Boston 2015

Well, here's the recap on Boston.

I slept like a baby the night before, even knowing what the weather forecast was calling for. At that point, there's not a thing you can do but suck it up and go.

The race is very well organized, shuttles to Athlete's Village, school busses lined up for an eternity to take everyone to the start line in Hopkinton, a cute little town 26 miles away, of course.

As the gun went off, the skies opened up. So we got to start off wet. There was a steady NE wind (headwind) the whole way, and the temps were in the forties. Not a great combination. The rain was constant the entire race, with some downpours and some times where it was just a sprinkle. I hope the people who wore shorts used lots of Body Glide, as chafing is always an issue in a race, but when your body is wet and exposed, chafing becomes more of a problem.

The photo above is from Wellesley, obviously. The highlight of the race was passing all the Wellesley students who were full of energy, even standing outside in that weather. (I give the spectators big thumbs up, as it was truly a miserable day to be out there.) The moment above is when I saw my friends and my daughter. It was so great to have them there.

The hills in the race, which I heard so much about, were plentiful. They weren't quite as big as I pictured, but they were much, much longer than I anticipated. Heartbreak Hill was pretty much what I expected. What I didn't expect was how shredded my legs would feel from the hills. Usually my hamstrings are what hurt the most after a marathon. After this one, it was quads. My understanding is that was due to the downhills.

I have to say that I was very happy to see the finish line in sight. After mile 13, I felt every mile. My time was not nearly what I hoped for and was my worst marathon time ever, at 4:05. I am just considering all the factors - weather, hills, # of people - and being kind to myself about it. It was an experience, a bucket list item, and something I will always remember, especially having friends and family there to share it with.

Boston Strong! Back to painting!   :)