One Week Later

One week has passed since the Boston Marathon.  I still tear up every now and then when I think of all the people who have been affected by this tragedy.  And, as much as I want to, I will never forget the sound of the bombs exploding.  But, keeping these memories at the forefront of my mind isn't doing anyone any good.  Authorities have captured the man behind the attack.  We will find some sense of justice.  Now, it's important that we apply what we've learned from this attack to prepare a safer future for our running community.

I will probably write a race recap of the Boston Marathon sometime soon, but, for now, enjoy some pictures of this past week's eats and happenings:

Ezekiel cereal, blueberries, banana, strawberry, and mango; with coffee, of course

Reading outside of a stunning day

Iced Green Tea.  Obsessed.

More Starbucks and an awesome salad of spinach, chickpeas, avocado, mushrooms, bell pepper and tomato

Mani-Pedi!

The Boston Marathon

Yesterday, at 2:20 PM, I crossed the finish line of the Boston Marathon.  As a volunteer placed the finisher's medal around my neck, I started crying tears of complete joy.  The race was brutal.  There were many times I felt like walking or completely giving up.  But, I didn't.  I kept running and finished the Boston Marathon in 3:59:54.  Crossing that finish line meant so much to me, just like it meant so much to the thousands of runners and spectators who kept spirits high for those 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boston.

Thirty minutes after crossing the finish line, my family and I were standing on the corner of Stuart St. and Dartmouth St.  We had just met up and were walking back to our car.  BOOM.  What was that?  BOOM.  Something wasn't right.  We looked to the sky.  No smoke.  Car bomb?  But there were no cars.  Electrical failure?  But, we all knew that that was not the case.  Sirens wailed and emergency vehicles rushed down Dartmouth Street.  We didn't know what to do.  Nobody knew exactly what had happened.  The tall buildings shielded us from seeing the explosions.

I am fortunate to have crossed the finish line and to have met my family before this tragedy took place.  But, I am constantly plagued by the what-ifs.  What if I had stopped and walked?  What if I had started in Wave 3?  When I finished the race, I ran right past the site of the bomb.  My family was right there, in the stands.  What if it had been us.  I don't like thinking about it. 

My heart goes out to all those injured.  My prayers are with the people of Boston, my fellow runners, and with the spectators, all of whom made the Boston Marathon one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

Today, I’m wearing my marathon jacket.  Every time I wear this jacket, I will remember the events of April 15, 2013.  I wear it to commemorate the lives ruined and lost.  I wear it as a testament to human strength.  Let us never forget the 117^th Boston Marathon and let us move forward together, resilient, and vigilant.    

My Goal for the Boston Marathon

I only have one goal for the Boston Marathon, and that is ...

To enjoy the race!

I'm terrified, to say the least.  My poor family put up with a complete nervous breakdown the other day.  Somehow, I need to overcome my "I don't know how I'm going to do this" attitude and just have a good time!  I worked hard to get here and I want to enjoy the moment.

See you all at the finish line!

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!

I Don't Know What to Do

As some of you may know, I was injured last summer with severe IT band issues. And now, with 9 days to go until the Boston Marathon, I fear they are returning.

As much as I love my new shoes, I think I will switch back to my old ones for the remainder of training. Perhaps my new ones don't have the support I need, or perhaps I jumped into such a minimal shoe too soon, or perhaps I did too many hills.

Whatever the reason, the side of my left knee is currently throbbing.

I have one more long run of 12 miles, and a handful of 5 milers. Do I run them? Do I skip them? Do I elliptical them?

Thoughts? Experiences? Advice?

21 Miles and Reflections on Running

I'm currently training for the upcoming Boston Marathon (April 15!).  When people find out that I'm working towards Boston, then inevitably ask me, "What's your time goal?"

If this were last year, I would have said sub-3:23, which was my qualifying time.  But, after being injured this past summer and easing my way back into the sport, I have decided to adopt a more laid-back approach to running.

Leading up to my injury, I was preoccupied with mile splits, with running doubles, and with going as fast and as far as I possibly could.  I would wake up some mornings, run fifteen miles, then go to class and finish up the day with a hard eight miler with my running club.  I knew I couldn't maintain this lifestyle, not with a demanding courseload and friends who wanted to hang out; nevertheless, I tried to, just so that I could make a PR.  And, instead of even crossing the finish line of my goal race, the San Francisco Marathon, I ended up in physical therapy.

While I would love to nail a PR in the Boston Marathon this year, I now recognize the sacrifices I would have to make.  My stress level would skyrocket, my grades, would suffer, and my friends wouldn't know I existed.  With my type-A personality, working towards a PR at Boston would become my obsession.  I knew that this training cycle, I wanted to find sustainability and balance among all the aspects of my life.

Around mile 11 of today's 21 mile run, Emma and I started chatting with a pair of runners who had stopped at the same water fountain that we did.  We were a decent distance away from any towns, so I figured they were out for a long run also.
"Are you training for anything?" I asked.
The one man just laughed, wiping sweat off his brow with his shirt.
"Life."
"I like that answer."

"Training for life" pretty much sums up my approach to this year's Boston Marathon.  Life is not a race for the fastest time.  Sure, one could argue that life is a distance event.  But, life is also a fulfillment event.  Running, like life, can take you on adventures to beautiful places, if you are willing to take a breather and look around.  It can also strengthen friendships, if you are willing to take it slow enough to chat.  And it can teach you to love and respect yourself, if you are willing to give yourself a break every now and then.

This April, I don't want to sacrifice my enjoyment of running (or life) just for a race; I have no time goals for the Boston Marathon.  Of course I want to finish.  But, I also want to be able to think back on the entire experience - the exploratory trail runs, the weekend runs with friends, and the short strides up Heartbreak Hill - with a smile.