How did it feel? Basically – I felt like I was running too fast. The down hill in the beginning of the run felt like I had wings… My heart was pumping – I was singing (hadn’t found anyone to chat with — so singing always helps my oxygen levels… funny, but true..) I bought this rubber bracelet to keep me on a 3:10 pace and checked the times at every mile mark. I was consistently running under 7 min/mile pace and felt really VERY good – – I fed off the crowd, the crowd that came out in the rain despite it all. At one point I was running with this man who kept raising his arms and the crowd would go wild, later on in the race I did the same thing. The little kids with their outstretched hands and the women yelling “girl power” gave me the extra push as well. It was amazing the speed in my legs, I rolled on my feet extended my stride, kept my eyes forward, thought about my “Chi” running style moving into the hill with the gravity pull to go faster and “digging deep”. Looking inside myself for that strength and inspiration from those that I am connected to – I can do this – I can run a 3:05…..
The weather? I am doing my pre-race story – but really wanted to share these results first so everyone can feel the pride that I feel right now at this moment in time…. The rain was coming down in sheets before the race, but right as we were headed to the start the rain stopped – it was a little drizzly and the puddles gave me sore feet I may not have experienced if it was dry. The head winds were very strong in spots, so I would look for the biggest man to “draft” behind as much as possible. The crowds were dispursed at the end so I never did find someone at my own pace and those around me weren’t interested in chatting – so I kept my positive self talk going to the end…
I remember all the towns, Hopkinton, Ashland (I looked for Peg), Wellsley (the screaming women) – looked for Mike at the 16 and then to my delight seeing Tina at mile 20 – she saw me and ran for a few minutes… her support has been incredible and having her and Oakley and Meg as running partners are what had prepared me for this incredible race.
Heartbreak Hill was long – a little tough, but ok – I held my hands out – leaned into the hill and pumped my arms (thinking of my friend,Jim, a fellow runner friend of Judy’s) – – got to the top – the crowd was going wild ” You can do it! It is all downhill from here” – – 5 miles to go – someone said that myself and this other girl were at least top 200 woman – so I kicked it in again…..
It was at the 5K that I looked at my watch to check if I had enough left to make my goal, how long will this take me…- I was almost there – a few corners in downtown Boston – I made it through Brighton and here I was almost home! I could see that I really could do it – a 3:05 was within reach. I pumped my arms, looked up to the sky, put my hand on my heart and said if it is in there I need it now. I kicked…. and kept looking at my watch. I saw the big blue finish line and ran hard, pumping and kicking! I crossed the finish line looking at my watch – I couldn’t believe it – I ran a 3:05:59 AND MADE MY GOAL~ : )
My results below (to date):
7th in my division (40-45 age)
73rd overall woman
1480 – overall (23,000 runners)
2nd woman in NH
Masters Women? – hope to find that out soon!
I sat with Mike from Green Bay, WI on the airplane ride to Chicago this morning, who also ran a 3:05, he had the Boston Globe and finishing times for all runners was listed so I found my time and name. The winners of the US Woman Championships was posted as well, in fact, if I had signed up for this race within the race, I would have place 40 overall and there were about 5 women with times slower than mine.
SOME NOTES FROM FRIENDS:
From Jen Hager: Congrats on the Boston Marathon!!! You were on the Channel 9 news as one of the top three women in NH. Great Job!!
From David Rowell:
(below taken from my goal setting blog post)
> BOSTON:
> “The planets are aligned and the gods are smiling” time: 3:05
Wow… the gods were smiling on just you, considering the first place finishers ran about 8 minutes (an eternity!) behind the course records. Nancy, I’m ashamed to say I didn’t think you’d do particularly well,not because of you, but because of the weather conditions. I much prefer the cold weather to the heat like most people, but today was ridiculous! (Not to mention the wind, which I figured must have been a significant factor. Seventh in your division, 73rd for women. “Congratulations” hardly seems adequate. Great job!
-dsr
From the Valley News (click here)
If any runners from our neck of the woods enjoyed it more, it might have been Sunapee resident Nancy Peck, who finished in 3:05:59. Only Scott Stone of Lebanon (3:00:52) ran faster among Upper Valley runners, and only 32-year-old Tammie Robie of Milford, N.H., (3:03:59) outran Peck among women from New Hampshire.
“That’s my PR (personal record),” said Peck, who coached the Woodstock High girls basketball team in the early 1990s. “I just ran Chicago (in October) in 3:14 to qualify for Boston. The best I’ve ever done here was a 3:50, years ago.”
And this was at age 42, two years after she began a gradual return to running and triathlon racing after she injured a knee while teaching skiing. Among 2,538 woman finishers ages 40-49 yesterday, she came in seventh, and in the overall women’s field of 7,966, she took 73rd.
“Life after 40,” Peck said with a smile. “You get faster, man.”
