Ok I must admit that after being asked by my good buddy Mark Kruger to do the Boston marathon for the organization Good Sports that he has been working with, I was scared to death. I mean really who was I kidding, a Marathon? I knew that running was not my strongest point so I immediately got a running coach. My coach really worked with my body positioning focusing on my core as to take the pressure off of my knees that I have previously had 3 surgeries on. For years I let my "bad" knees be the excuse for not being active. In fact when I stepped foot on the Biggest Loser campus I told Dr. H that I wouldn't be able to run due to the injury. He kind of looked at me funny then went on to say that was not true and that we would just have to strengthen the muscle around the knees.
After a few months of training, before I knew it was time to get on the plane to Boston. Saturday and Sunday was jam packed with Book signings at the Runner's World booth at the expo and fundraising events for Good Sports. Sunday evening I attempted to fall asleep fairly early with the anxiety of the race at the forefront of my subconscious mind. I tossed and turned and then I heard it, the ringing of the wake-up call. I kept saying in all my interviews prior to this very moment, that I was counting on the rumors I had heard of thousands of people lining the streets to cheer all of the runner's on, to be the wind beneath my soles. As I lay there before finding my way to the restroom, I prayed that the rumor would in fact be a reality.
Although we were up bright and early to be at the buses at 6am our wave of the race wasn't scheduled to start till 10:20. So as I waited in the athletes holding area I laid down put my eye mask on and visualized my race. I was in it to finish it! So I just wanted to make sure that I felt great and that I enjoyed the experience. I visualized myself running with ease, my head held high and a big smile on my face as I waved to all the cheering people. For the most part this vision is what I created.
And then there was Heartbreak hill! I will first start by saying that anyone who tells you Boston is all downhill except Heartbreak hill is lying to you. I may be from Arizona but an incline is an incline, essentially the whole race is up and down, up and down, up and down. I just kept telling myself that by the end of the day I will be able to say I ran a marathon, Boston at that!
You can only imagine as I rounded that left turn and caught a glimpse at the Finish line, I was so thankful that I was almost done. My quads were burning, my hips ached, my feet were cramped and it also felt as if my toe was jammed. By this time Erin and Maggie were running with me giving me the courage to keep going. I can do this I thought, I am doing this, and as my hands shot up in the air as I crossed the finish line, relief and accomplishment ran through my body, I DID IT!
