The Boston Strong spirit was there and stronger than ever. I went to the expo and was so excited to pick up my bib. That evening, I met other Girl Scout team members at a dinner and shared our scouting stories. We also heard about the camps that our fundraising helped support- 450 girls received financial assistance to attend camps. So cool.
Sunday, I went down to the finish line which was buzzing with energy and excitement as I looked forward to crossing it! It seems so far away when training in January and February that the marathon will finally arrive.
Race morning I met a sorority sister and we rode the bus to Hopkinton together. It was such a treat to reconnect with a dear friend. We talked about our training and caught up on 20 years. We also shared our sorrow over the recent death of a sorority sister. Pink #Foralison. We got to Hopkinton and we were soon shedding our extra layers. The handwarmers I packed were not necessary as it was already warm.
Soon we were in the starting corral and the race began. The first few miles were a little fast but I got settled down around mile 5. The crowds were out in full force. I felt a little off and was already heating up around mile 8.At that point, my time goal was slipping. I started pouring water down my back to keep cool. Whenever my mind started to drift, I saw a Boston Strong shirt. I passed Santa at mile 9 and reminded myself to enjoy the experience and stay in the moment.
I heard the Wellesley girls screaming before I saw them. Every year the signs get more creative!
I made my way through 15-17 and was thankful to be in single digits for miles left to run. At that point, I was off pace running by effort. The Newton firehouse at mile 17 had a misting tent which was nice to run through. At mile 20, my boyfriend had the crowd cheering for me.
I made it over Heartbreak Hill and had less than a 10k to go (6.2 miles.) Mile 21 I had to dig deep and kept saying my mantra- love and perseverance. A friend had written a sweet Facebook post inspiring to run with love and perseverance. This really helped me as my mind was wandering the last few miles and I battled a headwind. As ever, the crowds kept me going whether it was the kid with the poop emoji hat or the sign around mile 22 "It's Almost Ovary."
Mile 23 I got stuck downwind of someone with gi issues and that helped motivate me to speed up for a pass. Next thing I knew, the Citgo sign was there at mile 25 and then I ran under the Boston Strong bridge. Right on Hereford and Left on Boylston. With the finish line in sight, I looked at my watch and realized I could requalify by running the last half mile in 5 minutes. That was my fastest pace of the day!3:52:41
We wrapped up the race day with celebrating Mile 27 at Fenway Park. Thank you to everyone who supported me. It was an honor to run the marathon and be on the Girl Scout Team.
Run happy and cookie power!
