My First Relay Experience: 26.2 Challenge Team Relay

And I am a race pushover. What does that mean? Well, it seems when a friend brings up a race and I have the time/funds - I sign up.

Plain and simple.

It happened ... again!

Last Wednesday (April 24) while at The Dubliner in Cambridge with friends for the launch of the latest Slumbrew brew, I asked my friend George what he had coming up for races over the weekend.

George and some members of his running club - The Most Informal Running Club Ever or TMIRCE - was taking part in the 26.2 Challenge Team Relay on the Saturday (April 27) in Plymouth.

And they were looking for a 6th member for their team.

**Interest Peaked**

Over the next 24 hours, we got confirmation that they did indeed need a 6th runner ... and BAM! All of a sudden I am signed up for my first relay race.

The 26.2 Challenge Team Relay is set up a little different from other relays I've heard about.

The 26.2 Challenge is a team relay race for you and five of your friends. It's an out-and-back style course, one member is running their butt off while the other teammates party, dance and enjoy the entertainment provided at our transition area.

Each member of your team will run an equal portion of the 26.2 distance. As one runner heads out the next relay member waits for the exchange. The whole event is one big party; live DJ spinning tunes as the runners take off and come in. Vendors line the exchange area offering samples, goods for sale and sage advice.

I picked up two of my running mates for the day - George & Jen - at 7am and we were off to Plymouth. The website told us to be there at least an hour before the race started (which was 9am) so we cruised into the parking lot just before 8am. Perfect.

We claimed a part of the parking lot - like the other teams were doing - and waited for our teammates.

Everyone else on the team was a member of TMIRCE so I was the only newbie. But, it is always nice to meet new runners!

As the members of the group talked about the paces they hoped to attain that day, I just kept hoping I wouldn't be the person that would slow down their overall time. They were hoping to place and I didn't want to ruin the chances. I was 12 days out from the Boston Marathon so I wasn't sure what my legs would produce.

After getting acquainted, picking up bibs and having some pre-race snacks, it was time for our first runner Jen to hit the Starting Line. It was so odd to have the race begin and not be at the Start Line. I was slated to run the 4th out of our 6 legs on the morning.

Thankfully our teammate Erin had a stop watch so she kept it running throughout the race so that we could all be prepared in enough time for our legs of the run.

We were each set to run 1/6 of a marathon or 4.36 miles.

Jen (34:04), Christina (31:27) and George (33:38) all OWNED the course.

As I saw George turning the corner, I was in place at the Start Line - ready to FINALLY kick off my leg of the race. :)

Photo Courtesy of RaceMenu

Quick hug from Alain at Racemenu and I was off.

I didn't know anything about the course except some quick snippets from the teammates that had already run.

I think my legs were just a TAD happy to be out running because I ran the first 3/4 of a mile at a 6:45 min/mile pace.

YEAH - those isn't my normal pace in the least so I immediately told my brain and my legs to sllloowww it on down!

This wasn't a 5k - this was 4+ miles so I couldn't get burnt out too quickly.

Oh I also almost went the wrong way about 1/4 of a mile into the race - yeah, I missed a sign, but thankfully righted my ship quickly.

We had to go around the first water stop twice - once at the beginning of the run and once at the end. There were plenty of volunteers out on the course, which made the odd transition a little easier.

So thank you volunteers!! :) :)

Once through the first mile of the race, it was a clear out and back along the water in Plymouth. The sun was shining and the water looked beautiful.

Shade?

None.

The sun was beaming down on us, but I tried to stay committed and focused on the goal of keeping a sub 8 min/mile pace. That was my only goal of the run.

I could feel my body starting to get tired around the 5k mark so I buckled down. And as my Tedy's Team Running Coach, John, would say "Just Run!"

So that's what I did.

I pushed through the final mile and can say taking my ENERGYBits before the run helped.

I crossed the finish line in 31:18 - HELL YEAH.

I will gladly take the results.

I grabbed a water and rejoined my team to wait out our final two runners.

Our last two runners - Erin (29:57) and Nathan (24:31) - DOMINATED the course. Nathan ended up being the fastest person of the day. YES, his slip said 1/473 - hot DAMN.

So as a group we finished the 26.2 mile course in 3:04:57...

... and headed inside to grab a beer while we waited for the official results to post.

With the $25 entry fee, you had entry to the race, a 26.2 Challenge beer mug and one free Mayflower Brewing Company.

Me, Alain (RaceMenu), Steven (26.2 Challenge Organizer)

I drank my beer, ate a yummy chicken caesar salad and had a great lunch with team as we celebrated...

... our 3rd place finish in our division (running club).

In the end we were the fifth team overall out of 79 teams. Not. Too. Shabby!

I had a GREAT time participating in this relay. It was a change of pace from normal races.

And I will definitely look to do something like this again!

***

Have you participated in a relay race before? If so, what time? Did you love it?

Why I love Cambridge 5k Race Series & Giveaway

Annddddd the winner IS:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CONGRATS!!

*Keep an eye out as I will be giving away an entry to the next Cambridge 5k race - the VERT Sasquatch Trail Race (July 14)!

---

What makes a good road race?

Since I've run a wide array of races in my short running career, people tend to ask me this all the time.

As well as...

*How do you pick your races?

*What does a race need to have you coming back?

*Do you only run races with beer or race medals at the end?

Wow! It looks like I have a reputation. :P

There are so many variables that go into which races I choose to run and which races I run and decide to never run again. (And there are quite a few of those)

But one of the best race series in the Boston area that I came across in 2012 was the Cambridge 5k series.

Race Director, Eddie O'Connor, is one of the nicest guys I have met.

Over the past year, I'm honored to now call Eddie one of my friends. :)

The Cambridge 5k has grown from a 3-race series in 2012 to a 5-race series in 2013. Woo!

On their website they state that:

We organize unique, handcrafted road races that are super-fun!

And that is the truth.

These races - which include both 5ks and trail races - are well-organized, geared towards runners/walkers of ALL levels, offer great routes and are paired with special local craft beer breweries that sponsor the post-race party!

BEER!

Yup, I knew that is where I would catch your attention. ;)

The Cambridge 5k works with some of my favorite local breweries and you know that means Slumbrew baby!

I Captain all of the Slumbrew teams that take part in the Cambridge 5k races.

Lucky me!!

In 2012, I was lucky enough to run the:

VERT - Sasquatch Trail Run

*You can read my race recap here.

and

Yulefest 5k

*You can read my race recap here.

In January 2013, Eddie asked me to pose with an American Flag to help promote a new race he was putting together to add to the Cambridge 5k series.

How could I say no?

Plus I really wanted to hear what he had up his sleeve. ;)

So I met him at the City Sports in Downtown Crossing and he snapped these shots.

What were they for?

The inaugural Freedom Run 5k, which will be taking place on May 26 in Cambridge, MA.

Kick off the summer at East Cambridge Business Association's hyperpatriotic 5K that honors the men & women who fight to protect us!

Get in the spirit! Run in your most patriotic gear and you could win a great prize at our post-race Freedom Party (13+ to run, 21+ (with ID) for beer).

Registration includes a great shirt & admission to the post-race party in Canal Park featuring craft beer, music & fun awards!

How could you pass this race up?

Well now you don't have to!

Eddie has graciously offered up a FREE race entry to one of my blog readers. YAY!

So if you want to try a 5k, if you want to run with me, if you just like great local beer or if you just want to break out some red/white/blue gear then this is for you.

Here's how to enter:

Giveaway is open from April 29 (Monday) to 10am May 3 (Friday)!

The winner will be announced on Friday!

Can you see your #Proof? Viewsport REVIEW

Euphoria. Heavy Breathing.

Results.

Sense of Accomplishment.

Satisfaction.

Hunger.

These are all emotional or mental proof of a good workout or run, but sometimes you need physical proof ... like sweat!

But, there is a company out there taking sweat to a new level.

ViewSPORT

So who are they? There website says:

ViewSPORT® International Inc. is an innovative fitness apparel line focused on the motivated athlete, sports teams, the military, and others looking to get the most from their fitness and training efforts. When an athlete exercises, the patent-pending ViewSPORT sweat-activated technology reveals a design that is only apparent once perspiration comes in contact with the fabric. The harder the wearer works, the more apparent the image.

After reading this I was intrigued so I contacted ViewSPORT and was mailed a shirt to try. Sweet!

The company offers both men's and women's styles, as well as, both cotton and tech shirts.

Since losing weight, I still don't know how to properly size a shirt when I can't try it on. So to be on the safe side I asked for the Fitfluential Men's Cotton Tee ($26 value).

I am a Fitfluential Ambassador so I figured it was the perfect choice. PLUS, it came in blue/yellow - which are the Boston Marathon colors. It seemed like it was made just for me. ;)

So how does this whole thing work?

When athletes and other fitness-conscious people exercise and begin to sweat, motivational words or images appear on their ViewSPORT athletic-performance attire. The company’s patent-pending “sweat-activated technology” reveals an increasingly clear image the more someone sweats during training. After a workout, when the shirt dries out, the special graphics become invisible again.

Okay, that seems freakin' cool.

On Wednesday, I had a 5-mile run on tap with my best friend and it was going to be high 60s out in Boston so it seemed like the perfect chance to try out the shirt.

Here is how it looked before the run.

I don't normally run in cotton t-shirts, but I made the sacrifice so I could see the cool message revealed. ;)

After tucking the sleeves up under my sports bra, I was ready to rock and roll.

BOY was it hot during our run. I could feel the sweat running down my back so I was really hoping the message would reveal itself loud and clear.

I had my friend Sarah so into this as well that she routinely checked me throughout the run to see the progress. :) When she wasn't happy with how much was revealed, she bumped our speed up. Ummm thanks ViewSPORT for our speedy run. :P

Once we finished stretching, I was ready to see the secret message.

We headed upstairs to find out what my shirt said...

#PROOF

Here is the after:

And the miles I put in, the sweat that showed on my shirt and the pride I felt were all #PROOF of a good workout.

So thanks ViewSPORT for letting me show others the #PROOF I felt inside.

Here is the back before vs. after the run:

Once I cooled down and dried off, the secret message disappeared and the shirt went completely back to the before.

How cool is all that?

Hey, sometimes we need a funky shirt like this to motivate us to get out and move. I say whatever it takes to get us moving.

Now, I think as women we tend to sweat MORE in the lower part of our back - or maybe that is just me - so I think my saying would've appeared sooner or darker if I had worn a women's style ViewSPORT tee since the secret message is located farther down on that style.

I have nothing to back up that theory, but it is a thought I had while running. Maybe some day I will try the women's tee and test my theory, but for now I am pleased with the shirt and the #PROOF I have now.

Time to figure out when I will rock it again...

***

Have you tried out a ViewSPORT t-shirt yet? Would a sweat-induced secret message motivate YOU to move more?

Weekly Workout Wind Up (4/25-5/1/13)

While I am in between training plans - Boston Marathon and my first triathlon - I am winging the workouts. ;) I can't wait to be back on a new training plan soon...  

Thursday, April 25: Rest Day

Friday, April 26: 45 min Walk

Saturday, April 27: 26.2 Marathon Relay Challenge ... my leg was 4.36 miles

Sunday, April 28: 60 Min Spinning

Monday, April 29: 3.1 Mile Run and 45 Min Spinning

Tuesday, April 30: 2.13 Mile Run with Laney

 

Wednesday, May 1: 5-Mile Run

 

Dani Dishes 5-1-13

Weekly Vlog - Dani Dishes - from Dani of WeightOffMyShoulders.com Featured Products Of The Week: EnergyBits --- http://www.energybits.com/ Vitalicious Chocolate Raspberry VitaCakes --- http://www.vitalicious.com/store-minivitacakes.html

REVIEW: Zensah Compression Socks

What is with the compression craze? Why do runners wear compression socks/sleeves? What is the benefit? These are just a few of the compression questions I get on a regular basis.

So when Zensah offered me the chance to review their neon yellow Compression socks, I jumped at the opportunity.

A little about Zensah:

Based on the Italian word "SENZA" meaning to be "without" so too should athletes be "without limits." This mantra inspires us each and every day to create the most cutting edge sports apparel. All of our products are developed using seamless technology, simply meaning they are made without seams.

Zensah was created to help athletes at all levels improve their performance by utilizing innovative sportswear made with cutting edge technology.

I first learned about Zensah and compression socks/sleeves in 2011. I had major back surgery in January 2011 and during recovery researched products that would help with the side effects of the sciatica in my left leg caused by the herniated disc. The Sciatica left my left leg weaker than the right and I wanted to try anything I could that may help.

Since that moment, I started using a pair of Zensah Compression Sleeves during my training runs.

Compression sleeves and socks are designed to enhance blood circulation and oxygen flow before, during or after an athletic performance.

When I got my first pair of Zensah sleeves, I was using just the left sleeve while running to aid my damaged leg.

But as I did more research, I learned they also had benefits during pre-running prep and post-running recovery.

Now I use my Zensah sleeves and socks all the time. ;)

My first pair of sleeves were subtle - a nice black - that could blend in with my running pants.

But no longer - the brighter the better I say!

So I was pysched when Zensah offered up a pair of neon yellow socks.

Can you see me coming?

I took a casual recovery walk the day after the Boston Marathon and I took the Zensah socks along for the trip.

I could feel the aching and soreness in my legs slowly leaving as I wore the socks and kept my legs moving.

A few days after the marathon it was time to once again lace up the sneakers and go for a run. Again, I brought the Zensah socks along for the trip.

I had set out to run just a couple miles to shake the legs out, but wearing the Zensah Compression socks gave me the strength to run farther. My legs felt strong enough to leg out a 4 mile run - double what I had set out to do.

Not a runner or athlete, Zensah Compression socks can still work for you.

Since they are designed up help with blood flow in the legs, I love to wear socks under my pants when on a plane or around the house after a long car ride. They can easily fit under a pair of work pants so there have been times when I have rocked them under some work pants when I know I will be on my feet for an extended period of time during the day.

Or feel free to boldly wear them with whatever outfit you may be wearing. ;)

Hot, right?

The Zensah Compression socks will run you $50, but it is a true investment. They are versatile and improve both athletic performance and general health of your legs.

Plus, who doesn't need a little color in their lives?

So head on over to Zensah and check out the many different colors and patterns they offer for Compression Socks and Sleeves.

***

Have you caught on to the Compression craze? When do you tend to wear them the most?

I

I heart Vitalicious.

I didn't know about the company and it's amazing products until I joined Weight Watchers in 2009. Since one of my fellow members brought them up in a meeting, I've been hooked.

Why you may ask?

Because they are freakin' amazing - that's why.

Duh! :P

And they sometimes offer a deal where you can get a special Vitalicious container to keep my Vitatop from getting smooshed in my bag.

As their website states:

Vitalicious® Inc. is the market leader of innovative "vital and delicious" baked goods that promote a healthy lifestyle, without sacrificing taste. First to market with 100-calorie servings, Vitalicious® is leading the way to a holistic approach to maximize satisfaction with minimum calories, with products that are low fat and high in fiber and nutrients ... Here at Vitalicious® our mission is simple: to make healthy and delicious baked goods that are fortified with essential vitamins and minerals.

And they live up to their claim.

Vitalicious offers a variety of products in a wide array of flavors ... all ranging from 1-4 Weight Watchers points each.

The company offers a full muffin - vitamuffin - which are available in three flavors: BlueBran, CranBran and Deep Chocolate. Personally, I don't each these all that often, but friends say they are all tasty.

Vitatops is where it's at for me. :)

VitaTop™ 100 calorie muffin tops have all of the healthy benefits of our delicious VitaMuffin™ - now even more convenient to carry and eat on-the-run. The VitaTop™, a "one-hand" satisfying snack food with the portability of an energy or granola bar, is easy to eat anywhere, anytime. At your desk or on the road, these handy muffin tops fit conveniently into a purse, briefcase, work out bag, backpack and lunchbox.

I can't say it better myself. Rarely will you find me without a Vitatop in my pocketbook. I love to snack on them before or after a morning gym trip. If I need to eat breakfast on the run, I will go with a Vitatop since it won't spill all over my car or the subway.

There are over 17 flavors of Vitatops to choose from, but my Top Two are easy: Banana Chocolate Chip (2 PP) and Chocolate Mint (3 PP).

Since there are no artificial additives or preservatives in Vitalicious products, they can be found in the freezer section of your local grocery store. In order to have my Vitatop ready to go for breakfast, I've made it part of my routine to put it out on the counter the night before with my vitamins. :)

If muffins aren't your thing, Vitalicious also offers VitaBrownies.

You pop one of these in the microwave and seconds later you have a decadent treat ... without the calories!

But, my latest find come through at just 50 calories a piece (1 PP) and are my FAVORITE dessert.

What are they?

Vitacakes!

When these little babies first launched, the only flavor available was Fudgy Chocolate.

Pop it in the microwave and 25 seconds later you have a ooey gooey chocolate masterpiece. ;)

And if you need a little more of a kick, I suggest pairing it with some strawberries and fat-free cool whip. (Whole dessert would still be just 1 PP on Weight Watchers)

Doesn't that look amazing?

And now Vitalicious is finally offering a NEW flavor of VitaCakes ... Chocolate Raspberry.

 

I was lucky enough to have a sample sent to me from Vitalicious!!

And let me tell you they are YUMMY!

The raspberry wasn't too overwhelming, which sometimes flavors can be. I like a good chocolate to raspberry ratio - and this was spot on.

I pop it in the microwave for 25 seconds - as I mentioned before - and it melty and amazing. :)

If you are interested in Vitalicious products, you can purchase them in the freezer section of your local grocery store or Vitalicious.com. Make sure you register for their daily emails as they are known to offer some great product deals!

Have you become a Vitalicious addict? If so, what is your favorite product and flavor.

The 117th Boston Marathon Recap...

... you've all been waiting for! Or not at all, but let me pretend you were all just hitting refresh over and over again on my blog until this very post hit the page. ;)

So I already did my emotional piece about what happened AFTER The Boston Marathon on that fateful Monday, April 15 - which you can read here - so this post is about the race itself.

I wanted to make sure I got one good night of sleep the night before so I hit the hay by 7pm thanks to some Tylenol PM. I needed to make sure I had plenty of time to sleep with this wake-up call waiting for me Monday morning.

How could I not LEAP out of bed with these notifications on my phone?

I was pumped.

I had to make sure I was at Boston Common in enough time to catch the 7am bus to Hopkinton. As we've learned, I'd rather be early than late so the wife and I hit the road by 6:15 so I could stop at Dunkin Donuts before waiting in the bus lines at Boston Common.

I've never been so excited to put on a race outfit as I was that morning. I was honored to proudly wear my Tedy's Team singlet with my Gramma and Grampa - my Stroke Heroes - on the back.

Since it was sooo early in the morning compared to when my wave of the race was actually taking place - 10:40am - I was able to get a Dunkins Iced Coffee and bagel to enjoy before the run.

The wife dropped me off at Boston Common and I got in the endless line to load the bus to Hopkinton. It was an amazing feeling being surrounded by so many amazingly talented runners.

I even made a friend while waiting in line. She was another charity runner, who thankfully had run Boston before so she was able to give me her thoughts behind the race.

We actually were able to board our bus just after 7am. As the bus began to pull away from Boston Common, I realized I left my Garmin at home.

You HAVE to be kidding me. On just the most important race of my life, I forget my watch.

I texted my dad and my wife to get their thoughts. My dad said "well one less distraction." Yeah, not what I wanted to hear.

Thankfully they love me more than I deserve and they got in the car to meet me in Hopkinton.

Since they left just 10-15 minutes after my bus, I knew - okay hoped - they would get to me before we headed to the start line.

The roads in Hopkinton close at 7:30 so they had to park at a nearby office building and take a Marathon Shuttle to the Start area.

I'm lucky - I know.

While they drove to Hopkinton, I tried to calm my nerves.

It was just a sea of bodies when our school bus finally rolled into Athlete's Village.

Thankfully the girl I was with knew how to walk around the crowd and get to the charity meet-ups spots, which were outside the village.

Once we parted ways (I wish I knew her full name so I could check in on her), I took out of Google Maps printout and made my way to the Tedy's Team pre-race house.

It was nice to walk up and see a bunch of familiar faces.

I headed inside and checked in with my teammates. It was great to have a roof over our heads (especially if the weather had been uncooperative), bathrooms and foam rollers.

My dad and wife arrived right on time ... for pics with Tedy Bruschi himself.

After getting final hugs and good luck wishes from my dad and wife, I headed back inside to try and calm the pre-race jitters.

I made the decision to run without headphones/music. I did however keep my headphones in the pocket of my pants JUUUSSTTT in case I needed some motivation.

It was great being surrounded by a great group of teammates, who were thankfully feeling exactly what I was. :P

Photo Courtesy Of Tedy's Team

Before I knew it, it was time to start heading to the Start Line.

Before we left the house, I made sure to take my Energybits.

I walked out the house door and it was time for a group meeting led by Tedy before we headed to the Start Line. Standing in a circle, holding hands with our running coach John and one of my teammates, I just started crying. I, and many others, couldn't hold the emotions in any longer.

We walked as a group to the Start Line area. Tedy opened the corral for us and we headed in as a group. It was great to get one last hug from Zack (Team Director) and Tedy before heading to our corral.

As I made my way through the crowd, I reconnected with some of the team in Corral 5. My running mate Nanci was shooting for the same finish time as I was - around 3:55-3:57 - so it was nice to find a running partner right off the bat. Nanci was wearing a pacing band so we could see if we were starting out too fast or not. It was specially designed for the Boston course. Why didn't I have one myself? Because I'm a slacker. :P

It was finally our time to cross the Start Line and Tedy was at the mic to wish us off.

And as I started my Garmin I once again made the realization that I was freakin' running THE Boston Marathon.

Wow!

The crowd was amazing right off the bat. There were guys offering Corona Lights at Mile Two. Thanks, but we really needed to wait til double digits for that. ;)

As Nanci and I cruised through the first Half of the race, we realized we were about 1-2 minutes ahead of schedule. We tried to reign it in a little since we knew we would need extra gas for Heartbreak Hill.

I was wicked excited to get to Mile 12 because that meant I would finally experience the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel. I had heard so much about it ... and the girls didn't let you down. The girls lined both sides of the street - mainly the right side - with signs in hand and offering up kisses to the runners. I've definitely never seen that before.

Entering Wellesley Center, we saw a group of soldiers running in full gear. I give so much credit to those folks.

As Nanci and I hit the halfway mark, Nanci had to make a pit stop so we parted ways. I hoped in the back of my mind that we would meet up again later in the race, but it didn't happen. :/

I thought about taking out my headphones since I was now alone, but I couldn't. The crowd was constant and empowering.

It was a lifesaver having my name written on the front of my singlet as well as on my arm itself.

Picture from post-race as you can tell by my sunburn :P

I was also got an in with the crowd thanks to my outfit.

The Sparkly Skirt from Team Sparkle was a HIT with the women and girls in the crowd - especially the teens. ;)

The Superman socks were a big crowd pleaser with the young boys especially.

So having some eye-catching running accessories really help with getting crowd encouragement!

It also helped people I actually know spot me in the crowd. One of my Weight Watchers members told me after the race that since I posted my outfit on social media before the race they knew what to look for ... and actually spotted me!

The crowd was carrying me through the run as right heel pain started taking over my thoughts during Miles 15-16. I didn't know what to do. I hadn't experienced pain like that before.

But, there was no way I was going to stop.

So as I approached Mile 17 and Heartbreak Hill, I bore down, dug deep and just ran.

And you know what?

I ran the entire span of Heartbreak Hill. I didn't stop or walk once. One of my goals for the race.

The crowd on Heartbreak was rowdy and having a good time. I wished I could've stopped to have a beer with them. :P

But, the idea of seeing Tedy's Team's Running Coach John at Mile 20 kept me going.

I saw the 20 Mile marker and just ran towards John. I blurted out everything that was going on - the pain in the heel, being scared of what it was, etc.

John gave me some Swedish Fish and told me to just dig deep and finish strong.

Simply put - "just run!"

It seems easy enough.

With that little boost from John, I was off to finish Heartbreak. I never thought I would be so happy to see a Mile marker as I was for Mile 21!

Thank you BC for the reminder! In case I had forgotten that the toughest part of the Boston Marathon was over.

The right heel pain continued, but I had to push on.

I knew the course. We've been running it every Saturday since December 1 - just 5 more miles to go.

My pace had started to slow. I knew it. I could see it on my Garmin and in the text updates from the BAA.

I wasn't happy. But, I wasn't going to let it stop me.

I tweeted when I hit Mile 22.

As the pain in the heel (which occurred every time I pushed off my right foot) continued, I made the decision to stop at each of the remaining medical tents to stretch out the calf as much as I could. It was a suggestion by John to help - so I was willing to try it.

Bravo to the people working the medical tents!! They immediately came to my aid asking if I needed anything.

I walked a tad during Mile 23 and 24. But once I saw the Mile 25 marker...

... I was going to run through WHATEVER pain I felt.

Seeing that sign just reminded me how close I was to the dream - the Finish Line.

And the crowd was AMPED! Many were still milling around from the Red Sox victory in Kenmore Square and they were happy to see us.

They could see the pain and the doubt, but they were there to give whatever they could to us.

(I am tearing up thinking about the energy and love I felt during that stretch)

My friends usually cheered from outside the bar Lower Depths in Kenmore, but as I passed by they weren't there. I was hoping for a familiar face, but at that moment everyone in the crowd sounded like a friend.

As we took that left on to Boylston, I couldn't help but smile. No matter what was happening in my foot - which was the ONLY piece of my body that hurt - I was going to finish this thing. Boylston St is the epitomizes the Marathon.

I caught a glimpse of the Mile 26 marker and tried to make my body go faster. In my mind, I was Kim Smith out there. But, as you can see in the pictures I was just kinda trekking along...

Just after Mile 26, I waved to my dad and wife on my left-hand side and then turned to my right to wave to Tedy and Tedy's Team crew on the second floor of The Lenox Hotel before passing over the Finish Line.

And promptly trying to catch my breath. Not sure why I get so winded after marathons - same thing happened in Savannah in November. But as I walked through the Finish shoot, I found my mom in the crowd on my left. I stopped to chat with her ... when the explosion happened.

Just before the explosion, in the moment when I was catching my breath - I was angry. I officially finished in 4:04:08 for a 9:18 min/mile pace.

Dammit! I really wanted to finish under 4 hours again. If we took out my stop my with coach and the medical tent stops, it would've been under 4.

But, I let that go with what was happening around me.

Again, that experience is recapped here if you need it.

But, as my mom told me to get much-needed water - we were separated. So I grabbed a space blanket and my medal and tried to find my family.

This picture was taken after my family and I were FINALLY reconnected. It felt like hours. This is the smile of 1) Finishing the Marathon and 2) Jubilation of being with my Family again.

We thankfully found a cab and headed home, where I was greeted with gorgeous flowers from my parents. :)

After some much needed family snuggle time in bed with the pups and doing some media interviews with old colleagues from Chicago, it was time to have some celebration/thankful family dinner with my parents.

Enter BBQ and some Sam Adams.

Oh that beer was delicious... :)

My final stats weren't what I wanted ...

... but I will have redemption in 2014!

Overall, the Boston Marathon was like no other race I have ever - and probably will ever - participate in. The crowd, the love, the excitement, the sounds, the smells, and the unity shone through during each and every mile.

Was I happy that of all days a random heel pain had to occur then? No.

But such is the life of a runner right? Not every race will be perfect and you never know how your body will perform on a given day.

So in the end, I am pleased with how I did because I represented myself, my family, my Stroke Heroes, my teammates and my followers to the best of my ability. I also completed my third marathon - not bad for someone that used to weigh in the 230s and not bad for someone who ran their first marathon in 5:59:27.

I gave 110% on that pavement!

But Boston BE READY ... I'm comin' for ya again!

BAA 5k - 4/14/13 - 27:35 (8:54 min/mile)

Yes I ran a 5k the day before The Boston Marathon. But, here's why.

1) I love the race. I did it last year and was psyched that the race started/finished on The Boston Marathon Finish Line. Plus, last year they had chocolate chip bagels at the end - you had me there. :P (2012 Recap)

2) I needed to do a shakeout run the day before the marathon any way so why not get a medal for it. Right?

3) My BFF's birthday was Marathon Monday and I couldn't celebrate with her on the day of SO we I treated her to the 5k race as a birthday present.

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After a fun Saturday morning run with Runner's World and a Saturday afternoon with friends and teammates, Sunday started with a 6:15 wakeup call. Sarah was to arrive at my house by 7am - and she is usually pretty prompt. Thankfully the wife was going to give us a ride in town and with road closures for the Marathon, we headed out just after 7am for the 8am start time.

Yeah, it took us about 10 minutes to get there so we were niiiice and early. :P Well, better than getting there late, right?

Being there so early meant we could mull around the Marathon Finish Area and snap some good pics.

Just stepping on that Line gave me goosebumps for the following day.

I wanted to just jump in a time machine and fast forward the 26 hours til start time.

Can you see the excitement in my face? 

I am rocking my orange Pro Compression socks for the event.

We met a nice woman who was more than happy to take our pic. After grabbing this shot, she asked if she could get creative. She asked us to sit on the Finish Line and pose. I was game because I knew I wouldn't be able to do that the following day.

I can't believe now how much this picture now means to me after the explosions that followed the Boston Marathon.

It is a picture and a moment in time I will cherish forever.

Once we snapped some pics, the chill in the air started wearing on us so we had to get moving. There was still a good 30 minutes until the start of the race.

Why oh why do I make us get to races so early? ;)

But this did allow us plenty of time to people watch, hit the port-o-potties and get right where we wanted to in line.

Now, the other reason I needed Sarah there was to keep me on pace.

I have a hard time holding back - especially in a race - and Sarah is my voice of reason. The one that can get me to scale back.

Our goal was to run around 9ish min/mile pace. Much slower than my now normal 5k speed so it was going to be a mental exercise for me as well. Since we know I really needed to keep the energy for the following day - the BIG SHOW.

After a great rendition of the National Anthem it was time for the race to finally start.

I hit Start on the Garmin and it was go time.

And we immediately started out too fast.

We are just too darn speedy ... or so we told ourselves. ;)

But, we tailed it back to about a 9 min/mile pace.

It was comfortable. It was nice.

It was fun to just run with a friend and have a conversation without any sort of shortness of breathe.

Let me tell you when I started running back in 2005 and could barely handle a 12 min/mile pace - I never thought I would call 9 min/mile pace comfortable.

We were really able to enjoy the scenery and the time together.

Sarah is leaving me for Maine at the beginning of June so we are trying to make the most of our time together as we can.

As we ran along the Boston Commons and weaved ourselves through the streets of Boston, we noticed some pairings participating in a "Blindfold Challenge." One person wears a blindfold and their partner acts as their guide - it is an amazing concept.

But, as we took our left turn on to Boylston Street, we noticed a pair in front of us. Sarah and I looked at each other, locked eyes and at the same time made the comment that we couldn't let them beat us.

We had been great all race about keeping the pace down. BUT, we both decided that a little sprint at the end wouldn't hurt anyone. Right?

So we locked in and put in extra effort for the last 0.2 miles.

It was thrilling to run down Boylston Street and know that the following day it would be lined with fans and my family cheering me on. And when I crossed that same Finish Line the next day I would conquer the Boston Marathon - something I never thought possible when I topped the scales at 235 lbs.

We finished with a time of 27:35, which is a 8:54 min/mile pace. Again, a tad faster than we wanted BUT good for us.

My legs felt great afterwards and were ready for the next day.

I also got to FINALLY show off my Got Chocolate Milk Team Refuel singlet in an actual race. Doesn't it look good with my orange Pro Compression socks. :)

We grabbed our post-race goody bags (as you can see in the picture above), but where was my chocolate chip bagel?

NO WHERE!!

There weren't any bagels post-race. You've gotta be kidding me. I had my little heart set on a post-run chocolate chip bagel. Ouch! Boo! Wahhh!

I picked up the pieces of my little broken heart and Sarah and I headed to the T stop to head home.

We met Tori and headed to Dunkin Donuts so I could at least have my Iced Coffee. I mean I do Run On Dunkin.

After Sarah headed home, it was time for a RELAXING afternoon.

Putting the legs up was my Number One Priority for the afternoon.

But, eating was also important ... so the wife and I headed out for a quick lunch before it was back to the couch.

Yup nerves were starting to kick in!

I wanted a good night of sleep so I laid out my outfit for the following day, took a couple Tylenol PM and was asleep by 7pm.

Ready to ROCK the Boston Marathon...

A Pretty Sweet Saturday Afternoon...

After kicking off Saturday, April 13 with a great shakeout run with Runner's World that morning, I had a big afternoon planned. The wife and I headed back into town to enjoy lunch with a couple of my favorite bloggers: Colleen from TheFitBee.com and Samantha from RunningAndCupcakes.com. We had planned on MJ O'Connor's Pub, but it was so much easier to just head to Whiskey's across from the Boston Marathon Expo - since everyone wanted to head there afterwards.

Yes, I was planning a second trip to the Expo. :P

I owe Twitter for bringing me together with these two lovely, amazing, inspiring and just overall kick ass people. They push me to be a better runner, person and blogger every day. It is so fun when online relationships turn into real life friendships. :)

Samantha lives in Rhode Island, but was volunteering at a water stop along the Marathon course on the Monday. While Colleen was going to rock a 50k the following day then run - sorry own - the Boston Marathon the next day.

Rock Stars!!

After a great lunch and some yummy beer, we headed back over to the Expo. We were walking around as a happy little group until I saw something shiny and of course got separated from everyone else. Oops!

The wife and I did another loop around the Expo before having to head home to get ready for our evening plans.

We had just enough time to get home and change before heading back into town for the Tedy's Team Pasta Dinner, which was being held at the Lenox Hotel.

The Lenox Hotel would be our post-race reunion location as well. Such a great feature offered by Tedy's Team. Plus it was RIGHT by the Finish Line, which meant we wouldn't have to walk too far following the race.

(Note: We obviously didn't get to enjoy The Lenox Hotel as a post-race location because of the bombings that took place, but I thank the Hotel for all the help they offered for my teammates and their families on that day!)

It was great to be surrounded by the whole team.

Photo Courtesy Of Tedy's Team

Aren't we one good-looking group? :)

We had a delicious pasta dinner in the Dome Room, which sported a beautiful blue ceiling.

The centerpieces were plants cradled in the official Boston Marathon Sneakers from New Balance.

After dinner, Zack (our fearless leader), Tedy's wife and son, and two of my teammates (Christine and Nate) all gave moving, motivational and inspiring speeches to get us pumped up for Monday's run. With tears in my eyes and pride in my heart, I was ready to face that Boston Marathon.

I was ready to make myself, my family, my Stroke Heroes and my team proud.

The team dinner wrapped up about 9pm and the wife and I headed over to the Runner's World party, which was being held just a few streets away.

Do you think my KT Tape went with my black dress? ;)

We walked the 0.4 miles to Lucca Back Bay to attend the Runner's World party.

I loved seeing large blowups of the magazine around the restaurant then seeing the people from the cover there in person. Surreal.

Since I had an early morning the next day - running BAA 5k - we hung around for about 30 minutes or so then headed home. It was cool to see so many running celebrities in one room.

It was a great day being surrounded by motivating friends and fellow runners!! A great pump up for the BAA 5k on the Sunday and the Marathon on the Monday!