Boston Cream Pie at Last!

I wanted to celebrate finishing the Boston Marathon with one of the following:

a large bowl of Boston Baked Beans
a dip in Boston Harbor (my own personal Tea Party)
or a BIG piece of Boston Cream Pie!

My office was very kind and had a celebration party on Friday with, you guessed it, Boston Cream Pie! Yummm!

OK, about the race itself...

First some random thoughts:
I have never seen lines of over one hundred people for each of well over a thousand porta-potties!
The race course was deceivingly tough...easy in the first half, VERY hard in the second half. I suggest they reverse the order of the halfs, or even better, run the course backwards :)
Almost everyone, including the pros, slowed down significantly in the second half of the race.
I beat my number! Since they assign numbers according to your qualifying time, and I was number 17084, finishing 13283 is a significant accomplishment....I think. I can't honestly remember passing almost four thousand runners.
I hate cramps! They providentially did not hit until after I finished, but they were ....interesting and painful....nearly got myself carted off to the medical tent in a wheelchair. But I was able to get rid of them quickly with stretching and fluids.

The race itself:

Dave and Andy dropped me off at Hopkinton State Park where the runners were shuttled into town. A short walk to the Athlete's Village later and I saw the first of the longest porta-potty lines I have ever seen! I located my "bag bus" and dropped off the dry sweats I would wear after the race. These buses then were near the finish line and allowed me to get warm clothes on over my sweaty running stuff at the end.
The first mile was relatively slow because the large numbers of runners and the narrow two-lane road with crowds lining the edge. So I picked it up the next few miles and got back on "schedule", running at a pace of about 8:12. I had run this pace for 16 miles in practice runs, but never tried to keep it going for 26... And for good reason! It got very hard right at 15 miles, forcing me to slow a bit, then got very interesting a few miles later when the first of the Newton Hills began. The fourth and last is Heartbreak Hill, the steepest of the bunch. I did manage to make it all the way up without stopping, but at the top I did not have much left to finish with.
So what kept me going? I had dedicated the run to some important people in my life and I wanted to finish for them. I of course wanted to run my best and set a new "personal best", but that was long gone after those hills. So I prayed for help and God really came through, preserving me from cramps and giving me just enough strength to get to the finish line in one piece. The song, "The Joy of the Lord is My Strength!" came into my head and really set the tone for the rest of the race. T
Then I met with Dave and Andy at mile 22 and got a few photos, took a 10 second break, then took off for the last 4.2 miles. I DID manage to "finish strong" over the last mile.

So, thank you, Lord, for all the help and protection you gave as I trained and ran. I REALLY appreciate it! And thanks to all of you who were praying for me!

One Week Until Boston!

After 16 long weeks of some of the most rigorous and challenging training I have ever done, it's almost time to race in to Boston. I will join some of the world's best runners in this endeavor. Interestingly, they felt that they had to give them a head start! The fastest men and women start out over a half hour ahead... I guess they didn't want me showing them up or something.....Right!

Actually, I will probably never even see them, so I'd appreciate it if someone could record it for me :)

I feel nervous but ready. I have felt peaceful about the outcome for a while. I've studied course maps, gotten my refueling and rehydration plan together, and even have a backup plan for getting to the start if there is too much traffic - my old bike!

So I once again dedicate this race to the glory of God. I am running in honor of several friends:
Terry Johnson, who has valiantly battled cancer this past year
David Bryant, MD, a colleague and fellow runner, who has been afflicted with a heart condition which may permanently prevent him from running again
My sister Paula, who loved to set high challenges and then do them. I miss you, sis!
Jenny's Cross Country and Track coach, Richard Chenault. I will have his "prayer before a race" written on the back of my race bib in his honor.

"Lord, grant us the strength to finish the race. To know when it's right to pick up the pace. Stride for stride, let us feel your grace. Stop the doubts when they come in, and give us strength as we begin. And when we come to the finish line, let us know we gave everything from within."

And finally, anyone who needs a little inspiration to set a challenging goal and then go for it... Come on, if I can do it, so can you!