For Boston

"Stay smart.", I believe you said on the 14th.  I can't imagine a better mantra for you until you cross that delayed finishing of the Boston Marathon on Monday.

USE that phrase every minute until the finish line.  That alleviates a lot of scum.  OR throw in your own version of black walnut media so the oil (bastards) can attach to the media and get cleaned away.

At least the weather will be in your favor.  Good luck, Michele.

Speaking of weather, it was 73 degrees here on Monday morning and 36 on Tuesday morning, 41 today. JUST 20 degrees below average.

I wish you a healing, good race on Monday.

Thanks all.

I'm assuming I'll see you Saturday at the food court and possibly in the AV area. Best wishes for a healing race, I suspect it will be quite emotional as you reach the area you were stopped at last year, and as you cross the finish line. Good luck Michele.

See you also!

Wow Michele...that was an impressive race.  I hope the day was all you had hoped for and brought you the healing that you needed.

Before I write out my long version of Monday in my online blog (which I'll post here), I just want to give you all a quick synopsis and thank you all once again for being here and sticking by me through the training cycle.  It does mean a lot.

As you all know, Boston for me was important this year more so than other years.  It is, of course, my hometown race and in light of my not being able to finish last year, it really meant a lot to be there.  I was given a provisional entry as one of the 5700 that did not finish and even though I earned that spot later in the fall at Indianapolis, I wanted to earn it at Boston as well.  My Boston races over the last few years have not been great.  The only year where I thought it might all come together (in the last decade) was 2012 and then the monkey wrench of 89F became reality.  Last year, I was grossly undertrained due to lots of issues and having surgery in November, so this year had to be mine.  Winter sucked as you all know, so I was a bit worried going in.  Then it was warm, not 89F warm, but 63F warm.  And although that doesn't feel bad, 63F feels like 89F when winter temps were in the single digits and below.  (Since I was Wave 3 and started at 11 am, the temps had risen in Hopkington.  When we got off the bus at AV, we knew it was going to be warm.)

Fast forward, my goals for the race were: 1) run as even splits as possible using the terrain, 2) not go out too fast, 3) remember that "NO ONE KNOWS ME IN NATICK ANY MORE", 4) make the hills my bitch; 5) give it everything I could to the finish line.  With the warmth, I knew that I wanted to dial it back from my hopeful 3:45 goal to a 3:50 goal and I made sure to actually walk through early water stops taking in Gatorade in the early miles.  (I would then start jogging after getting in the Gatorade, take a cup of water, drink some and then throw the rest over my head.  This strategy worked in 2012 although I walked through the water too that year).  

The crowds were may more intense in years past and there were spectators in places on the course where there are never spectators like downtown Framingham.  I actually held back in those early miles (for once) and felt great when I got to Wellesley and my Mom.  She remarked that I was slower than usual, and I said that was the plan.  I reached half way at 1:55 and change.  My next challenge was the hills.  I kept repeating to myself that I would get to that fire station at the base of the first hill, and then I was going to take that hill.  I rounded the corner and I seemed to just glide up - at that point, I knew it was going to be a good day.  While the body (my quads actually) were beginning to tire, I wasn't going to let anything get to me until I reached BC and then I was there.

Those last 5 miles were electric.  I was in the zone and although it was tough, tougher than I wanted it to be of course, I knew that I was going to be at the "Fenway" bridge and to my daughter before I knew it.  Many times I repeated that I had run 5 miles feeling tired and a bit sore many times and today was just another day.  When I got to the bridge, I slowed a bit trying to find Shannon and her friends.  I spied them, waved mightily but I knew if I actually stopped it was over.  They screamed my name and I put my head down and went over that damn bridge into Kenmore Square.  

The last mile seemed like the hardest and as I turned onto Boylston St, the tears began to flow.  I was both ecstatic and sad at the same time.  I passed the spot where I was last year, I slowed slightly (out of respect) and I made a sign of the cross and said a little prayer.  I then gave it whatever was left to cross that finish line.  

And after 370 days and an extra hour, I finished both the 117th and 118th Boston Marathons.   And I finished in 3:51:38, the fastest time I had run on the course since 2001 when I was 39 years old.

Here I am smiling and happy on the other side of the line:

You ran a great race Michele!!! I am excited to read your full report.

OUTstanding, Michele!  You Stayed Smart.  Well done.

Awesome!

Here is the full report:  http://1lranthere.blogspot.com/

Michele, you needed this race to go well, and I'm so happy that it did. 

Not surprised, mind you. But very, very happy.

Congrats Michele.  Well executed.

Fantastically well don Michele. I think right after you hit the 35K mark, I looked at your splits and actually posted here how much experience you had on the course because you were amazingly consistent all day. Glad the experience was all you hoped it would be.

Nick Morris wrote:You ran a great race Michele!!!  I am excited to read your full report.

Thanks, Nick.  I was excited when I realized what was happening over the hills.

ounce wrote:OUTstanding, Michele!  You Stayed Smart.  Well done.

Exactly, Doug.  Don't be fooled that I wasn't repeating that to myself for almost 4 hrs.

Jim Lentz wrote:Awesome!

Thanks, Jim.  Nice to have finally met you.

Mark B wrote:Michele, you needed this race to go well, and I'm so happy that it did. 

Not surprised, mind you. But very, very happy.

Exactly, Mark; however, I was surprised at how well it all went this time.

mountandog wrote:Congrats Michele.  Well executed.

Thanks, Michael.  Nice to see you, and please tell Jill she ran a hell of a race too.

mul21 wrote:Fantastically well don Michele.  I think right after you hit the 35K mark, I looked at your splits and actually posted here how much experience you had on the course because you were amazingly consistent all day.  Glad the experience was all you hoped it would be.

Thanks, Jim. Yeah, I finally think that all the times I have run over those hills paid off.  I do; however, need the pace stuff that you had for NY last year as I need to beat that one too.

So happy for you! Great race!

Glad you ran the race you wanted to.  The warmer weather definitely was a factor for a lot of people.  Well earned for you.  Those cold weather workouts can really be a grind sometimes.  Now it's seeming to be finally warming up.  Good luck for your future, and really enjoy this one!

Hooah!

Amazingly consistent 5K splits. You nailed this seductively difficult course.

Hooah!

Hope to see you this weekend. You can tell me to get a haircut.

In case some of you didn't see the display in the BPL and for those of you who were not there, here are some pictures.  All of these items were left as a Memorial at the site of the bombs last year and were moved into the library as a semi-permanent display.  Not sure if it will become permanent over time.

KBFitz wrote:Hooah!

Amazingly consistent 5K splits. You nailed this seductively difficult course.

Hooah!

Hope to see you this weekend. You can tell me to get a haircut.

Now, Michele.  Don't give Kevin any crap about his hair.  Just think of how much hair I have and average the two together and you have a nice length, but weirdly colored hair!

Great job Michele. You're a rock on this course. Congrats. It was great meeting you on Saturday.

Powerful display. Hope they keep it up.

Thanks for sharing the photos, Michele.

Those photos give me chills.

I'm tired - there I admitted it.  After two races in a short period of time and all the mental and physical energy spent, I'm tired.  Ran yesterday for the first time since Sunday and even the easy 4 miles felt tiring (of course, the 77F temp might have also had a bit to do with that).  Went to my core class today and decided not to run afterwards like I usually do because, well, I was tired.  Decided to take another day off and felt it was deserved.  I guess I'll get back at it tomorrow (doesn't help that the weather is not very nice either).  

Here is a cool finish picture from the Nike race though.  Love the Capital in the background.  Nike actually gave us four photos  - no purchasing them. And yes, that is a guy (why do guys run Women's race?  Not sure, but I guess because they can.  I beat him).

Can't imagine why you're tired.    What relay leg are you running at Buffalo?