April 21, 2014-The 118th Boston Marathon

"I just want to feel this moment." - Christina Aguilera

I know, for a fact, there will be few moments that measure up to the day I had yesterday.  Finishing the 2014 Boston Marathon is something I never dreamed of doing, because I didn't think I could ever run that far.  Funny how your heart can fill with things that push you outside of your comfort zone.

My day started with an unbelievably pink sky as I started to drive into the city to catch the bus to Hopkinton.  That was Chad, in his own special way, telling me he'd be there and I had this.  When I shared it with Amy, she told me that running Boston had been on Chad's bucket list.  I never knew that, and it certainly added even more motivation, though I was feeling as if I really didn't need more motivation in the tank...I was wrong.

After spending some time in Athlete's Village, we were called to our corrals at the Start line, and the crowds were already big, before we were even on the course, a small preview of what was in store for us.  We crossed the Start line just after Noon, and it was go time.  One thing we had learned at training was to be conservative in the early miles, and we did just that, and I was taking it all in.  The weather was gorgeous and sunny, people were cheering, it was perfect.  At the end of mile one, my knee started flaring up, but I'm going to tackle that issue last.

One of the best parts of the course was all of the incredible people cheering us on.  I can't even count how many people yelled out "Greg Hill Foundation!".  I hope they went onto the web later to see what it's all about.  There were bars with throngs of people outside, blaring music.  There were families on their lawns, with kids looking for high-fives and trying to hand out water.  Wellesley College and BC were expectedly energetic.  The special moments, though, were when I ran across friends and family along the route.  Frank and family early on, Melissa at maybe the 10K mark, my parents, sister and nephew at mile 14.5, Elaine at mile 16, and surprise shout-out from Kristen at mile 24 and Joe Andruzzi at close to the Finish line.  It's hard to explain how incredible it is to see a familiar face on a journey like this.

So, it was a long race, and I can't describe everything, but here are some highlights:

• Erin's generosity with her gigantic Motrin, and Erin's sister at mile 13, who was kind enough to roll out my right leg and provide some relief at the half way point
• Running through Wellesley College, wondering if Kevin was actually going to grab a kiss from one of the girls with "Kiss Me" signs. (Didn't happen...bummer.)
• Miles 12 and 18
• Rick at mile 15
• People spraying water into the road and passing out ice along the route
• The lady with the Fig Newtons, 'cause damn I was hungry.
• The people who noticed me start to cry at mile 25 and snapped me out of it with their cheering.
• Crossing the finish line and getting my medal
• Find Mat and the kids outside of the Westin, and walking through the conference room door to show the coaches I'd made it
• Being a tiny part of taking back this race for Boston
• Running every single mile with Kevin by my side.  Poor guy has me in just about every single one of his official photos.

So, my knee.  I'd been working super hard to heal the inflamed IT Band that flared up three weeks ago, and I thought I was good to go, but right from the start it was not cooperating.  The pain started in my hip and ran down into my knee, where the pain was the worst, and down into my shin.  I was panicked, knowing that I had a long way to go.  Truly, it was excruciating, but it was functioning so long as I was moving, and I kept going.  It hit a severe point around mile 24, when I think my running had a limp to it.

How did I get to the end, being in pain the entire race?  I rationalized what I was going through.  It hurt incredibly.  But the pain was less than the pain Kevin felt last year at the Finish line.  It was less than the pain Amy felt when she lost Chad.  Having finished the journey, I know those were my two most significant motivators along the way, and when push came to shove, they saved me.  

People have asked what's next for me.  I seem to be in a pattern of challenging myself, between last year's weight training and the triathlon, and now The Boston Marathon.  Honestly, I'm not sure.  During training, I also finished a Master's degree (Poor timing, but it's done.).  School will be out for summer soon.  My knees did request that I focus on my writing for a while and give them a friggin' break.  Right now, that's where I'm leaning.  It's been an amazing ride.  Onward and upward!