Come Back to Boston

Well, I have caught up on your blog.

So do your feet get wet when you run in the snow or is there some kind of lining to repel some of the snow?

Sunday night (read this as Monday morning) in Hopkinton is to be 34 degrees at sunrise (6:08 a.m.) and a Monday high in Hopkinton of 57 degrees or an increase of about 3 degrees per hour. Monday's high in Boston is to be 56. I would say that pretty much precludes needing your Icebugs for the race. Wind will be out of the southeast and less than 10 mph, which shouldn't be an issue since you run at 80-90 mph.

Best of luck, kid.

Here's to nabbing some gravy on Monday, Michele! Good luck out there.

Julie wrote:I hope you can get the rest you need to give you a great pain-free time in Boston. It sounds like there will be quite a few from this group there and should be fun! I'll be checking in on everyone's results during the race.

Thanks, Julie. It is always fun to see everyone, but I have not given up on Nebraska next year either.

ounce wrote:Well, I have caught up on your blog.

So do your feet get wet when you run in the snow or is there some kind of lining to repel some of the snow?

Sunday night (read this as Monday morning) in Hopkinton is to be 34 degrees at sunrise (6:08 a.m.) and a Monday high in Hopkinton of 57 degrees or an increase of about 3 degrees per hour. Monday's high in Boston is to be 56. I would say that pretty much precludes needing your Icebugs for the race. Wind will be out of the southeast and less than 10 mph, which shouldn't be an issue since you run at 80-90 mph.

Best of luck, kid.

Actually the Icebugs are "water repellant", but my feet never got wet wearing them and I did a 20 miler in a few inches. It does look like Monday's weather will be perfect - why could it have not been that way last year! Seems like every time I'm not really ready, the weather is great. C'est la vie!

Mark B wrote:Here's to nabbing some gravy on Monday, Michele! Good luck out there.

Thanks, Mark. I'll remember that!

Oh yes please let us know if you do Nebraska! I'm thinking of Omaha in 2014 (September) although I think Lincoln is a better marathon. I always struggle to train for spring marathons since I just can't get the mileage in the winter.

I'll be thinking of you all Monday!

Looks like you got a nice game to watch at Fenway with the near no hitter. Have fun tomorrow.

No real report here. You all know I am fine and accounted for. I'm a bit bummed in a way that I won't be able to come back to run and kick those bastards butts so we will see how my leg responds to a couple of easy weeks. If the weather is good, maybe I'll jump into the full at Cleveland. Boring but pretty flat course

I love really 'boring but pretty flat courses!' I need to get over there and do a half. This year May is all tied up, but I'll pencil it in for next year. Sunday is perfect for me to travel and race.

Michele,
Glad to hear you're safe and sound and already thinking about your next race. I don't often have/take the time to post but I do check in occasionally and you're always an inspiration when I do.
I've had mixed feelings about running another marathon but after yesterday's events I'm motivated to give it my best shot.
Rest, recover and thanks for your positive attitude!
Nancy

I'm glad to know that you are OK Michele!

Wow...what an experience. Bet it's nice to be home...

I'm starting to process a bit better all that happened on Monday. Glad we are all safe. Someone asked me if I would go back - hell yeah. Like John, I knew I was not nearly 100% going in, and if I had not stopped to give my daughter a hug and slowed down so much over the hills (they really tore me up this year like I knew they would), I might have been right there since I was running with Vivian for much of the beginning of the race (and I saw her again around BC). My wheels really fell off going down the hill from BC (the hip/ITB issues I've been dealing with) and then the headwind seemed horrific. It doesn't seem like much now. (Interestingly, I ran those same miles back the day before Easter and the headwind was tough on Beacon St then!)

My daughter is fine, they were at mile 25 on the bridge that leads to Kenmore Square (with the big BU flag). They were starting to leave when the police in Kenmore made everyone go out of the area and not into the T. Luckily, she lives just up Comm Ave from Kenmore Sq, so they were safe. BU locked down the campus as a precaution, but they had school yesterday. Sadly, news had not traveled yet as the 3rd victim was a BU graduate student from China. There was a memorial yesterday at their chapel and now their sadly will be another. No I am not making my daughter leave BU and Boston and go to school somewhere else. Boston is my home and she loves the city as well. We cannot run scared, we just have to be a bit more cautious again (like after 9/11).

As many of you know, I was roughly at mile 26.1 (by my watch) when the first explosion occurred. I stopped as I thought it was someone shooting, but then I saw smoke and someone said they thought it was an electrical fire near the finish. Then 2nd one went off, and I remember smoke and fire and debris flying, and I ducked, turned and ran. I then found myself in the parking garage entrance of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel with tons of spectators and runners. I remember looking at Boylston St and wondering where everyone went and hearing sirens and seeing police and fire trucks. I borrowed a phone from some guy and called my Mom so she could call everyone and I texted Shannon. A young girl (runner), Julia from Bangor, ME, was crying and I gave her a hug as we were shuffled towards Mass Ave by the cops. (She was 24 and I went into Mom mode.) None of us really knew what had happened, we were just following instructions from the police. I knew my inlaws had probably heard everything as they were at the corner of Hereford & Comm Ave and I had just seen them. I took Julia and we walked to their condo. We were lucky enough to be able to call her sister from a land line and she came to my inlaws to get her.

By that time, runners in mylar blankets were walking down the Commonwealth Ave Mall, so we went back outside to see what was happening. Granted, I still thought the 2nd explosion was a gas main or boiler from a building. The runners told me that we could get our stuff as the baggage buses were still on the lower end of Boylston waiting for us. I was able then to pick up my gear bag and retrieve my phone to see all the messages, texts, etc., from all of my family and extended running family. Thank you so much!!!!!

I was staying at the Lenox Hotel which is across the street exactly from the 2nd bomb site. The hotel was shut down and is still shut down. I was lucky that on Monday night I received a phone call from the general manager to see 1) if I had a place to stay, and 2) if I was in the area, I could get into the hotel to get my stuff that night with a police escort or again in the morning at 9 am. I walked all the way around from my inlaws to Mass Ave, and down in back to Huntington to get to the other side of the building. A Boston police officer escorted me up to my room so I could pack and leave. The building had been cleared so the elevators were working, but all the room doors were wide open. I was then escorted back down and had to walk all the way back around (it is like 2 miles when my inlaws live on Exeter and really two blocks). I was then able to crash on their couch (they only have a one bedroom place).

I'm hoping my body can heal enough to run Cleveland and get that BQ -5. It is a flat course (couple of very small rollers), but it isn't until May 19th, so the weather can be iffy. I need to get this ITB/hip thing cleared up, but I'm betting with rest, and my continued strengthening, it will get there pretty quickly. I gave up running multiple marathons back in 2010 when I ran myself into a staff infection and literally to the ground. However, I know that I can and many of the others here are as well. I was not planning on it next year, but now, I'm hoping that I can. Those bastards cannot win.

As for the race itself, I think Vivian and I did a good job of holding back as best as we could through the first 12 miles. I lost her when I stopped at my Mom, and I kept seeing her but couldn't catch back up in the hills. I knew that my leg would not handle the hills well, and I slowed down over them and even walked through several water stops as it seemed real humid to me and the sun was much warmer than I thought it would be. I guess that is what happens when you run in 30F temps (or lower) all winter and hardly get any warm weather. My leg gave out coming down the hill past BC and if my friend, Ken had not caught me at that point, I would have really walked the rest. Ken just ran a 4:01 at the Georgia Marathon which is hillier so I knew he was going to run well over the hills. He was hurting a bit and the wind was tough, but we stayed together until I stopped to give my daughter and her friends hugs and high 5s. Ken finished between the two explosions. I could see him in the distance because of his bright green hat. He is fine too. I think all the walking afterwards served my body well as I'm not as sore as I expected especially given the fact that my ITB gave out. I think I might even "run" later today as it is supposed to stop raining.

Thanks again to you all. This is a very special family!

Great race report. Glad you are safe. Glad all of you are safe. We were monitoring you all the whole way.

I'm glad you're OK and I'm glad you could be a temporary Mom-in-need to Julia. I'm sure she'll never forget you.

You went into 'mom' mode! I can just see it. Great story 1L. I'm delighted you were able to escape the physical impacts of these senseless acts of mass violence and even offer comfort to others. That's really making a silk purse out of a sows ear. But take care of yourself over the next few weeks and months. Tragic senseless events like this can leave scars that run deep. More power to you.

One thing I forgot to mention that is kind of eerie, but I was just reminded when I was cleaning out my purse. When we ducked and then ran, something flew in front of me and I grabbed it. It is a singed $20 bill. I am going to frame it with my number (since I'll have no medal or finisher's certificate) as a rememberance. I'll post a picture when I get a chance. My SIL told me to buy a lottery ticket. I think Vivian and my friend Ken, need to buy them too.

So glad you are ok, Michele! I saw a FB post from Lisa just minutes after the bombs went off just as I was going in for a 2 hour dental procedure. I was frantically praying for all of my v-team/365 friends the whole time. Then I got out and was able to get a bit more information about the bombs and when they went off...I knew, based on your previous blog postings, that you'd likely be finishing around that time. So, so, terrifying. Once again, I'm glad you're safe.

Thanks for the play by play report, Michele. Very glad you're pretty well.

I couldn't help but chuckle at your statement that 50 degrees was warm. I fully understand you've long since lost your acclimatization to such heat, since moving from Hotlanta.

hopefully we meet again under better circumstances. thanks for sharing Michele.

Every hour this hurts more. The third victim was a BU Graduate student from China who was studying math and statistics. My daughter knew her as one of the Calculus TAs and had sought help from her last semester. She said she was real nice and extremely helpful and she had talked to her about changing her major to Math (which my daughter did in December).

This link however might just be the best:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xay1mBAGPpAptmjLn-iNS7-YjnGrUPWML5dSGw_Fe7M/pub

Glad you're ok Michele. This is our home and so it can make it even more personal. I hope you're back next year.

Once again, I am glad that you made it through safely. Looking at the video that Vivian posted, it looked like she was right there at the wrong time. Obviously god was on your side Monday.

I am glad that you are safe after being so close to the blasts. That was such a harrowing thing to live through. Good luck in Cleveland. I hope to see you in Boston again.

Thanks for the report, Michele. Kind of glad your ITB started giving you trouble on those downhills, or else you might have found yourself closer to being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was already too close for comfort.

I bet going into "mom mode" probably helped you in the midst of all the confusion. Instincts don't go away.

Good luck training for your BQ-5. Hopefully you can get your body ready for the challenge; goodness knows, your determination is already there.

Thanks for the report. Glad you are safe. Good luck getting BQ-5.

Thanks again all of you. It was wonderful to run 6 miles this morning with my Cleveland running group. All who had run Boston in the past wore their jackets, shirts, etc. and there were lots of hugs shared all around. It just proves how wonderful our running families really are. I then worked at the aide station for our local Spring 24 Hr race and many of those runners had their Boston gear on as well. Of course, nowhere but Cleveland would it have been 87F on Thursday night and 37F with SNOW squalls this morning. I kid you not!

The good news is that I felt great in the hour that I ran and I have seemingly recovered much quicker than expected. I have worked with my new trainer twice this week on the ITB/hip area, and I can already feel that it is better than it was. I know that mileage will be the test, but my guess is the combination of less mileage and strengthening will get me back in one shape. I'm glad that I found this guy (through another runner), I just wish I had found him in February not April. Cleveland is still out there, but it is indeed day by day.

I am exhausted and I'm actually going to hit the hay early today. I think that I finally slept last night after many and I still have some to make up for. Hugs to you all for this week.