Each Day Is a Gift

The Day before the BIG DAY!!!

Sunday we went to Sacrament at the Boston 2nd ward which turned out to be a Haitian Branch. It was neat listening to Creole. They sure sang beautifully.  Rhett came with us and I could tell he had a hard time walking with his PF foot pain. After church we stopped at Chinatown for lunch…more carb loading!!!

Rhett was such a good sport. He has such a happy disposition and positive attitude about everything. We really loved his company. In the afternoon, I went back to the expo to exchange the shorts and saw Lark. I was sad to learn that he had just turned in his chip.

In the evening we met up with the gang (my family, Slick, Canyon, MarcE, Rhett, all stayed in the same hotel) for the pasta dinner. It was disconcerting for me to sense Slick’s struggle with the idea of his longest race the next day.  He had knee surgery in September and had been trying hard to rehab that knee to the point he can run slowwly.  I felt so helpless...such is life.  But I know he would be fine and would probably offer kindly advice to fellow first-time-Boston-runners along the way. 

Celebrating 24 weeks of Training

Boston 2008 was such a wonderful experience that the moment I crossed the finish line I wanted to return and run it again. I had the best time in more ways than one. I wanted Boston 2009 to be as wonderful. I began training a month after SGM’08 for 24 weeks. I was disappointed that Teena had to defer. But I was happy that my brother-in-law, Gary, from HK was running (he deferred the last 2 years); and my son, Jeff, from Chicago was coming to see me and his friend, Becca run. I think I was more excited about seeing them and my running friends than the race itself.

My three goals were:
Satisfied ~ Finish without charlie horse (which has plagued me in races).
Happy ~ Run a qualifying time (need 4:05:59 to BQ).
Ecstatic ~ Run a PR (Boston’08 was 3:57:09).

I followed the 24 weeks training plan to the tee. I felt that I peaked around week 20 and was loosing steam during the last month. The week before the race I felt very fatigued. However, I have learned much about core strengthening and getting better at finding my pace.

I could never sleep the night before race. Gary and I were up before the alarm. We met the gang and walked to the bus line. It was fun talking with Canyon, Rhett and Gary on the bus ride. We got to Hopkinton with 2.5 hours to spare. Thanks to Lark’s air-mattresses, we made ourselves comfortable at the Village. All that carb-loading really did me in... visiting the PoP three times.

Soon everyone headed to their corrals and I was left all by my lonesome self. I called Lowell several times with no luck. I waited till the last possible minute before heading to my corral. It was hard deciding what to keep and drop off. I ended up wearing shorts, short sleeve top and gloves. The temp was in the low 40’s; but the wind chill made it feel more like 30’s. I was glad to have a kitchen garbage bag on for the walk to the corral.

The race started just as I got in the corral and all of a sudden I felt another “need to go”…too late. It took 8 min. of walking to the start line. I started out really slow (9:28 pace). There were just too many people. I kept looking for Lowell and Terry with no luck. I did talk to lots of 60ish men along the way. 

My plan was to run the whole thing at steady pace or at least even effort. I dedicated the first 10Ks to Emi, my new granddaughter, having fun and enjoying the crowds from all these little towns.  Gotta love the quaint homes and shops in New England.  10K time: 56:38

The next 10Ks was for Teena…funny how many girls I saw resemble her along the route.  Oh, how I wish we could run these middle miles together.  I momentarily lost the hearing on my right ear to the Wellsley girls’ crazy screams. I passed a girl dressed as Minnie Mouse, a girl or boy in tutus, lots of “Go Liver” and “Run for Dad/Mom/Son”.   20K time:  1:53:54. 

I passed the Holts father-son team.  What an inspiration.  I passed Jay (the guy with oxygen tank) and two amputees who reminded me of the third girl I dedicated the third 10Ks to, Jeane, Teena’s cousin whom I finally had the pleasure to meet a few days before the race at the hospital. She's one courageous lady.  30K time:  2:50:23.

I saw Coach Slick chugging ahead after mile 17 at the beginning of the Newton hills chain. I wanted so bad to run with him; yet too selfish to let go of my BQ goal. I gave a meager encouragement and offer to "pace" him. I gained a much greater respect for Slick for his toughness and tenacity. I was lost in my own thoughts during this stretch and lost count of the hills. I started to feel twinges of cramps and saw my PR dream faded. Thanks to the great cheering of the Boston College crowd, I found a second gear and dedicated the remaining 10Ks, a mile each, to my six children.  40K time:  3:50:04.

My quads started to burn with 3 miles to go. I fought the urge to walk, praying for Charlie horse to stay away. I concentrated on picking off road-kills, passing many runners.  The crowds were incredible.  I couldn't possibly disappoint the spectators who called out my name.  I side-fived lots of kids along the way.  At the Citgo sign I looked at my Garmin and realized that the sub-4 goal was not gonna happen. However, unless something disasterous happened, my BQ goal was in the bag.

My next mental focus, the last 0.2 mile was dedicated to my husband, the love of my life, the reason I run.  Imagine my joy after running up Hereford, among the sea of cheering people, I saw my hubby standing behind the barricade on the right side on Boylston by the Convention Center. Tears welled up and I wanted to run towards him; but I was afraid my legs would cease up if I stopped to kiss him. So I gave him a smile and wave and sprinted towards the finish. I punched my Garmin reading 4:03:00. It accidentally got restarted when I put my jackets while walking on Stuart St.  My official time was 4:02:51, good for another entry to the 114th Boston.

Everyone in our group did very well. Gary met his goal of running every major marathon under 3 hours. His time was 2:58. We bid goodbye to Rhett; amazed at how fast he ran with a painful foot coming in at 3:08. MarcE triumphantly nailed his goal at 3:19.  Canyon (Marcie N.) running her 50th marathon finished in 3:48. 

The fun resumed as the whole gang met at 5 pm to head to the post-race celebration dinner at Durgin Park where Slick had made reservation and good to have Lark joined us. We then went to the post-race dance. It was neat to watch the race video. Great Fun!!!

The next day, hubby made me send a check to Marathon Tour and reserve a room at Radisson. We really like the location. Hope y'all sign up for Radisson now. Can’t wait for the Celebration of Boston 2010!!! WooHoo!!!

THANKS everyone for such a wonderful Celebration of Boston 2009!!! You're AWESOME and the BESTEST!!!!

Went to hotel swimming pool, (ok, I don't know how to swim) to do 45 minutes of water jogging, stretching, running.  I was able to walk normal; but getting down the stairs (there're lots of them in the T stations) was a different story.  We walked to Chinatown and had an early lunch at the Hong Kong Eatery, a little hole-in-the-wall cafe.  I got to eat some dishes from my childhood days.  It was memorably yummy.

Jeff met up with Becca and her family to tour Concord.  Hubby and I took the T across the Charles River to tour the Harvard Square.  I've always wanted to study at Harvard.  It was raining all day.  We then visited the JFK Presidential Library and Museum (indoor staying dry). 

I was so tired that everytime we sat down to watch a film presentation, I would fall asleep.  But wearing a Boston jacket got me the sympathies of other visitors.  Other Boston jacket clad folks would give me a "good-job smile" or chatted about our times.  Locals would give us the "congrats".  It was really neat.

Happy 31st Anniversary to hubby and me!

It was heavnly to sleep in, no need to make the bed.  I went to the fitness center with swimming suit and crocs thinking I would do some pool running.  The pool was temporarily out of service.  So I jogged 2 miles on the treadmill and 2 miles on the elliptical with my crocs.  The other people in the center must think I was some loonie-toonie.  Finished the workout with Around the World Core.

We walked to the Boston Commons (same location as the race bus pick up) and met Becca and her family.  Her mom presented me with this beautiful pendant/necklace which was custom-made by her sister to commemorate our Boston race finish.  THANKS Jana and Jenny and Becca.

We hung together and walked the Freedom Trail.  We had lunch at Quincy Market, same location as the post-race-dance-party.  We visited the Bill Rogers Running Store.  We went to Mike's Bakery for some sinfully delicious calzoni and Boston cream puffs.

In the evening hubby and I went to Loesw's Theater by the Boston Commons to watch "State of Play".  Our hotel sits in the middle of a theater district and very close to a hospital and Chinatown.  It is 0.4 mile from the finish line, couple of blocks from Boston Commons and T stations.

I figured we must have walked 10 miles today.

I slept in again today and only had enough time to pack.  My suitcase was small so had to discard lots of stuff.  It was sad to leave Boston.  We had a 4 hour lay-over at New York.  A kind gentleman, Tom, saw my Boston jacket and was so "proud" of my running it that he took me and hubby as his guests to the Crown room.  Wow, I didn't know you could wait at the airport in luxury.  There were comfy seats, TV, all sorts of food, salad, petite sandwitches, mini fruit tarts, mouuse, vegies, cheese, snacks, drinks for us to enjoy free of charge.  I only wish they had a treadmill 'cause I was itching for a run.

We made it home around 9pm.

6 recovery miles with strides.  Total time 58:15.  Legs were a little tight but otherwise felt great.

Went to see the show "the Soloist", a thought-provoking movie about the homeless in L.A.  Jamie Foxx is an amazing actor portraiting a mentally ill musically talented cellist living in the streets of L.A.  I love the music in the movie.

It was supposed to be a recovery easy run.  The 20mph NNE wind at Boston must have followed me all the way to the Lehi Bench.  The run turned into a "trying to stay upright normal running form" training run.  Man, what's with the wind?!!! 

It felt great to be running with no time goal, just me and my reflective thoughts of Boston and upcoming Ogden marathon and going to see my new grandbaby girl in Iowa.  The lawns in the neighborhood have turned a vibrant green, tulips and daffodils are everywhere.  I love Spring.

8.3 miles in 1:16:01.  AP: 9:09.  Splits: 9:34, 9:13, 8:55, 9:10, 9:15, 9:15, 8:54, 8:58, 8:58