Believe to Achieve

Ran the entire marathon with April. No splits. Watch went wacky after mile one. We dressed alike so we would be easy to spot and because it is fun! Plan was to stick together thick or thin and not worry about time and not look at watch til halfway. Started in wave two corral four. Gun went off and we stood there not moving for several minutes as they announced the corrals before us. With April undertrained and myself with a bum left leg, like elite runners would be smart and not run on it, we were not sure how we would do. But we were off and running. No way to pick it up. The crowd of runners seemed to stretch on forever. Our own personal Boston Marathon treadmill in reality mode. Our plan at half was to pick it up but after 2 miles and the further i got into it i knew i was going to be just hanging on. My hip and knee were in not in the right gait form. It has been bothering me for a while and just walking it was hurting. There is only so much focusing off of pain or on pain you can do in a marathon before the pain of just running a marathon consumes the body and i honestly wanted to walk from Newton Hills on when the wall hit for me. April also was feeling it greatly in her legs and instead of taking off from me at the half which i was sure she would she said she couldnt and would stay with me. That was the best news of the marathon because without her i would have stopped and been in well over four hours. In case you hadnt heard the marathon was hot again. Not 2012 hot but same temp difference from my arrival (38 degrees last thursday) to 70 on race day at halfway. I didnt need any additional clothing at the start. Not good. In the first mile i was sweating from the heat of the sun at 1030 am and the crowds of people beside me and along the course (one million spectators, double last year they say). I wore compression sleeves and i was roasting like i was in golds gym. After three miles and several miles later i moved them down to my ankles hanging loosly there. No time to sit and remove them so i just dealt with that awkwardness. April was high fi ing and having a grand time. I was more introverted and wore sunglasses. The crowds were overwhelming and it was an emotional run. I knew i had to run because i had two legs and many did not. We saw several amputees running. Amazing! Because of the crowds we could never really pick it up and truthfully the crash would have been bigger if we did try. So our focus turned completely to friendship and helping one another through hard times the Boston Strong way. April just told me we would just run it with an ultra shuffle. My back was so tight from the bracing and i could not tap into any adrenaline. Hydration wasnt a problem. I peed four times along the course. But a contributing factor were two gus i had for the race that had caffeine. They were a new kind

and i thought hey had hardly any caffeine if any. My heartrate was soaring. I took one before the halfway and another at 22 miles. I became nauseated three or four times and dizzy. I felt like i was not trained at all. Weird. We did the half in 1:38:43 so not fast. It was a hard one. Just one of those running days you dont feel wonderful to go out and do but time was not on my side. It was marathon day. It had to happen. The best and most memorable moment was crossing each timing mat with April my long time fast running blog friend, the ultra shuffling, high fiving a few kids along the course and seeing people running with out legs. Turning onto Bolyston street and knowing all that had transpired last year, was so heartwrenching. I had to run closer to the right side of the street instinctively. The images of last year superimposed over my present course. But as i raised my handwith Aprils across the finish line nothing was more relieving knowing we took back the streets of Boston! Boston Strong. April strong. Julie strong. The world strong. Thank you spectators. Thank you race directors. Thank you family. Thank you Boston.

hip and knee and shin on left a mess...so out and so tight however i am the least spre put of any marathon i have run so of course after i ran the marathon yesterday in the hotel room i did 26 jumping squats to try to make me sore :-) today on this entry quads a little sore. no swelling. .mood low due to irriation of race day bad luck bit once again it was april and i having a grand time duking it out together. i pretty much saved april for her 50 miler in two weeks.

hip like a flat tire or uneven wear on a car....u just unbalance everythkng else with it. Went to see cousin in cape since she took time to come see me race and took the time to try and get me at finish and drive us back. subway crowded. she took us to the beach. fun times icing in ocean and walki g on the sand.

quincy market for lunch raining in boston airport at 4. off for home. april and i had same leave time on our flights different airlines. gonna miss april.

post marathon depression. hit rock bottom with lack of sleep and trying progesterone again. never again. cried a lot. weird and very sad!

adjusted hip with a visit to my chiro yesterday.  As day wore on I my leg was near NORMAL!!!  go figure.  Decided to run Thanksgiving Point Half.  Asked RD for the 4-1-1.  Since it was a massive rain out he invited me to join the fun.  And fun it was.   I slept from 11 to 3am.  Got up took a shower cause I haven't showered since I got back from Boston Wednday. Too tired and busy.  Cut my hair. Went back to bed and stared at the walls.  Fell asleep around 530 to 640am!! YIKES should I still go and run.  Sat in bed for five minutes and decided why not?  It is pouring out and the course is difficult (the hardest half I know in Utah) to add to my "why not?" attititude.  Geared up and was in my car at 6:52am.  Hmmmm will I even make the start?  It takes a good 15 minutes to get there.  Maybe 13.  It was pouring the whole way and I had some doubts about my sanity.  Got there at 7:05am...and sprinted the 1/4 mile to the starting line from my parking spot.  I got there just as the gun went off so I ran up to the start and then started the race.  This course is accurate.  13.1 on the nose.  Stayed with Jonathon Crompton for the first mile (1:45 pacer).  I haven't run since Boston.  My right leg knew it.  It was tight.  The quad that is.  Tight cause apparently it did all the work for my nonfunctioning left hip to knee.  And my slower time at Boston helped me to do this run.  Even the 7:43 ap was tough at times on this ridiculously technical course running around and through the tulips and on dirt at times and briefly on wood chips and of course the famous golf course of endless peaks and valleys that each turn you think you may be at the end and it keeps going.  I definitely could tell I ran a hard long run Monday and that is all I told my body that the Boston Marathon was.  So today's run was just part of my training, although I don't know what I am training for????   St George is too far away right now.  So hmmm..not sure what races I will end up doing.  They have to fit my work schedule and I work every other Saturday.  Anyway...after stopping twice in the second mile... first to tie my left shoe...then a few feet from there stopping and tieing my right,  I didn't catch the 1:45 pacer until just after mile six.  I was in no hurry. This was some recovery run.  Ha ha.  Hills after hills.  Nothing my legs could do but keep going.  In the last several miles I passed a lot of runners.  Only one runner passed me back in the final miles...he passed me two or three times.  No biggie.  Not a race for me.  Just a I can do hard things run....like run a marathon and five days later run a hard half marathon.  Just proving to myself that I have something left to give despite the downward spiral I have been falling into this past year.   Last mile 7:09 thru the last of the 5k runners.  Began to pour after I finished.  Massive downpour.  I nearly didnt make it back to my car I was sooooo cold and stiff and my muscles were in shock from the new shoes and terrain and marathon a few days ago.  My new shoes btw are mostly white.  Ha ha....I was lucky they stayed white.  Now that is cool!!!  They broke in nicely although I think I sounded nice and loud in them clopping a way.  Time today was 1:41:09.    Got home and I was off to Courtney's piano recital at 10am and then three soccer games in the torrential rains!!  BRRRRRRrrr!!!! seriously soaked and cold.  Two wins and a loss but Amber did score the only two goals her team had even though they lost.  They got the worst of the weather with high winds and downpour.  I had to strip her down in the car to prevent hypothermia.  It was pretty intense after the game getting her to feel better while my husband drove us home.  Luckily she had a new top in her bag and I held her body next to mine.  Don't mess around with hypothermia!!  She could barely talk or move her arms and fingers.  Stripping down made the difference.  Then a warm shower and hot cocoa were in order.  LOVE soccer.  But not so much in the freezing rain.  Troy would disagree.  He loves to play soccer in the rain.  Weirdy.  : D.