Boston Marathon - Race Recap Part 1

So we got home from the pasta party about 7, just in time to get the kids to bed and then I came back down to pack my last minute things - A change of clothes for after, throw away tees that get donated, and breakfast for the morning (the same thing as every morning for the last 6 months) chobani & granola.

I slept ok the night before, feeling excited & nervous. My knee was bugging me the last few days but I really only let on to my husband that I was really worried. (He wasn’t) I had a dream that I was with my daughter and we were buying a present as a thank you for David before going to the race – and that Izzy was in her stroller and was running with me. I really believe she was. I woke up at 4:30, got ready (coffee, etc. tee hee) and then David was going to take me to the train when we heard little feet coming down. Izzy was up and came with us to drop me at the train station (Simon was asleep at home with my mom). 

I was on the train and saw some other green bags so we were all headed to the race. One guy sitting across from me had #83 – I knew he was elite worthy with a number like that. Yeah, he ran it in 2:32. Insane. Anyway.

I got to the buses at Boston Common and the wind was ridonculous! I didn’t find my friends – we texted but they were in a different line way at the front. Not surprising we didn’t see each other. Imagine 25,000 runners and their sendoff entourage on the Commons standing in line by rows and rows of school buses. We got on the bus and it was about an hour ride from Boston out to Hopkinton. I ate my cho, listened to music and watched our driver have road rage with the bus in front that kept pulling off to the side, stopping in the middle of the cash only line of the Mass Pike like they were trying to get directions. (I think they were supposed to stay in some sort of order. That was a bit nerve racking.) We did get stopped by the police as they escorted the elites through on their fancy schmancy coaches. (not school buses.)

I get off the bus, find the nearest porta john, snap a pic of the athlete’s village, head in for free stuff (hey, it’s me right!) Grabbed some powerbars and then back out to the St. John’s Parish church (1/2 mile away!) to meet the DFMC team. 

Dropped off in Hopkinton

Welcome to the Athlete's Village

Inside the athlete's village

On my way to the DFMC refuge, we passed this house where the kids every year have a poster and ask all the runners that walk by to sign it.  I did and then after me, one of the elite athletes was getting escorted to their area and stopped to sign the poster.  Cool!

I saw my friend Stacy who signed up to volunteer at the refuge, found my running buds, took pictures, hung out, personalized my singlet, got our team photo, changed into my shoes, got one gu ready to take 15 minutes before and got my other 5 gu’s in place (more on that later), put on the sleeves and put on the throw away shirt. Two more porta john breaks, grabbed some salty pretzels, then we were off to the corrals.

Stacy and me.

Uta & Jack giving us our pep talk.

  

Heading to the corrals, Tedy Bruschi was randomly standing at the corral and opened our gate for us and gave us high fives. I was just about to text David and managed to snap a pic. 

Then it was another .25 -.5 mile walk to the start. We barely made it in time and just went from a walk to slow jog to the start and we were off!

Now, I am off to bed, so stay tuned for more tomorrow. :)