I don’t know.. I kinda expected to cry.. throw my arms up
in victory..scream, holler, have fireworks light up, streamers, confetti, horns, you know.. dramatic flair the moment I did it... but on Sunday as I crossed the finish line of the Shamrock Marathon, at a Boston Qualifying time of 3:55:30.. I felt an unbelievable sense of calm... like when someone finally gets to the end of a book and closes it gently...
I am stunned... the utter disbelief that FINALLY after 8 years of holding on to a dream... the countless miles; in snow, rain, heat... through good training and bad training.. good weather and bad weather, through sickness and health..
I cannot believe that I FINALLY QUALIFIED FOR THE BOSTON MARATHON!!
I am stunned... the utter disbelief that FINALLY after 8 years of holding on to a dream... the countless miles; in snow, rain, heat... through good training and bad training.. good weather and bad weather, through sickness and health..
I cannot believe that I FINALLY QUALIFIED FOR THE BOSTON MARATHON!!
KEEP calm and carry on… I was blessed to be able to come back to the Shamrock Marathon this year, having suffered some personal setbacks in August and having to build back my strength to be able to run and to live again... Life is such a blessing.
Tinkerbell...I couldnt think of a better name for my Race Bib.. a dedication to my mother... who for whatever reason dubbed me her Tinkerbell. I know she was looking down on me on Sunday... smiling... and I would be running with my best friend/hubby by my side. How could life get any better?!
I promised to not go out too fast.. to ease into the miles... and so…I did… and covered the first 16 miles with some sort of “Girls Gone Wild” but truth be told.. I felt good.. I felt relaxed and the pace felt really "easy"… and then I got to mile 17 and I thought I WOULD FNING DIE… ..
Tinkerbell...I couldnt think of a better name for my Race Bib.. a dedication to my mother... who for whatever reason dubbed me her Tinkerbell. I know she was looking down on me on Sunday... smiling... and I would be running with my best friend/hubby by my side. How could life get any better?!
I promised to not go out too fast.. to ease into the miles... and so…I did… and covered the first 16 miles with some sort of “Girls Gone Wild” but truth be told.. I felt good.. I felt relaxed and the pace felt really "easy"… and then I got to mile 17 and I thought I WOULD FNING DIE… ..
HOT DAMN… I remember thinking for just a fraction of a second
how if ONLY I could just stop and cry… because it HURT THAT MUCH…I want TO DIE. . just leave me.. I cannot go on... this total b-llsh-t... BELIEVE in your TRAINING.. BELIEVE in your TRAINING... BELIEVE.. BELIEVE... IGNORE THE CRAZY MAN WHO IS RUNNING TWO PACES AHEAD OF YOU.. IGNORE that
everyone is now passing you…. REGROUP.. you are A MACHINE.
It took a few miles.. to reset my mind.. to stop wallowing in self pity because I actually PAID money to do this... and WHAT THE H-LL IS JOE DOING? He sure is getting on my last nerves, if only I could catch up to him...I would most certainly pummel him to death. I HATE HIM.. HATE!
He runs so easily... and I am suffering.. and wait.. no i dont hate him.. i am sorry... now I feel guilty for having hateful thoughts... and why is he hollering at me..???!. GO THE H-LL AWAY...
I became so enraged at my own self pity, at Joe for not appearing to suffer as much as me... at the cute young tan girl who just passed me.. at the people watching because I AM SUFFERING ... DAMMIT... and they are NOT!.... I WILL show them .. .I am going to "SPRINT" the last 3 miles.. because I KNOW I CAN... . who knew that my mind could really convince my body .. and so it was written and so it was told.
He runs so easily... and I am suffering.. and wait.. no i dont hate him.. i am sorry... now I feel guilty for having hateful thoughts... and why is he hollering at me..???!. GO THE H-LL AWAY...
I became so enraged at my own self pity, at Joe for not appearing to suffer as much as me... at the cute young tan girl who just passed me.. at the people watching because I AM SUFFERING ... DAMMIT... and they are NOT!.... I WILL show them .. .I am going to "SPRINT" the last 3 miles.. because I KNOW I CAN... . who knew that my mind could really convince my body .. and so it was written and so it was told.
I hit mile 23 and sprinted past Joe…
Damn annoying best
friend....that will show him.. but the “best friend” had somehow resumed in front and had started
some sort of bantering waving of the hands.. yelling something about let's go… dig
deep and.. OMGOD!!.. With TINKERBELL on my
race bib and commando two feet ahead of me waving his arms yelling at me.. I smiled.. 
I hit the boardwalk.. half mile to go.. I cannot say I recall much of that last half mile.. other than looking at the back of a raving lunatic .. as I am running a "sprint" on shredded legs … AND SMILING... I crossed that line.. a Boston qualifying time.
Never, ever give up on your dreams.. believe in them with all your heart and soul... Life for
me changed back in the fall of 2006.. that day when I decided to put on those
dusty sneakers and run after 20 years.. a quarter mile at a time…
The best advice I can give is to live your life as fully as
possible… don’t let the poison get to you… have no regrets… Mom this was for
you! TINKERBELL ROCKED IT!
THANK GOD THAT SH-T IS OVER!
Thank you to my family, my running family and to my best
friend/hubby Joe… without you I most certainly would not have become who I am
today. .. So let it be written so let it be told….
