The Swift-Herzog DFMC25 team travelled down to Boston early Easter morning after a quick examination of the Easter Bunny’s gifts - new hiking backpacks, water bottles, bread bunnies, and, of course, the traditional chocolate and jelly beans for breakfast. It was a beautiful morning to travel.
Somehow all that sugar did not make for a crazy car ride and we were cruising into the Back Bay by 11, very excited to see our host for the next few days, Lisa “Lili” Cloitre. Lisa is a friend of mine since 1st grade, and an amazing supporter herself of Dana Farber through her Pan Mass Challenge rides and SwimAmerica swims. Hey, between the two of us we could probably make a pretty decent Dana Farber Ironman Team or maybe Half-Ironman...but I digress. :-)
While the rest of the gang went off to burn some energy at the playground, I was off and running to get my bib number and check in at DFMC25 headquarters - ie get all those last few details done and taken care of. I snuck a peek at Boylston Street and knew I just had to go back, not alone, but with Brynna at least, so after a yummy lunch, Bryn, Nate and I left Lili and Grif “napping” and headed towards the finish line where Nate caught the perfect picture.
Nothing like 6yo energy and smiles to sum up all of the feelings of Boylston St just perfectly.
Then on the way back we stumbled across a pack of obvious elite athletes talking on the corner and I just had to interrupt to get this picture of, um, yes, MY current running idol, Kara Goucher and Bryn. Kara was so amazingly gracious and kind to do it too. Felt like my race had been blessed after that encounter.
Last, but not least, the ribbons went onto the singlet. Ended up with about 70 names. An amazing source of strength and encouragement throughout Monday’s run - thank you all for their stories and the love that carried each one.
With all the details taken care of, now it just come down to waiting. Waiting until bed time, waiting for the busses to leave, waiting to get to Hopkinton, waiting at the DFMC church. I was very, very patient, but I was definitely ready to run! Thank goodness I was getting tweets, emails, donations, words of encouragement from all of you and from my fellow DFMC runners. Being in VT, I don’t get to come down to the training runs they offer to support the runners, so those 3-4 hours were a wonderful catch up and inspiration.
Then it was time to head to the starting line (finally!!) The temps were warm even at 10:45, so I soon left my long sleeved shirt in one of the donation bags and worried a bit about my capabilities to deal with the “heat”. Running in temperatures over 50 degrees had not been part of my training this winter. We were the 9th correl in the the third wave - pretty far down the street and there were people ahead as far as you could see.
As soon as they started the wave though, we got moving - walking and then running steps from the starting line. Perfectly coordinated BAA, yet again!
Boston is a tricky course - the elevation gain is negative for the first 16 miles, giving you a false sense of easy cruising, often at split times you haven’t seen in training yet. Then the hills hit in Newton, 4 of them, nothing that wasn’t comparable to those regularly in my hill repertoire in VT, but still hard if you don’t rein yourself back a bit. So that’s what I tried to do from the very start - feel like I was running slow, slow, slow - and enjoy the trip.
The Boston course is lined with fans, 2-3 people deep from the start to finish. Each town takes their role very seriously and the town lines and centers were huge parties. I missed Julie so very much right then. All these celebrations for a city we both “grew up” in, met our life partners in, and would always love. Our paths never crossed during each of our 10 years there, but those years were integral to who we were when we did meet in VT. Somehow I knew that she would have been there at my side, running and celebrating our Boston Strong, while doing our best to kick cancers butt too. A touch of grey on an otherwise, beautiful, beautiful day.
The miles cruised by and I was soon in the shade of Wellesley College and the sound chamber of 100’s of cheering Wellesley women - as I promised myself and a few others, this time I did do the high-fives and gave a few kisses. Nothing like a tunnel of female power to push you over the halfway mark. Thank you ladies!
Then I got the best cheers of the day: Lisa and Nate got my gang to Wellesley and not only did I get my hugs and beautiful smiles from Grif and Brynna, but high tens from everyone. My second half started on a huge high!
As I ran out of Wellesley, I spotted a bank temperature sign: 69 degrees. Wow. I was drinking, fueling, and running a steady, reasonable pace, that included walks along each water stop every mile, but my body was just not ready for the heat. I got a funny little chill run through my body at about 19 miles and made the decision: I’m going for a finish, not for time and started to walk/run at shorter intervals. My Vermont runner side is a little mad that I didn’t crush all of those hills, but as Lisa told me at 23 miles, “You look SO much better than everyone else” I think the decision was the right one for many reasons, not the least of which, I really, really got to enjoy the journey of those last 6 miles from BC to the finish. Even took some pictures.
Citgo sign getting bigger at 1.5 miles to go! Almost there!
I savoured that last mile. First, thanks and high fives with the DFMC gang at Mile 25. Waving to Fenway - Go Sox! Cruising the downhill into my first Boston neighborhood, Kendall Sq. Down and under Mass Ave and around the corner onto Hereford and up to Boylston - a silent thank you to Engine #10 as I rounded the corner on to the home stretch. Got a funny little worry looking down that corridor, but then utter defiance took over: This is OUR finish line! I must not have been the only one thinking this, as I made my way closer the crowds would roar in waves, the sound wave pushing us along on its crest. Then across the finish line, just under my goal of 11 minute miles in 4:45.09.
It was a really, really great day.
Thank you, thank you, thank you all for your virtual watching, cheers, and incredibly generous donations. I’m pushing $12,000 raised and have checks ready to send that will get me solidly over that hurdle. Donations are still welcome though (through September!) and I’m still focused on getting to $15,000. So, if you have friends, family, anyone who might donate to the ‘cause, please don’t hesitate to forward this along or post on Facebook/Twitter/Google+! Any amount and publicity helps and is so appreciated. Donations can be made either at my DFMC webpage or through the mail. Checks should be made out to "Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge" and sent to me at 35 Crombie St, Burlington, VT 05401.
Many hugs and thanks from Vermont, Kerry
