Yeah.  Proof Reading.  I don’t do it unless it’s school or work related.  Sorry.

Okay so I started my Boston Marathon post HERE but was so rudely interrupted by having to go to class…so here is Part II because as of now (after my 4 classes today) I am on Easter break (I love going to a Jesuit school) and currently laying in bed.  I plan only to leave this bed in order to eat.  So I left off as we were heading off from the athletes village to the corrals.  WOW that was a mad house.  I was supposed to start in corral 5 but think I ended up starting in 7.  But none the less I was off and ready to run Boston 26.2!

The Beginning AKA The Good!

I’m sure you all know that Boston starts off downhill.  Coach S who has run this race a billion times drilled it into my head to take the first half conservatively because flying down the hills would catch up with me later.  If only she knew.  I really had to force myself to hold back in that first third of the race.  But I was holding a comfortable 9:45 for the first few miles and was honestly feeling amazing!  The mile markers seemed to fly by and I was really taking it all in.  There was a group of girls standing by the 1 mile marker yelling “you’re almost there!” it was pretty funny!

My dad’s friend actually lives directly on the race course in Natick so I knew exactly where to expect to see Dad and J.  I was really looking forward to seeing them and was so excited when I came up on the house!

They caught some shots of me coming up!

I stopped for a quick minute with them for some water and to rub some bio freeze on my left ankle which was just a tiny bit sore but other than that, 10 miles down and I was feeling great!  A few quick hugs and I was on my way.

The Middle AKA The Bad!

Hit mile 11…feeling good!  11.5 and BOOM!  My entire right calf clenched up.  Bad charlie horse.  Not a problem I can run through this!  Wrong.  I couldn’t extend my right leg without it completely balling up again.  Okay stop and stretch it out.  Fail.  The more I stretched it, the tighter it got.  Luckily there was an aid station not to far off so I made it there.  The aid pulled my sock down and quickly forced gatorade in my face and started kneading it out.  Ouch.  But it started to release a bit.  He sprayed some kind of numbing stuff on it, made me finish the gatorade and I figured it would be smooth sailing there on out.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.  I’ve had calf soreness before but nothing like this.  I would be fine for a few minutes then with one step I would almost fall over because that damn calf would completely lock up again and stop me in my tracks.  Literally.  I couldn’t extend my leg.  And thus the 2nd of my 17 med stops began.  I texted my dad and J.  I’ve never in my life texted during a race before but I was panicked.  They told me I could do it and to get some electrolytes.  I really don’t like Gatorade.  I HATE lemon lime gatorade but I forced it down.

I wish I could say that was the answer.  It wasn’t.  I would get a few 10ths of a mile and then it would all seize up again.  I felt helpless and defeated.  More than half the race left and I could barely get through a half a mile.  I had so much extra confidence going into this race after my last kick butt 20 miler.  I needed something to get me through so at the next med station while they were working the knot back out, I updated my facebook status to reflect my current condition.  The words of encouragement started flooding in!  So many, “You can do this! Just be smart and you’ll get through this” messages.  I called J crying.  I just felt so pitiful and frustrated but he and Dad assured me I could do this and no matter what ended up happening they would be so proud.  At that point I knew there was no way I was going to quit.

One of my best friends from highschool goes to Boston College and I knew she’d be right after Heartbreak.  I texted her and told her I was struggling, would be longer than expected, but I’d make it.  She also told me she knew I could do it and would be there waiting for me.  I COULDN’T WAIT to see her.  The next miles where a blur.  I pretty much stopped at every med station, they would do their best to pound out the giant ball that was my calf, and I’d hobble off.  And again, I’d feel okay for a few strides than it would seize up again.  Crap this was going to be a long race.

It was just such a demoralizing feeling.  My energy, lungs, and heart felt great!  I wanted to GO but that damn leg just wouldn’t extend.  I did my best to just really try to take in everything around me.  I couldn’t let this turn into a negative experience no matter what.  I was in a lot of pain and I was so frustrated, but this was something I worked so incredibly hard for.  I ran when I could, limped when I couldn’t, and kept stopping at those damn med stations (most of them were actually quite wonderful).

PLEASE JUST LET ME GO AKA The Ugly!

Finally around mile 18 I was really really struggling.  I had made it over the first big hill in Newton but the down hill really threw me off and seemed to rip my leg apart.  I stopped at the tent (well actually one of the med guys helped me over) and had me sit down.  Wrong.  As soon as I sat everything below the waist started to lock up.  I got back up and he started working on my calf.  They called over an older lady who was a massage therapist and RN and she started poking and prodding around my leg.  OW OW OW OW!  ”Sweetheart…its torn.”  Not the words I wanted to hear.  And she said my skin felt too cold and I didn’t realize it but I was shaking.  I didn’t feel cold but she took my temp with the strangest thermometer I’ve ever seen (they rub it around your forehead and behind your ear).

She got some godforsaken chicken soup (I was 99.9% sure it was going to come right back up but I kept it down) and told me my temp was down to 93.9.  And that’s when it happened.  She gave me one of the post race blankets and said, “okay the van will be here in about 5 mins and they will take you back to the finish”.  WHAT!  NOOOOO.  She wanted me to quit!  She wanted me to stop and not finish the Boston Marathon!  She must have seen the horror on my face and said in the nicest way possible, “your temp is very low and your calf in torn.  You need to stop.”  I was in shock.  Seriously I didn’t know how to react so I didn’t.  Before I knew it I was sitting on a van with a few other people, and a med guy was taking numbers.  Like physically taking bibs.  He got to me and that’s when the flood gates broke.  I started sobbing and saying “you don’t understand I can’t do this”.  They misunderstood and said, “Oh no don’t worry you don’t have to!  We are going to drive you to the finish.”  I then responded, “No, not the race.  I can finish the race.  I can’t do this.  Sit on this van.”  I pleaded with them not to take my number.  I was creating quite the scene but I didn’t care I had to get off that damn van!  After 3 medics trying to convince me otherwise, I signed a waiver saying I was running “against medical advice of the BAA” and I kept going.  I was a mess and needed to regroup.  So I did what any mature 22 year old would do.  I called my mom.  I got it back together and was so determined to finish.

Thank goodness for ALL YOUR AMAZING WORDS!  Everyone few minutes my phone would go off with another “go can do it!” message and it really truly kept me going.  I was so touched that you all cared so much.  So amazing that so many people that I have never met really had my back (although I do know some of you!).  I felt like you were all right there with me and I knew I could get through it.

How was Heartbreak?  Honestly couldn’t tell ya.  None of it really felt worse or better than anything else in the second half.  But then I saw this and was like, “what I finished Heartbreak??”.

I started looking for Kelly and before I knew it she was running out into the street!  I can’t tell you how amazing that was!  She was the perfect ball of energy I needed.  I was able to pick up the pace a bit.  She was such a godsend.  She really lifted my spirits and kept telling me how proud she was of me and how close we were getting.  She stuck with me through about 2 miles (and 2 med stops) before she had to turn around.  A huge sweaty hug and I was pushing forward.  Less than a 10K left.

At this point I could almost walk faster than I could run.  I even walked backwards for a bit because someone told me that helped the calfs.  I was keeping an average moving pace of 11:45-12 min miles (not bad for a walk!  I can do some serious speed walking) and was averaging about 3 mins stopped at med tents per mile.  Yep.  It sucked.  But every step was one step closer.  It was so frustrating.  I felt like everything around me was in fast forward and I was stuck in slow motion!  But at least I got tons of great compliments on my outfit!

The Final Countdown!

I actually got to walk with Team Hoyt for a bit!  If you don’t know Team Hoyt…you NEED to.  They have always been such an inspiration to me.  HERE is an article about Team Hoyt and their Boston efforts!  Dick Hoyt has been running, swimming, and biking is son Rick in everything from 5K’s to Ironmans for the past 33 years.  So truly amazing.  Such a blessing to stumble upon them when I did.  I wished them well, they wished me well, and I pulled ahead a bit and ran until I couldn’t.  At mile 24.5 I was ready to be done.  Just keep moving, just keep moving.  And then yet another little inspirational angel descended upon me!  A young man, probably about 20 or so, came up to be in the middle of a decent calf seizure and put his hand on my shoulder.  He looked at me and said, “its okay you can do this.  It’s not far.”  He had a white bib and a medal.  Meaning a) he was a qualified runner and b) he had already finished and had come a mile and a half back to cheer people on.  He and the older girl with him ran along side me for a few moments before saying, “just two more turns and you’re there!”  By the way, that qualified runner (with his medal) had Down Syndrome.  I was so touched.  Time to do this.

Right on Hereford…

Left on Boylston…

Holy crap there’s the finish.  As I said before, for being one of the top fundraisers on my team I had won 2 VIP passes for J and Dad to have reserved seats right at the finish line.  I saw the bleachers and saw them and the signs!  I waved and started crying.  I was going to finish the Boston Marathon, torn calf and all.  It took everything in me to run that last .2 but pure adrenaline took over and I ran across that finish line.  I’m getting butterflies and teary eyed just thinking of it now!

 I did it.  I ran finished the Boston Marathon.  It hurt like hell and it took over 5 hours but I did it.  By the way, 5+ hour marathon is FARRRRR harder than 4ish marathon.  By far.  But I learned a new respect for myself.  Because I finished.  They tried to make me quit but I just had to cross that finish line.  Over those long 15 miles of ouch I thought about so much.  I thought about all the awesome kids with DS who I have met and have changed my life.  I thought about my brother and all he’s conquered in his life.  When he was born there were so many “what ifs” about what we would and wouldn’t be able to do…but I don’t think he’s ever questioned his ability to do anything.  Neither have I or my parents for that matter.  He knows what pushing through pain is really about.  I thought about Kati, “ain’t nothing but a bran muffin!”.  I thought about how far I’ve come.  I thought about my family and I thought about YOU!

and of course the Amanda picture ; )

So there ya have it.  According my Garmin, time was 5:24 (matches the baa.org results) for 26.35 miles (I made a few detours off course for the med tents so it makes since it is a bit over 26.2).  Average pace, 12:19.  Average moving pace, 11:27.  I’ll take it.