Something to Remember when I’m 88
The Boston Marathon experience is, for the serious runner, the ultimate rush of emotions… excitement, fear, pride, and for first-timers, overwhelming. My first Boston experience is a memory I will hold onto for the rest of my years. I began running in my 30s and quickly became inspired by the challenge of distance running. I […]
“I don’t know if I want to get off the bus.”
“A little bit of rain. A little bit of wind…” [After navigating through some of the toughest conditions the race has ever seen, Jolie Hales posted this video which captures the true feel of her first experience running the Boston Marathon.] Jolie Hales Age – 36 Tustin, California Bib # 18450 4:43:08
At Mile 23: “Come on, Stay strong just a little longer.”
We took the family on a road trip to Boston trying to make running the Marathon into a family vacation. We headed out Friday morning for eight hours of driving towards New York. Just the day before I had run with my son’s cross country team and had tweaked my knee. That was my first […]
A Brief Detour to Cot #12
In 2007, I wrote a post in my Myspace blog in which I discussed the differences among plans, goals, dreams, and fantasies. Qualifying for the Boston Marathon fell into the “dreams” category at that point. My marathon times were nowhere near fast enough for Boston to seem feasible, but I thought if I continued to […]
Three hours in the company of Angels
For several days after running the Boston Marathon, my emotions were still high, but nothing like the morning waking up to that day. I was overpowered by intense emotion when I woke up on Monday, Patriots’ Day. I was struggling to keep my focus being bound by all these extreme and binding feelings. Some of the emotions […]
My early splits were at the mercy of the pack. In the crowd, it was too risky to pass.
As I tapered the week leading up to the 2013 Boston Marathon, I couldn’t wait for the chance to write my post race report. I was so excited. I was healthy and trained for a sub-three hour marathon IN BOSTON! However, I had only an hour of utter elation post race before the senseless, horrific […]
I kept screaming, “Just like you’re here for us, we’re all here running for you, for Boston…”
If I had to sum up this race, it’d be easy: it hurt like HELL! I suffered every step of the 26.2, but OMG was it worth it! It was FANTASTIC and during the whole race I had to deal with my uncontrollable body and the crowds making me cry and dry-heave all the way […]
“I was too dehydrated to even cry…”
For years I wanted to just qualify for Boston. Unlike some novice runners who say they have never heard of the race, running Boston has been my strong desire ever since my first marathon back in 2006. After taking nearly three years off from marathons to have my two babies, I resumed my qualifying efforts, […]
Rewarded by the Smile on the Face of my Biggest Fan
My journey as a runner began in 2004, when a group of friends challenged my husband and me to train with them to run a half marathon. Until then, I had logged many miles as a race walker. Since I’m always up for a new challenge, the training began and I transitioned from being a […]
An Ode to a City, and a Promise to Return…
Thank you, Boston I will never forget the moment, at about the 100-meter mark of the 117th Boston marathon, when I thought, with sun shiny clarity, “This is going to be the most amazing thing I ever do.” And I was right. Thanks to you. The moment I stepped onto the platform at Back Bay […]
I had just gotten out of the city, away from the devastation, and now my husband was heading directly into it
I woke up the morning of April 15 th, 2013, ready to conquer a marathon. Literally. I had trained for the past four months with every fiber of strength, passion, tears, and determination to run through eight cities totaling 26.2 miles. The winter of 2013 was an unforgiving one. My long runs were constantly tested […]
There has been a bomb and I am all alone and scared to death…
Jim and I left for Boston Saturday April 13, with much anticipation and excitement. We left the girls in the very capable hands of Gramsby and then Grandmommy. We traveled much of Saturday (with some flight complications), but arrived in Boston Saturday afternoon. As we were in the cab on the way to the hotel, […]