It is absolutely beautiful today!! After getting some blood work done, routine physical junk, I headed over to the one mile loop we have to practice my pace for NJ half this weekend. I'm pacing the 2:15 group and I'm a little nervous, as I've never paced before. It doesn't really help my nerves either that it looks like I'm going to have a huge group. I've been getting a gazillion emails from people who plan to line up with me at the start. They are calling for perfect weather on Sunday so I'm hoping it's a great experience and I don't screw everyone up. I practiced 4 miles last night and was only off total time by 3 seconds. Today was a little quicker, off by 5. Even though Sundays pace will be slow for me, I actually think it's going to be harder. My body does not run a 10:18 pace. In fact, I'm not really running. I have to alter my gait into more of a shuffle. But I feel pretty confident that I'll be able to dial it in and get these kids to the finish within their goal time.
Tomorrow is my first bike session with Coach Bill. On the road. It's on a road which closes to traffic during the summer to allow for roller blading, running, cycling, etc but still, it's a road. And I don't like roads. They hurt when you land on them. I really need to work on my road confidence and am thinking if I crash right off the bat I'll get over that fear pretty quickly.
Speaking of biking, I got my official Tri schedule for the next 5 weeks. Oh my. Very different than training for a marathon. At first I just stared at it thinking "uh oh." But then I got excited about a new challenge and I'm looking forward to it. I remember being concerned about those 4 tough weeks of Shamrock training and the 4:45am wake up calls, but when it came down to it, it wasn't bad and I actually enjoyed it. According to Coach, the first 5 weeks are tougher than normal for a sprint tri because the goal is to get me in 70.3 shape by the time my Olympic distance rolls around in July. I love the sound of that and I am hoping I love the effects this training has on my overall fitness, too. There won't be much time for me to get into trouble over the summer, but debauchery can wait...
Hope everyone has a great weekend and good luck to all those racing. GO GET IT KATIE!!
Giveaway coming up next week!
Friday, April 29, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
On to Something New
Last Tuesday as I lay in bed sore as heck from Boston, I started to panic. It doesn't take me long to get past one race and start to worry about the next. But this panic was a little bit justified. My first triathlon was a measly 7 weeks away and I had yet to get out on my bike (since I was a little kid!) and/or get the pool time in that I needed. I told myself to take this first week of recovery to just get refocused and then I'd tackle the project of creating a training plan. Well, that creating a plan thing lasted about 2 minutes before I was completely overwhelmed and I told Andy I was hiring a Tri coach. Reason: "I'm paying for my sanity." So it's a done deal and I'll be getting my schedule shortly. It will start on Monday and take me through my sprint Tri in June and my Olympic distance in July. From there I'll see what I want to do regarding training for the Half Ironman in September. (In other words, I'll be using the Coach through that race, too).
I've gone back and forth with Coach Bill (who I called "Jim" the first time I met him because I'm considerate like that) with my work schedule, my goals and what I want to achieve in each race. So far the man seems to have the patience of a Saint, nicely responding to all my crazy emails. I'm nervous about what training will look like but excited at the same time to try something new and see what I'm capable of doing. I feel like I'm in good hands and I clearly have a coach that gets me...
With that being said, bring it on. I'm ready to get back out there and start kicking ass. I don't think any of this is going to be easy but I'm determined to see it through. Because like Abby picked up in my last post, yes, Ihope want WILL do a full Ironman in 2012.
Let the Tri training begin!!!
I've gone back and forth with Coach Bill (who I called "Jim" the first time I met him because I'm considerate like that) with my work schedule, my goals and what I want to achieve in each race. So far the man seems to have the patience of a Saint, nicely responding to all my crazy emails. I'm nervous about what training will look like but excited at the same time to try something new and see what I'm capable of doing. I feel like I'm in good hands and I clearly have a coach that gets me...
"Since you are high-octane-Type A-personality-marathoner, it is a pretty challenging plan"
-Coach Bill
With that being said, bring it on. I'm ready to get back out there and start kicking ass. I don't think any of this is going to be easy but I'm determined to see it through. Because like Abby picked up in my last post, yes, I
Let the Tri training begin!!!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Final Thoughts and Pics
Hard to believe Boston is a week behind me already. It came and went so fast and I find myself checking out my pictures and my race report daily. It's like I don't believe I was ever there! I've been asked by almost everyone I talk to about it if I'll do it again next year and my answer has been the same; probably not. Yes, I already qualified for 2012 but honestly, I don't see myself running it. Last Monday was such a great experience and everything went so perfectly. From having my sister and Andy there with me, to beautiful running weather, and finally meeting some long distance friends, I couldn't have asked for a better Boston experience and I'm content with these memories...for now. I'll be back there some day, I'm sure, but I don't see the need to go right away. I have a goal to qualify every year whether I use it or not, but next year most likely isn't in the cards for me. Especially since I'm hoping to have a much, much larger race to focus on in 2012.
I'm recovering pretty well, which is a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. I was so worried I'd come off Boston back to square one with the physical therapy but I haven't had the need to go back. I ran my first few recovery miles last Friday and while my legs felt like fire hydrants, I didn't have any Achilles pain. I even managed another run on Saturday and just got home from a great 6 miler. Tonight finally felt like the old me was coming back. My pace was slow as I'm still feeling the effects of last Monday but my body and heart were in it and I wasn't scared with each step I took. So maybe we're finally on the upswing. Good timing, too as I have NJ half marathon (2:15 pacer) this Sunday and my first tri is just right around the corner.
Before I end with some photos I haven't shared yet of Boston, I just have to say thanks to everyone who supported me and sent texts, tweets, etc to cheer me on while I was out on the course. I know everyone was tired of hearing about Boston but everyone just let me blabber away. I also owe a huge thanks to Andy, my sister, Mich, and Lisa. It meant the world to me to have them there on race day and treat me like a rock star. You guys are the best and I love you tons.
I'm recovering pretty well, which is a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. I was so worried I'd come off Boston back to square one with the physical therapy but I haven't had the need to go back. I ran my first few recovery miles last Friday and while my legs felt like fire hydrants, I didn't have any Achilles pain. I even managed another run on Saturday and just got home from a great 6 miler. Tonight finally felt like the old me was coming back. My pace was slow as I'm still feeling the effects of last Monday but my body and heart were in it and I wasn't scared with each step I took. So maybe we're finally on the upswing. Good timing, too as I have NJ half marathon (2:15 pacer) this Sunday and my first tri is just right around the corner.
Before I end with some photos I haven't shared yet of Boston, I just have to say thanks to everyone who supported me and sent texts, tweets, etc to cheer me on while I was out on the course. I know everyone was tired of hearing about Boston but everyone just let me blabber away. I also owe a huge thanks to Andy, my sister, Mich, and Lisa. It meant the world to me to have them there on race day and treat me like a rock star. You guys are the best and I love you tons.
It just amazed me that I was part of something some huge.
Loved the swagger posters everywhere.
I took this picture right before I passed him. ;-)
Usually in a race they are constantly clearing the streets but there were too many people for them to keep up with it. This was one of the least messy ones.
I did stop temporarily to take this picture.
This was her 42nd Boston marathon! Unbelievable. I ran over to congratulate her; she was all smiles and all decked out. Bright red lipstick and blue eye shadow. Too cute.
Can't imagine running in that uniform or those boots; they are way tougher than I'll ever be...
After you crossed the finish these guys were sitting high up in stand saying "Welcome to Boston."
It was a sea of space jackets at the finish and you could barely move.
Found Tall Mel at the finish!! So great seeing her and so proud of her for toughing it out!
This crazy guy passed me early on but I couldn't get a pic of his bare ass quick enough. He ran the entire race like this and I think he said a 3:50ish?? I haven't looked it up to check yet.
Celebratory beers at Boston Beer Works with my favorite supporters.
xoxo
Thursday, April 21, 2011
BOSTON Recap Part 2 - THE RACE
So, where did I leave off…to read part one, go here.
After a quick wait in the corral, wave 2 started right on time at 10:20am. We walked a few feet and before I knew it we were slowly running before we even crossed the mat. I had heard so much about the downhill start before the race and how it can kill you for later but I never really thought much about it. Well, right away I knew what everyone meant and I was happy I was forced to take the start of the race so slowly. But with that being said, the start of the race was very lonely for me. Everyone was excited and quickly passing me by and there I was, scared and paranoid that at any given second my Achilles would seize up and I'd be walking. I didn't even want to chat with anyone because I had no idea when I would be forced to walk. The first mile or so I felt alone, sad and even thought that this was going to be a really long day.
Thankfully I quickly came to my senses and realized that I was ruining the experience for myself. At that moment I worked my way over further to the side of the road and started high fiving some spectators. Within a minute I was beaming and had a spring in my step! THIS is how I pictured running the Boston marathon! And that's how I continued right through Ashland…
I took the early downhill miles easy although my body really wanted to pick it up. Even if my Achilles held up, I knew I still needed to be conservative considering my month off before the race. So I sucked it up and didn't let the thousands of runners passing me bother me at all…and I had a feeling I'd be seeing some of them later when they didn't save enough for the Newton hills.
It was either mile 4 or 5 when I decided to take my first water stop walk. But instead of walking a minute as planned, I walked while I took a few sips and then quickly started back up again. I repeated this at almost all the remaining water stops but a few. I had some pain from time to time in the Achilles but it wasn't the fist making, teeth clenching, cursing out loud pain that I had experienced the weeks before so I kept pushing forward. As I crossed each Athlete Alert mat I was ecstatic that my sister and Andy would see I was holding on strong and I just hoped that held true the remainder of the race.
Now, as for the race and course itself, it was unbelievable. I am SO glad I ran with my camera and was able to soak it up all. I thought to myself several times out there that I was so happy I was not racing. The crowd support was crazy and they all seemed to be having such a great time (I'm sure the beers helped!). There were people handing out sponges soaked in water, ice pops, candy, orange slices, etc and you always had water if you needed it in between official water stops. There was even a "lube" stand where you could swing by and get some Vaseline for any chafing!
There were spectators all along the course but some spots were more populated than others. Entering Wellesley College was my favorite part. You could hear the screams well before you reached the girls with their "kiss me…" signs. I had made it my mission to kiss some girls and that's exactly what I did! I got kisses from: "kiss me I'm gay," "kiss me I love chemistry" (I'm a chemist so I couldn't pass her up), "kiss me, I think science is cool" and the best one, shown below, was for "girls only." The girls got so excited if you stopped to kiss them…so much that I even went back to kiss one that I had originally passed by. It was so fun and worth running backwards in a marathon!
The miles flew by and it was impossible to take it all in. The sights, sounds, other runners, spectators…it was all amazing! I typically run looking at the ground but on Monday I had a bobble head and was on sensory overload. All along I was feeling pretty good. My legs were tired but I never once felt like I was falling apart or wouldn't finish. The course is definitely challenging but it didn't faze me too much at the time because of all the fun I was having. The hills that everyone warns you about, yes, they are there, but they are not as bad as everyone makes them sound. If you were all out racing then they'd be a lot tougher, of course. But honestly, I didn't even know I was on Heartbreak Hill until I saw this big heart colored in chalk on the road!
Running through Boston College was a little bit of nuts! At one point police were holding back some of the students who were pushing so hard to get close to the barricades. I loved the energy and ran along high fiving and yelling back at all of them. I left BC ready to tackle the last few miles of the race!
As we got closer to the finish the crowds really started getting thick. At one point I actually thought that I was glad I wasn't in the crowds, it looked sort of scary everyone so packed in together. When I got my first glimpse of the Citgo sign I couldn't believe it was almost all over. The miles went by so quickly and I couldn't believe I was nearing the finish. And I'm not sure I was ready for it to end! I knew Andy, my sister and Lisa would be somewhere within the last mile so I kept my eyes peeled hoping I could pick them out of the crowd. As we made our first turn of the race onto Hereford Street I spotted my crew right up against the barricade. I bolted over to them, my arms stretched and tears running down my face. I gave them the biggest, sweaty hug and didn't want to let go. But Andy (who I swear had tears in his eyes but won't admit it) yelled, "You're almost there, don’t stop, keep going!!"
I turned onto Boylston and composed myself. It was my last few seconds to take it all in and I could finally see the finish line that I had been waiting a year and half to cross. I crossed the finish line with a huge smile on my face and my arms in the air.
Post race, hurting. Definitely the sorest I've been after a marathon. Since I didn't race I'm chalking it up to my body not being used to pounding the pavement combined with the difficulty of the course. As for my time, I couldn't be happier with it. I ran a 4:08 a month after racing a 3:35 marathon, dealing with an injury that kept me from running for a month, taking walk breaks, snapping pictures, getting kisses and hugs...and best of all, I enjoyed every single step out there and had the time of my life. I couldn't have asked for a better Boston experience.
After a quick wait in the corral, wave 2 started right on time at 10:20am. We walked a few feet and before I knew it we were slowly running before we even crossed the mat. I had heard so much about the downhill start before the race and how it can kill you for later but I never really thought much about it. Well, right away I knew what everyone meant and I was happy I was forced to take the start of the race so slowly. But with that being said, the start of the race was very lonely for me. Everyone was excited and quickly passing me by and there I was, scared and paranoid that at any given second my Achilles would seize up and I'd be walking. I didn't even want to chat with anyone because I had no idea when I would be forced to walk. The first mile or so I felt alone, sad and even thought that this was going to be a really long day.
Slight downhill right at the start
Thankfully I quickly came to my senses and realized that I was ruining the experience for myself. At that moment I worked my way over further to the side of the road and started high fiving some spectators. Within a minute I was beaming and had a spring in my step! THIS is how I pictured running the Boston marathon! And that's how I continued right through Ashland…
I took the early downhill miles easy although my body really wanted to pick it up. Even if my Achilles held up, I knew I still needed to be conservative considering my month off before the race. So I sucked it up and didn't let the thousands of runners passing me bother me at all…and I had a feeling I'd be seeing some of them later when they didn't save enough for the Newton hills.
I loved this shortcut sign!
It was either mile 4 or 5 when I decided to take my first water stop walk. But instead of walking a minute as planned, I walked while I took a few sips and then quickly started back up again. I repeated this at almost all the remaining water stops but a few. I had some pain from time to time in the Achilles but it wasn't the fist making, teeth clenching, cursing out loud pain that I had experienced the weeks before so I kept pushing forward. As I crossed each Athlete Alert mat I was ecstatic that my sister and Andy would see I was holding on strong and I just hoped that held true the remainder of the race.
Now, as for the race and course itself, it was unbelievable. I am SO glad I ran with my camera and was able to soak it up all. I thought to myself several times out there that I was so happy I was not racing. The crowd support was crazy and they all seemed to be having such a great time (I'm sure the beers helped!). There were people handing out sponges soaked in water, ice pops, candy, orange slices, etc and you always had water if you needed it in between official water stops. There was even a "lube" stand where you could swing by and get some Vaseline for any chafing!
There were spectators all along the course but some spots were more populated than others. Entering Wellesley College was my favorite part. You could hear the screams well before you reached the girls with their "kiss me…" signs. I had made it my mission to kiss some girls and that's exactly what I did! I got kisses from: "kiss me I'm gay," "kiss me I love chemistry" (I'm a chemist so I couldn't pass her up), "kiss me, I think science is cool" and the best one, shown below, was for "girls only." The girls got so excited if you stopped to kiss them…so much that I even went back to kiss one that I had originally passed by. It was so fun and worth running backwards in a marathon!
Ready for some kisses!
The miles flew by and it was impossible to take it all in. The sights, sounds, other runners, spectators…it was all amazing! I typically run looking at the ground but on Monday I had a bobble head and was on sensory overload. All along I was feeling pretty good. My legs were tired but I never once felt like I was falling apart or wouldn't finish. The course is definitely challenging but it didn't faze me too much at the time because of all the fun I was having. The hills that everyone warns you about, yes, they are there, but they are not as bad as everyone makes them sound. If you were all out racing then they'd be a lot tougher, of course. But honestly, I didn't even know I was on Heartbreak Hill until I saw this big heart colored in chalk on the road!
The "you've got great stamina, call me" was my favorite sign.
Heartbreak Hill artwork.
Survived Heartbreak and still smiling!
Some of the Boston College kids.
As we got closer to the finish the crowds really started getting thick. At one point I actually thought that I was glad I wasn't in the crowds, it looked sort of scary everyone so packed in together. When I got my first glimpse of the Citgo sign I couldn't believe it was almost all over. The miles went by so quickly and I couldn't believe I was nearing the finish. And I'm not sure I was ready for it to end! I knew Andy, my sister and Lisa would be somewhere within the last mile so I kept my eyes peeled hoping I could pick them out of the crowd. As we made our first turn of the race onto Hereford Street I spotted my crew right up against the barricade. I bolted over to them, my arms stretched and tears running down my face. I gave them the biggest, sweaty hug and didn't want to let go. But Andy (who I swear had tears in his eyes but won't admit it) yelled, "You're almost there, don’t stop, keep going!!"
Crazy crowds!
Lisa captured this great shot as I ran to Mich and Andy for a hug!
Brings tears to my eyes every time I see it.
I turned onto Boylston and composed myself. It was my last few seconds to take it all in and I could finally see the finish line that I had been waiting a year and half to cross. I crossed the finish line with a huge smile on my face and my arms in the air.
4:08:36
I am a Boston Marathon Finisher.
Post race, hurting. Definitely the sorest I've been after a marathon. Since I didn't race I'm chalking it up to my body not being used to pounding the pavement combined with the difficulty of the course. As for my time, I couldn't be happier with it. I ran a 4:08 a month after racing a 3:35 marathon, dealing with an injury that kept me from running for a month, taking walk breaks, snapping pictures, getting kisses and hugs...and best of all, I enjoyed every single step out there and had the time of my life. I couldn't have asked for a better Boston experience.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
BOSTON Recap Part 1
Wow, where do I even begin?? I'm not calling this a race report because it was anything but a race to me. It was 4 hours, 8 minutes and 36 seconds of memories that will last a lifetime. But before I get ahead of myself...
We left Philly on Saturday morning and to my surprise I had my first blogger meet up in the airport!! Turns out Jill and I were on the same flight. We've been trying to find each other at local races forever and it finally happened. She's just as spunky in person! :-)
Travel to Boston was quick and easy and once we checked in we immediately headed over to bib pick up. As I walked up to get my bib, my eyes filled with tears and I actually had to slow down and compose myself. Getting that bib made it so real...
After bib pick up we made our way to the Expo, which was INSANE. I've heard all these wonderful things about the Boston Expo but honestly I didn't like it. It was such a madhouse and almost impossible to navigate around through the crowds. I wanted to buy some stuff but couldn't take all the people so we grabbed some free Stonyfield yogurts, which you would have thought were gold by the way people were shoving and pushing to get them, and high tailed it out of there. Next up we stopped at The Pour House for monster bloody marys (it's fun when you're not racing!) and some sight seeing around the finish.
Saturday night was the blogger meet up which turned out to be a little disappointing. I was really looking forward to hanging out with everyone but when we got to the bar they had no idea we were coming. So our meet up happened in the lobby area of the hotel outside the restaurant and consisted of a quick chat and some pictures. But I did get to meet some awesome bloggers so it was totally worth it. I also had my much-anticipated meet up with Aron and Morgan who I have been wanting to meet for some time now. From there Andy and I hit up a local place for some drinks and thankfully Bethany and Ryan brought Mel by for a quick hello. It was so great to meet all of them!! And even nicer that I was no longer the tallest one! Earlier in the evening as I towered over everyone, I heard a lot "you're a lot taller than I expected..." Didn't help my complex about being tall.
Sunday I woke up early but missed spectating the 5k. I saw the runners start from my hotel room but I couldn't pull myself together quickly enough to get down there. I did however make it to the invitational mile, which was really cool. It was great seeing the young kids participating and some of them can really run!! After that I had a quiet day relaxing in the hotel room while my fans (Andy, my sister Michelle, and Lisa) went off to do their own thing. I napped on and off and even gave the Expo another try. Yea, didn't like it any more on Sunday either. The shelves of clothing were pretty much cleaned out and bare and it was even more crowded than Saturday. So, I stopped by the Reggae marathon booth, took another yogurt (cause remember, they are like gold) and got the hell out of there. After a nice pre race dinner with my fans and a glass of wine, we all headed back to the room for a good nights sleep. Without any pre race nerves, I fell asleep easily just before 10pm.
I woke up Sunday morning EXCITED! The weather forecast was perfect (60 degrees and sunny) and I could not believe it was marathon Monday. I tried to share my excitement with everyone but instead of smiles and cheers I got some grunts. I ate some oatmeal, dressed, packed my bag and headed down to meet my running club peeps for the bus ride over. As soon as we stepped outside the wind hit me hard. Thankfully I knew the wind would be at our backs for the race so I wasn't too concerned, but at that moment, it was cold! We headed over to Boston common to get the bus to the start and it was crazy! So many people everywhere and it wasn't very organized. I was told in the past there were lines marked to wait your turn but this year was like a free for all. After waiting around 45 minutes, we finally made it on to the bus.
The ride probably took a little over 45 minutes. I'm not sure. I had no concept of time at this point and didn't really care either. I was just soaking it all in and enjoying myself already. We were dropped off at Athlete's Village around 8am and made our way to our host house. Athlete's village looked really cool but I was glad I had a warm house and a normal bathroom to use. I can't imagine Athlete's village if the weather was bad and raining. It would be completely miserable. Thankfully, that wasn't the case on Monday.
Anyway, after a short stay at our host house we checked our bags and headed to the start. Just as we got there wave 1 was getting ready to start. The sun was starting to feel warm and the excitement was building. After a short wait wave 1 took off and within minutes wave 2 started loading into their corrals. I made my way to corral 6 and took it all in...
After what seemed like a really short wait, we were off!! Stay tuned for the race portion coming up next!!
We left Philly on Saturday morning and to my surprise I had my first blogger meet up in the airport!! Turns out Jill and I were on the same flight. We've been trying to find each other at local races forever and it finally happened. She's just as spunky in person! :-)
Travel to Boston was quick and easy and once we checked in we immediately headed over to bib pick up. As I walked up to get my bib, my eyes filled with tears and I actually had to slow down and compose myself. Getting that bib made it so real...
After bib pick up we made our way to the Expo, which was INSANE. I've heard all these wonderful things about the Boston Expo but honestly I didn't like it. It was such a madhouse and almost impossible to navigate around through the crowds. I wanted to buy some stuff but couldn't take all the people so we grabbed some free Stonyfield yogurts, which you would have thought were gold by the way people were shoving and pushing to get them, and high tailed it out of there. Next up we stopped at The Pour House for monster bloody marys (it's fun when you're not racing!) and some sight seeing around the finish.
Saturday night was the blogger meet up which turned out to be a little disappointing. I was really looking forward to hanging out with everyone but when we got to the bar they had no idea we were coming. So our meet up happened in the lobby area of the hotel outside the restaurant and consisted of a quick chat and some pictures. But I did get to meet some awesome bloggers so it was totally worth it. I also had my much-anticipated meet up with Aron and Morgan who I have been wanting to meet for some time now. From there Andy and I hit up a local place for some drinks and thankfully Bethany and Ryan brought Mel by for a quick hello. It was so great to meet all of them!! And even nicer that I was no longer the tallest one! Earlier in the evening as I towered over everyone, I heard a lot "you're a lot taller than I expected..." Didn't help my complex about being tall.
I'm standing in the back with my knees bent so I didn't look like a giant.
Worlds best cheerleader
Aron and I had been waiting to run this race for so long. Over the past year and a half she's become a good long distance friend. I'm hoping to see her again in November...we didn't have enough time to hang out!
Yea, I'm not the tallest! Mel wears her tallness proud!
Sunday I woke up early but missed spectating the 5k. I saw the runners start from my hotel room but I couldn't pull myself together quickly enough to get down there. I did however make it to the invitational mile, which was really cool. It was great seeing the young kids participating and some of them can really run!! After that I had a quiet day relaxing in the hotel room while my fans (Andy, my sister Michelle, and Lisa) went off to do their own thing. I napped on and off and even gave the Expo another try. Yea, didn't like it any more on Sunday either. The shelves of clothing were pretty much cleaned out and bare and it was even more crowded than Saturday. So, I stopped by the Reggae marathon booth, took another yogurt (cause remember, they are like gold) and got the hell out of there. After a nice pre race dinner with my fans and a glass of wine, we all headed back to the room for a good nights sleep. Without any pre race nerves, I fell asleep easily just before 10pm.
I woke up Sunday morning EXCITED! The weather forecast was perfect (60 degrees and sunny) and I could not believe it was marathon Monday. I tried to share my excitement with everyone but instead of smiles and cheers I got some grunts. I ate some oatmeal, dressed, packed my bag and headed down to meet my running club peeps for the bus ride over. As soon as we stepped outside the wind hit me hard. Thankfully I knew the wind would be at our backs for the race so I wasn't too concerned, but at that moment, it was cold! We headed over to Boston common to get the bus to the start and it was crazy! So many people everywhere and it wasn't very organized. I was told in the past there were lines marked to wait your turn but this year was like a free for all. After waiting around 45 minutes, we finally made it on to the bus.
My running club friends who took good care of me Monday morning.
Bus loading mob scene
The ride probably took a little over 45 minutes. I'm not sure. I had no concept of time at this point and didn't really care either. I was just soaking it all in and enjoying myself already. We were dropped off at Athlete's Village around 8am and made our way to our host house. Athlete's village looked really cool but I was glad I had a warm house and a normal bathroom to use. I can't imagine Athlete's village if the weather was bad and raining. It would be completely miserable. Thankfully, that wasn't the case on Monday.
Anyway, after a short stay at our host house we checked our bags and headed to the start. Just as we got there wave 1 was getting ready to start. The sun was starting to feel warm and the excitement was building. After a short wait wave 1 took off and within minutes wave 2 started loading into their corrals. I made my way to corral 6 and took it all in...
Waiting for Wave 1 to start
Looking back at Wave 2, corral 6
After what seemed like a really short wait, we were off!! Stay tuned for the race portion coming up next!!
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