We’re a few days away from Boston 2019, and while I’m not running this year, I’m in multiple running groups with people who are and seeing ALL. THE. POSTS. about the upcoming race. Not only are there numerous posts about the marathon, but people are freaking out about the impending weather for race day. This is always a factor, always something marathoners worry about, but given Boston 2018 the freak out is legit. It was literally the worst weathered marathon I have ever been a part of out of (my now) 40 races and 18 years. Based on what I can see, however, it looks to be much warmer and not as much of a torrential downpour which should help.
Regardless of the weather, it’s the iconic Boston Marathon and something every runner feels special to just be a part of, that weather becomes secondary in most cases. Because of the upcoming race though, I wanted to take a trip down memory lane to last year’s marathon, The epic Boston 2018. What a race. What a memory. I was coming off of a hard training season for Boston in which I was training to set a PR and also break the 3:30 mark in the marathon. This was actually the first time in the history of my marathon training that I had followed a program which included speed, tempo and easy runs. I poured my heart and soul in to my training, but God had other plans (and given the weather conditions I can’t help but think it might have been because I wouldn’t have reached my goal regardless) and 3 weeks before the marathon I got injured! Unofficial diagnosis was hamstring tendinitis, and it actually knocked me down for a couple of months.
I am blessed, I know, but this was my first real injury in my running career since 2005 when I had achilles tendinitis. I run multiple marathons a year, train hard but not too hard, and could not believe that the first time I tried a “real” training program I got injured. I knew about the need for rest days and recovery runs, or I should say I had learned about it through my many years of running as well as through my RRCA coaching certification. I could prescribe it for other people and talk the talk, but when it came down to my own personal running I struggled to walk (or rather run) the walk. I had a hard time believing the science behind the programs and therefore paid for it once I started incorporating the speed portions in to my running. Hindsight is always 20/20, and I’m now quite thankful for my injury because through the process it made me a stronger athlete and a better coach.
At the time, however, I did not feel that way. I was discouraged, defeated and down. Add in the predicted weather forecasts that were bombarding my news feed and I couldn’t help but wonder if it was even worth it to go. Here I was, traveling out with three girlfriends while my husband graciously stayed home with our three littles, to one of the most iconic marathons in the world, and we weren’t even going to be able to enjoy our planned festivities. We were all looking forward to the time away, and to experience the environment that IS the Boston Marathon and it was happening with a cloud over my head. I was sadly beginning to channel an inner Eeyore.
We arrived the Saturday before the race, and the weather was actually beautiful that day, but that was the highlight. Sunday came, and we survived a windy expo, where I also got my knee taped in hopes it might help my injury on Monday. As the day continued it became even more windy, cold, wet and dreary. We had tickets for the Red Sox game early afternoon and we lasted 2 innings before heading indoors to warm up. After warming up we toured Boylston street and the finish line. I can honestly say that was the only thing I was looking forward to about marathon Monday. Knowing in 24 hours I would be crossing that line as a Boston Marathon finisher for the 3rd time in my life gave me the chills.
After dinner that evening as we were walking back to our house I veered off in a CVS to pick up a pair of throw away shoes for $10 to wear in the athlete’s village and starting line to try and salvage, even if just for a few minutes, the shoes that would become drenched instantaneously once on my feet. We also picked up $1 ponchos, wrongly believing they would help the next day. I went to bed more anxious than I had been in a long time for a marathon with a pit in my stomach.
The next morning I woke and put on all the layers, including a rain jacket from my friend Noelle. Apparently I also, wrongly believed this jacket along with my CVS $1 poncho would do the trick. I was ready. I had plastic shopping bags on my feet, tied tight, and then my throw away shoes over them. My running shoes were tucked safely inside the (only) clear bag we were allowed to take to the athletes village. I began reminiscing of the year before, when I had also changed up my planned attire and purchased a flip belt to hold all my nutrition and phone. I had planned to wear my VS capris with pockets and as the race temps continued to rise in 2017, I adjusted to as little clothing as possible. What a complete change in the race temps in just 1 year, and I had to keep myself in check to not feel sorry for myself about the weather I continued to encounter in Boston. (As I’m writing this, I looked up an article about the top 5 Worst Weather’s in Boston’s history - and 2 of the 3 I have run are on this top 5…not including the heat of 2017!).
2017 vs 2018
I’ll admit I was in a negative head space which certainly didn’t help my race that day. I was literally dreading the run. It was pouring rain as I left the house, and it never let up. I was in denial that I was riding a bus 26.2 miles away from downtown Boston, knowing my only way back to where I was starting was by foot. According to the BAA website, here was 2018’s weather: Driving rain, winds gusting to 45 mph, temperatures in the low 40s. And that doesn’t include the real feel temps, which were in the high 20’s and low 30’s as it was a head wind the entirety of the run. Seriously what group of people would choose to be out in these conditions? Let me tell you. The runners don’t get credit here. We all chose to be here - and what an honor it was to be running the race. The real heroes of 2018 were the people of Hopkinton and Boston and everything in between, the spectators, the race director and the entire team of volunteers that showed up so that we could run. Simply freaking amazing.
I entered the athlete’s village and slid my way down the mud pit to try and use the bathrooms before looking for shelter in the tents while waiting for my wave to be called to walk to the start. It was a site to behold. People slipping and falling, shoes completely covered in mud (thank goodness for my throw aways!), and a community of runners that were all working to channel our inner strength. We are marathoners. We have sacrificed a lot to get this amazing experience and we owe it to ourselves and our support system near and far to suck it all up and run the best that we could.
As I was walking up to the start, I ran in to my friend Jill, and her demeanor was 100% the opposite of my mental state. She was excited, ready to go, and helped shift my mood every so slightly in a positive direction. This was her first Boston, and come hell or high water, she was going to run the race of her life. And race she did! Jill set a PR that day like a true boss. Seriously all the praise hands to her performance that day. We ended up running miles 13-15 together before Jill blew past me, and I knew she was going to crush the rest of the course. While I was struggling to keep up any kind of pace, and knew I had the toughest part of the course ahead of me, she was picking up energy from every spectator that cheered her on. (Meanwhile I ran in to my friends who were braving the terrible conditions and wanted to just stop and cry…)
I powered through though, poncho and all. The hills weren’t easy, the headwind was constantly blowing gusts up to 45mph, the pouring rain continued to drop buckets, and I did zero nutrition during the course because my hands were frozen and I couldn’t get my soaked gloves off nor reach my gus that were underneath about 10 pounds of drenched layers. My quads started screaming at me about mile 23 and I mentally willed myself to the finish line. As we made the turn on to Hereford street, the ground was littered with ponchos. I wasn’t the only one who had falsely hoped it would keep us dry during the run. As I tried to take the poncho off, I struggled getting it over my hat and ended up just throwing it behind my neck instead. As you can see, I ended up superwoman-ing it to the finish line, which honestly was quite metaphorical for the day. I feel that anyone out in those conditions for any facet of the race truly was a superhero that day. The finish was tough and I dealt with some sickness after. It took me awhile to get an uber back to the house, and I urged my friends to just meet me there to ensure I could get in and showered as quickly as possible.
Once I finally made it back, they helped peel off my soaked clothes and helped me get in a hot shower. Reality started to set in, and I realized I had made it through my hardest marathon to date, and hopefully ever. Marathon #35, Boston #3, and State #26 (again) in my 50 States Marathon Club journey completed in 3:46:28, and a 2 minute quicker time from the heat of 2017! The 2007 Boston still holds my Boston PR with a 3:37, and I’m hoping one of these times I’m able to make it back to improve that but time will tell.
The next day we were able to take on some sites of the city with Mother Nature laughing, giving us a beautiful day to explore. We picked up Mike and Patty’s for breakfast, took on the Freedom Trail tour, then hung out in Beacon Hill and saw iconic Acorn Street. We stumbled across the men’s (and women’s later on that day) marathon winners, and I caught up with a friend from high school while watching the Celtics clinch game 2 of the playoffs before taking an early flight up to reunite with my sweet family.
I’m very thankful, despite the crazy weather, that I was able to experience Boston again. It is truly an environment like none other in the marathoning world. It is the world's oldest annual marathon, is one of the most well-known road racing events, and is one of the 6 Abbot World Major Marathons. There’s a level of respect that comes from being a Boston Marathon Finisher, being able to participate is never taken for granted, and I feel beyond honored for the memories I have. I am hopeful I’ll be able to return in 2020 and give the course another chance, vowing to go in with a better mental state than I gave it in 2018. While I’m not there for this year’s 123rd running of the race, my eyes will be glued to the TV watching as the drama unfolds, and cheering on all the athletes I know who are running.
Boston, you never disappoint for a memorable experience. While I wasn’t thankful at the time, 1 year later I am grateful for the memories that are 2018. And to anyone reading this while on their way to chasing their unicorn, don’t give up and give it all you got. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. If it’s your desire to run Boston, do it. You won’t regret it!