I FINISHED BOSTON!!!

WOW......what an amazing experience yesterday was!! I don't even know where to begin in writing this (I warn you now that this will be a long one). First, congratulations to all the other runners and to my Team BMC friends that ran yesterday....you all rocked!! Bryan had a sign that said "You are stronger than Mother Nature!" and I believe we all were yesterday. The rain held off for most of the time I was out and the headwinds weren't as bad as they could have been.....although they weren't nice!

After a rocky start getting on the buses in the rain, I finally got out to Hopkinton at 9:25am. The rain was still heavy and the entire village was a big mud pit. Luckily I had a throw away pair of shoes so I could save my running ones. Because of the weather, it took my mind off of the actual race and it wasn't until we were walking to the corrals (with plastic bags wrapped around my feet and a Red Sox poncho) that it actually hit me that I was about to run the Boston Marathon!

The entire thing was just amazing......all the fans, seeing my family and friends, and just taking the whole experience in! I didn't think the hills were bad, but it was the downhills that started to get to me after a while. Janette, Steph and I ran together and Janette had her Garmin so we really tried to hold back for the first half to save enough energy to make it down Beacon strong. I saw my family at mile 3.5 and I started jumping up and down while waving my arms in the air....not the best way to conserve energy, but I was just so excited to see them. The "screech tunnel" at Wellseley College was amazing.....you could hear the girls' screams from almost a mile away and all the men moved over to get their free kisses from the girls!

I saw coworkers at mile 15 and mile 17 which pumped me up and gave me the encouragement I needed to tackle the hills. After the first hill at mile 18 I came across about 15 of my family members with signs and cowbells!!! I was so happy to see them.......it meant so much to me to have them there. Bryan jumped in and ran about half a mile with us. He told me I looked good and how proud he was to see me. He gave me a kiss and wished us all luck. It was just the push I needed to help me up Heartbreak hill.

Miles 22-25 were extremely painful and I just kept repeating to myself "mind over matter.....it doesn't really hurt!" The three of us ran together until mile 23 when we lost Steph at the water stop. We waited for her but we both started cramping so we had to move on. Soon after that I came across my other friends from work with big signs and cheers. A few of them started running with us telling me that I looked so good and strong.....I needed that encouragement because I wasn't feeling strong right then.

Coming through Kenmore Square and seeing the sign announcing 1 mile to go was amazing. I felt like a rock star with all the people screaming for us and yelling my name (it was written on my shirt). As we turned onto Hereford Street and then onto Boylston, I started to get teary eyed and choked up......the finish line was in sight!! Plus my family was there on Boylston for their 3rd spot of the day with huge smiles on their faces. Janette and I just looked at each other in awe as we picked up our pace and sprinted (well, it felt like a sprint but who knows how fast it really was!) All of a sudden the pain went away and I focused on the finish line.

Now I can say I finished my first marathon and that I have run THE Boston Marathon (something that fewer than 300,000 people in the world can say!).....in a Nor'easter no less!! I finished in 4:11:01 and I couldn't be happier with my time given the weather and the difficult course. Besides at the water stops, I didn't stop to walk at all! Bryan and my family met me with warm clothes and my sacred Boston Jacket that I couldn't wait to put on! I celebrated with my family and some champagne before they needed to head home. I took a really hot shower and then went down to Boston Beer Works to meet some friends to continue the celebration. I ate a big cheeseburger and fries....and of course some beer! All my friends were surprised that I was still standing and not in bed, but I had so much adrenaline in me! And of course I wore my medal and jacket out to the bar :)

Sharing this experience with my family and friends was so special and I could not have done this without your support. To my girls......Janette and Steph......I don't know how I could have done this without you. You kept me running when I wanted to stop and made me look forward to our early morning runs! And of course Bryan.......having your support and love kept me going. Seeing your face on the side of the road made me push harder!

I have learned so much about myself during this journey. I found strength and confidence that I never had before. I truly loved every painful moment and I look forward to my next marathon!! I'll be sure to post some pictures when I get them so make sure to check back soon!!!