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.
This photo is of my 2013 medal, number, BAA passport and race stuff along with a singed $20 that flew at me and that I grabbed when running from the site. To me, it is simply a rememberance of a very strange and special day. I had to work at the museum today, but I made it home just in time to observe the moment of silence with the crowd in Boston.
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