Marathon Monday

I am a runner. I enjoy running. I am a marathoner. And to some that may seem crazy. I have found a circle of friends who are as crazy as I am!

Today is Marathon Monday, 119th running of the Boston marathon. I have many friends that are running today. For some of them it will be their first time For some of them it's their first marathon since the bombing. For some...they've done this before. No matter what category they're in. Today is one of the biggest days of their year.

I get asked every year by friends, family and coworkers whether or not I'm running Boston. I have not yet been that privileged.
Boston is an elite race. You have to qualify to get to the start line. In order to do that you have to run a really fast marathon, raise a whole bunch of money, or belong to the running club where you have 'won' a bib number. I have the privilege of saying that I know someone who has qualified for the Boston Marathon because of their race time in a previous marathon. As well as those who have earned their spot to run the Boston Marathon because they have raised a ton of  money for their charity. And also those who have had the opportunity because they have done so much with the running group that they've earned a bib number.

For all of my friends who are running the Boston Marathon today I want to say congratulations for getting to that start line. I want to let you know that I have been thinking of you all day. I watched the race online, I tracked your progress from apps and text messages and Facebook. I know the hard work that you have put in to get to this point. I hope that you are able to take the time and enjoy the ride of the Boston Marathon. I hope that the 26.2 miles finds you with a smile at the end and a monster sense of accomplishment. I cheer you all on!! I am proud to have you in my circle of crazy friends! And it has been an honor to run with you, train with you and follow you during today's accomplishment. WOOHOO!!!!!!

2010 Running

I started running in May 2009. At first it was just to see if I could. Then I realized what a sense of accomplishment I had with each new distance I covered. 20 steps to 40 steps! Then on to 1/4 mile, then a half mile! After a month I could run a whole mile! I was amazed, awed and proud of myself. I ran my first 5K in July 2009 (for my birthday). I wasn't the fastest and I wasn't the slowest.
In the fall of 2009 my brother and sister-in-law came to visit. The weekend consisted of a 5K race and some relaxing. The race was interesting. I was the fastest woman...and my sister-in-law was the first in her age group!! We were the only two girls that ran :)

That weekend my sister-in-law thought it would be a great idea for us to run a half-marathon together - um, that's 13.1 miles. 10 more than I had ever done! But we sat down and planned which run we were going to do and what my training schedule should look like. I was in. We choose to do the Manhattan Half Marathon in NY in January 2010. NY was a halfway point between us.

I trained from October through January. My longest run (10 miles) I ran with my brother and his wife and their running group. It was a slushy run. It was a great run. I had done a lot of my training on my own (I was the only person I knew around me that ran) and it was nice having others to run with. I was grateful I had their support for my first long run.
January 2010 - Manhattan Half Marathon. It was two loops around central park. We started off together and we crossed the finish line together and it felt AMAZING! I don't remember how I felt mile to mile, it probably wasn't amazing at the time. I remember thinking we had been running a long time when we got to the start of the second loop. I remember looking at a sign that showed the temperature and wondered how I was running in 30 degree weather. I remember the three of us finishing together and how awesome that felt. A little like the feeling I had when I watched them finish their first marathon. But I was a part of that now.

This was my first big race, but not my last. 2010 was a year full of races. I ran some small races and I ran the Queens Half Marathon in the summer. I ran the same 5K I had run as my first race and placed in my age group. I ran the Mini 10K in NY in June where I met and got autographs from Kara Goucher and Paula Radcliffe.

2010 was a year of finding myself. I did long runs by myself, I went to races by myself, no one waiting for me at the finish line. I gained a sense of who I was and what I was capable of. If I can run a 10K in NY by myself, and meet Olympic runners...I can do just about anything,..or at least have the courage to try anything. This helped me survive the end of 2010, the end of my first marriage and a new beginning of my life.