Boston Marathon Recap

The Boston Marathon itself is truly a bucket-list experience. I knew running this race would be more meaningful than any other marathon I’d done, and it absolutely was - I just never expected why it would mean so much...and I’ll never forget the moment the feeling washed over me.

I signed up to run Boston with the Hall Steps Foundation just one month before the race – I was an injury replacement. I’d been training consistently, but hadn’t done the long runs marathon training demanded and found myself woefully unprepared for Boston’s soul-crushing hills. As I shuffled up a particularly steep incline on mile 17, I wanted to walk. I was upset with myself and knew my goal time was out of reach. I was really feeling sorry for myself…but then it hit me; this race was not about me.

The only reason I was there was because of Steps and I wasn’t running this race for myself, I was running for the Mom in Kenya who might get to see her kids grow up because Steps provided clean drinking water. I was running for the little girl in Chicago who learns through the Steps mentoring program that she’s worth something and can achieve things, so she stays out of trouble because jail would seriously hinder her long-runs. I pushed past the pain, pushed through the hill and just kept going. Eight more miles was a long way to go, but when I thought about the people being helped by the money I was raising and all they had to go through, it seemed so much easier.

When I hit Heartbreak, I expected it would take everything I had but that’s when lightning struck for me; that was the moment I’ll forever remember. Fueled by a new sense of meaning, Heartbreak was a breeze and as I crested the hill, I was overcome. The crowd carried me through then last 10K and when I crossed the finish line and was handed my medal, I had never felt such pride...or such gratitude for Steps and what they gave me as I got through the race.

The Boston Marathon is an amazing event, but being a part of the Hall Steps Foundation team made it so much better. I never expected to meet and bond so quickly with such amazing teammates with whom I had so much in common. I never expected to be cheered on and treated with such sincere kindness by the Steps staff and volunteers. With such enormous fame and success, I never expected Ryan and Sara Hall to be so giving of themselves and sincere in talking with every person they met, and so truly thankful for all we were doing for them.

Boston is among my most treasured memories, and the race itself was just one piece of the experience. I'm a competitive person who can hit some low-lows when my performances don't match my expectations. Of the four marathons I've run, this was my worst showing by 10 minutes and yet somehow became the best time of my life.

I just got word that I get to run THIS YEAR'S BOSTON MARATHON!!!

I'm teaming up with the Hall Steps Foundation and am honored to have the opportunity to raise money for them in return for participating in every runner's dream event, the Boston Marathon.

Please help me support this incredible cause. The Hall Steps Foundation takes small steps every day toward the marathon goal of ending poverty.

STEPS partners with existing charities and is in the process of creating its own initiatives within the United States, including mentoring running programs for at-risk youth. Money raised through STEPS will help provide clean water, fight human trafficking and funding a rescue center home, among many other things.

I'd like to raise at least $100 for every mile I'll run, so I've set a goal of $2,620. Please help me get there by donating through the website linked below. It's simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support my fundraising efforts.

Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too! Click on the gadget at the right to visit my donation page.

Runners too often ignore how important rest is to one’s training. No one could say that about me; the 2007 Dog Days 5K was my first race in 14 years. In between the two races, I’d graduated high school and college, had a son, been married and divorced, changed careers, run maybe 30 miles...and tacked on 30 pounds. Well-rested indeed. Although that race was a mere 3.1 miles, I never expected the journey I’d take from there and what it would mean to me along the way.

While it felt good to complete the challenging Dog Days course, I was discouraged with my time. You see, those who ran in high school or college must grapple with the unreasonable idea of being just as good as you once were, when running was your only job and your body had yet to understand the concept of mutiny. We must overcome this idea to recapture the joy of running. Some never do.

After running another 5K, I wanted to challenge myself in a way I never had, so I set my sights on a half-marathon. I’d never run that far before and truly didn’t know if I could. I decided on the Austin Half Marathon, booked the tickets and began training.

Fighting through a couple of training setbacks, I arrived in Texas having only gone as far as an 11-mile long run. I began the race on that cold mid-February morning in 2008 among 15,000 runners. It took 30 minutes for the pack to thin and as the miles ticked away, I became more relaxed, trying to soak in the experience. Amid the cheering crowds at mile nine, a runner’s high washed over me in a way it never had before, and has not since. This elation drew tears of pride and accomplishment, as it was in that moment that I knew, no matter what, I would finish this race. The last 5K wound through a grueling array of hills, testing my mettle in ways unexpected. Sprinting through the finish drew tears once more, as I felt perhaps the greatest sense of personal accomplishment in my life. Running was magical that day, more meaningful than it had ever been and yet, this feeling had nothing to do with my time.

This Valentine’s Day, 2010, most of my friends were at home, running the Gainesville full or half marathons. I wanted to be there too, but was again drawn to the Austin half. I think I was trying to recapture that elusive high I felt two years prior. Once again, my training has not gone as planned, but I had a goal I thought challenging but achievable.

As my alarm clock went off that morning, it took everything I had to drag myself out of bed. The race began and before finishing the first mile, I ran through the list of reasons why I should pull out. To borrow from Yogi Berra, running is 90 percent mental, the other half is physical; this was going to be a long day.

I wore the Florida Track Club singlet, and was proud to represent our club, being careful not to cover the logo with my number. I didn’t start how I’d planned, however, and I was getting frustrated and embarrassed...but after three miles, as the pack began to thin, something changed for me; I heard someone yell, “Go Florida!” It happened once, then again as complete strangers saw the FTC logo and cheered me through. At the 10K mark, there were hundreds of spectators screaming out to me, and I felt something I never had before. Magic struck in Austin and once again, this feeling had nothing to do with time.

Not quite two and a half years since my first race back, I’ve dropped five minutes from my 5K time...and those 30 pounds. When I think of when running has been most meaningful to me, very little had anything to do with my time. Meaning has come the through struggle and success. Meaning has arrived in the friends I’ve made along the way. I’ve run three marathons, four halves, and been part of a team that’s run across the state twice. I haven’t beat my high school times and maybe I never will, but I sure have enjoyed the ride.

In 2008, we never expected to win the Ragnar Relay. As a co-ed team of six women and six men, our team, Road Thrill, ran Florida’s inaugural Ragnar Relay with a goal of running nearly 200 miles in less than 24 hours. Knowing we had a strong team, we expected to compete for the co-ed title. A little more than halfway through the race, our focus changed a bit realizing we were neck and neck for the overall lead, duking it out with an all-male cross country team from Florida College. As dusk gave way to dawn, Road Thrill emerged in the lead with our best runners yet to begin their last legs. However, as one of our runners got injured, then fatigue, pacing and unseasonably warm temperatures started to affect some of the fastest people, the win wasn’t as certain. The team rallied and cheered one another on, and as Lindsay Sundell handed off to Andrew Robinson for the final leg. Flanked by many of his teammates, Andrew crossed the finish line nearly 40 minutes ahead of Florida College. Our time was 22:14, a 6:51 overall pace for 194 miles. An unexpected benefit of running this race was that this group of 12 became fast friends, attending regular meetings and even the occasional wedding, and one thing kept coming back up – how do we top that kind of effort?

Keeping as much of the original Road Thrill team intact as possible, we began preparing for the 2009 race. We had to replace a couple of runners due to injury – and yet another due to pregnancy, a different kind of injury all together. We finally completed the roster two days before the race and though a few of us were nursing injuries, we hopped into two vans – a van for the boys and one for the girls – with six original Road Thrillers and six newcomers.

Based on predicted overall time, Ragnar starts teams in waves with the goal of having all teams finish in a window of a couple of hours. The first of more than 100 teams started at 7:15, then 8, 9 and so on. Pulling into the start in Clearwater, the top five teams from last year came back, all said they were faster and it became apparent that Road Thrill 2.0 was the hunted. With the last wave of competitors starting at 2:00pm, our ladies van began the first stretch of the competition, and by the time the beauties yielded to the beasts (the men’s van), Road Thrill was comfortably in front. Our focus changed once again from an overall victory to beating every other team to the finish line – even the ones with an almost 7-hour head start. We ran into the night, dancing on the shoulders of busy highways, then through pitch-black trails and eventually, handing off one last time to the ladies and trying desperately but unsuccessfully to grab an hour of sleep before our last run. When the ladies handed off to the guys van for the final time, Road Thrill caught all but one of the teams…or so we thought. Our first male runner, Brent Schneider made quick work of the last team and Road Thrill was going to cruise to an overall victory and be the first team to finish.

Midway through our last van, we found out there was another team on the course – his name was Mike. Mike decided to do the whole course on his own, beginning his journey four days prior and I had the great honor of being the one to meet him on the course. It was my last leg and I was hurting, but somehow, it was very hard to feel sorry for myself with my 16.9 miles when Mike was doing 204. I caught up, asked his name and thanked him for the inspiration before I passed the baton.
There was no better ending to the story for us then when we saw our team captain, Oscar Boykin, running through the blazing heat, down the boardwalk in Daytona Beach. This time, we were all there, at his side when he crossed the finish line in 21:55 – a 6:30 overall pace and ahead of the next team by just under two hours. We are so proud of the accomplishment and inspired by our teammates…and inspired, of course, by Mike as well.

Road Thrill 2.0 consists of :
Jo Shott, Anna Busby, Erin Boykin, Lindsay Sundell, Allison Costello and Mary Waechter
Brent Schneider, Andy Robinson, Oscar Boykin, Jake Logan, Alex Phipps and THE Julio Palma