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| My very own marathon scarf |
The 2014 Boston Marathon…it was a great day to cross that finish line, along with almost 99% of those who started! I want to be able to say that I loved every minute of the race and the course, but as a pretty average runner, it’s just hard to truly love every minute of running 26.2 miles. I also still stand by my belief that crazy sh*t happens after 20 miles (or even earlier when your body knows it’ll have to go longer than 20 miles).
But there were lots of things I did love about the day: seeing Team Hoyt on the course, learning that an American male (Meb Keflezighi) won for the first time since 1983, passing the point where the runners were stopped last year, making the turn onto Hereford Street, and of course, finishing! I also loved seeing my liver teammates on the course and all of the spectators who were out cheering us on every step of the way, especially my very own cheerleaders who I looked forward to seeing at different points along the course.
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| Heading to the start! |
- 32,456 runners started the 118th running of the Boston Marathon.
- 31,931 completed the race from Hopkinton to Boston, which is a finisher rate of more than 98%.
- 54 push-rim wheelchair athletes started the day with 53 of them officially finishing.
- 48 mobility impaired athletes started with 44 completing the event.
- 51 visually impaired athletes started with 48 finishing.
- There were 80 countries, and all 50 states (plus six U.S. territories) represented in the race.
- Meb Keflezighi (USA) became the first American man to win the event since Greg Meyer (1983), and the first American to win the open division since Lisa Larsen-Weidenbach (1985).
- Rita Jeptoo’s (KEN) time of 2:18:57 improved the course record set by Margaret Okayo in 2002.
- With victories from Ernst Van Dyk (RSA) and Tatyana McFadden (USA) in the push-rim wheelchair division, they both captured the men’s and women’s 2014 Boston-London Wheelchair Challenge competition respectively.
- Joan Samuelson (two-time Boston Marathon champion) became the fastest 56-year-old woman in history with her time of 2:52:11. 1968 champion Amby Burfoot (4:42:48) and 1990 champion Gelindo Bordin (4:10:37) also ran.
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| Go liver! |
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| Runnin… Photo credit: Ashley Marie |
Among my friends and teammates, the consensus is that it was a tough, hot run. After training in Boston this winter, race day proved to be like nothing we’d trained for. My plan was to take water every three miles and fuel every six miles, and I tried to stick to my plan despite the sun and heat because everyone talks so much about the risks of overhydration. I also had some pre-race GI distress (shocking) so I was even more conscious about what I was eating and drinking. Everything went great for about the first 16 miles, but I battled nausea for the last 10 miles. I walked more than I expected to and I willed myself not to vomit in front of all those spectators. After I finished, I willed myself not to vomit in the Copley Mall where I got turned around and had to ask for directions to the Westin, not once but twice! I couldn’t even drink the celebration beer my parents had waiting for me when I returned from taking a shower. And now that I’ve had some time to think about it, I’m pretty sure I was under-hydrated and under-fueled. Since I was trying not to throw up, I was scared to put anything other than water in my stomach. I finished the race with almost all of the fuel I had brought with me…no bueno.
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| Tired, but finished! |
This year was my second marathon and second Boston. I PR’d by a little more than a minute, but I know I have/had a better race in me. And that’s why Boston is kind of like a bad relationship…one that you know you should quit but you can’t. Something keeps drawing you back…conquering those Newton hills or achieving that finish time. And this year, for me and some of my teammates, that also includes a finish line photo! The “what ifs” abound and that makes me contemplate another attempt in 2015.
I want to thank again all of my family and friends who helped me finish the race and race $5,129.70 for liver disease research and advocacy. Together, our team has raised more than $1.4 million! I also want to give a special thank you to my coworker Maureen for my marathon scarf and to the Wellesley girls for my fabulous sign (though I didn’t get to see it on race day).
Donors of the week
The Karr Family
Christine Colpitts
Barbara and Charlie Becker (again!!!)
Alan Ehrlich
Jamie McLellan
Kelly Brubaker
Kara Cooks and Eats 