The Big Day

It has become somewhat of a tradition that I send a long-winded email describing the events of the long-awaited marathon day to all my friends, family and supporters. I could not disappoint those who already told me they were looking forward to this email so here goes my recount of yesterday, the 112th running of the Boston Marathon (and my 5th!). After 5 Boston Marathons and 6 marathons total, it is hard to remember how this all started. But it did, and I have been sucked in. The memories of the leg cramps and fatigue I felt in the last few miles are already starting to fade and instead I can remember all those things that made yesterday fantastic. I read an adidas ad the day before the race and it had a runner and several sayings next to her, one of which was “Today I will run the best race I can” and I decided that would be my mantra for the marathon.

We arrived in Hopkinton at about 7:30, 3 hours before our start time. A few photo opportunities, 2 trips to the port-o-potty (those lines are LONG) and some time to get my gear together and it was 9:45 and we needed to make the walk over to the start. While it was overcast and a bit cool while we were in the Athlete’s Village, the sun came out just as we walked towards the start. I was seeking the same finish time as my teammates Ed and Peter and we planned to run together. The runners are lined up based on their bib numbers in corrals, with 1,000 runners in a corral. This year there was the largest number of entrants in Boston Marathon history and 26 corrals. We were pretty close to being BEHIND all those runners as we made our way into the 25th corral. When the gun went off, it took us about 12 minutes to get to the starting line and the first 2-3 miles were a zoo, with runners everywhere. But patience is a good thing at the start of the race. The course starts with a steep downhill and if you take off too fast, your quads will pay on the uphills later on. So I tried to be patient. We passed the biker bar in Ashland at mile 2 and at 11AM, everyone had beers in hand. Passing by several homes, folks had there stereos blasting “We are the Champions” or “Chariots of Fire”.

By mile 5, I eased into a more comfortable pace. On the side of the road I saw Santa and several elves cheering on the runners. A few miles later, Elvis stood on the back of a pick up truck singing “Love Me Tender”. Shortly after that, I came up on the Mansfield clan set up just after the 11 mile mark. The Mansfields have 3 family members on the Alzheimer’s team have a huge family, so we got a big cheer and great boost when we passed by. Ed dropped behind as we ran through Natick but Peter and I remained together. We didn’t speak much, but just having someone there was a great comfort. I did however have to say something when we passed the 2 guys running in speedos…yes, JUST speedos. I heard a woman behind me ask them “What bet did you guys lose?”

Peter dropped back at mile 15 and I was on my own for a bit. I was starting to feel the beginnings of fatigue, but I fought to not think about it. At about mile 16.5, the Alzheimer’s Association sets up a cheering station. As I got within about 100 yards, I could see the balloons and then my boyfriend Justin with his camera, snapping pictures. It was so great to see familiar faces and hear the burst of cheers as I passed. I felt a rise of emotion and a tear slipped down my cheek. My friend Molly jumped into the race, ready to help me run the last 10 miles. She was equipped with an index card of notes full of stories to entertain and distract me on the remainder of my run. Additionally, she became my water-girl, cutting over to get me water or Gatorade so I did not have to slow down to get it myself. She also helped out my teammate Brent. He to;d us he was struggling, but seeing us and hearing our words of encouragement (mostly Molly’s words – even talking takes a lot of energy by that point in the race) motivated him up the hills. I too was hitting a wall while running the hills, but I was passing people and I wanted to keep passing people, so I kept going. I saw Amy and Amy with a sign that read “Go Chrissy” with little running stick figures and their smiles helped me relax a bit. As I made it to the top of Heartbreak Hill and ran through the 21 Mile mark, I knew I would not stop and I would run the best race I could. There would be no giving up.

I slowed down a little in the last 5 miles but I was still passing people and I was determined not to let the slowly forming cramps in my quads stop me. I decided I could deal with the pain afterwards (and I did!). I had 2 things that were keeping me going…1) The Alzheimer’s Association President spoke at our banquet the Friday before the race and told us there were 120,000 patients with Alzheimer’s Disease in Massachusetts. Therefore, he said, each member of our team had 3,000 people behind them helping us to the finish. 2) I was running this race in memory and honor of several family members. As I have done the last 2 years, I was running for my grandfather, who passed away from Alzheimer’s Disease in 2005. But this year I was also running for my grandmother who passed away in December. She was one tough cookie and never complained if she didn’t feel well, so I figured that was a good example to follow when my quads starting screaming at me. Also, she was one of the most important people in my life and I wanted to make her proud by running the strongest race I could possibly run, and that meant giving all I had and not settling for anything less. I was also running for my uncle who has been battling cancer this year. He has conquered so much more than a marathon could ever equal and his perseverance made me want to run harder.

I ran past Summit Ave, where my roommate, June, was standing on a folding chair with holding a yellow sign. I ran into Kenmore Square where I saw Erika, Heather, Dave and the Joint Ventures crew. Their cheers as well as the sign reading “1 Mile to Go” gave me a push to get to the end. As I turned onto Hereford Street the noise was ridiculous and the crowds bigger than I had ever remembered. I turned onto Boylston and saw the finish line. My first thought was “I can’t wait until this is over so I can take a nap!” I passed Justin again who had made it to the finish to cheer me on. Then I saw my mom and dad…they have been to every marathon I have run and it means so much for me to see them as I near the finish. With about 100 yards to go I gave it a final push. I crossed the finish line at 3:52:48, a new personal best!

Your donations have helped me raised $5,080 as of today, for a 3-year total of over $20,000 for the Alzheimer’s Association. More than that, our team has helped increase awareness of Alzheimer’s Disease across the state and the country. If you haven't donated yet, you still can by clicking on the link to the right. Thank you for supporting me through these past months of training and fundraising. I could not have done it without you!

Running around...literally

So I was driving on the Mass Pike today to go to Worcester and after being in the car for over 25 minutes, I looked and noticed that I was still not near Hopkinton, the town in which the marathon starts. Depressing when you realize driving 26 miles takes a while. Running it might take a bit longer...

This week has been so busy so far though I have hardly had a chance to get nervous. Things settle down at work after tomorrow morning - when I drive to Worcester again! So I'm sure it will all start to sink in soon enough. For right now, I'll take being excited and leave the nerves for Sunday night.

Lazy Sunday

It's been a long few months. Yesterday we ran a 14 mile long run as we started cutting back on mileage before the marathon. It was a tougher run than I had planned though. Legs felt a bit heavy and slow. But thinking back, this week is traditionally not a really strong run for me. I always feel crappy this run, maybe the long weeks of training catching up with me. I was just happy to get it over with. And even happier that we had a pancake breakfast breakfast waiting for us afterwards!

So today I decided it is going to be a lazy Sunday. Time to relax and catch up on some laying around on the couch. It helps too that it's overcast and a little chilly ourside. More motivation to pop in another movie. I can't wait for the race to get here. 15 more days...

23316

That's my bib number for the Boston Marathon. I found out this week. Considering there are only 25,000 runners, I wonder who is behind me :)

If you go to www.baa.org on marathon day, you can type in my number and track my progress along the course. (The link on the BAA site isn't made available until April 21, so if you go now, you won't find it.) I'll send an email to friends and family before the race as a reminder.

21 days and counting

Yesterday I finished my last 22 mile run before the marathon on April 21. For the next 3 weeks, I will reduce my mileage and training to make sure my body is healthy and strong for the big event. Just when I begin to really feel the wear and tear of 3+ months of training, both physically and emotionally, it is time to cut back and relax a little. Over the next 3 weeks, I will at first look forward to a lighter schedule, but as April 21 gets near, I will be anxious and WANT to run to calm this anxiety.

Anyway, the run yesterday went well. I feel strong and ready to run my 5th Boston Marathon. Amazing how much things have changed since November when we had our first Run for the Memory Team meeting and I had just completed my first 1/2 MILE run that morning (yes, 1/2 mile, as in 21.5 iles lass than I ran yesterday!), healing a stress fracture that happened in September. I was nervous for the first month that the injury was not fully healed. I went back to the doctor in mid-January and asked her to re-xray my foot, because I was nervous that the injury had come back. She assured me I was OK to go ahead in my training and she was right - many miles later, I am not constantly thinking about my foot. I ran a PR in the New Bedford 1/2 Marathon a few weeks ago, ran 3 strong 20+ mile runs and have felt good on more runs than not overall during my training. What a difference 4 months can make. Now I just need to make through the next 3 weeks...

The end is near

Just got home from a 10 mile run. We actually got to run a good portion of the run in daylight tonight. That plus the temperature was in the 40s which was a nice treat as well. I can't believe though that this weekend marks our last long training run. 22 miles! We did a 22 miler last weekend and it went pretty well. I actually didn't start to feel it until about mile 18. I only hope this week goes so well. I have been running much more with my friend Katrina. It's great to have someone to keep pace with, especially when running 3+hours! We'll run together again on Saturday so hopefully, that will help me get through a little easier. Man, it will be nice when that is done. After that, the distances we run and weekly mileage drops up until the marathon. It will be a welcome treat when my longest run of the week is 9 miles! 25 days and counting!

Why I run...

This week, the Alzheimer’s Association released a report, 2008 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures, that estimates 10 million baby boomers will develop Alzheimer’s disease in the United States. The disease is set to strike 1 out of 8 baby boomers.

It’s for reasons like this that I am waking up mornings when the temperature is 25 degrees and heading out the door to run 6 or 7 miles at 5:30 AM. It’s for reasons like this that I keep sending emails and asking my friends and family to contribute to help fight this disease.

Not making it easy...

The weather gods are officially against me! The last 3 weekends we have had some tough weather for our long runs. This weekend we postponed our run from Saturday until Sunday because of predicted rain. The weather on Sunday was sunnier, but REALLY windy. It was also a very hilly route. At times, between running up a steep hill and facing a strong head wind, I literally felt like I was running in place! But I did it! I ran 20 miles and felt good - well as good as I could feel after running 20 hilly miles in the wind. But I felt strong, which is a good sign for training. Next Sunday is a 1/2 marathon race, so kind of break in mileage. Hopefully the weather gods will cut us a break next weekend!

Through rain, snow, sleet and hail...

Well, today was possibly the worst conditions I have ever run in. We headed out to Natick - 18.2 miles from the marathon finish line at 8 AM. There was a good 1-2 inches of snow laid on the ground already and large white flakes were still falling. The snow coming down was bearable, though I was blinded more than once by a snowflake to the eye. My trouble was with the change to my stride that the not-yet-shovelled sidewalks posed. I could feel just 4-5 miles into the run the strain on muscles I am not used to using to help me keep my balance while running on the slick surface. Oh, and the several puddles I stepped in along the way were also fun. I love running with wet socks on! As we moved towards Boston, the roads got a little bit clearer and the snow turned more to rain. I was so mad that so much of my run had gone so poorly that I added about 1.5 miles at the end. Dumb, maybe, but I just needed to get the frustration out of my system. I swear as soon as I finished the sun came out for a bit...as if it just wanted to tease me by saying "silly runner, you should have stayed in bed this morning!". But I'm done. Just shy of 20 miles today. Despite downing a latte from Starbucks on my way home, I showered and then slept like a baby for 2.5 hours. Feel great now - and of course the snow is no longer falling and already melting! Ah well, here's to better weather next weekend!

Not backing down...

I had a good week. Life has been super busy at work, but made time for my runs this week and felt good. Our weekend long run was postponed from Saturday to Sunday due to the weather (6-10 inches of snow). While we probably could have run on Sat, it was a beautiful day today, so I'd say a good decision to make the switch. Good, until about 4 miles into the run when I stepped on what I thought was a little patch of soft snow and ended up landing on the side of my foot and twisting my ankle. Many years of volleyball has taught me what a mild and a severe sprain feels like and fortunately this one was not bad. I walked it off then began jogging slowly. By the end of this 18 mile run, I was PASSING people on the hills. I was not litting that patch of snow ruin my run and it turned out to be a great run! I felt like I could have done 2 more miles, but thought perhaps I should leave good enough alone today. Think I might stick to the pool tomorrow AM though!

Finally feeling better

So it has taken a solid 2 weeks but I am finally running without coughing! I was out - as in not only not running, but not moving off the couch for a week. Then I had a week of running through coughing fits - that was fun. Finally, this week, I have been feeling good, running well and sleeping through the night without waking up coughing. Saturday I completed a 17 mile run from Natick (around mile 9) to the finish line in Boston. Minus the coughing, it felt pretty good. Same run is scheduled for this Sat and I may tack on an extra mile for kicks :)

I also hit my 1st fundraising goal of $2000 by Feb 15. The next milestone will be the $3000 mark by March 15. Making progress!

Up to speed

Yesterday our long run route began at Mile 3 on the marathon course and consisted of running to the starting line and back 2x with a few miles tacked on in the other direction at the end. The challenging part is that the first 3 miles of the marathon course involves a 200 foot drop in elevation, with the first 150 foot drop coming in the first 1/2 mile or so (read as - one pretty BIG HILL). So our run was 3 miles up hill, 3 miles down hill, 3 more miles up hill and 3 more miles down hill....and then 2 miles out the other direction and back. The uphills are tough, but the downhills, if run too fast can be tougher. My quads are a little sore today from the run, but overall, I feel good. Sixteen miles total and run at a good pace. I finally feel like I am back up to speed with where I want my training to be. Next Sunday we run a 1/2 Marathon in NH. A little cut back in mileage, but the chance to push a little harder. Looking forward to it, and maybe a new half marathon PR? :)

The fundraising front is a little slower. I did not succeed in meeting my goal of raising $2000 by Jan 31, so I'm resetting that date for Feb 15. I'm also trying to plan a fundraiser so stay tuned for the date and location for that. If anyone has ideas or connections that could help me secure some worthy donations for raffle prizes, PLEASE let me know.

Sometimes getting there is half the battle

5:00 hasn't surt this bad in a while...actually by the time I hit snooze 2 times it was 5:10, but I still did not want to get up. I didn't have anyone to meet this morning, was planning on running on the treadmill and completed my first track workout last night...all factors weighing in AGAINST me getting out of bed. But I did it! It was a little tough for the first mile, but I found a rhythm and ran 6.5. Not bad for a morning when I didn't even want to get up to pee. The run wasn't bad and even better, it's over. The rest of the day is mine.

Oh, and the track workout yesterday...my first time doing a speed workout this year. I was definitely winded but not bad...I think I maintained the same pace as I was running last year around this time, which hopefully means that with some work I can improve. Anyway, another positive note in my training. Keep 'em coming!

The streak...

So, it's been about 2 weeks and I have had a row of several really good runs. It's great, but makes me worry when this streak will end. Most recently was my long run on Saturday. I was planning on running 12 miles. I was convinced by the friends I was running with to stretch it to 13. Then as I was finishing mile 13, I felt good and added one more mile for a 14 mile run. Sick, right? Like 13 isn't long enough?! But it was that good of a day! I'll take it while it comes as I'm sure I'll have plenty of rough days ahead to even it all out. But for now I'm psyched to be running and feeling good. I received my marathon registration confirmation today as well, so it's real and I'm going to be ready. On the fundraising side, I'm just shy of $1000 right now. Hoping to make a surge this week though :) Cross your fingers that the streak continues!

A great week

So following my 6.5 mile run on Wednesday, I had a great 9 mile run Thursday night and another strong run on Saturday. I ran 13 miles on Saturday and felt really strong. I'm excited to be back and running with confidence. The marathon is officially 12 weeks from today and I am ready to get serious about training and fundraising. If you haven't already, please consider making a donation to the Alzheimer's Association on my behalf!

So far so good...

It's been a little over 2 weeks since my last post and since then there's been both progress fundraising and running. I reached a long training run of just under 11 miles (10.75 according to the GPS) on Saturday for my longest run since Sept. However, I am more excited of the run I had this morning. While it was only about 6.5 miles, it was the first time yet I have felt really good running. I wasn't winded , sore or thinking of my healing (or healed) foot. I just ran. And it was great. I definitely needed that one.

On the fundraising side, I have begun chipping away at my $10,000 goal. As I am writing this, I have raised $655. Thanks to everyone who has made a donation so far. Someone asked me recently why I set my goal so high. Well, I've been volunteering with the Alzheimer's Association for the last 3 years and have seen some of the important services and resources they provide those affected by Alzheimer's Disease and their families. It's a pretty amazing organization. I set my goal at $10,000 because I want to make a contribution and if I can, I hope to be able to raise even more than this. If you haven't visited my fundraising page yet, please take a look. I think if I raise $2000 by the end of the month I get some free shoe laces or something, so help me out!

Finally Getting Started!

Happy New Year! I'm a little late getting things started this year, but yet again I will be training for the Boston Marathon with the Alzheimer's Association Run for the Memory training team. As in the last 2 years, I will be running again in honor of my grandfather, Felix Iovino, who passed away in 2005 from Alzheimer's Disease. This year I will also be running in honor of my grandmother, Frances Iovino, his caretaker and one of my most favorite people ever, who recently passed away in December.

Part of my delay this year was an injury that had me sidelined for almost 3 months this fall. A stress fracture that occurred in my foot while training for the NYC Marathon this summer had me on a spin bike, in the pool, on a yoga mat - everywhere but on the roads running - for most of September, October and November. I was a little hesitant to begin asking for donations while I was unsure if I would be able to train this winter. However, after starting a slow comeback around Thanksgiving, I have finally started running moderate distances without any pain. This weekend I completed my first 10 miles run - my longest distance since Sept 14! With that, I can finally say with confidence that I am excited to begin my training for the 112th Boston Marathon.

What I am a little less confident about is my fundraising! I set my goal at $10,000 this year. It's a bit intimidating, but I kind of like the challenge. So, to start, check out my online fundraising page to make a donation! The link is posted to the right or click here: https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=256529&lis=0&kntae256529=FC5ACD96B0F54786A3BDE5D9FD8F929E&supId=102464564
I'll update this page regularly, so check in from time to time to see how things are going!