Running is such a great metaphor for life. Running is not only about the destination, it’s about the journey. Sometimes the journey is hard. You have to keep moving forward no matter what obstacle is in the way. In running, just like in life there are up and downs (hills), stretches of smooth sailing, moments when your heart feels like it’s going to explode, moments that you want to cry, moments where you can’t catch your breath, moments when you want to shout for joy at the top of your lungs and moments where you just can’t wait to stop and rest. When the run is over you look back and reflect on the journey and somehow those hills don’t seem quite as high because you made it through.
For me running is not just a form of exercise; it’s a way of life. Whether it’s a 4 mile run or a 14 mile run, there is something so satisfying about completing a run. I feel refreshed, energized and ready to take on the day. Running helps center me. Running helps me be a better person, wife, mom and friend. I have spent many runs praying about things, for people, about situations, and praising God for the many blessings He has given me. Running is a great opportunity to talk with God. Sometimes I feel like He’s running along beside me.
I run the majority of my shorts runs on our treadmill before Ellis wakes up. Having the treadmill allows me to run during his nap time if needed. I prefer to run outside when I can, but the treadmill has made running around Ellis' schedule easier. I run most all of my long runs on either a Saturday or Sunday morning with my friend Lauren. Having over two hours of time to chat with a friend without having to watch your child at the same time or get interrupted is rare, of course we have to get up really early for that to happen, but it's worth it! I always look forward to our runs together. When I run alone I usually run with music. When a really good song comes on it’s not uncommon to find me bopping my head along to the music and waving my hands in the air. I’m sure I look like a complete dork to people passing me in cars, but I wonder what they think about someone who can run with a smile on her face. Maybe without trying I have just encouraged someone else to get outside and run. If I can smile 12 miles into a hard run, I should be able to smile when dealing with other hard situations. I not only want to have a smile on my face when I’m facing challenges while running, but also in life. It's easier said than done, but it's a goal worth trying for.
This all brings me to my experience running the 115th Boston Marathon. But before that story, there is the story of how I was able to run the Boston Marathon. Back in July 2009 when I started training for my second marathon and first marathon after having Ellis, I knew what my goal was. Not only did I want to run my second marathon, I wanted to qualify to run the Boston Marathon. While training for my first marathon I would think about how awesome it would be to one day run Boston, but I assumed that was a long way off and a bit of a pipe dream for me. My first marathon (December 2007) finish time was 3:56:30 so I had to shave 16 minutes off my time. I wasn’t sure how doable that was. I signed up with a training group at a local sports store. On my first run I met Lauren Woolley. Lauren and I would become good friends. All throughout training qualifying for Boston was my focus, more like an obsession. It seems every long run we discussed ways that we could qualify, how could we shave time off, plans, tips, etc. Training for it was so fun, even though we were training with a group, Lauren and I ended up running alone most of the time. We were the only two with our pace and it just worked out better that way.
The White Rock Marathon was on December 13th 2009. The weather was great, cold and in the 40s and it was overcast throughout the whole race. Derek ran the half marathon and my parents stayed home with Ellis so they didn’t get to see me out on the course. That was a little bit of a bummer for me, it’s always helpful seeing family out on the course and running with the anticipation you will soon see a family member cheering you on. But I knew they would all be there to see me finish. I decided to stick with a pace group to help me reach that 3:40 finish time. The first half went by quickly and was pretty easy. The pace group actually went too fast at the beginning so we held back and then eventually caught up with them. Lauren and I split at mile 19. It was hard to leave her, but she told me to go ahead. For me the hardest miles are mile 22 and 23. That’s really when your body is asking you to stop. The pace group really came in handy at this point because the coaches knew our goal was to qualify for Boston and they kept chanting “4 more miles to Boston!”, “3 more miles to Boston!”. It still gives me chills when I think about that! At one point I said out loud “I can’t do this”. That was at mile 23 and one of the coaches said “yes you can, you are almost there, just relax and focus”. So I did. I had gone to a coaching session where they talked about how your mental strength plays more of an important role in those last few miles than your physical. I tried to block out everything and just focus on my goal. My mind kept drifting to two things, Ellis and running Boston. As I rounded the corner at mile 25 I knew with certainty I would qualify. A huge rush of emotion ran over me, but I still had a mile to go and wanted to finish strong. I had minutes to spare and that was a relief. The pace group was a minute or two behind me at that point and I felt like I was running alone. When I saw the finish line I started to cry, I couldn’t see my family but I heard my mom yell out “Jessica!” I crossed the finish line. I did it!!! I finished marathon number two and qualified for Boston!! I honestly could not believe it. I had wanted to do it, but just wasn’t’ sure if it was possible. I bent over and just started crying!!! It was so exciting!! I just stood there for a minute. Then two of the coaches from the pace group came and gave me a huge and told me congratulations. A few minutes later Lauren finished and I cried when I saw her. I felt bad we had split up and I knew she was just a few minutes over from qualifying which was hard. The only thing that would have made qualifying better is if she had done it with me. We hugged and went off to find our families. Ellis was so sleepy when I found them and it was so good to see them! They were so proud! I finished in 3:37:57 and qualified for the Boston Marathon. Boston 2010’s registration was already closed so I knew I would be running in 2011, assuming I was able to register. I had one year and four months to get ready for it and my mind was already thinking about that.
A few weeks after running White Rock I began having some foot pain, that led to some ankle and achilles pain, which led to severe pain in the right side of my right knee. I was not able to run more than a mile without encountering that pain for the first few months of the year. I was signed up to run the Big Sur Marathon in April but had to cancel the trip. It was a frustrating time. I had begun to see a chiropractor during this time and I slowly worked my way back to running four miles a day pain free.
Lauren and I started running together again in May 2010. I was gradually able to work up to 10 miles but any more than that would cause the knee pain to return. In July Lauren and I started training for a marathon in October. I would have pain off and on throughout the summer, but everything was looking better. Then on a 20 miler in August the pain returned and it was bad. It started hurting at mile 9 and I had to stop by mile 15. The pain was a stabbing sharp pain that was impossible to run through, and the knee would just give out on me which made it hard to push forward. The most annoying thing about the pain was the second I would stop running the pain would stop. I finally realized the pain was due to IT Band Syndrome. I went back to the chiropractor the following week and got an adjustment. The following weekend I was able to run 18 miles, but it was not without pain. I had to walk a few times. Lauren and I had signed up to run the Crossroads Marathon in Odessa, TX on October 2nd. The road trip itself was fun and it was good to experience traveling to a marathon and staying in a hotel the night before, however it ended up being a terrible marathon to run. There were only 55 entrants in the marathon (not good motivation) and the course was flat and boring with hardly any spectators. I had to pull out at mile 15 due to IT band knee pain and did not finish. Based on my training I had not planned on running the entire marathon, I was mostly going out to support Lauren, but I would liked to have finished. I was beginning to worry I might not be able to train for Boston.
In November I started going to physical therapy and began getting Graston treatments on my leg. Graston is very painful, especially if there is an issue. It’s a technique where a trainer uses metal tools to break up scar tissue. Probably the worst pain I have ever felt in my life and I had the bruises to prove it.
I did go to another orthopedic surgeon and I had an MRI on my back and left leg because they were both hurting at the time. All that ended up being the result of a compressed disc in my back. All signs still pointed to IT Band Syndrome for my right knee, so I continued to get therapy for it. Running is what I do to deal with stress in my life, so when I’m not able to run, or when it’s the running itself that is stressing me out, it doesn’t leave me an outlet for relieving my stress. Throughout early December I was running up to 11 miles without any pain and I was feeling pretty good about it.
December 19th, during a 12 miler the intense knee pain hit me about mile 9. I pushed through and was able to finish our 12, but that’s all I was able to do. The next week I went to two physical therapy appointments and had Graston done each time. Thank goodness they have appointments at 6:00am; otherwise I would never have been able to go. I had it done both on my knee and lower back. I hit a low that week. I added up how much money I had spent on doctor appointments and the MRI over the year and it was a lot. I just started crying. That much money spent on curing something that had not yet been cured. That much money spent on something I was choosing to do. I could just run 10 miles and not have any pain, but my goal was to run 26.2 not 10. I felt so guilty. Not to mention the two marathons I signed up for in 2010 and was not able to run. The trip to Boston wasn’t cheap either. There is a registration fee, plane tickets, hotel, etc. Running the Boston Marathon is an opportunity, but it’s an expensive one. I was feeling terribly guilty. I started to doubt whether I should continue to spend the time and money on treatments. My goal of running Boston was starting to feel very selfish and I didn’t know if it was worth it. A cortisone shot was an option, but the doctor I had seen two weeks prior would not give me one while I was training. A cortisone shot is not a long term solution, it’s a quick fix and just like all the other treatments I had done, it’s not a guaranteed cure. I didn’t know what to do. The last time I had been that frustrated about anything was when we were trying to get pregnant. It was something that I really wanted but had no control over.
On Christmas Eve Lauren and I ran a 12 miler and I was happy to report that upon finishing I had no knee pain while running. I can’t say the run was pain free, but the main things that normally hurt didn’t. My right hip flexor was starting to get pretty tight towards the end and that is one of the causes of the knee pain. I went to physical therapy the following week and had more Graston done on my knee and my right foot and ankle. It hurt real bad each and every time, but I grinned and bared it hoping with every treatment I was that much closer to overcoming the IT band knee pain. While running that morning for the 6am therapy appointment I started to get this sharp stinging pain on the top of my ankle, so they worked that. They said my hips were out of alignment again, which might have been causing that. I understand it seems like running hurts me a lot, but it normally doesn’t and shouldn’t.
Sunday January 2nd was officially the start of my Boston training program. We set out to run 12 miles and this time the knee pain came back again at mile 8. I could run for a few minutes and then I had to stop, I was able to keep this up, but at mile 12 could not go any further. I was so angry after that run. It was not an ideal way to kick off training for Boston. That week I went to the chiropractor for a massage and adjustment. My IT band where it starts to cross over the knee was really tight. Lauren and I decided for the next week we would try Jeff Galloway’s method. He swears by it for reducing and dealing with injury. You run a mile and then walk for one minute, and repeat. So we decided to try the Galloway method on our next 12 miler. I only got a little sharp pain on my right ankle at mile 8, but it went away after a mile and the knee pain never started. It was a good run and I felt relieved. I went to therapy that next week and got Graston on my leg, knee and back. I spent the week icing my knee and stretching my hip flexors whenever I could. I was using the foam roller and The Stick to massage my legs and hips. They had been really tight and I had read that has everything to do with IT band pain.
December 19th, during a 12 miler the intense knee pain hit me about mile 9. I pushed through and was able to finish our 12, but that’s all I was able to do. The next week I went to two physical therapy appointments and had Graston done each time. Thank goodness they have appointments at 6:00am; otherwise I would never have been able to go. I had it done both on my knee and lower back. I hit a low that week. I added up how much money I had spent on doctor appointments and the MRI over the year and it was a lot. I just started crying. That much money spent on curing something that had not yet been cured. That much money spent on something I was choosing to do. I could just run 10 miles and not have any pain, but my goal was to run 26.2 not 10. I felt so guilty. Not to mention the two marathons I signed up for in 2010 and was not able to run. The trip to Boston wasn’t cheap either. There is a registration fee, plane tickets, hotel, etc. Running the Boston Marathon is an opportunity, but it’s an expensive one. I was feeling terribly guilty. I started to doubt whether I should continue to spend the time and money on treatments. My goal of running Boston was starting to feel very selfish and I didn’t know if it was worth it. A cortisone shot was an option, but the doctor I had seen two weeks prior would not give me one while I was training. A cortisone shot is not a long term solution, it’s a quick fix and just like all the other treatments I had done, it’s not a guaranteed cure. I didn’t know what to do. The last time I had been that frustrated about anything was when we were trying to get pregnant. It was something that I really wanted but had no control over.
On Christmas Eve Lauren and I ran a 12 miler and I was happy to report that upon finishing I had no knee pain while running. I can’t say the run was pain free, but the main things that normally hurt didn’t. My right hip flexor was starting to get pretty tight towards the end and that is one of the causes of the knee pain. I went to physical therapy the following week and had more Graston done on my knee and my right foot and ankle. It hurt real bad each and every time, but I grinned and bared it hoping with every treatment I was that much closer to overcoming the IT band knee pain. While running that morning for the 6am therapy appointment I started to get this sharp stinging pain on the top of my ankle, so they worked that. They said my hips were out of alignment again, which might have been causing that. I understand it seems like running hurts me a lot, but it normally doesn’t and shouldn’t.
Sunday January 2nd was officially the start of my Boston training program. We set out to run 12 miles and this time the knee pain came back again at mile 8. I could run for a few minutes and then I had to stop, I was able to keep this up, but at mile 12 could not go any further. I was so angry after that run. It was not an ideal way to kick off training for Boston. That week I went to the chiropractor for a massage and adjustment. My IT band where it starts to cross over the knee was really tight. Lauren and I decided for the next week we would try Jeff Galloway’s method. He swears by it for reducing and dealing with injury. You run a mile and then walk for one minute, and repeat. So we decided to try the Galloway method on our next 12 miler. I only got a little sharp pain on my right ankle at mile 8, but it went away after a mile and the knee pain never started. It was a good run and I felt relieved. I went to therapy that next week and got Graston on my leg, knee and back. I spent the week icing my knee and stretching my hip flexors whenever I could. I was using the foam roller and The Stick to massage my legs and hips. They had been really tight and I had read that has everything to do with IT band pain.
When we woke up Sunday morning it was raining. Normally I wouldn’t be opposed to running in the rain, but when it’s dark and 35 degrees outside it makes the rain look less appealing. So we waited until 1:00 to run our 15 miler. After church I came home and stretched for about 30 minutes then nervously we started the run, continuing with our plan of run/walk. I never once had pain in my ankle or my knee. Of course my knees were tight when we finished, but that was just because it was cold and a little misty outside. It was the first really good run I had since early August and it was the first time I had good back to back runs since August as well. I was very happy about that.
On the following Tuesday I got an adjustment and massage. On Friday on my 6 mile run I had a little right knee tightness. I tried to stretch a lot on Saturday. The 12 miler on Sunday went well. No pain other than some sharp tightness in my left quad. The next long run up was a 16 miler. That morning Lauren’s little boy was sick so she couldn’t run. I ended up doing the 16 miler alone. It was the most I have ever run alone. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. We were having a warm weekend and I actually got hot running. For some reason no matter what distance you are running it always seems forever to get to mile 6, after that it goes by fairly quickly. I was running late morning so I had to deal with a lot more traffic but it went well. No real pain anywhere to speak off. Had a little tightness in my right calve at about mile 13, but it was gone by mile 15. My iPod died around mile 11. I had my cell phone with me so I listened to Pandora radio. I thought it was funny when at mile 15 with one mile to go “I Will Survive” came on the radio!
The following week was a little crazy. We had an ice storm on Tuesday February 1st and then it snowed 6 more inches on Friday. That makes it a little difficult to run outside. My treadmill really paid off that week! The roads were still bad on Sunday morning so Lauren and I ran our long run on our treadmills! 12 miles was the most I have ever run on a treadmill. I rented a movie the night before and watched it while I ran. That week I had been having some regular old runner’s knee pain and just an aching feeling on the insides of my knees. I also was having pain in my calves and knees. I figured I needed to get adjusted. I had an adjustment on Tuesday and the rest of the week was fine.
I ran my 14 miler alone on the next Sunday morning because Lauren’s family was out of town. This was another good run. My left heel was hurting, but that was just because I needed new shoes. My knees never hurt during the run, but as soon as I was finished my right knee and the side of my leg felt weird. Almost like the knee was out of place. The IT band felt really tight so I thought that might have something to do with it. I had a Graston treatment on Monday morning and that was done on both of my legs. It didn’t bother me while I was running after that, just when I was walking or moving in a weird direction. My right hip was a little out of whack so I decided I would go get adjusted on Friday after I ran. I had a good run that morning and after I was adjusted felt a lot better.
We ran our 18 miler on Sunday morning. It was an extra fun run because Lauren had just gotten back from Disney World so we got to talk about that! Plus it had been over three weeks since we had run together. I already had an appointment scheduled for Graston on Monday morning so I went. I was thinking of it as routine maintenance. Even though the pain wasn’t the stop running kind of pain, everything was still extra tight. For whatever reason I was starting to have similar issues with my left leg. It actually hurt a lot more on the left than the right. One thing that has been key is keeping my hips stretched and loose and trying to strengthen them. Throughout the week my left knee was really bothering me, it just had a weird feeling like it was twisted in the wrong direction. I kept icing it throughout the day. It let up as the week went on. At this point there were 7 more weeks until Boston and that felt like forever. I was so excited to run the race, but was really looking forward to all the training, worry and stress being over.
Our 14 miler was a little hard. It was almost 70 degrees and it was humid and windy. It just felt like I was breathing heavy the whole time. It felt so much harder than the 18 miles the week before. Nothing really hurt; it was just a tiring run. At church I talked to a guy who had run Boston two times. It was nice to talk to someone who had run it before and get a little more specific information about the course. I was mostly concerned with the downhill part and was worrying that no hill training was going to affect me. He actually made me feel better because of how excited he was about it. He told me to just have fun and to make sure I didn’t run the first six miles too fast because they were all down hill. He made me feel better about Heartbreak Hill too. I had read it wasn’t so much how high the hills where, it was the fact that it’s a long incline and the fact that you hit the Newton hills at mile 19 doesn’t help. At this point I only had two really long runs left and I felt like if I could get through the next 20 miles I would be good to go. I would start to taper and back off after that.
On Sunday March 6th, we set out for our first of two 20 milers. Thankfully it was a cold 32 degrees that morning; always ideal for a long run. The past two months had been going well and I was holding my breath that whole time. It started out pretty well, but at mile 15 I felt the right knee pain I dreaded. It faded a little, but by mile 17 it was very strong. I had to stop once to stretch it out. We were doing the run walk plan still. I was hurting but running along when I looked up, and spotted Derek and Ellis in the distance. They were holding a sign. It said “Go Mama and Lauren too”. Ellis was so excited to see us and I was so excited to see him. I started to cry because I was hurting and it was just so good to see them. We passed them and thankfully I was able to make it 20 miles. We saw them again at the end. I was really upset the pain came back, but I was trying to focus more on the fact I was at least able to finish 20 miles. Of course at that moment another 6.2 on top of that seemed pretty impossible. I believe that was what I needed to relax a little about the marathon. I knew right then that having any kind of time goal was not a good idea. I qualified for Boston with a good time, so it truly didn’t matter if I finished Boston with a good time. Like Lauren kept telling me, running Boston is the reward for prior success, just enjoy it.
But a few days later I started feeling down again. I thought about canceling the trip. I was so tired of worrying about it. I hated that it had consumed so much time, energy and money. Had all that energy been positive it would have been different. I was pretty sure at some point in the marathon the pain would start up, it was just a matter if I wanted to have that kind of experience or not. At this point I wasn’t really looking forward to the trip. I felt a little cheated about that. It wasn’t what it was supposed to be like. You are supposed to have positive anticipation, not negative. I was trying to decide what was worse, running the Boston Marathon in pain and very slowly, or not running it at all. I honestly did not know which I preferred. If I didn’t go would I spend the rest of my life regretting that decision? If I went would I just wish that I hadn’t? I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I was encouraged by a few other stories I had heard of people running the marathon injured yet still able to enjoy the experience and say it was awesome. So I tried and wanted to focus on that.
I made an appointment to get a cortisone shot two weeks before the marathon as a backup plan. On Wednesday morning I went to physical therapy and talked to the trainer about it. He suggested I try a cortisone patch first. After a little Graston on the right knee he put the patch on. You keep it on for three hours. Since my knee never hurts until my long runs, it’s hard to tell if any of the treatments work right away. We ran on Saturday morning instead, which ended up being good because we would have been up extra early on spring forward morning. My knee didn’t hurt, but my hips, mostly my left hip was very tight throughout most of the run. It was a good run, knee pain wise, but a very tight run muscle wise and I was nervous most of it wondering when and if the pain would return. I felt really good after the run. There were only four more long runs to go, really three if you don’t even count the 8 miler. Next up was our final 20 miler and after that I would start tapering. The next run was very important to me. I felt like if I could get through it with little or no pain I would be able to relax and enjoy the countdown to the marathon, even knowing I would probably encounter some pain on race day.
On Friday morning the 18th I went to physical therapy to get the cortisone patch on my knee. I stretched a lot on Saturday. Sunday morning we were up and ready to run at 5am. The run was so great! I never once had pain in my right knee. My hips were very tight throughout the run, but no real pain to speak of. At mile 10 my parents surprised us (well Lauren knew) with some water and cheers! It was fun to see them; they got up early to see us! It was dark for about 2 hours of our run, with only the last hour being light. It’s nice that way. So I was so excited when we finished the run and just felt relieved. At that moment I felt like I could have kept running. It was a good run and a good day. The countdown to Boston really started for me right then.
Lauren had told me about a book called Mile Markers by Kristen Armstrong and she said I should read it. While Ellis napped I downloaded the book on my phone and started to read it. I read the first six chapters and loved it. It was a perfect day to start reading it and a good way to really kick off my countdown to Boston. Kristin said she didn’t wear a watch when she ran Boston. So I decided that’s what I would do. I wouldn’t even carry my watch. It didn’t matter what time I finished in, it only mattered that I finish. I wasn’t just finishing any marathon; I was finishing the Boston Marathon. Training for the Boston Marathon had been scary, nerve racking and stressful up until then. I was finally feeling excited and grateful I was getting to run it. Lauren and I both went to visit our grandparents over the weekend, so I ran my 12 miler alone on Sunday morning. I had gotten my official packet of information in the mail from the Boston Marathon association on Saturday and as I read through it I could feel the nerves and excitement start to set in and I couldn’t wait for my run the next morning. It was cold and windy and it was a good run. I had started reading Mile Markers the Sunday before and I was just itching to get outside and run (since all my short runs are on a treadmill). I didn’t take a walk break after every mile, but my right knee felt good. My left knee never really hurt, it just bothered me. It was a good run and I was able to think about a lot of things and clear my head some. When I finished I felt relieved. 12 miles doesn’t really count as a “long run” in marathon training, but for me this long run really meant the end of training, it was truly tapering from that point. The tapering phase for me is also a downer. Our next run was 10 miles and we ran it a little faster. I was completely tired by the end of those 10 miles. It’s such a strange thing, you would think you would be nothing but excited in the weeks before a marathon. You almost feel depressed a little; part of it is because you are no longer building up in mileage, which is an exciting part of training.
I ran my last long run before the marathon on Saturday morning the 9th. It was just 8 miles, but it was a good 8 miles. Everything felt good and I felt ready. Through the week is when the stir crazy feelings started. All the thoughts and feeling started to really set in. Did I train enough? Is my injury going to come back? What if I run too fast (to bring on the injury again)? What if I run to slow? What if I start and can’t finish? Can I really run another marathon? The nerves really kick in during this time. I was already starting to lose some sleep. I would lie in bed and just envision what it’s going to be like to cross the finish line or not cross it. I read Kara Goucher’s new book that week which really helped me and I read every article on the Boston Marathon I could find online. One was by far the best article I have found and I share a piece of that later on.
On Friday morning the 15th, I went to physical therapy to have a cortisone patch put on each of my knees just for good measure. I only ran twice that week and then the Saturday morning April 16th I ran a two mile shake out run on the treadmill to get rid of some nerves. That was a good idea because I stopped really wanting to run more. I did however cry in the shower because I was thinking about having to leave Ellis and just everything hit me. We were all packed and ready to go. That week I had started to get anxious about leaving Ellis. When we left Saturday morning I kissed him and teared up and then we walked out the door to the car.
On Friday morning the 15th, I went to physical therapy to have a cortisone patch put on each of my knees just for good measure. I only ran twice that week and then the Saturday morning April 16th I ran a two mile shake out run on the treadmill to get rid of some nerves. That was a good idea because I stopped really wanting to run more. I did however cry in the shower because I was thinking about having to leave Ellis and just everything hit me. We were all packed and ready to go. That week I had started to get anxious about leaving Ellis. When we left Saturday morning I kissed him and teared up and then we walked out the door to the car.
Our flight landed in Boston with enough time to check into the hotel and walk to the EXPO before it closed. There was a balloon bouquet waiting for me in our room with a card that said "Good Luck!" from my Mom, Dad and Ellis! On our way to the EXPO we passed the finish line. It was very exciting to see it. We took a few pictures and then headed into the EXPO to pick up my race packet. There were no lines to get the packet, I walked right up to the counter and was handed my packet. I pulled out the bib to make sure everything looked right. It was officially official! I was going to run Boston!
We had a laid back day on Sunday, but still did a little walking. We went back to the EXPO to do a little more shopping and then that afternoon walked to Fenway for the Red Sox game. After the game we came back to the hotel, we had planned on going out to eat but I was getting a little nervous and just wanted to stay in the room. Derek kindly picked up our dinner and brought it back to the room. We ate and then I got everything laid out and ready for the next day.
On Monday morning April 18th, we woke up at 5:30. Though rain had been in the forecast we woke up to perfect weather conditions, high of 55 and sunny. It was also reported there was a tail wind at our backs, though I never felt that much. We had met a couple on Saturday and were going to meet them in the lobby at 6:30 and walk over to the buses together. The other people there for the marathon were so friendly. You really did feel a part of a group. I had gotten everything out and organized the night before so I felt ready to go. We were told by several people that I should buy a cheap lawn chair and bring it with me to the Athlete’s Village so I did. The Athlete’s Village is the area where they corral all the runners before the start of the marathon. We left the hotel and walked over to Boston Commons where the line for the buses began. It was a long line. I wasn't expecting that. I expected to walk right onto a bus and assumed the Athlete’s Village is where I would do all the waiting. We waited almost an hour to board a bus.
Once on the bus it was about a 45 minute ride. I was so lucky to continuously find great people to hang out with and talk to. After arriving at the Athlete’s Village in Hopkinton I got in line for the bathroom (porta potty) and again waited. The line was at least 30 minutes long. I hadn’t even gotten to the main area yet, but lines up there looked longer so I just went to one that was close to the bus. Finally I walked into the main Athlete’s Village and took a few pictures. I found a spot to put my chair and as soon as I sat down they called my wave to the starting line. I ditched the chair, took off my warm throw away clothes and walked to the starting line and found my corral. They were shouting “One minute and 30 seconds to go!” I squeezed into the corral. I had my camera in hand and was ready to go. I decided to bring a camera with me so I could video and take pictures on the course. I am very glad I chose to do this. I had a pouch for the camera on my waist, but I carried the camera in hand the whole time.
A minute later we were off! There wasn’t much fan fare for the second wave. I had even read that the start is a little anticlimactic compared to other races. That’s mainly due to the fact that the start is way out in the little town; however they make up for it at the finish! I did not have my watch with me so I didn’t know what pace I was going. Everyone around me was just sprinting. I had been told to go slower than you think you are going for the first 6 miles so I did that and felt good through the first several miles. Because in our training we did a run a mile walk a minute program I started to stop and walk for 30 seconds to a minute after each mile, but I wasn’t able to start that until mile 3. I felt like we were going up, down, up down. I really didn’t feel the downhill as much as I thought I would. I was really paying attention to the spectators on the side of the road. I had read an article right before we left that said the first few miles really don’t have many spectators, but there was always several groups cheering. We were just running on the main road through these towns and the towns were literately shut down. People were out everywhere, even on houses and on top of buildings cheering for us. Little kids would hold out their hands for a high five, and I would give them a high five when I could. I brought masking tape and wrote my name on it with a black sharpie marker and put it on the front of my shirt. One little kid yelled out to me "come on Jessica, you got this!!!". And I could always tell when a little girl was named Jessica, because they always got excited to read my name and yell out my name. The first miles take you through, Hopkinton, Ashland, and you pass the 10K point in Framingham. I had a lot of family and friends tracking me via emails and text messages. The first tracking point was the 10K mark. When I crossed over it I could feel them thinking about me! Then you run through the 15K mark in Natick. The next two miles didn’t have quite as many spectators on the course and it was here that I first attempted to use the porta potty, but the wait was taking too long so I decided to keep running.
I could then hear the beating of the drums which I knew meant that the Wellesley College girls were just ahead. They are at mile 12. They scream really loud and hold signs for the guys to kiss them. Unfortunately for them even the old sweaty guys take up their offer, but they don’t seem to mind! They are just before getting to the halfway point. I had a sign there with my name on it from the Wellesley College girls. So cool! I had written on their facebook page (yep, facebook will get you just about anything these days) and they sent me a picture of a sign that said Run Jessica Northup, but I didn't see that one. My mom had written in and they wrote my name on a sign....and I saw it! I videoed as I ran by them and saw a sign that said "Good Job Jessica" and I couldn't read the rest, but I took a picture of it. When I got home and watched the video I saw that was my sign. It said “Good Job Jessica from McKinney”. So it was really fun running past them. The half marathon point was just ahead and they had a sign hung up across the road you ran through. I was feeling okay at this point. And this is when I stopped at a porta potty and took about 3 minutes of time to do that. I’ve never had to do that before in a race. Men are so lucky that they can just go on the side of the road! My left heel was tight and bothering me and I started running on my toes a little more, which might have led to the calf cramps that I ended up getting. The heel pain eventually went away.
I got confused and couldn’t remember when we would get to Newton. We started to run up hills and I thought that was Newton, but we hadn’t gotten there yet! Then finally you see the sign for Newton and they have loud music playing and a video monitor; that’s how I knew I was just getting into the hills! I was already getting tired and my legs were already feeling very heavy! I usually don’t feel that way until mile 22 or so.
Then at mile 18 I heard and saw my friend Amy Smith cheering for me. Her sister was running the marathon too and I knew she was there, but I didn't know she was going to be out on the course. She came up and gave me a hug while running and I teared up. It took me a minute to catch my breath. I just didn't expect to see a face on the course I knew. I had heard people yelling out my name all alone the course but to hear a voice I knew was so nice.
The Newton hills were tough and Heartbreak Hill is all that it is hyped up to be. I admit I had to walk up some of it. Before I got to Heartbreak Hill a guy on the side of the road told me I was done with the hills and I said “you promise?!”, and he said “I promise”. Well he lied. I was just starting up Heartbreak Hill at that point. I looked down at the ground and started to see chalk drawing of hearts and that’s how I knew it was Heartbreak Hill. You pass Boston College on the way up and I actually thought they were even louder than the Wellesley girls. It really is brutal for mile 21 and I was very happy to finally be at the top. But that was not the end of the hills. After Heartbreak Hill you enter Brookline and can start to see Boston in the distance.
A new experience this marathon were the spasms. I had one in my right quad. I could actually see it spazzing. I can’t remember when that happened. I think it was somewhere on the Newton hills. Then cramps in my calves were horrible. I have never had that while running before. Throughout one mile it felt like my calves where always on the verge of seizing up, I’m not even sure which mile that was. You know those charlie horses you get in your calves, I don't even remember how many I got, but it was frustrating. Towards the end I wasn’t able to run a half mile without my calves seizing up. I learned later that calf cramps are very common while running Boston and talked to a few people who had personal experience with that very thing.
Then at mile 18 I heard and saw my friend Amy Smith cheering for me. Her sister was running the marathon too and I knew she was there, but I didn't know she was going to be out on the course. She came up and gave me a hug while running and I teared up. It took me a minute to catch my breath. I just didn't expect to see a face on the course I knew. I had heard people yelling out my name all alone the course but to hear a voice I knew was so nice.
A new experience this marathon were the spasms. I had one in my right quad. I could actually see it spazzing. I can’t remember when that happened. I think it was somewhere on the Newton hills. Then cramps in my calves were horrible. I have never had that while running before. Throughout one mile it felt like my calves where always on the verge of seizing up, I’m not even sure which mile that was. You know those charlie horses you get in your calves, I don't even remember how many I got, but it was frustrating. Towards the end I wasn’t able to run a half mile without my calves seizing up. I learned later that calf cramps are very common while running Boston and talked to a few people who had personal experience with that very thing.
Then somehow I was at mile 24. The CITGO was now visible! When I saw the CTIGO sign I had two emotions, one I was happy that the running itself was almost over because I was so tired and my calves were killing me, but two I was sad because it meant running Boston was almost over. A part of me didn't want it to end. The sides of the road were just packed with people yelling and cheering. I love that random people kept yelling out "come on Jess, you can do it"....my shirt said Jessica, but it was like we were best friends..."come on Jess".
Finally mile 26. The final stretch is a right on to Herford Street. Halfway up (yes, it's yet another little incline) I got another calf cramp that brought me to a halt. In pain I bent over and grabbed my calf. I looked up and there was a photographer right in front of me and I laughed. I was so close to the finish line and wanted to finish running. I stood up and starting running again with my calf in a tight ball! I then made the most wonderful left turn onto Boylston Street. I turned and saw the finish line way down the road. I had an idea of where Derek was going to be and I saw his Texas Rangers hat and heard him yelling my name. I saw him waved, and focused on taking it all in. This was it; I was running to the Boston Marathon finish line, part of me couldn't believe it. I actually slowed down a little because I didn't want it to end, not the pain, the experience! It was so loud, there were people screaming, cheering and clanging bells. It was just awesome. I waved to the cameras as I crossed the finish line and that was it! I had run the Boston Marathon, pain and all!
Very fittingly, I had taped the verse James 1:2-3 on my back, knowing if someone wanted to know it they would have to ask. Several times on the course someone would run up to me and ask me to remind them of the verse and I would tell them. "Consider it pure joy when you face trails of many kinds for you know the testing of your faith develops perseverance". And then I loved the people who asked me for it, WHILE we were running up a hill. So I would tell them, as I huffed and puffed! And then they would say thank you very much I needed that. Though a marathon is a self inflicted trial, it's still a trial. Running is when I sort through different trials; struggles and challenges in my life and turn them over to God. This is one of the reasons running is so important to me.
After crossing the finish line I was handed water and a mylar warming blanket. Then I collected my medal. It felt surreal to be receiving a Boston Marathon medal! I then walked to the family meeting area and found Derek. When I saw Derek I started to cry. I was so happy to see him and so happy that I finished! I did not know my official time until he told me. I finished in 4:07:36. I would have liked to have been closer to 4 hours, but I had secretly hoped to stay under 4:15 so I was happy. Knowing beforehand that it was a tough course and I would probably encounter some pain, though I assumed it would be IT Band pain, I didn’t want to tie this experience to a certain time. I really am just so happy that I finished running! We took a few pictures and then headed back to the hotel.
It took me awhile to actually get hungry for dinner, so we cleaned up and walked over to Niketown to get my medal engraved. Then we walked down to the finish line to take a few more photos and we were surprised to find they were already taking it down! I was finally getting hungry so we walked to North End and found a really good Italian restaurant. We had been told to get a cannoli from Mike’s Pastry. We didn’t get one, we got four! They were very good! My favorite was the chocolate chip and peanut butter, oh and the amaretto! I was too tired to walk back so we took a cab home; we had a lot of walking to do the next day!
Something that made the experience extra special is almost everyone that ran the marathon wears their finisher jacket around town. I would not wear mine or let Derek take the tags off until I finished! Random people would approach us and ask how I did and then we would stand there and swap stories for a few minutes. We met lots of nice people from all over which was pretty neat.
After crossing the finish line I was handed water and a mylar warming blanket. Then I collected my medal. It felt surreal to be receiving a Boston Marathon medal! I then walked to the family meeting area and found Derek. When I saw Derek I started to cry. I was so happy to see him and so happy that I finished! I did not know my official time until he told me. I finished in 4:07:36. I would have liked to have been closer to 4 hours, but I had secretly hoped to stay under 4:15 so I was happy. Knowing beforehand that it was a tough course and I would probably encounter some pain, though I assumed it would be IT Band pain, I didn’t want to tie this experience to a certain time. I really am just so happy that I finished running! We took a few pictures and then headed back to the hotel.
Just like the last two marathons, somewhere in those last miles I asked myself "why do I run these?". But the next morning rolls around and I'm thinking about which one I want to do next! There are a few other ones on my list that I would like to run and that will take a few years. And maybe one day, probably many many years from now I'll get to run Boston again. I might have muttered the words, never again to that course, it was hard, but I would like another chance, it just might not be for a long time.
I did it. I ran the Boston Marathon. Two years ago it was a goal that I might qualify and then I qualified. I spent almost an entire year and half worrying about getting to run it due to injury. I went through lots of therapy sessions and doctor appointments to get pain under control and I’m sure there was a reason for it. I often wondered if what I was doing was worth it, but now I know it was.
The week before we left for Boston I came across an article by Raymond Britt, his words describe the way I feel best. So I will close with the words he wrote. “Then it's your moment. See the time, cross the line, smile for the cameras. Congratulate yourself, be proud. You've done it. Go ahead, admit it to yourself: you Really Rock. You're a Boston Finisher. Yes, you are. You've done something extraordinary, celebrate it. Celebrate your independence, celebrate your spirit and attitude that earned that trip to Hopkinton and drove you the next 26.2 miles to the most coveted finisher's medal in long-distance running. In the Long Run, life is a collection of Moments That Matter. The ones you will remember for the rest of your life. In April, your moment is in Boston, on Boylston Street, under the Finish Banner. That moment is yours. Celebrate it. From that moment on, you are a little more special. You are Boston finisher. Congratulations. Welcome to the Club”.
