Race Day!

We did it!

Despite the crazy heat on race day (and I won't minimize it...it was unbelievably hot,)  the Boston Marathon far surpassed my expectations.  I will try to sum it up the best I can on this blog post, but I'm certain that I won't be able to sum up the experience with words.

Dana-Farber Check-in:

After school on Friday, I made my way downtown to the Mariott Copley, which served as the Dana-Farber headquarters for the marathon.  Since Dana-Farber had 550 people running for them on Monday, they needed to create their own headquarters, and they had their own check-in, to make sure that all of their runners got all of the information they needed.  It was overwhelming downtown, so I was glad that I decided to do the Dana-Farber check-in and the expo on separate days.

When I finally found my way to the Mariott, I saw Jennie at the door and relaxed because she was so familiar.  We hugged and wished each other luck, and then I went into the check-in.  I just kept moving from one station to the next, not fully examining everything they were handing to me, just knowing that I would get it to go through it when I got home.  The final stop is where I could pick up cheering materials, and I sure picked up a lot.  Once I had everything in my bag, I hopped in my car, made my way home, and crashed for the night.

Expo:

Saturday I woke up, geared up to pick up my number and take the expo by storm.  It was the only event I had on the docket for the day, and I figured I had a good plan!  I was told that it gets really busy in the afternoon, so I managed to get to South Boston by 10am, so I would be able to have a little more room to move around.  After driving around the area for a few minutes, I was able to find meter parking just 400 yards away, and so I pulled in, put some coins in the meter, and felt a wave of excitement pass over me.  I was going to pick up my number!

Once I walked into the building, my excitement turned to anxiety, as I felt I was swallowed into the crowd that plowed toward to number pick-up area.  The walls towered around me, with Boston Marathon murals plastered around the room.  I followed the number assignments, waited in line, received my number, and shuffled along with the crowd to get my t-shirt and swag bag.  As I pulled the drawstring on my bag, I noticed that my hands were shaking, and I ripped the bag!  As I continued to shuffle with the crowd into the rest of the expo, I gave myself a pep talk to pull it together, and enjoy myself.  And although I was still anxious, I did manage to bring my blood pressure down a notch, and walked through the entire expo, picking up a bumper sticker AND an official jacket.  I got home exhausted, and glad that I had the rest of the day to relax and enjoy!

Pasta Party

The pasta party was my only event on Sunday, and something that I was looking forward to A LOT!  Will and I drove to Brighton and picked up Mary at her place in Brighton, and headed to the Mariott.  We met Meghan Bonomolo (my 3rd guest,) outside the Mariott, and then headed to the pasta party.  When we first walked in, the pace setter board was to the list, and thanks to all of your help, my name made the list of people who had raised more than $8000 for cancer care and research.  We then moved to  the right of the hall that was covered in ribbons with everyone's honor cards.  We had the opportunity to create cards for those whom we were honoring in our runs.  It was amazing to look at everyone's honor cards, and I was able to find ours and point them out to my friends.

The party itself was incredibly moving, celebrating the runners and the research being accomplished with our fundraising, and the children who are part of our partner's program.  It also celebrated the lives of the children who were part of the partner's program who have passed away this year.  It really showed how important our fundraising really is.


Dana-Farber Refuge

Being dropped off in Hopkinton.

Race day was finally here!  Will drove me down the street to the DFMC Refuge - parish hall in Hopkinton - a stone's throw from the start line.  I entered the refuge around 7:30, found a seat with some veteran marathoners, taped my ankles, drank my gatorade, and slathered myself with sun screen.  Around 8:30 the buses from Boston started to arrive, and that's when I started to see more familiar faces. I also got to meet Lauren, Romy, and Tony, my friends from Daily Mile.  It was a great time relaxing with my Dana-Farber teammates.  At 9am, we headed outside for a team picture, and we started to bake in the sun.  I knew that we were headed for an even hotter day than I originally anticipated.


Starting Line

At 10:20, the Dana-Farber crew moved like a mob toward the starting line.  I headed over with my friend Chris, hoping that I would find Jamie when I got there, but I had no idea what kind of mess the start would be.  I shouldn't call it a mess, because it was actually incredibly organized, it was just impossible to find anyone among the thousands of people.  I was so glad that I was next to Chris, and we actually ran the first couple of minutes together until he dropped back and I realized that I was on my own.

The First Half

Wellesley

I'll be honest.  The first half was lonely.  I knew that I needed to keep hydrated, but after grabbing gatorade at the first two water stops wasn't enough, I grabbed a bottle of water handed to me by a spectator and dumped the entire thing over my head.  From that point on, my goal was to keep my body coated with water (which was difficult because it evaporated within minutes.)  Around mile 4 I saw the first person being carried off in a stretcher, and decided to dial it back even more.  The BAA estimated 2500 had to be carried off the course on stretchers due to heat related illness, and I feel like I saw a good number of those in the first half of the race.  I just kept my head forward, and reminded myself that my goal was to keep running and finish the race.


Wellesley to Newton

Wellesley was my toughest point of the race.  I still had not seen any spectators that I knew and I had already run more than half the marathon.  It was getting hotter and hotter, and despite the number of people who cheered my name (it was written on my shirt,) and cheered for Dana-Farber as I passed, it was not the same as seeing a familiar face.  As I scooted out of Wellesley, I didn't even notice the dramatic downhill, but I sure noticed the first of the Newton hills.  It was around this point that Jamie put her hand on my shoulder, and told me that she wasn't doing too well.  I told her that I had never been this hot in my life, and it was reassuring to know that I was not the only one that was having a tough time.  Jamie and I would spend the rest of the race passing each other back and forth.

Finished the first half and going strong!

I powered slowly up that first hill, and rounded the corner at the fire station, and that's where I saw my coach, Glen.  He asked me how I felt, and I could tell by his face, I didn't look that great.  I knew I had to pull it together.  I was in the Newton hills - the section of the course that I ran at least twice a week.  I told Glen that I was hot and rolled my eyes, grabbed a popsicle handed to me by a spectator, and headed up the next hill.

Newton Hills

As I crested firehouse hill, I ran toward my old apartment where I lived when I finished grad school and started at Bigelow.  I remembered the killer party that we had that year as we watched the marathon, and just as I started to drift into memory land, I spotted Sue Cohen and her husband sitting next to the carriage road in beach chairs, and I got so excited!  My first spectators!  They stood up and cheered, and I cheered back, high on adrenaline and good vibes.  I was ready to take on the rest of the course.

As I passed Jim Kelley's statue and mounted the third hill, I was feeling great, high fiving students, parents, and friends that lined the course.  To most, the Newton hills is the hardest section of the course, but this was my turf, and I owned it!  I passed some more students holding a hose near the base of heartbreak hill, and gave out some high fives, when I heard the mom say, "I thought you were..."  I figured she wanted to grab a picture of me with the kids, so I looped back, and four 6th graders hopped on the course with me, saying that they were going to run heartbreak hill with me.  After a few more yards, four 8th graders joined us, and we flew up the hill, passing and weaving, chatting the whole way. The kids told me that they wanted to run the Boston Marathon for a charity when they got older, and I started to get a little teary.  When we reached the street light at the top, Eliza said she wanted to keep going, but when all of the others jumped off the course, she said she had to head back.

Final Stretch with Mary

I said goodbye, and as soon as I did, I spotted Sue Levy cheering me from across the intersection.  I gave her a hug, and flew down the hill toward BC, stopped to hug and chat with Patty Summa and her husband, Randy, and high fiving all of my friends camped out at Missy Costello's house.  I was on a roll at this point, and high fived hundreds of BC students, as I headed toward Cleavland Circle, where my family was stationed.

Cleveland Circle and The Road to the Finish

I flew by my family, as they were posted on a downhill, and my sister hopped on the course, just as I passed a few more friends.  My sister wore a shirt that said, "Cheer for Megan," and people did.  She grabbed me water and gatorade, and got the crowds going as we headed for the Citgo sign.  These miles seemed to take forever, probably because we were running much slower than I am used to, but we finally got to mile 25, where all of the kids from the Jimmy Fund were stationed.  I ran over to the fence for more high fives, and then prepared for the finish.

Kenmore Square was deafening, and just as I was about to turn onto Hertford St., I saw my friend Jen hollering from the other side of the fence.  I gave her a big wave, turned down Hertford, and then again on Boylston, where Megan Bonomolo cheered us in.  Mary and I finished the race holding hands.  4:24:07 - not too bad for taking it easy on a 92 degree day.  It was an amazing day, I finished on my feet with all of my toenails, and I couldn't wipe the grin off my face if I tried.  What an amazing day.

We finished!

After Party

After the marathon, my sister hosted a great after-party at her place in Brighton.  It was great to head back to some great food and hang out with my friends and family for a little longer.  Thank you, Mary, for putting it together for me!

Reflections and Thank You

This has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life, and it would not have been possible without all of you.  Together, we have raised over $9000 for cancer care and research, and I was able to train for and complete my first Boston Marathon.  Yes - I said first.  I plan to run another two marathons this year - Sugarloaf in May, and one more in the fall (either New York or Bay State.)  Even if I Boston Qualify (which I hope to do,) I will be running for Dana-Farber again.  I don't want to run just for me.  I want to run to make a difference.

Final Push to the Finish Line

Training wrap up:

Kara Goucher leading the pack in Boston

For this week's training, I have scaled back a LOT!  I am trusting my training schedule, but I constantly feel like I'm not doing enough!  I have a tendency to over-train, so I'm putting my trust in my coaches, and backing off.  I hope that it pays off on race day!!

Fundraising Update:

I am humbled every day, as the donations continue to come in.  At this time, we are almost at $8500 for cancer care and research!  That is far beyond my original goal of $5390, and close to our team goal of $8700 per person!  At the beginning of the season, I thought the team goal was honestly a little unreasonable, but after hearing from all of you, I realize that this is a cause that has touched everyone's lives.  Thank you all for being a part of my Boston Marathon experience, and donating to find a cure.

As an important reminder for why I am running, here is a follow-up on one of my teammates (Greg Kelley) that I blogged just a few weeks ago. 

http://boston.cbslocal.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=6901784


Saturday: Race Expo and Dana-Farber Check-In:

7 of the 8 women to run the 1972 Boston Marathon

I am really excited for the Race Expo on Saturday.  This is the place where I will pick up my number, official t-shirt, and additional swag.   In addition to the hundreds of booths with the latest running gear, Katherine Switzer will be making an appearance, along with several of the women from the 1972 Boston Marathon - the first official year they allowed women to run.  This year marks the 40th anniversary of women in the Boston Marathon.  With any luck, I will get the opportunity to meet these amazing women.  Stay tuned!!







Sunday: Pasta Party:

The day before the marathon, Dana-Farber hosts a pasta party for all of the athletes and their families.  There is a pasta buffet, Dana-Farber speakers, and a presentation by the kids from the Jimmy Fund and their patient partners.  It should be an amazing experience and one that I am glad I'm not going to miss.

In addition to the pasta party on Sunday, there will be stretching, foam rolling, and lots of marathon talk.  I am lucky that I will be able to spend some time with my sister and some good friends to relieve some stress and prepare for the big day!






Monday: Race Day!

DFMC team photo 2008

So race day means rise and shine bright and early, even though I will not be running until late morning.  DFMC has its own refuge at St. John's parish hall, just a stone's throw away from the starting line.  The hall is open to DFMC runners from 7-10am.  I'm going to have Will drive me into Hopkinton around 7 (before the roads close,) and spend some time with my fellow DFMCers stretching and getting ready.  They will provide race day snacks, water, and gatorade, which will be good to get me pumped up for the race.  At 9am we have our official team photo, and then we load our official swag bags onto the bus, and head to the starting line.  It should be an amazing experience...I can't wait!!

Guess who I'm running with??  Well, I'm sure we won't be running at the same pace, but American legend and native New Englander Joan Benoit Samuelson will be running this year's Boston Marathon.  She won the Boston Marathon in 1979 and 1983, and was the winner of the first women's Olympic Marathon in 1984!  I wrote about Joan in an earlier blog post.  Here is her Nike commercial from 1983:

Where will you be??

Where will you be on Marathon Monday??  Here are a few places where I will be spotting my friends and family...feel free to join, or let me know where to look for you.  My sister, Mary, will be joining me at the top of heartbreak hill for the final four miles!  Don't forget to wear your shirts!!

After the marathon, be sure to stop by my sister's house for some food, drink, and merriment!!  Please email me for directions and details!!  It should be a hot one!!  Or a rainy one!!  Or both!!  Weather.com   Stay hydrated while watching the race...I'll try to stay hydrated out there on the course!


Race Day Nutrition:

I have given my race day nutrition a lot of thought, and have been working out foods that I can and cannot eat while running.  Gatorade really seems to help me, and so I will stop at each of the water stops for Gatorade (they are every mile,) and the occasional water.  Water stops are every mile, which is great news with the heat!

I also know that runners need to intake calories for any run longer than two hours.  Although I cannot eat the goos (they upset my stomach), I can eat the Goo Chomps and peanut m+ms.  I plan to start popping the occasional chomp or m+m after the 10 mile mark.

Lastly, I need to think about salt intake.  I am a salty sweater on a cool day, and so my sodium levels could reach dangerously low with a hot marathon.  This week I need to try out some different ways to increase my salt intake while I'm running.  Our coach recommended to pop a sodium tablet or bouillon cube every hour to keep our salt levels up.  I have put practicing this strategy off for obvious reasons, but it should be especially important in the heat.  I will test it out before the big day, so we'll see how it goes.

Race Day Attire:

We are looking at some extreme weather for race day, so my race day attire is more important than ever. One thing that is not debatable is my Dana-Farber singlet.  It has my name on the front, which I have heard is important, so that all of the spectators will cheer for you.  I'm sure I will be able to use that motivation!  It also has the name of all of the people I am honoring on the back.

In addition to my singlet, I need to wear my compression socks.  They direct blood flow to the heart, and they also aid in calf and ankle support.  The ankle support is of particular importance because I am still battling the remnants of achilles tendonitis.  I plan on wearing my white Nike hat because it is the most breathable, it keeps the hair out of my face, and it is good for the rain and the sun.  I'm finishing the outfit with black fitted shorts, to reduce chaffing, and body glide - EVERYWHERE!!  It is a long race, and I don't want to be battling rashes!!



Daily Mile:
www.dailymile.com

I am a member of a social networking site called Daily Mile.  It is a place where I can post my workouts, (times, distances, comments,) and my "friends" can comment on them.  I have become part of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge group on Daily Mile, and my teammates can motivate me from all over the country.  They understood my triumphs and my struggles because they were going through the exact same thing.  I have met several of my cyber teammates in person, at races and group runs, and the rest I will meet at the pasta party on Sunday!  It has been an amazing experience, and my Daily Mile teammates have been a big part of it!


Final Thoughts Leading Up to the Big Race:

I am glad that we have been warned about tapering, because it has been the most stressful part of my training.  I feel as though I'm losing my training because we have cut way back on the distance.  In my head, I know that my runs have been faster in the past two weeks as a result of the rest I have been giving my legs, but I'm so afraid that I won't be able to handle the distance.  Our coaches and past marathoners have warned us about this feeling, and have insisted that we trust the training and we will be fine.  As we get closer and closer to the marathon, I am getting more and more excited, but I'm starting to get more and more nervous!!  I can't wait for Marathon Monday!  I'll see you all there:)

1 Week!!!!

Only one week to go!  I can't believe how quickly it has come.  We are making plans for where people will be watching, so if you plan to be a spectator, let me know where I should look for you!

Here is my entry information if you would like to track me on the BAA website:

I have kicked our fundraising efforts up a notch, encouraging people to make donations between $5 and $30 before the marathon, and I will match them.  Hopefully this effort will help us to reach the $8000 mark before Marathon Monday!  That is $8000 for cancer care and research!!  Click below to donate:

http://www.runDFMC.org/2012/meganh

Charity Backlash?

Recently I was reading a fellow DFMCer's blog (Tony,) and he mentioned the charity backlash after 2010 registration debacle.  Since I did not run the marathon in 2010, I was unfamiliar with the story, so I did a little research on the topic.  In previous years, people had months from the time registration opened to register for the Boston Marathon, but in 2010, there was a flood of qualified runners, crashing the BAA website, and they were forced to close registration within 24 hours.  People were angry.  They had worked hard to qualify for Boston, and yet still would not be able to run.  They turned their anger toward the charity runners, claiming that charity runners took the spots that they had earned by "buying" their way into the race.

Like with most things, I try to see both sides, and I can certainly understand the runners' frustration.  Achieving a difficult goal, like qualifying for the Boston Marathon, and then having it taken away from me based on a technicality would infuriate me, but I would blame the disorganization of the BAA, and not the charity runners.  In addition to training for a marathon, charity runners also have the responsibility of raising thousands of dollars for a cause that they really believe in.  My Boston Marathon experience would not have been complete if I had not competed with Dana-Farber, and even if I choose to run Boston again next year and I qualify for it, I will still run with Dana-Farber.  It has been such an amazing experience to be a part of something that makes a real difference in our lives.

I am clearly not the only one that feels that way, as a large percentage of the runners on our Dana-Farber team have qualified for Boston.  Tony is one of them, running for Dana-Farber as a qualified Boston runner for the third year now.  Many people run for the charity because of the cause, and those who are running just to gain entry to the race are STILL responsible for fundraising for a good cause, so what is the harm in that?

Tracking Me on Marathon Day:

Watching the marathon and want to know when I will pass you?  Get text updates!!  Click HERE to follow the directions.  All you need is my bib# 23173!!  Happy racing!!  One week to go!!

Passed the $6000 mark!

Cruising Toward our Goal:

We just flew by the $6000 mark in fundraising, and as a reward, Dana-Farber sent me some jazzy shoe laces.  We are well on our way to $8000 for cancer care and research!  Remember, and donation between $5 and $30 made before the marathon will be matched!  Let's make it to $8000 this week!!

TWO WEEKS!

Two Weeks!!

Well I thought that the taper was supposed to begin this week, but I guess all they meant was that I just wouldn't be running another 22 miler, because my training plan still called for 36-44 miles!  After last Saturday's 22 miler I was pumped and motivated for the marathon, and now it seems to be all I can think about!  It is coming up, and I hope that you are all there to take part!

Marathon Day:

Marathon Day is quickly approaching!  Please let me know where to look for you if you are planning on watching.  Several people are meeting at the top of Heartbreak Hill, including my sister and husband, who will be running the last 4 miles with me!  Be sure to come by and cheer us on if you can!!

After the marathon, starting at about 3:30, my sister is having a cookout at her house in Brighton.  All friends and family are invited!  Please email me for details (flash100h@hotmail.com.)  There will be drinks, burgers, and more!  Please come - I look forward to celebrating with everyone!


Training:

I started off the week with some slow runs to get the legs moving, and they did help to work out some kinks so that I was ready for Tuesday's big track workout.  Working out the kinks seemed to work, because I had my BEST track workout of the year!  We had a ladder / pyramid workout, running a 400, 800, 1200, mile, mile, 1200, 800, 400 at 5k pace, with half the recovery between each interval.  This workout is my least favorite of all of the track workouts, so after the long run on Saturday, I was not planning on a great workout.  I started off a little stiff, but I got stronger with every interval, not only killing my splits in the first half, but also running even faster for the second!  Here are my splits along with my goal times:

	400 m	800 m	1200 m	mile
Goal Time	1:50	3:40	5:30	7:20
1st Time	1:42	3:30	5:21	7:03
2nd Time	1:36	3:26	5:18	6:58

I did end up taking a day off on Wednesday to rest my achilles, and then covered 11 miles on the Newton hills on Thursday at a comfortable pace.  It is unbelievable to me that 11 miles has become a comfortable, mid-week run.

After a day at the gym Friday, and my first sports massage on Saturday, I was ready for a nice short / long run on Sunday.  This was supposed to be 14-16 miles at a relaxed pace, so I decided to chance it and left my water belt at home.  It turned out to be a poor decision, and starting around mile 7 all I could think about was water.  I opted to cut my run just shy of 14 miles to return home for a tall Gatorade.  Lesson learned: hydration is mandatory for the long distances.  I won't be skipping any water stops on marathon day!


Inspiration:

This week I sent in my honor cards to Dana-Farber.  Dana-Farber sends everyone 4 honor cards to honor those who they are running for.  These 4 people have helped to make me the person I am today.  I am going to put my 4 stories below:

William Flaherty (my dad)

Why he inspires me: I spent a lot of time with my dad growing up.  My parents used to split my sister and me up on the weekends - I guess we were more manageable that way!  I would usually end up with my dad, playing soccer or basketball in the morning, and working on the boat in the afternoon.  To me, my dad was a living example of the sayings "You can do anything if you put your mind to it" and "Hard work pays off."  He worked very hard to have a life that both he and his family could enjoy, and I wanted to emulate that.  It was my mission in life to make him proud.  I hope he would be proud of my my efforts for DFMC in his name.

Joan Woodcock (my grandmother)

Why she inspires me: My grandmother was the epitome of style.  She was an athlete in a time when being athletic wasn't as popular for women, dominating any golf course with elegance and grace.  On one of my last visits with her, the summer before I started college, she told me to follow my dreams and not just study what others thought I should study.  She said I was going to do great things.  It was my grandmother that inspired my to study literature in college, and why I am doing a job that I love today.

Leslie Hall (my mother-in-law)

Why she inspires me: Will and I had only been dating a few weeks when he introduced me to his mother.  I was (of course) very nervous when meeting her, but she put me at ease right away, letting me know how excited she was that Will brought me by, and that she hoped that I would come back to visit soon.  She was so excited to see us get married, and worked hard to be healthy enough to come to our wedding and enjoy watching her only son get married.  Will is one of the most caring, thoughtful, and sensitive men I have ever met, and I credit that in part to his mother.  I am thankful to have had her as part of my life.

John Rodrigues (my track coach)

Why he inspires me:  Mr. Rod seemed to do EVERYTHING, and always with a smile on his face.  He was a loving husband and father of two, a math teacher, athletic director, track coach, train conductor, tutor, and mentor.  He was the embodiment of the power of positive thinking.  It is because of Mr. Rod that over 1/2 of the girls in our high school ran track.  He greeted all of his athletes at the front door each morning with a "hello" and letter, reminding his athletes to remain positive, live life, and run hard.  He was an inspiration to all types of kids, and he is what I aspire to be.  Two time Massachusetts State Coach of the Year, he worked right up until his death in 2001, and the line for his wake literally went out the door and around the block.  He was one of the greats.




Inspiration Update:

I wrote about Patrick and Brendan and few weeks ago on my blog.  They were just interviewed by Fox25 news, and the interview aired last night.  If you missed the interview, here's the link: http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/local/marathoner-young-patient-team-up-for-boston-marathon-20120401