We spend so much time on the beach and soak in the warm waters. Hawaii is the best way to recover from lots of running. Such a nice reward. Still under the false pretense that a normal training cycle will begin in January with my sights set for faster 2026...
The new year doesn't start as expected, however. Along with our return to marathons, our yard is getting updates in my spare time. My big toe unfortunately lost in a run-in with a concrete birdbath. The swelling prevents shoe wearing for several weeks and more delays to the Boston training block. No need to worry there is still time to be ready or so I think. My daughter and have a 1/2 marathon on the schedule for the end of February and with limited miles logged I make it to the start line with her.
Running is so much fun when you share the road with family. Although she beats me by a lot, I am feeling more confide that I may be able to salvage my training block if I have some solid weeks in March and April. Monday, after the half, I catch a bug that lasts and lasts and lingers even further. There goes another three weeks of training. At one point I contemplate canceling my hotel and just losing out on my the entry fee, but the airplane tickets are are already purchased. As March comes to a close I log one half and one painful 16 miler that will have to suffice for my training. The best laid plans sometimes go astray.Once reconciled in my mind that we are going to Boston, the only thing that can be done is enjoy the experience and give it my best efforts. We make it easy on ourselves and leave from the close airport requiring a stopover in Dallas. It is hit and miss with thunderstorms common in April. Luckily, we have a smooth flight with no delays or issues. The opportunity to watch three movies on the plane quickly passes the time. We also splurge and stay at the Langham Hotel.Saturday is mostly a travel day, but once we check into the hotel, we have some time to make our way to the finish line before it gets dark.
It is an unwritten rule...runners must go to the finish line and take a picture before race day. Especially to soak up all the excitement and nervous energy of all fellow runners.Sunday is expo day. It is busy at the expo as usual. They have so many volunteers directing as it is a well oiled machine herding runners on where to go. A few things have changed since the last time. Runners must have a QR code to pick up bibs. I didn't have mine loaded to my phone so I could not get my bib until I got it. The helpful volunteer assisted me on getting what I needed. Very exuberant volunteers are especially exited to cheer and ring the cowbell for first time runners. The expo didn't seem as big as previous years, but there a board to write a message for the runners and a list of participant names. |
| The Yellow Go is mine |
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| Find Your Name |
My main take away is immense gratitude for my health and that I am still able to pursue my running passions even when not at full capacity. While at the expo, Dave, the race director, is doing a question and answer segment with legacy runners who run Boston every year.
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| Dave on the left |
Dave, himself has not missed a year not even the year he had open heart surgery. This Boston is his 54th time completing the marathon. Dave concludes his segment with a message to all runners regardless of what issue or hardship we may face, "If you make it to the start line take a moment to be grateful!" I heed the message..jpg) |
| The Newton Hills |
After some lunch we head back to the hotel to relax. We wear the plush hotel robes and slippers when we take advantage of the pool and hot tub along with several other runners with the same idea. For the prerace meal we need our umbrellas to walk to dinner.
We definitely need our big coats for this year's trip. It is bitterly cold for fair weather Californians. As our chilly day comes to an end, it's time to prepare for race morning. Sleep is still my hardest task of each day, but a pretty good night of sleep is another thing to count as a sweet blessing along with the quiet room.
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| My slice of heavenly sunshine |
Runners must wear disposable clothes to athletes village since bag drop in not allowed. I wear three layers of clothing and part with my Bakersfield Marathon sweatshirt and two zip up jackets from my closet. Many runners hit up Goodwill for items to stay warm. I bought a men's fleece lined jacket at Costco for five bucks in January with staying warm in Boston under the tent in mind. But it becomes my favorite stay warm work in the yard winter jacket. Nonetheless, it is interesting to see the outfits runners have on to stay warm.  |
| Always seeking the sunshine |
I am not nervous, instead I am relishing the experience. I search out a place to sit along the thousands of bodies and I find my perfect corner spot just under the tent. Like a cat who finds the rays of sunshine shining through the window blinds in a room, I pounce and seize the perfect place to wait for my wave time. I am not cold as the perfect day unfolds, sunshine with a chill in the air and a tailwind to chase us all back to Boston. Soaking in my surroundings, appreciation for the grandness of the day is the pervasive feeling. |
| GU or Candy bar |
I do not have unrealistic goals for the run, today. I definitely want to be well under five hours and as close to four hours as possible. The facts are the facts, run outcomes are determined by the training preparation. After enjoying a Milky Way with 240 calories of prerace energy, I get in line for the porta potties. It is the least fun part of the day. My wave is called and I make the almost mile walk to the start line walking through the streets of Hopkinton. I should have listened to the advice I gave my bus partner as I stopped for a second potty break right before entering the corral and of course no lines.  |
| This in not the pacer...just a fellow runner |
I run into a fellow pacer from Eureka as we are getting into the same corral. She is the only person I know that is running this year. I am the only one running Boston from my city, usually there are several as we have an active run community. As a green wave runner I get into corral 2 and I am surrounded by blue bibs and yellow bibs. These are the runners that sadly waited in the hour to two hour bus lines and missed their respective start times. Now they will be weaving around slower runners. Bus loading I image will be the biggest compliant by runners in the survey they send to us after the race. Putting all the problems of the world aside, it is time to start running the iconic Boston Marathon.I have been so chill and nonchalant that I forget to turn my watch on. I frantically turn it on and wait for it to connect to GPS...the gun is about to go off and it is still not ready. We all start walking to the start line and I am quietly saying to myself wait wait my watch isn't ready yet. Just as I reach the mat it clicks on and I am ready to run.
Of course the goal is not to go out too fast to prevent dying in the last half, but let's be real I am going to die in the the second half regardless. With only one long run under my belt since August of 2025 expectations are in check. The marathon never disappoints. It is a thrill for any runner to be celebrated and cheered nonstop for 26.2 miles. I have lots of Gu in my pocket and the goal is to take them often to keep my energy up. I drink water and electrolytes often in an attempt to ward of the dreaded wall. The first ten miles are wooded less populated area with a lake around mile nine and yet there are still plenty of people lining the road to cheer us all on. Patriot's Day has to be the most memoriable and special day of the year for residents and participants. The holiday is an excuse to celebrate random strangers. The first half of my run is ticking along fairly well. It is fun to hear the girls of Wellesley a half mile before we actually see them screaming and cheering at mile 12. My goal is to get a sub 2 hour half split. I barely break 2 hours with a time of 159:44 and as soon as my feet hit the timing mat my body immediately slows down. It's a relief to be halfway through the race and to ease up for the second half as the struggle against fatigue begins. I am so glad I chose to wear my slay the trail shirt. I must have heard slay, slay the trail over 200 times. The spectators are just as much a part of the race with their tremendous enthusiasm. The cheers, encouragement, signs and high fives pull even the weariest among us through some of the roughest miles. Spectators single out runners to personalize their cheers and it is appreciated more than they realize. I want to thank every person who yelled at me to "slay" it helped so much. The Newton Hills were actually hilly. It has been years and I didn't remember how challenging the five miles of rolling hills actually are. When properly trained they are not nearly as tough. This section of the race is as bad for me as the quality of this picture. Even my phone camera is tired and barely functioning. I staggered through miles 18 to 21 in a daze and tried the GU provided by the race which was so disgusting I couldn't stomach it. Once I descended Heartbreak hill at Mile 21 I surged a bit at least the pace picked up slightly for a few miles. I keep working to reach the infamous Citgo sign.  |
| Only 1 mile to go... |
The crowds are awesome as always. The streets are lined and packed beyond packed which makes runners want to try harder. The last push is climbing up the Commonwealth underpass. It takes runners away from the crowd before summitting that final hill and reaching the "right on Hereford" and "left onto Boylston."The final stretch down Boylston is exciting and yet seems to take forever to step on that finish line with my regular shoes. They are not the springy shoes that everyone seems to be wearing, touting to cut 30 seconds off each mile. They are run of the mill running shoes that carry me through; in spite of tying my shoelace to tightly on the left foot. At one point I thought about sitting down in some empty lawn chairs I spot along the challenging Newton Hill section...actually the pain become quiet noise in my mind after 8 miles of throbbing.The thrill of victory and the agony of the feet. It is an addicting feeling to be apart of the Boston Marathon. I understand why so many come back year after year. Shhhh...don't tell my husband, but I would not mind being one of the legacy runners that only requries 9 more in a row. Hopefully we will return when my husband gets his qualifying time possibly 2028. Now it is time to celebrate. My husband has lugged around my clothes and jacket for 4:22:27 and he deserves a burger and a beer at Cheers. It will be his second trip there today as he ate there earlier while waiting for me after watching the professional runners come through hours before. The bar is full of excited runners and Bostonians enjoying the energy of the day together. Locals are so friendly and warm and fun to converse with while enjoying a few brews. We know the drill by now eat and enjoy because once we walk back to the hotel there will be little incentive to go out again. After a hot shower we make our way back to the hot tub to soak achy muscles. An extra day in Boston allows for shopping. I buy myself extra Boston apparel something I rarely do...afterall tomorrow is never promised and we never know when our final run will be. A Boston trip is not complete without some Regina's pizza before heading to the airport.It has been three weeks since my Boston run and I can attest that the marathon blues is a real thing. My normal solution is to put something else on the calendar. I try to talk my daughter into running the San Diego Marathon at the end of the month, but thankfully I come to my senses. For now, I am enjoying the rest and my body needs some much needed healing in my (left hamstring). My mind and soul need some healing from the tragic loss of Charlie Kirk. His death has a profound affect on our world in ways that are yet to be seen. In the meantime I will continue working in my yard and continue appreciating life.
Running is so much fun when you share the road with family. Although she beats me by a lot, I am feeling more confide that I may be able to salvage my training block if I have some solid weeks in March and April. Monday, after the half, I catch a bug that lasts and lasts and lingers even further. There goes another three weeks of training. At one point I contemplate canceling my hotel and just losing out on my the entry fee, but the airplane tickets are are already purchased. As March comes to a close I log one half and one painful 16 miler that will have to suffice for my training. The best laid plans sometimes go astray.
Once reconciled in my mind that we are going to Boston, the only thing that can be done is enjoy the experience and give it my best efforts. We make it easy on ourselves and leave from the close airport requiring a stopover in Dallas. It is hit and miss with thunderstorms common in April. Luckily, we have a smooth flight with no delays or issues. The opportunity to watch three movies on the plane quickly passes the time. We also splurge and stay at the Langham Hotel.
It is an unwritten rule...runners must go to the finish line and take a picture before race day. Especially to soak up all the excitement and nervous energy of all fellow runners.
We definitely need our big coats for this year's trip. It is bitterly cold for fair weather Californians. As our chilly day comes to an end, it's time to prepare for race morning. Sleep is still my hardest task of each day, but a pretty good night of sleep is another thing to count as a sweet blessing along with the quiet room.
Of course the goal is not to go out too fast to prevent dying in the last half, but let's be real I am going to die in the the second half regardless. With only one long run under my belt since August of 2025 expectations are in check. The marathon never disappoints. It is a thrill for any runner to be celebrated and cheered nonstop for 26.2 miles. I have lots of Gu in my pocket and the goal is to take them often to keep my energy up. I drink water and electrolytes often in an attempt to ward of the dreaded wall. The first ten miles are wooded less populated area with a lake around mile nine and yet there are still plenty of people lining the road to cheer us all on. Patriot's Day has to be the most memoriable and special day of the year for residents and participants. The holiday is an excuse to celebrate random strangers.
The first half of my run is ticking along fairly well. It is fun to hear the girls of Wellesley a half mile before we actually see them screaming and cheering at mile 12. My goal is to get a sub 2 hour half split. I barely break 2 hours with a time of 159:44 and as soon as my feet hit the timing mat my body immediately slows down.
It's a relief to be halfway through the race and to ease up for the second half as the struggle against fatigue begins. I am so glad I chose to wear my slay the trail shirt. I must have heard slay, slay the trail over 200 times. The spectators are just as much a part of the race with their tremendous enthusiasm. The cheers, encouragement, signs and high fives pull even the weariest among us through some of the roughest miles. Spectators single out runners to personalize their cheers and it is appreciated more than they realize. I want to thank every person who yelled at me to "slay" it helped so much. The Newton Hills were actually hilly. It has been years and I didn't remember how challenging the five miles of rolling hills actually are. When properly trained they are not nearly as tough..jpg)
This section of the race is as bad for me as the quality of this picture. Even my phone camera is tired and barely functioning. I staggered through miles 18 to 21 in a daze and tried the GU provided by the race which was so disgusting I couldn't stomach it. Once I descended Heartbreak hill at Mile 21 I surged a bit at least the pace picked up slightly for a few miles. I keep working to reach the infamous Citgo sign.
The final stretch down Boylston is exciting and yet seems to take forever to step on that finish line with my regular shoes. They are not the springy shoes that everyone seems to be wearing, touting to cut 30 seconds off each mile. They are run of the mill running shoes that carry me through; in spite of tying my shoelace to tightly on the left foot. At one point I thought about sitting down in some empty lawn chairs I spot along the challenging Newton Hill section...actually the pain become quiet noise in my mind after 8 miles of throbbing.
The thrill of victory and the agony of the feet. It is an addicting feeling to be apart of the Boston Marathon. I understand why so many come back year after year. Shhhh...don't tell my husband, but I would not mind being one of the legacy runners that only requries 9 more in a row. Hopefully we will return when my husband gets his qualifying time possibly 2028. Now it is time to celebrate. My husband has lugged around my clothes and jacket for 4:22:27 and he deserves a burger and a beer at Cheers. It will be his second trip there today as he ate there earlier while waiting for me after watching the professional runners come through hours before.
The bar is full of excited runners and Bostonians enjoying the energy of the day together. Locals are so friendly and warm and fun to converse with while enjoying a few brews. We know the drill by now eat and enjoy because once we walk back to the hotel there will be little incentive to go out again. After a hot shower we make our way back to the hot tub to soak achy muscles. An extra day in Boston allows for shopping. I buy myself extra Boston apparel something I rarely do...afterall tomorrow is never promised and we never know when our final run will be. A Boston trip is not complete without some Regina's pizza before heading to the airport.
It has been three weeks since my Boston run and I can attest that the marathon blues is a real thing. My normal solution is to put something else on the calendar. I try to talk my daughter into running the San Diego Marathon at the end of the month, but thankfully I come to my senses. For now, I am enjoying the rest and my body needs some much needed healing in my (left hamstring). My mind and soul need some healing from the tragic loss of Charlie Kirk. His death has a profound affect on our world in ways that are yet to be seen. In the meantime I will continue working in my yard and continue appreciating life.
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