Believe to Achieve

It wouldn't be me if I didn't haven't some mishap.  Finally met up with Melanie as I walked a mile to the Athlete's village getting in there about 9:35 am!!   My husband dropped me off in Hopkinton then I took a four mile shuttle in then had to walk.  All the time talking to Melanie,then Kim then April on the cell phone.  I was sweating a lot.  The heat was ridiculous.  I only drank one glass of water before this race.  I also accidentally threw my ipod on with my bag and I was the last one from wave 1 to throw mine in my bus :D (but I started running 6 minutes after wave 2 started).    So no turning back as there was a sea of runners and upstream again would be too hard.  I decided it would be better to hear everyone and be able to freely spill water all over me.   Well, Melanie and Rachelle and I were together for about 10-15 minutes when after I used the porta potty we were still together then I leaned over to pick up some shot blocks and looked up and they were gone.  I was frantically yelling their names but to no avail.  I said a silent prayer and figured if it were meant to be I would find them.  I had a feeling I would have slowed them down because of my lack of training the past five weeks and the most ridiculous foot ever.   I pushed through the crowd.  I thought we would be waiting in corrals, but nope I was actually in the race in just a few more feet.  I was thinking "no way really?".  I hadn't even stretched or thought much about anything.  I awoke at 8am and here I was running in blazing heat.  I decided to just roll with it and was surprised to see my first mile at 7:36.  I knew I should slow it down.  The heat was only going to get worse and there were at least four neon signs telling runners to SLOW DOWN blinking over and over.  HOSES galore, and I ran through every single water sprayer (I think there were four) and every hose being sprayed by locals.  I ran from side to side.  My main goal was to see family along the way that were excited to see me.  And amazingly I saw all of them.  My Aunt Dottie (my dad's sister) was at Wellsley and she stood out like a beacon of light.  I had to catch her attention yelling her name and ran over and gave her a kiss and hug.  Then I thought Boston College was at mile 16 but it wasn't there (that was where my husband, kids and cousins were) so  I asked around.  They informed me it was still six miles away. Oh my, I thougtht.  I wanted to slow down.   My foot was ailing and my quads had been cramping since the 10k mark.  I bummed one salt tab at the 10k mark from a guy wearing a fueling belt.   I already had heat cramps.  I surely was dehydrated.   I barely drank yesterday.  Forgot to while seeing family I haven't seen in 13 to 16 years. Even at the porta potty at the beginning I didn't even pee a teaspoon when I thought I had too.  I never once felt the urge for hours later after the race.  I really was so much more into my family.   We drove over 850 miles in the week before the race going here and there and everywhere!!   I am quite saddened to not have had Rachelle to run with (but she was better off without me as on my own I had noone to complain to about my foot pain with every step).  I realized it was the way it was supposed to be for  the both of us.  Rachelle, rocked it and she needed to.   I honestly don't think I could have forced my foot and my cramped quads to pick it up.  I had very cramped quads on Saturday walking around Boston after my two runs on Friday and Saturday so this concerned me.  I must be compensating with my thighs to avoid my stupid foot.   Nothing else is sore.  Hamstrings-- not a single sore place.  Shoulders sore slightly from bracing myself through the pain.  I figure gettting through searing heat and a bad foot will pay off on a day when my body is back together.  But what if that doesn't happen.  It kind of worries me.  But I am hopeful.  Time to now get that long awaited (five weeks now) MRI to get to the bottom of this (no pun intended : D).   I ran while on the Cape twice not because it felt good (my foot) but to train my mind to run with pain since I had given myself 7 days off.  Walking was hurting.  My cousins would ask the days leading up to the race "are you are sure you are okay to walk this?"  and I was okay because Boston was not a race for me.  I didn't want to miss out on anything my cousins had planned but every step was painful.    During the race I just kept telling myself to look respectable on AT and T athlete alerts until I see my family.  When I saw my family at mile 22.5 I was in a concentrating mode (remember no music, just drenched with water, my feet were prunes) and they yelled my name several times apparently to get my attention and I ran back to them--- I just couldn't run by without full on recognizing them for standing out in this heat.  As I veered back to them and got closer they yelled "keep running".  So it was shortlived and I turned around and started the last few miles.  I slowed.  They were taking the train and I would beat them by a lot.  I just didn't care to push on my foot anylonger.  It was hard to run through all the walkers the last few miles when I too wanted to stop.  I didn't even push it in to the finish line.  My mind was done pulling my body through.  I was happy to be done!!   And even happier for Rachelle!!!  and all the others that persevered this year at Boston!!!   btw I swerved an additional 0.5 miles.  It was worth it!!!  I slapped so many hands and took so many waters from little kids it was great!! The gatorade however was so very warm!!!