail stop and off we went.  I was excited to run the actual Marathon route. Up until this point, I had only run miles 21-26 (the base of Heartbreak Hill to the finish line) so it was cool to see what to expect on April 20.  I kept my regular game plan in place, checking in on my cadence (180 foot strikes per minute) and sticking with my run 9 minutes, walk one minute approach.

One of the awesome parts of this run, was how many volunteers were out on the course manning water and Gatorade stations.  A lot of the stations were run by volunteers from different charity teams (but they provided care to everyone) and some were just run by companies and groups from the towns on the route.  There were also a lot of police officers on duty throughout the route to make sure runners were taken care of.

Around mile 4, there was a water station with a LOT of people stopped at it.  I decided to keep going since it looked crowded and it wasn't until I was actually running past it that I noticed why do many people decided to stop.  TEDY BRUSCHI WAS AT THAT STOP!  I looked right at him as I cruised past and wished I had had the courage to turn around and get my picture taken with him.  I decided to keep going instead, which I now kind of regret.  It shouldn't have surprised me to see him, since I rode out to Framingham with HIS charity team, but it did. Sidenote: He's my all-time favorite Patriot AND is as handsome in person as he is on TV!

I found myself cruising along, taking in the sites and watching all of my fellow runners and I was really happy at how good my knee was feeling.  If it wasn't for running into the wind and snow it would have actually been a beautiful day to run.  Around mile 10, I took my first Clif Energy Gel and kept moving along.  Finally, I found myself in a familiar place.  I was at the base of Heartbreak Hill.  Oh boy.  Here we go.  I made a deal with myself.  I was NOT going to walk any part of Heartbreak except for my usual 1 minute walk break.  You guys, I totally did it!  The best part was that one of my minute walk breaks coincided with a red light at a crosswalk AND the chance to have my photo taken with Heartbreak Bill again!  You can really see how big the snowflakes were in this photo.

Since I had done the final stretch of the route, I knew what laid ahead and it suddenly felt so easy to finish the last handful of miles.  As I headed took the right onto Hereford and the left onto Boylston everything felt amazing.  I had done it.  I felt GOOD.  I AM TOTALLY GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS ON APRIL 20!

I crossed the finish line and stopped my watch.  20.23 miles in 3:39:30 averaging a 10:51 mile.  I walked over to Marathon Sports, where there was a final water station set up, helped myself to a cup of Gatorade and took a finish line selfie.  When one of the water stop volunteers saw me, she asked if I wanted her to take my photo, which was so nice.

After 3.5 hours in the snow, I was pretty wet so I hopped into Marathon Sports to get warm for a minute and one of the employees saw how wet my glasses were and brought me a paper towel.  This race really brings out the kindness in everyone!  I was so appreciative of his thoughtfulness.

I called my boyfriend and we decided to have lunch in the city, so I bought a t-shirt from Marathon Sports so I could wear something dry to lunch and spent the rest of my recuperating.

Saturday's 20 mile run was one of the best things I've ever done.  There was such a great spirit around it.  I made sure to thank every volunteer at the water stations I stopped at - I mean these people volunteered to stand around in the snow for hours so we could have water. They are so amazing!  I made sure to thank the police officers who helped us get through busy intersections and chatted with us and wished us luck.  I never thought I'd be so happy being outside in crummy weather!

Taper Time

So folks, this is it.  We're three weeks out and this means its time to taper.  Shorter long runs, shorter short runs and taking the time to let our bodies heal before Marathon Monday.  We're in the home stretch and for the first time I am really really excited instead of being nervous.  If I can run 20 miles, I can run 26.2.  Let's do this.  Let's run this race!