Showing posts with label Boston. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Boston. Show all posts

May 8, 2018

The 2018 Boston Marathon: Miserable yet Amazing


Every one of my friends who I talk to asks me “How was Boston?” and my response has been “::sigh:: Miserable and amazing”. That’s the truth.

Settle in for my big Boston Marathon race recap. I thought about shortening it, but I like having all of these thoughts down on the interwebs to look back on. You’ll get expo and logistics thoughts in a following post!

Boston Marathon 2018 Race Recap


PRE-RACE

The week of the marathon the weather forecast was not looking good. Eventually 3 or 4 days before the race the forecast was saying 100% rain. ONE HUNDRED PERCENT. Where in the eff do you ever hear a weather forecast saying 100%?!?! The weather was forecasted to be raw with temperatures around 40 degrees (real feel colder), rain all day, and 20 mph E/SE winds (that’s a headwind). People talked online about how it rained in 2015 when they ran it and how it wasn’t so bad. I wanted to hope that the forecast would change or at least it wouldn’t be so bad. My parents were in town for the race and literally only came to one other half marathon ever-where it also poured rain (are they unlucky?Just saying.) My mom overheard someone in her hotel grabbing shower caps to cover her shoes so I did the same. The concierge said he thought they were out but luckily found a couple for me (#runnerprobs).

boston-marathon-2018-subway-newbalance

I woke up in Cambridge at my Airbnb Monday morning feeling anxious. Part positively, part negatively. I woke up to the wind howling and rain beating down outside the bedroom window. Yikes. I layered up my outfit and ate a Honey Stinger salted caramel waffle and banana along with some Nuun. I cut holes in my trash bag poncho. I packed my little Athlete’s Village bag with my headphones, gels, extra Honey Stinger waffles, old race heat sheet, gloves, and an extra trash bag.
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Garbage bag chic with shower caps on shoes as an accessory

April 26, 2018

Post- Boston Marathon Recovery Tips

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Fizzique through a campaign with Fit Approach. As always all thoughts and opinions are my own. 



I’m still finishing up my big Boston Marathon race recap (so much rain/wind/cold! so many thoughts!) but have really been focusing on my recovery since the race over a week ago. I talked about how my marathon training has been different since my injury , but I’ve also been more conscientious of my recovery as well. With travelling to Boston and an out-of-state wedding right after I haven’t been doing any foam-rolling or exercising. Now that I’m over a week out I’m focusing on getting myself recovered and reverse tapering back into running. I’ve talked on my blog about some broader post-marathon tips, but today I’ll share what I’m focusing on this week specifically for recovery!  

boston-marathon-recovery-tips

REST

I’m still trying to get plenty of actual sleep during the week, especially the couple days post-race. With the weather conditions along with regular hills on the Boston course, I read from some others that they felt they needed more rest after this race than previous ones. It is important to give your body proper time to fully recover, even if you are feeling better a few days after. This article from Runners Connect  talks about the physiological changes in your body after a marathon including how it takes your muscles about 2 weeks post-marathon to return to full strength. 

After the Philadelphia Marathon I really didn’t run except for a couple miles while coaching for 2 weeks and am doing the same after the Boston Marathon, especially because I had some foot pain the last few miles.

April 11, 2018

Why the Boston Marathon is My Victory Lap

If you've followed me or read my Boston Marathon acceptance post you know a little bit about my marathon journey. 

Today I'm over on the Momentum Jewelry blog sharing why the 2018 Boston Marathon is my victory lap, and how much running has changed my life. Honestly with the marathon mere days away, I've spent a lot of time in the past couple of weeks reflecting on my running journey. I was even getting teary-eyed getting all my thoughts together for my blog post. Running has become a huge part of my life and not just the exercise part. It's changed how I view myself, opened doors to so many unique opportunities, and allowed me to meet and become friends with so many amazing people. 

Here's a sneak peak: 

Running has shown me that putting myself out there is less scary than I think it is. Running has given me opportunities and excuses to travel across the country and internationally to fulfill some of my wanderlust. My main goal for the 2018 Boston Marathon is to enjoy every mile. It’s a victory lap for my running accomplishments and it's also a celebration of running and what it's done for me. Five years after my first marathon, I’ll be on the starting line of the Boston Marathon, and I'll know that all of the strength I need for anything that comes my way is inside me.

September 28, 2017

So I'm Boston Bound-Hello Boston Marathon 2018!


So my goal of getting accepted to run the Boston Marathon is becoming a reality. I received an email in my inbox last Sunday night that looked like this: 


boston-marathon-bound-2018-acceptance


I saw the subject line in my inbox and was like HOLY SH#&! 

Now I had put in my application on Friday when it opened up for qualifiers who had a  time over 5 minutes under the qualifying time. I was expecting to hear back on Monday, because silly me assumed people weren't working fast enough to verify results and get a bunch of emails out on Sunday night. So just randomly checking my email Sunday night as dinner was cooking literally really caught me by surprise and I yelled and then got a bit teary. So it was more like omgomgomgomgomogomg


thehills-excited



And then randomly crying on and off. 

I celebrated with some prosecco and supermarket chocolate cake! Okay so really I was planning on having the cake before I got the email, but it was clearly meant to be.


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Running a qualifying time with a big cushion this past year at the Chicago Marathon was really special. Like really FREAKING special. It's been weird since then when I'm talking to people about having another qualifying time with a cushion most likely to get me accepted into the race based on previous years, but not having that official acceptance. I've been saying "well I ran X time, but do not know if I'm officially able to run the race yet." That leads to me explaining that there are only 30,000 spots available for the race with 80% going to qualifiers and the remaining 20% of spots going to charity runners. Therefore in recent years more people apply with qualifying times then there are spots available. This year the cutoff below the qualifying time ended up being 3:23 (more info here). 

October 22, 2015

Chicago Marathon 2015: The Big Recap


 So I finally sat down and finished my big ol' Chicago Marathon 2015 recap. I started out writing 2 posts about the expo and race, and now I've shortened it plus included lots of photos! It was a little weird running Chicago after just running it last year. I knew the way things were organized, the course, and what to generally expect.  This year was less fun because I had a really stressful week of school beforehand and had to plan a shorter trip, as well as get some homework done when I was out there. 


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I went to the race expo on Friday after getting in late the night before. McCormick Place Convention Center is a hike from where I was on the western part of the city. Once we got there I grabbed my bib and checked out the expo. 


chicago-marathon-2015-expo-packet-pickup

The Chicago Marathon Expo is my favorite so far. It's so well-organized and more importantly, super spread out. It's not super cramped and ridiculously crowded like I felt the Boston Marathon expo or other large expos are.  Nike had a huge booth as a sponsor, but the designs of their race apparel & merchandise were really similar to last year and not super cool, which was disappointing. Although the race shirt I got with my bib is an awesome  red short-sleeved top with a graphic black and white text in the middle. 

chicago-marathon-2015-expo

Once I was in the expo, the energy of all the runners and excitement for the race really hit me. I instantly became super proud to be among all these runners!  I also couldn't believe the race was in a matter of days. 

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Nike had a big sign again that you could autograph and would be on the course. 

chicago-marathon-2015-expo-Nike-sign

I wasn't able to make the official Nuun meetup on Saturday, but I was really happy to stop by and have a chance to chat with Kim who works for Nuun and was one of my Hood to Coast teammates! Getting a little pep talk and encouragement was really nice. 

chi-marathon-nuun-hydration

I also picked up a cool shirt from one of my favorite running brands, Brooks Running, as well as some extra race fuel.  

chicago-marathon-2015-brooks-running

Advocate Health Centers had a fun little photo booth going on. This sign really speaks to me! 

chicago-marathon-2015-advoate-health-food

I didn't get a chance to snag a photo, but I got to say hello to Bart Yasso at the Runner's World booth before he had to scoot off to go give a talk.  

Nike is really great at having awesome photo ops at the expo. 

chicago-marathon-2015-expo-Nike


The rest of the day I spent in the city including grabbing lunch and finally meeting Susie in person which was SO fun. I did too much walking during the day and knew it was bad when my feet were hurting. 

The next day I went back to the expo to spend a little more time persuing and grabbing a few more things like an awesome Bondiband to wear on race day.I even bumped into Angela leaving the race with was SO awesome and random. My calves and hamstrings were feeling really tight which worried me, especially because I couldn't bring my foamroller out to Illinois. I had dinner at Little Goat Diner which included a burger, a side of homefries, and a little bit of apple pie aka all the carbs.  

Race morning I was so anxious that I woke up before my 5 AM alarm multiple times in a panic, which is typical for me before big races. My boyfriend said I was really amped, even before eating and having a little caffeine.  I had a banana and a plain bagel with peanut butter along with some Lemon-Lime Nuun Energy before getting on the train.  

Once we got downtown I was getting really anxious. The weatherman the day before had said it would feel like summer in Chicago for race day, which is no bueno, but it made for a perfect race morning. There had been talk all week about how it would be windy and unusually warm on race day as well as the race bumping up their EAS safety levels from low to moderate. I quickly took my throwaway shirt off when I got downtown. My boyfriend also made my name on my shirt (written on hot pink KT tape) bigger before saying goodbye.    
pre-chicago-marathon-2015

I wore my Adidas Energy Boosts ESM shoes, Feetures! compression socks, Lululemon pace setter skirt, Under Armour sports bra, Bondiband headband,  and a Lululemon tank along with my Nuun tattoo and some throwaway gloves.  

I anxious because the security line ended up being really long around 6:40 when I got there. I knew Corral C closed at 7:20 so I wasn't sure I would make it through in time. The energy of runners was filled with excitement, nerves, and impatience with the line.  

chicago-marathon-2015-security-line

Eventually I made it through security, jogged to gear check to drop off my bag, and headed to the port-a-potty line before I made it into Corral C with minutes to spare.  I was stuck in the very back of the corral so I wasn't near any pacers. Once the race started there was so much excitement. I heard the elites start and then all of a sudden before I knew it we were running. The beginning of the Chicago Marathon is so special and is PACKED with spectators. It's also flat & fast so I know a bunch of people start out way too fast. I was nervous about my pace and how the weather and wind would be so I kept it slower for the first 13 miles. Looking back I wish I picked up the pace just a little bit, but c'est la vie. Also quick note, my Garmin GPS was all messed up from a tunnel and the buildings so I think I thought I was going faster at times than I actually was. 

Since I wasn't running with friends this year, my boyfriend made a plan to meet me at 5-6 locations based on his experiences trying to catch me last year. He was fabulous and saw me 4 times during the first half and manged to snag this awesome action shot at mile 3. Notice how happy I look! 

chicago-marathon-2015-mile-3

It's hard because now after the race, the miles blur. I loved going through all the different neighborhoods of Chicago. It was also fun because after racing last year and then exploring the city, I recognize different parts a lot better now.  I tried to keep my pace conservative until around mile 16 when I knew I could speed up a bit.  I was SO cautious of going out too fast because it's such a trap, especially in Chicago where the whole course if flat and fast. I sped up to around 8:00 min/mile  and was feeling okay. I was having a salted caramel GU every 6 miles along with salt tabs and honey stinger chews in between when I felt I needed something. 

I made the last minute decision to buy a handheld water bottle at the expo instead of my waist belt that I had been training with. I knew I didn't want to suck down the Nuun in it and then have to toss my belt halfway through the race so I went with the smaller water bottle so I didn't chance the belt annoying me.  My skirt held all my fuel which was great! 

The first half of the course is amazing. It's fast, exciting, and shaded. Once I got about 2 hours and thirty minutes into the race I was feeling overheated. The second half of the race is all mostly in direct sunlight. There was not a cloud in the sky which helped, and I saw from an outdoor thermometer at one point that the temperature had already hit 70 degrees (the high for the day ended up being 78). I was trying to focus on my Paceband and was keeping an eye on the big clocks on course, but didn't know what time after the elites I had started. I knew I was behind my 3:30 race pace but figured a consistent pace was at least good to be. This time in Chicago I tried to soak everything in-the city,the signs, the spectators, and the fellow runners. I gave lots of high-fives, shouted, and always gave at least a fist bump when I heard someone yell my name off my shirt.  So many moments of running happy. 

Now I know I didn't hydrate well enough the days leading up to the race. I drank a bunch of fluids and electrolytes the day before and had lots of Nuun the morning of. I took a few salt tabs and alternated with water and Gatorade at every water stop. Something I've noticed in the last year however is that I just overheat sometimes and that's what happened. 

Besides my legs feeling tight since mile 14, and then generally feeling like lead pipes from mile 20 on, I just felt blah. I was feeling warm and not cooling down, despite a few ice cold sponges I grabbed later in the race from volunteers. Those last 6 miles were so tough. I walked through a couple water stops to try to regain composure because I was getting upset.  I can't explain it by anything except overheating. My head felt heavy and when my boyfriend managed to say hi to me at mile 22 and ran along side me as I took a few swigs of the Gatorade bottle he had bought for me, he said I was just sobbing. I just told him to leave me alone, that I needed to finish the race. I think you can be prepared, but my marathons have never felt like my training runs. 

It was that mental point where I couldn't talk to anyone, I was in pain, and I just needed to get these miles done with.  The super long, straight race course at this point doesn't help mentally either.  Definitely lots of tough moments mentally that come up only in races like this for me. I focused on staying positive and trying to push out those bad thoughts.  There were some tears, but eventually I just had my head hanging back a little  and tried to power through. I was repeating my mantra of "stronger than you" and "breathe" out loud those last 3 miles. Eventually at Mile 26 there is that little hill for the last 0.2 miles, and I gave it everything I had left in the tank.  

chicago-marathon-2015-finish-line
That face is a lot more pained than that photo at Mile 3!
I didn't even know what time I crossed the finish line in. When I was done I just needed to be done. I stopped my watch but didn't even look. I ended up finishing in 3:34:48, 5128/46034 overall, and 286 in my age group.  I'm not sure of my overall average race pace but it was probably around an 8:12 min/mile.  It was also a freaking negative split, which I mean, who does that?!

Once I crossed the finish line I just had to stop, but the amazing volunteers at the race finish wanted to keep people moving. The volunteers were great with checking on people, helping people, getting medical attention, and providing wheelchairs for those who needed them. Shout-out to ALL of the awesome Chicago Marathon volunteers at every part of the race! I felt like death for a minute or so and a lovely volunteer walked with me to make sure I was okay and not dizzy or anything. After chugging a bottle of water and 3 cups of Gatorade I was feeling okay, minus my legs barely being able to walk. 

I hobbled along, grabbed a heat blanket, and got some photos taken. Chicago is so big and organized so  they had a nice line to grab bags of snacks plus bananas, protein bars, and Gatorade protein drinks. They also had bags of ice which felt amazing.  At this point, a few happy tears were shed and maybe a few flexing/biting my medal race photos were taken. 

Goose Island, like last year, was handing out free 312 wheat beers in the finishers area (ones you didn't have to use your beer ticket for) which is what I had before any food. It tasted gloriously.  Eventually I hobbled over to Buckingham Fountain (which is currently being renovated so it wasn't working) and grabbed my gear. 

chicago-marathon-2015-buckingham-fountain

Next I sat down and looked at my phone which was filled with texts and congratulations. In this moment I finally smiled and realized I did get a PR and a BQ. It's not far enough under 3:35, but still. There were points in the race where I thought it was going to end up being a slower race so this still felt amazing. 

chicago-marathon-2015-goose-island


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Once I found my boyfriend and a friend, I got to relax in Grant Park. It was a beautiful day if you weren't running! It was awesome to see so many people finishing and to take a few moments to reflect that I just ran my 3rd freaking marathon. Who would have thought 4 years ago that I would be a MARATHONER, PLURAL. Even though I was in horrible pain at the end of the race, I was already thinking of what my next marathon would be. 
It's a sick hobby, isn't it? 

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I eventually redeemed my free beer, munched on a protein bar, and then headed out to spend the afternoon grabbing some food and drinking a few beers. 

chicago-marathon-2015-snacks
Snacks from the race bag that I didn't eat until later!
Sometimes post-race it's a burger and fries, but today all I wanted was this personal pizza all to myself. Yes, I like thin crust better than deep dish! YUM. 

chicago-marathon-2015-pizza

Honestly, I can't be sad of achieving my B goal, a PR and  BQ, even if it isn't fast enough to actually get to run Boston. It sucks that I felt like it wasn't even a real Boston time because I know when I apply I'll get cut,especially with how many people applied this year. I just feel the need to qualify saying I have a BQ because when people ask if I'm running Boston I can't say yes. 

Now I've accepted that you know what, it is really freaking awesome and is a Boston Qualifying time so HELL YEAH. I'm chipping away and know that I can train hard and maybe have that magical race day where I can run a little faster. Anyhow, coming away with a PR is a really great feeling. It kinda sucked not having any of my running buddies that I trained with along side me, but I was super grateful for how beautiful Chicago and all the spectators, volunteers, and runners were. Also my boyfriend is a trooper for seeing me on course like 6 times and having some extra fuel for me if I needed it. 

I was so happy to have my custom race mantra on my arm thanks to Momentum because it was the best reminder to repeat it to myself. I am stronger than I know! 

chicago-marathon-momentum-mantra-bracelet

What's your favorite race mantra? How did your big race or event of the season turn out? 

April 20, 2015

Marathon Monday 2015

Wishing everyone a happy Marathon Monday! I'm cheering for all my friends running the Boston Marathon and definitely will be watching the results live via my computer at work today. 

Why isn't Marathon Monday a national holiday? 

 Besides cheering for Shalane and Meb, I know friends and other bloggers running so it's really fun to virtually follow everyone. 

I think the Boston Marathon is the most inspiring sports event!
rock-n-roll-marathon-monday-2015


One day soon it'll hopefully be my turn to run such a special race. I'm feeling really inspired and think this year might be there I get my time with only a minute (plus a little extra) to shave off! 

boston-marathon-2014-exhibit1

May 1, 2014

B.A.A. 5K Race Recap and Boston Marathon Expo Fun


Well I looked up my official scores for the Nike Women's DC Half again last night and it's back to saying that I was one second slower than my PR at 1:39:50. Psssh whatever Nike-make up your mind. Close enough but supposedly not a tie anymore. Oh well! I finally unpacked the race shirt we got so here's a quick peek! I love the finisher's necklace more than last year's-I will totally be wearing it all summer!

UPDATE 5/6/2014: Nike + saying I did tie my PR again! Hurrah!
I'm still catching up on getting my feelings about Boston out here so we'll start with a race recap of the B.A.A. 5K. It's the first race of the B.A.A Distance Medley and was held on the Saturday before the marathon this year. I was in the middle of switching where my boyfriend and I were crashing so we woke up bright and early Saturday morning and drove about an hour into the city to get to a close T station which I took to the start.  I was anxious to get there on time since Scott and I got lost getting into the city but was relieved when I got to the race area. 

Luckily the weather was sunny and slightly cool. I was going to wear a short sleeve shirt but am glad I brought extra layers. There was lots of people trying to cram into the corrals(there were over 8,000 participants!) which were slightly unorganized. I just managed to squeeze my way in not too far back! 


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at the start
I had no expectations going into the 5K and was running it just for fun! I had heard it was a great race and very popular. Apparently this year they had changed the course to start and finish at Boston Common instead of Copley Square Park to accommodate more runners. Many marathoners use this as their shakeout run before Marathon Monday so there was a really nice vibe amongst the crowd.  

April 24, 2014

Thinking Out Loud: Boston Recap

Since it's been a while-HEY I'm BACK, linking up with Amanda's Thinking Out Loud post is perfect for me to talk about random things from my little trip up to Boston along with lots of photos! I have lots of feelings about the marathon and various things so there will be multiple Boston posts!

1. Being back from vacation is one of the worst things ever. The only good thing is that my we did wash before we left so I only have to unpack a massive suitcase of clean clothes. We had some apartment issues while we were away so now I need to deal with repairs. Oh and dealing with a million emails and snail mail is always fun too. I need some coffee to get through work today! 

2. I would totally live in Boston if it wasn't so cold/expensive. It is a fabulous city, and I can't wait to get back. I really loved all the marathon/runner love too. 



April 15, 2014

Sole of the City 10K 2014 Race Recap

Make sure to enter my San Franola granola  giveaway(ends Tuesday 4/22!) and check out my Ahnu shoes review. 

Before I get to my race recap, I wanted to take a moment to recognize the anniversary of the Boston bombings.  Last year I wrote this in reflection and re-reading makes me remember how sick I felt that day. I knew I wanted to run Boston someday, but the tragedy was just fuel to my fire.  I cried on and off all day, mostly thinking about how many people were hurt who were spectators, which could easily have been my loved ones waiting for me to finish another race. I'm visiting Boston this week as a tourist (I've never been!), a marathon spectator, and as a runner. If there is one thing I've learned from this hobby of mine, runners form an amazing community. We are strong. So today just be thankful for those around you who support you and run if you can for those you can't! 

Boston Marathon 2013-#PayforBoston, #BostonStrong #RunBoston
from Organic Runner Mom
On a lighter note, if anyone has Boston suggestions, let me know! I have all of the major places covered, including a Red Sox game!

The Sole of the City 10K is a big race for Charm City Run with over 3100 runners this year. I ran the inaugural race 2 years ago which I remember as being hilly. Last year it was right after the Boston tragedy which gave it a different tone. This year they had a new course, which was supposedly less hilly. I was really stressed Friday afternoon after staying at work late and having to rush off to a movie with friends so I grabbed my bib and packet in a hurry. The race always has a super nice gender-specific premium, and this year's Under Armour half zip did not disappoint! 

April 3, 2014

Thinking Out Loud Thursday-Heat it Up!

Seriously, how is it already Thursday? or April? I need more hours in the day! Blogging has been way more sporadic than I've wanted, but I've got lots of fun things lined up for the next few weeks so keep reading!  I'm linking up with Amanda's Thinking Out Loud Thursdays since I'm feeling all over the place today (again). 


Thinking-Out-Loud
1. I'm trying to do a couple challenges this month. First, I'm doing the Heat it Up April Instagram challenge some of my fellow I'm Fit Possible and Fitfluential ladies organized. It has all sorts of topics to post photos so I'm not just posting photos of my food or bowls of oatmeal!  Use and search for the hashtag "heatitup to join me for a fun challenge!
HeatitUpInstagramChallenge

April 19, 2013

Friday Favorites 4/19/13

Hello all, can't believe all the craziness still going on in Boston but hope justice is served soon! Anyways I'm so glad this hectic week is almost over and can't wait to enjoy the weekend. Check out some things I've been loving this week!

1. Adidas Boston Tribute Tee
BostonOneFund
There are lot of Boston funds and shirts supporting Boston, but I've ordered this one. 100% of the proceeds go to The One Fund Boston. You can purchase it here!

2.  New Workout Jam by Daft Punk




I am loving this new Daft Punk featuring Pharrell song "Get Lucky"  I heard yesterday and am excited to add it to my workout playlist tonight!

3. My New Running Shoes
CustomNikeLunarGlide



After hinting to my boyfriend that sneakers make a good gift idea, for our anniversary he gave me the gift of customizing my own pair of Nikes! I chose the Lunarglide  +4 sneakers in my favorite colors, pink and teal! You can pretty much choose the color of everything on the shoe and add a customized phrase to the shoe tongues! I've been running in the minimal Brooks PureProjects so this are a bit more cushioned and will take some getting used to, but they look so fresh! You can play around with designing shoes if you're bored like I do sometimes on the Nike website here!

4. Fashion Item I'm Lusting Over


KateSpadewatch


I love most pieces put out by Kate Spade and especially love this watch. It's a gorgeous mint green and has that heavy man watch style I love.  Just a really expensive gift idea for me if anybody is asking :)

5. Recipe to Try this Weekend


ChocolateChipCookiesForTwo


The PurelyTwins always post really awesome, clean recipes.  I've been craving a classic chocolate chip cookie and this gluten-free recipe for two looks perfect. Yes, both cookies will be for me.  



What are some of your favorite workout songs this week?

April 16, 2013

Miles for Boston

I wrote my quick post yesterday about jumbled thoughts on the Boston tragedy. I ran 6.5 miles last night in honor of Boston, and today I'm repping some race gear. Runners are a strong and united community! I'll post tomorrow about the 5K I ran on Sunday which included a first and some new fitness swag I've got. 

RunnersForBoston
(excuse my dirty mirror and big crappy phone!)

Also today if you are trying to take your mind off of everything, check out my guest post on My Food N Fitness Diaries ,which is a super fun blog run by Ashley. My post is all about other ways of relaxing besides running or working out!  

Hug the people you love every day :)

April 15, 2013

Shock-Boston Tragedy

This is going to be a stream of consciousness post full of run on thoughts. I watched parts of the Boston marathon this morning via the interwebs and was excited watching Shalane and Kara finish (go US women woo!).  

I loved all the running support and love on twitter, etc. from the running community and people's blogs I follow. 

Then later I hear the news, and that explosion video haunts me. I've been on the verge of tears all afternoon. Limbs and blood and horrific images. I wish the news wouldn't show all that. As I just recently registered for my first marathon, Boston has become a lifelong goal of mine.  I am crying thinking of those people crossing the finish line and the usual elation I feel and the people I have cheering for me. Thinking they could be in danger to watch me run makes my heart ache.

 I was excited to get my custom Nikes, which were my anniversary gift, in the mail today. I felt sick even opening them today knowing, from volunteering with the intent to become an occupational therapist, that some people have been hurt and will not be able to run.  If you happen to read this insignificant blog, remember that we are all people. 

Pain and love are what make us all human but if you have ever run anything you are also a runner. Those are  our friends out there that were hurt. Even though I usually feel like an amateur, today I am proud to be a runner and be part of such a strong, supportive community.  Hug the ones you love and your biggest supporters tonight. I'm going to go for a run. I don't know what else to do. Miles for Boston tonight

RunnersForBoston
(Saw this image on instagram and don't have the proper credit)