A Great Marathon & Weekend

Reflecting on the 2014 Boston Marathon around mile 15 of the race, I already knew that while I was not having the race that I wanted, the marathon itself and the whole weekend had been amazing.  I won't dwell on the race much...it was a warm day and for that reason (& perhaps others) I struggled from mile 14 onward.  I was physically tired, my stomach was upset and I couldn't properly eat/drink to recover from it; mentally, I struggled after missing my family and friends at locations I expected.  I often thought of those individuals that I was running in honor and in memory of, those battling cancer, RJ and friends and family who have supported me the last 3 years of running for DFMC.  Of course, the events of the 2013 marathon were also not far from my mind.  In the end, I saw many friends from mile 17.5 onward, Boylston St was unreal, the fan support was amazing and I finished another Boston Marathon!  Importantly, thanks to >100 donors, we raised $11,600+ for DFMC (as of this post)!!  While DFMC had a goal of $5.3M, we have helped raise more than $6M for the Barr Program, an incredible year for us and DFMC!

I stated the weekend with my sister and dad arriving in Boston.  We proceeded down to Copley Sq and the BAA expo.  After getting my bib number we walked through the expo a bit and tasted some Sam Adams 26.2 Brew.

Official bib picked up

We also walked through the Boston public library and through the 'Dear Boston' exhibit.  Following the bombings in 2013, a makeshift memorial sprung up in Copley Sq.  After a few weeks, items that were left were catalogued and stored.  The 'Dear Boston' exhibit displays some of the memorial items.

Shoes left by runners from 2013

We also stopped by Old South Church, which is near the marathon finish and was close to the 1st bombing in 2013.  The church was generously giving out blue & yellow scarves to marathon runners this year.  This was part of the Marathon Scarf Project. In short, the Old South Knitters Club came up with the idea and people from all 50 states and 8 countries knitted more than 7,000 scarves for runners, wrapping them with love and courage.  Mine was made by someone in Salisbury, NC.

Runners getting scarves from Old South Church

After a full day on Friday, our Saturday was just as busy.  Ashley, Amy and I ran the BAA 5K on Sat AM with 10,000 other runners. We ran a nice & easy 30min race on a gorgeous April morning. 

Finishing the BAA 5K!

5K complete with our 'official' photographer

After a quick recovery and breakfast, we headed out to Fenway for the RedSox v Baltimore game.  While the Sox haven't been playing great, we got to see a win!

Heading into Fenway Park

Though we didn't sit next to RJ, he was also at the game and we were able to meet up before and after for a bit to chat.

Meeting RJ before the Sox game

After a nice Easter morning mass at which we met Father Joe and received a special blessing (Mayor Walsh was also in attendance), we headed out to Copley Square and the Expo for Amy to pick up her bib.

Signs of support were all over Bosoton

At the fnish line VIP seating area

Boston finish line catwalk

We also walked by the sites of last year's bombings and paid our respect to the victims.

Crosses for those killed in events related to the 2013 marathon

After our photo session at the finish line and the expo, we headed over to the DFMC pasta party.  Before dinner we met up with RJ and stopped by his poster that we prepared back in March.

Walking into dinner are the posters of all the patient partners, which serve as an incredible reminder of why we fundraise, train and run the marathon.  Our efforts are minor compared their struggles and journey.

Patient Partner Posters

As this is the 25th year of DFMC, we heard from a number of people involved in the program, including grandsons of Sidney Farber, regarded as the Father of modern Chemotherapy.  A former DFMCer also spoke.  Darby was hoping to run with the team this year but early on found it more challenging than it should be.  After a checkup, Darby learned that the breast cancer she thought she had beat had returned and metastasized to her lung, bone and elsewhere.  One can imagine what this means for Darby and highlighted the need for continuing innovative research efforts.  Darby's story was one that all runners took to the start line and thought of throughout the race.

DFMC 25 Year Highlights

Following the emotional DFMC pasta party dinner, we headed home with lots of inspiration for the marathon.  We woke up early on Monday (4.45am) to catch the bus out to Hopkinton.  Though our bus took a wrong turn (really!?!) we arrived at the DFMC refuge and prepared with teammates, volunters and our coach, Jack Fultz.

Ready to start after words from Jack

Inspiration for the 26.2 mile journey to Boston

Starting corral with 700 teammates

As I said, it wasn't the race that I wanted and after missing family at mile 16, I made sure to see family and friends whenever possible along the remainder of the course.  Most importantly, we saw RJ, his family and my family at mile 25!

Seeing RJ at mile 25

A quick picture at mile 25

As we ran down Boylston St, I cannot remember any thoughts I had but I remember the atmosphere.  The crowds were loud and sidewalks were many people deep, it was a great return to Boylston

Approaching the finish line!

Boston Marathon 2014 Complete!

We celebrated the end of the weekend with a nice family photo before heading out for well earned drinks and food!

Remembering 2013

This week has brought back a number of memories of last year's marathon, both good and less so. Tuesday was the 1 year anniversary of the marathon bombings and after an early morning appointment I walked around Copley for a short time.   All the news trucks were out and security was already present.  I'm not really sure what to say about the day except that the memorial and tribute ceremony were well done.  Hearing from several of the survivors, including Patrick Downes who spoke to the DFMC team previously, was impactful and helped me prepare for this coming Monday.

News trucks on Boylston Street

The marathon finish line is on the left and a small wreath at the site of the first bombing.

Finish line on Boylston St.

On my way to work I wanted to take a minute and stop by Sean's memorial outside of MIT as Friday is the 1 year anniversary of his death.

I'm not sure what to expect on Monday over the marathon course, but know that it will be a special day here in Boston.  Having family and friends along the course, including RJ and all the DFMC patient partners at mile 25, will propel me from Hopkinton and down through Kenmore Square.  As in past years, running in support of those who are battling or have battled cancer will be incredibly motivating.   The hardest part will certainly be turning onto Boylston St and running the last 1/4 mile, passing the 2 locations of the bombings. Running in remembrance of those injured or killed last year is incredibly meaningful. Hopefully those individuals know that all 36,000 runners are running with them in our hearts and, in some small way, this provides a little comfort on what's sure to be a difficult day for many.

8 Days to Go!

What a great way to head into the final week before the marathon...as of today we have raised $10,470 and surpassed the $10,000 goal for the 2nd year in a row!!!!  Thank you to the numerous donors who donated a little or a lot, requested company matches and/or supported DFMC through the various fundraisers that we put together!  Running with DFMC for 3 years, we have raised over $31,000 for the Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Cancer Research!  You have motivated me throughout training and will be a huge part of my 2014 Boston Marathon experience!

$8K Pacesetter Gloves, hope we don't need these on Marathon Monday

This past Thursday was the last Arc run of the season for me.  Runners get together at the Arc in Brookline, and run together, returning to the Arc for socializing and rehydration.  After a 5.5 mile run with 5 other team members, we finished by heading up Beacon St over I-90 and passing the 25 mile mark.  This will be our view with 1.2 miles to go in just 8 days.  Of course, there will be 1000s of fans cheering us on, including those in the patient partner program!  Mile 25 energizes all of us DFMC runners with lots of cheering, high fives and more as we head to the finish!

Mile 25, DFMC Patient Partners  and the Citgo sign, we're almost there!

We also had our last DFMC group run this Saturday.  We had a smaller group than normal due to the SI cover shoot at the finish line but still a good turn out and great volunteers at our 3 water stops to finish the training season.

Starting our run with the Barr Impact statement.

Amy, Matt and I, having run most of the training runs together finished this one together as well. We figure that we've run the Newton Hills around 20-24 times during the training season.  Come April 21, we'll know those hills as well as any other part of the course!  We also wondered when was the last time that our long run for the week as 'only' 12 miles? Regardless, we enjoyed running in shorts and t-shirts!

Amy, Matt and I having finished another 12mi training run.

As we were near the 13.1 mile mark and Amy wanted to see the start line, we headed out to Hopkinton.  Having only been to Hopkinton twice before, it was nice to see the area when I was not about to run 26.2 miles to Boston.  A few pictures from the trip out to Hopkinton...

Self-explanatory

The start line needs a fresh coat before Marathon Monday!

Hopkinton is ready for the 36,000 runners

Wiki page for Dick and Rick Hoyt

The Hoyt's have been a staple in the marathon for decades

Throughout the course we'll see these signs as we move from town to town.  Ashland has also painted their fire hydrants BAA colors blue and yellow!

1 mile into the race, we'll reach Weston Nursery and see the 'tree of shoes'.  It is a nice landmark for unfortunate circumstances.  Meg Menzies was hit and killed by an alleged drunk driver while training for the Boston Marathon.  The story is better presented here

Tree of shoes to remember Meg Menzies

Driving the course was a great way to get excited for the marathon (not that that was necessary).  For those that can't see the whole course, here's a mile-by-mile guide of what we'll see as we run from Hopkinton to Boston.  Again, thank you to the numerous donors and everyone who has supported my 2014 DFMC efforts!

Unfinished Business

A nice article on ESPN Boston about runners who did not finish that marathon in 2013 returning to run the 2014 marathon.  Great to see DFMC runners featured in the article!
ESPN Boston Article