Before this one:

and here we go!

Wow, I stared at that for two days until I decided I had to write this post. That took a while…

If I had to sum up this race, it’d be easy: it hurt like HELL, I suffered every step of the 26.2 but OMG was it worth it… it was FANTASTIC and during the whole race I had to deal with my uncontrollable body and the crowds making me cry and dry-heave all the way into Boylston… it was pure insanity in the streets!!!!

Early, sleepy face! Ah, shoes!!!!!

As I was on the 2nd wave, bus loading was 7 to 7:30, I met some friends and team mates at 7 in Boston Commons so we could all get to the Athletes Village together (once there it’s so hard to find anyone!).

I know, I know: SO SECSY

Boston Commons was quiet and super organized, we even went to the portapotties before loading. The main thing though was that you had to check your bags there, so you wouldn’t be bringing anything to the AG, so strange. So, for the first time in my life, I had to decide what to wear very early before the race and I would run a marathon (my 9th, or 11th if you count the ultras) with a phone… So weird. But I have photos!!!!!

Francesca and I. Francesca pretty much won the race.

Roll Call front left: Tessa and Andrea. Second Row, from left: Tommy, Sky, and Emily. Last Row, left: Katie, Kara, and Francesca.

Anyway, we all hopped on the bus and just made sure we talked about everything! We ate, got our gear in order and tried to stay loose. I was freaking out a bit. I knew it was going to hurt. NYCM in November had HURT and now I was in worse shape and a *bit* heavier… I was really scared…!

The Athletes Village was bopping!!! It was sunny and WARM out!!! We sat down and could feel the warm sun in my back… I started to worry I had worn the wrong stuff. I had shorts and the Argentina t-shirt I always wear and I have always been fine for all my marathons but the forecast said 60s…  I figured I’d be okay but who knows. Nothing to do now!!!

We tried the portapotties again and lines were LONG. Like… you’d miss your wave long! And we were being called by waves, and then by corrals. The corral area is small so they call you in, when you’re ready to go, and there you just go…

Security EVERYWHERE. I felt soooo safe all along the course, the expo, the AG, everywhere you turned there was police, HS, it was fantastic. And they were ALL SO NICE!

towards the corrals!

Loved this shirt!!!

I took many of these pictures because, if you haven’t run Boston, you wouldn’t know how suburban this race and its start is. You are in someone’s front lawn most of the race.. these are people’s homes and they are ALL OUTSIDE!!!! It’s such a town-party… They all come out to celebrate, put signs up, hand you SOMETHING. Seriously, everyone had something, whether it was tissues, orange slices, cups of water, beer, kitchen rolls, vaseline, ice in plastic bags, Twizzlers, or high fives… The town was out there to help the runners. And they ALL had a sign. Boston  Strong was on everyone’s t-shirt, banner, tattoos, and balloons. I was walking to the corral and I was already crying. I knew I had to start controlling my emotions now or it’d be a mess!!

Note to remember (because I always forget): there is an amazing amount of portapotties  right before the corrals. EMPTY. EMPTY!!!!! Heaven…

And that is what most of the first 24 miles looks like!!!! small town vibe, friendly folks handing out stuff and celebrating us, trees, some trains and fire trucks and a lot of blue and yellow love. Which, btw, was freaking me out, because my team’s colors are blue and yellow!!!!! So… it was hard not to think it was someone I know as soon as I saw ANYONE! It really drove me mental.

Time to put the phone away… em, I was right at the start and forgot to turn my GPS on!!!! FFFFFFFFFFF!!!!!!!!! So… I waited for a few minutes (seconds? hours?) and decided to go! Run NAKED yeah… (emm, I wasn’t ready for that! Dumb idea!), which is why at no point in the race remembered where I was and my splits looked like this:

pace is around 22… okay then!

So, I went! About a minute later, FREAKING KID YOU NOT, I was too hot to live!!!

I couldn’t stand it. I considered dropping out and going back. Seriously. I was so upset!!! I decided to drop the shirt, somehow, unpin all the bib stuff, somehow take it over my headband, headphones, watch, pace bracelet and what not, and bunch it up inside the back of my bra. That pissed me off, and it wasn’t an easy task, while running, while in such a crowded start, while being SO hot. I could have done this 5 minutes ago when I wasn’t running!!! Ugh, I tried to repin the bib in the shorts and made a few holes on my fingers. Eventually I went to the side, stopped and took care of it all. Still, my first mile was a ridiculous 7:57!! Major OY.

The plan was to go easy, and last. I estimated anything between 3:50 and 3:55 so I had a pace bracelet for 3:50 (which is 8:47 pace), and oooooops, I messed up BY A LOT. CRAP. I am the one telling EVERYONE to go slow and I do this. PFFFF. Of course, I am also a twice certified coach and decided to do this marathon (and my last one!) without any training whatsoever too, but okaaaaaay. So, people, stop reading. Or, better, PLEASE DO LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES (you’ll see a lot of screaming in this post, I am upset at myself!).

Took the shirt off: still hot! WTF?? I then realized I’d have the sun at my back for 4 hours and I had no sunscreen on… UGH. BAD. And my heart rate was high… I tried to relax and go easy. It didn’t work. Mile 2 and 3 were 7:57 and 7:56 and my first 5K was 24:42, which is a 7:58 average. NO NO. CRAP. Okay, let’s not freak out!!!

Besides that mess I was doing… the course was quite entertaining… There were TONS of people cheering, spectating, with banners, with stuff, all the houses were decorated on some form… I saw a big house on the right all decked out by Skechers and Go Meb signs… It was pretty cool. I am going to blame them all for making me too excited and going to fast. Hopkinton, it’s ALL YOUR FAULT!!!!!!!!

I was hot and drinking like I had just finished the marathon… I was taking Gatorade AND water at every mile. And then I’d drop a cup of water in my head. I was burning up. I realize it was a lot hotter two years ago and 60 to 75 (people can’t seem to agree on what the temperature was) is not the worst it could be (Ironman husband kept telling me later all his Ironman marathons are over 80! ugh!) and, most important, I always DO GREAT in the heat… I just couldn’t handle it for some reason, maybe it’s the lack of training, maybe it’s the extra weight I put in, I de-learned how to sweat efficiently.. I don’t know. I was sweating and melting all over the course. I was a hot mess!! I was drinking and I couldn’t drink enough. It was painful the whole way. My legs felt like jelly, my feet were hurting, my lungs were burning. I wasn’t just undertrained… I was just NOT trained. AT ALL. I shouldn’t have been there and I knew it at mile one, with the heat, the legs, the course’s ups and downs, my quads, my lungs, my burning skin… I was a mess and I couldn’t wait for it to be over. I think I run too fast to just get it over with. I was exhausted, I was tired, sore, even hopeless at some points… I did the unthinkable: I walked. Twice. I had never walked in a marathon, even in NYC when I was a lot slower and in more pain than this. I walked. I had given up. I was so upset at myself for putting myself in that situation. Why would I just not be willing to do the long runs anymore? Why did I care so little??? I love running but the marathon love is slipping away but I keep signing up for them as a tick I have. I swore I wouldn’t do this again, please help me!

Anyway, I told you how amazing the crowds were? I kept focusing on that. But only a little. As soon as I’d go to the side and see people, I’d start crying. People were AMAZING, I had never seen anything like that!!!!! So I was in and out of the crowds to keep myself from dehydration from tears!!!!

At Mile 10 I saw the Hoyts and peeled my phone off my fitletic (which, by the way, was SO comfortable!!)… I HAD TO!

So amazing… I saw more signs for the Hoyts than for anything else!!! Things like these, so fantastic, were ALL OVER the course… how could I give up??? I didn’t, I was enjoying this love-fest and ignoring the rest!! I knew I’d see Juan at mile 16 and that is all that kept me going. I’d finally hand out the t-shirt and lose 3 pounds there! Wellesley was loud and then see a gentleman getting lots of smoooches, then I realized I knew him… (no, won’t name names!!!!). I passed Sarah Reinertsen around there too… Soon, I saw Juan… in his amazing yellow wig that helped me spot him a block away!!!

too cute!

Apparently, the wig had gotten him in all sorts of trouble, but he made it… I waved, handed the shirt, he got a couple of shots and stopped for some kisses too!!!! Ah, well, gotta stop for the hubs!

He’s the best… it made me feel so good to see him!!! And then, I just had 10 miles to go! On top of this, I had no clue what my pace was but I had an idea I was under 3:50, more like 3:45, but it was quite strange to not see the exact numbers…

Then the hills happened, and they sucked the life hope out of me. They really felt like dementors. That is when I walked. Luckily, at 17 I hear someone scream my name. And after a second, my fuzzy brain realized I wasn’t wearing my shirt with my name on it (which I missed so much… doing a marathon without your name on your shirt makes no sense people!!!), it was Simon!!  I stopped for 1 second again for a hug. I shouldn’t have hugged him. I wanted to stay there so bad…  thanks Simon for running up the hill like a maniac with me! And he got this pic:

my right arm can’t possibly be that much longer, right?

I kept chugging. Every mile felt like forever. I walked twice, I drenched myself in water all I could, at mile 16 I had an s-cap, and was having a gel every 5 miles. I was hot, tired, sore, lifeless… but gosh the crowds… and then…!!!! My FAVORITE PART OF THE RACE..!! Yes, sorry Juan… Boston College ALWAYS takes the cake for me. I said it before and I’ll say it again, they’re louder than the girls at Wellesley and way crazier… I LOVE THEM.

Eventually, I see the Citgo sign. I know Juan will be right there. I turn from Beacon, spot him a block away again with that wig! He takes more pics…

That’s me blowing kisses to him so I wouldn’t stop this time. I knew that if I stopped… I might not care about the remaining mile… One more thing you might be noticing is I’ve put on some weight (ooops just weighed myself, there’s 10% more of me! ). If you didn’t notice, then unread this. I did though, I know what I weigh, and what I look like: it’s not pretty, but I am ok with it. It is not ok, but I am ok with it. I will burn it off in a few weeks now that the weather is nice enough again to run. It’s stoooopid, I know, but I never cared about the abs and how vain all that crap about being lean is. I just can’t run well like this and it’s unhealthy but I really don’t care about my weight and what I look like. I don’t. I can’t. Life is too short and I like food.

Then the underpass and then there is turn on Hereford and we’re on Boylston, and you see the finish line. With just the .2 to go, it seems like it’s 2 miles or more. I always feel like they’re pushing it back away from me…! Why does that stretch feel SO LONG???? Every time.

But, I lost it.

All that emotion and love and tears I had held on to during the race… I let it all out. I started crying. I started dry-heaving. I run by the two explosions sites. I started screaming at those people standing there, telling us they weren’t afraid like we weren’t afraid. To those people standing right there, on the same block, telling me with their eyes, this is OUR CITY, and in my heart screaming THIS IS MY SPORT , no one is going to mess up with something as pure and free as running… to those people I shouted, I cried, I screamed this is for you, and I am sure I looked crazy, and I cried all the way to the finish line while looking all of them in the eyes, this is for you, I kept screaming, just like you’re here for us, we’re all here running for you, for Boston, for the innocents, for the kids, for the freedom of the sport, for the history of this race, for the love of your people you came to support, to take back the city, to take back the marathon. We were all together on Monday, runners, spectators, volunteers, police, neighbors, everyone was getting this race up to make the city move past the horrible acts of last year. We left our fears on the door on April 15 and we all took on this race as if all had a part on helping the city heal. I swear, I felt like everyone in the city was holding my hand through the race. I really needed that, but I know they needed it more. That’s why I, and pretty much everyone racing on Monday, were there… It got done. We all walked away with a lot of love, with a sense of community you don’t see too often, with a sense of accomplishment: we are stronger together. We are. Adidas had the perfect slogan: We All Run Boston. On Monday we did. We all did. Everyone in the city did. You all reading and tracking and stalking from work did run Boston too. We all felt it there. I have to stop crying now. again.

I finished. I cried some more… I was SO HAPPY TO BE DONE. And, all of a sudden: nothing was hurting.. WTF! Of course.

LOVE. Kissing the finish line. ❤

I instantly had 6 cups of Gatorade, two bottles of water and a protein shake. And then I heard Meb had won. I was in such shock… I was SO SO SO SO happy about that! Then I grabbed the poncho and headed out to meet the hubs, having the phone makes it all SO much easier!!!!

I was walking soooooo slow it was funny… The poncho was actually warm for the train ride –I was in a soaking wet bra, not fit for train rides!

Our landlady had given us a really nice exception to let us check out at 4, so we rushed back to the apartment (SORRY EVERYONE!!!!!!) to shower before we had to rush back to our transportation back… I was in PAIN already…

weirdo. how long until I can wear a backless dress and not look like THIS?

BLOOD EVERYWHERE. THE F!

We dressed and headed out for food before rushing back to the city. NOW I can wear my jacket. Had the best burger, and fries, and pizza.

Results…! The official time was….

My splits, as sent from my sister as soon as I finished… (she is very well trained…!!!!) ARE HORRIBLE. DON’T LOOK. 

Pretty much the same crap I did in NYCM2013. I am starting to think that it’s not that I start fast (I don’t!), I just 1. can’t hold it (because I am not trained), 2. have no idea what marathon pace should feel like (because I am not trained), 3. I have no idea what I am doing (because I am not trained). All those. Plus the heat. I blame the crowds for getting my excited to keep going instead of dropping (!!!) and the orange jacket (which looks like the hot-sun-drenched-road, and MY BACK!). Adidas, this is on YOU!

Well, so another marathon in the books. Not the slowest, but around there… and 21 minutes slower than my qualifying race…  I really can’t keep doing this to myself, it’s NOT enjoyable to run like that. I’ve had marathons where I run fast and enjoyed it the whole way, next one is gonna be that way or NO marathon!!! deal, elizabeth?? Sign here, you lazy fair-weather runner!

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And the giveaway winner is…!!! SO CLOSE!!!! 6 seconds close!!!! there were so many of you close but Whippets! takes the prize!!! Pick one from the post and email me!

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After this one: