Trail Marathon Anyone?

On April 19th, I ran and completed my 12th marathon, the Kingston Marathon. I didn't know much about this marathon. The course map provided wasn't helpful. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that this marathon put me on a trail at about mile 3 and continued on a trail until about mile 22. I think I can check off trail marathon from my list. Boy, was I thankful that one of the running mamas, Rachel, decide to move up from the half marathon to the full. I was grateful to have her company. The first half of the race, we ran and chatted away just like we do on training runs. At the halfway mark, we missed the turn-around and ran an extra quarter mile. The volunteer was sitting in his car with the window rolled up, recording our bib numbers and failed to tell us it was the end of the line. Thankfully, a couple of runners behind us yelled to us. 

With half of the race to go, we were wondering when the trail running was going to come to an end. I'm not sure about Rachel, but I had enough of the trail running. It was very isolated with no crowd support. We were pretty much quiet for the rest of the race. Before heading out of the trail, Rachel decided she needed music. I kept plugging away at the miles and we separated. I wanted this race to be over. I was miserable. My stomach was not happy for most of the race. And, again, no crowd support!! I was happy to have had my camelpak. Water stations are usually placed just after ever mile. Not for this race. I finished in 4:08 flat.

This wasn't a big marathon. There were about 60 runners for this race. So, for the first time ever in a marathon, I placed 2nd in my age group. I'll take it! 

I made the Kingston marathon part of a Virtual half marathon in support of the Boston marathon.

                                                 

Next year, I'm hoping to go back to Boston for the marathon. But, for now, I will concentrate on the three that I have scheduled this year: Memorial Day, Wineglass, and Mohawk Hudson marathons.

Thank you for stopping by,

Sheila  

Post Dopey Challenge

Finally, I've had enough time to gather my thoughts on my #RunDisney experience. I know it's been over a month since all of my dopeyness took place. But, life didn't stand still when I got back home from my adventure.

It all began on Tuesday, January 6th. Myself along with my husband and two daughters flew to Florida for a vacation/destination race. I think my husband and I were more excited than the girls were. We were all Walt Disney World first-timers. We visited with family on our first day in Florida and managed to hit the beach. It was great to take in the ocean.

At the beach

The following day we traveled from Tampa to Orlando. We arrived at the Coronado Springs Resort in the early afternoon. Check in went smoothly. Everyone was very friendly. It was a beautiful day so we decided to go to the pool before hitting the expo. The warm sun felt great on our skin. 

Pool time

We hit the expo in the early evening. I picked up my bibs and my six race shirts. My photo with my bib was taken for the Dopey Challenge. Although the New Balance vendor was mobbed with people, I managed to try on and purchase the #RunDisney retro sneakers. It's all I really wanted, so we made our way back to the resort. We ate dinner and relaxed the rest of the night.

For those of you that don't know, the Dopey Challenge consisted of running four races in four days through the Walt Disney Parks. A 5k on Thursday, 10k on Friday, half marathon on Saturday, and finally completing the challenge with a Marathon on Sunday.

I woke up at 3am for all four races. Each race began and ended at Epcot. I kept breakfast pretty light  for the 5k and 10k. Eating two boiled eggs, a banana, and a cup of coffee. I sipped on 16 oz's of water on the way to the start. For the half and full marathon, my breakfast was a bit more hearty. I had some oatmeal, a cup of coffee, and a banana. I brought with me to the start a 16oz bottle of water with a nuun electrolyte tablet in it and a bagel. I made sure not to eat anything that I didn't normally eat the night before a race. The one thing I did add in was a muffin an hour before bed. I did this the night before the 10k, half and full marathon. I didn't want to prematurely wake up as I did for the 5k. The muffin did the trick and did not cause me any stomach distress.

All the races started with a display of fireworks. The 5k and 10k were much smaller in comparison to the half and full marathon fireworks. But, nonetheless, it was a very cool way to start all the races and a first for me. The start of the 5k was very cold and windy. I actually did not throw away my throw away long sleeve shirt. Yes, it was that cold. The 5k began in Epcot and kept me in the park for the 3.1 miles. It was actually still dark out when I finished (25:47). 

5K finish

The start of the 10k was not as cold as the start of the 5k. But, I had my arm warmers on and they did the trick. They kept me comfortable throughout the race. For the 10k, the course took me out onto Epcot's service roads for 3.1 miles then back into Epcot for the last 3.1 miles which was basically a repeat of the 5k race. I finished in 53:59 and felt great despite just getting 5 hours of sleep. Yup, Magic Kingdom happened to me the day before. With a blink of an eye, two of the four races were completed. So far, I was very happy that "for the first time in forever" (FROZEN), lol,  I managed to run negative splits and felt great. Running the second half of a race faster than the first half is very difficult to do, but that's just what I did. So, for the next two races I would also take on the challenge of trying to run negative splits. Why not?! Plus, that nagging left hamstring that I had throughout training was gone. I'm not sure if I was completely healed or if the KT tape helped. 

10K finish

I had never been so nervous about running a half and full marathon. It wasn't the individual races themselves. It was the fact that I would be running them back to back and that I had challenged myself to run negative splits for both. I knew I had to run the half marathon at a very comfortable pace or I would pay for it the next day. So, the morning of the half marathon, as I waited in the corral, I realized that I forgot my garmin watch. WTH!!! Ok, it was not the time to panic or get pissed off about not knowing what my exact pace would be. I could and would run the race without my watch. I was running at THE happiest places on Earth. The half took me out of Epcot and toward Magic Kingdom. At every mile marker I kept looking down to my everyday watch trying to figure out  what pace I was running. I knew that once I was saw, ran around, and through Cinderella's castle, I would be at about 5.5 miles into the race. I couldn't resist taking a selfie in front of the castle, of course.

Cinderella's Castle

It was such a beautiful site. As I headed out of Magic Kingdom, the second half of the race took me back and through Epcot for the finish. My splits were as follows: 5k-30:02, 10k -1:00:32, 15k -1:29:00, finished in 2:02:17. Without knowing exactly what my split was at the halfway mark, I can not officially be sure that I ran negative splits. But, I was still super happy with my finishing time. My legs felt a little tight, but not too bad. I stretched, foamed rolled, and took a twenty minute ice bath. The ice bath sucked but it did help. My legs felt refreshed and recovered. Wow, I ran a half marathon and felt ready to tackle a full marathon the next day. 

Half Marathon finish

Marathon morning arrived. And I did not forget my Garmin watch. The pre-marathon fireworks were the biggest of all four.  First, the course would take me from Epcot to Magic Kingdom just like the half marathon. The crowds were the best in Magic Kingdom. What a big pump! Then from Magic Kingdom, the course took me towards Walt Disney speedway. It was pretty cool to run on the speedway and run past a big display of muscle cars. My husband would have been in car heaven. Out of the speedway and towards Animal Kingdom I headed. Where before actually getting into the park, I took my first character picture with some very cool villains.

Some cool villains

Runners were greeted by a few animals and their keepers as we made our way into Animal Kingdom. Before heading out of Animal Kingdom, I stopped a second time for a photo op with this magical rodent:

Safari Mickey

 As the course headed to the ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex, I was more than half way finished. I ran about 3 or 4 miles on a long stretch of road before actually arriving to the ESPN Complex.  All of the playing fields at ESPN are so beautifully maintained. I ran around a 400m track, through some soccer fields, and around a baseball diamond.  As I made my way out of the ESPN Complex, I was so damn happy to see the 20 mile marker. It was time to break the race down mile by mile. The trip to and through Disney's Hollywood Studios would be short. I managed to take pics with two of the Incredibles characters and Sully and Mike from Monsters, Inc.

One of the neatest things I got to see before leaving Hollywood Studios was a "behind the scenes" of where the costumes are created. Then it was back to Epcot for the finish. Every time I pasted a mile marker, I would pick up my pace. I was confident I would be finishing with negative splits. And, that I did. My official split times were as follows: 5mile-47:52, 10m-1:37:40, half-2:05:59, 20m-3:11:13, and my official finishing time was 4:09:22. 

Dopey Finish

The Dopey Challenge was one of the best running experiences I've ever had. The races were well organized and the medals are some of the best medals I've earned. I forgot to mention that I walked through each and every one of the water stations for all the races. Maintaining hydration was very important during and after each race. In addition to water, I drank coconut water and added an electrolyte tablet to my water daily. During the marathon, I stopped three addition times. Once for a potty stop and twice at the medical tent for biofreeze.

The parks were amazing. We went to Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom, in that order. Magic Kingdom wiped me out so I'm glad it was the first park we visited. The other two parks were much more low key, which turned out to be great for my legs. 

All the Bling

48.6 miles done! All on a 12 week Crossfit Endurance training plan. I never ran anything over 10 miles and never ran the recommended 4 day in a row training runs. Any questions? Feel free to ask me in the comment box.

I'm Dope

Thanks for taking the time, 

Sheila

#RunDisney

In approximately six weeks, I, along with my daughters and husband, will be headed down to sunny Orlando, Florida. We will spend a week at one of the many Disney Resorts. I think I am way more excited than anyone else to see Cinderella's castle. Or, better yet, run through it. Not once but twice! Sure, it's a family vacation but with a bit of a twist; I am going to run the Dopey Challenge. The inaugural Dopey Challenge took place earlier this year. It consisted of running a 5k, 10k, 1/2 marathon, and finishing off with the Disney Marathon. A total of 48.6 miles in four straight days of running! And, of course we can't forget the potential 6 medals I will earn.

 The Disney Marathon is one of the many destination races on my very long marathon list. But, when I saw the Dopey Challenge, I said "why not?" It's like killing 4 birds with one stone. I would never go down to Florida to run any of the shorter races individually. It's just not cost effective. But, 4 races, 6 race shirts and 6 pieces of bling in four days through the Disney parks... I was sold! Did I say 6 medals? Yes, 6! One for each race, the Goofy challenge medal for completing the half and full marathon, and the Dopey Challenge medal for completing the four races. I also purchased 3 day passes. Yup, I will probably need a vacation after my vacation, but the memories will be worth it. Especially, the looks on the girls faces when we enter Magic Kingdom for the first time. This trip is simply going to be magical.

My training is going well despite a nagging tight left hamstring. I make sure I warm up prior to actually doing my workout and I stretch afterward. I am following the Crossfit Endurance training program for a second cycle. The first time it netted me a Boston-qualifying time. This time around, I just want to finish.

I've gone through my running day plans over and over again in my head. As of now, I plan on racing the 5k and the 10k and taking it easy for the half and full marathon. I've even toyed around with the idea to run/walk the full marathon. But, I'm sure I will adjust my plans as I see fit on race morning. We will visit the parks on the first three days of my races. I am hoping that walking the parks will keep me loose for the next day race. I've learned that it is best to keep moving after a race. This is especially going to be true after the half marathon. Or, it can all back fire on me and I'll be tired as hell and unable to function. But, I still think it will all be worth it. I can't wait to run the magic of Disney.



Thanks for taking the time,

Sheila

Post Mohawk Hudson Marathon Report

October 12, 2014... what a glorious day for a marathon. The weather was perfect. A bit chilly to start but by finish it would be in the low 60's. I woke up at 5am to start my marathon day ritual. To my surprise, I felt ok. I had been battling a cold the week before the marathon and right up until the night before, I was very congested.

Marathon Maniacs

Strong Running Mamas

I had finally gotten my nutrition for marathon morning and day down to the tee. Well, I guess I should have it down. This was my 5th marathon this year and my 10th overall. No 20 mile wall for this gal. I got dressed and I was out the door by 6:15am. I boarded the bus from hell. The driver had no clue where he was going. Great. But, nonetheless, we arrived to Central Park in Schenectady. First stop was the bathroom. Then I took some pictures with a fellow Marathon Maniac and some Strong Running Mamas (SRM).

I had just enough time to hit the bathroom again then line up to start my race. I had goals and so did  fellow SRM, Felice. We planned on Boston Qualifying with the 3:55 pace group. The race started at 8:30am on the dot. Our pacer, Mike, had plans to keep the group at an even pace. He also told us that he planned to walk through the water stations. The first 5 miles where a breeze. So were miles 6-10. 10 miles just happened to be the highest mileage that I trained at, for my long run. I used an unconventional crossfit marathon training program for this marathon. I was super nervous. What was I thinking? 10 miles as my longest run? Not only to run a marathon, but Boston qualify?! I had my doubts. I would be happy with just finishing. I was confident that I could do at least that much. BQ, not so much. Soon enough, we were at the half-way point. I slapped Felice a high five. Half-way to the finish. My breathing was good. Actually, it didn't feel like I was breathing!

I kept making a systems check of my body. If I felt tense, I would take a deep, long breath to relax my mind and body. It was working. Mike was keeping the group right on pace. It was easy to stay with him and I liked that he walked through the water stations. He was very engaging and kept giving the group positive reinforcement.  Felice was right with me. I knew it because I listened for the sound of her jelly beans. As we reached mile 20 through 21, I could remember telling myself to take it easy on the downhill. The last time I ran MH, I trashed my hamstrings at those particular mile markers. This time, I got through the downhill... but developed a cramp on the right side of my stomach. Lucky, I was able to take a couple of deep breaths and guess what? It was time to walk through the water station. Walking helped me deal with the cramp. As we continued to forge ahead, I could tell that I lost Felice. I was sad when I could no longer hear the music of her jelly beans. I looked back once just to make sure, but she wasn't there.

Soon I would enter the tunnel that led to the final stretch of the bike path. From that point on, I had less than five miles. I started remembering how I lost pace at the 24 mile marker a few years ago. I kept telling myself "it's not going to happen this time." The group grew thin. At mile 24 I was the only runner with the pacer. There were a few runners that forged ahead and others that faded away. I, on the other hand, was holding on for dear life. I lost control of my breathing but Mike was great. He helped me regain control of my breathing and told me to relax. I had to get through mile 24. It was haunting me like a demon. I get to mile 25 with the pacer and then it happened. I got to the beginning of the bridge that led to the boat launch and started losing pace, losing sight of Mike, and my BQ. All I could do then was NOT STOP! I knew if I stopped, the pain would come and it would take forever to start running again. It was time to dig deep into my soul and run with my heart. So, I did. And finish with a time of 3:54:57. With 3 seconds to spare I managed to squeaked out a Boston qualifying time for 2016! WOW, I did it!

Almost finished

There were many times during the race that I doubted my abilities. Only because of the very low miles I ran over the weekends in prepping for this marathon. But, I focused and kept telling myself that I could do it. I tuned out a lot of little annoying pains that I felt. The toughest part of the marathon was when I found myself alone at the end again. I fought that voice in my head that kept telling me to stop running. Mentally and physically, I won. There is something special about this particular marathon. I'm not sure what it was. But, I've gotten my best marathon time on this course (3:45:45) and now it has given me the chance to go back and run the Boston Marathon in 2016. I feel totally awesome and can't wait to do it again.

Thank you for stopping by,

Sheila

Summer Recap

On June 8th, I ran the Lake Placid Marathon. Making it my forth marathon of the year and my 9th overall. I also qualified and became a Marathon Maniac. MM # 9469, to be exact. Lake Placid had breath taking views. The course was challenging with plenty of hills. The horse flies were terrible. My calves were chewed up from all of the bites. Still, overall, I had a great time.

I took a few weeks off before I had to begin yet another 16 weeks of marathon training. After taking two weeks off, I was forced to take another two weeks because of tendonitis in my right ankle. Frankly, I wasn't feeling up to training 16 weeks for yet another marathon. 16 weeks is a long time. So, I looked for an alternative. I came across a 12 week Crossfit Endurance marathon training program. One of my biggest complaints when it comes to marathon training is that I always end up with some sort of injury and I lose a lot of strength. At the end of July, I began the 12 week program.

By August, I was in full swing with the crossfit endurance program. Through out the week, I ran a lot of 200's, 400's, 800's and even some 1000 meter runs. The weekend runs consisted of anything between a 5k and 10 miles. In addition to the crossfit endurance program, I was also adding additional crossfit workouts and helping out with the physical training at the police academy, three times a week. There were days where I was putting in three workouts in a day and I wasn't taking any rest days. I was like a work horse. At first I felt great! I was doing what I love to do - work out all day. Now add the stresses of taking care kids, house, and a full time job. I'll give you one guess as to what happened by the end of August?... I was over-trained. My legs felt like lead on my weekend runs, a common sign of over-training.  I was in desperate need of a time out. I took a week off from the endurance plan, slept a bunch. And that week off felt great. I went out for a 10 mile run with a running friend and my legs felt refreshed. Boy was I glad that the week off seemed to be what I needed.

Now we're into September. School for the girls has started. With very little adjustments, I am into a pretty good routine. Mid-week I take a day off from training, no matter what. I've also learned that my Boston qualifying time for 2016 is now 3:55 because of my age. I love being in the masters division. On Sunday, 09/21/14, I set out for a 6 mile run at marathon pace. I ran 6 miles in 52:28, 8:44 overall pace. A bit too fast, but I felt great. I'm thinking that I will go with a pace setter so that I don't gas myself out during the marathon. Yup, I have all intentions to try and BQ in three weeks at the Mohawk Hudson Marathon, on a 10 mile for my longest training run. Seems a little crazy, but I will give it my best shot.

Thanks for stopping by,

Sheila

Post Memorial Day Marathon

On Sunday, May 25th, I headed out to Lenox, Ma for the Memorial Day Marathon. The race started and ended at Tanglewood. A handful of my running friends ran this marathon the past two years. They described the course as challenging but beautiful. I was a bit nervous but ready for the challenge.  

                           

The race started at 8am sharp. I took a deep breath and told myself to relax and start out slow. My first two miles were just under 10 minutes each. I thought that was a perfect start. The first miles were downhill, followed by some rolling hills. The views were breath-taking. I felt as if I was running in the forest. The trees towered over me. The flowing water of the creek was so soothing. From the start of the race, my bladder felt full. I held off stopping until the 8 mile mark. I was able to get in and out of the porta-potty quickly, losing very little time.

So far, I felt very relaxed. After the first 5k, I picked up my pace. At the start of 9 miles, I began picking people off. I continued to pass other runners up until mile 18. About a quarter mile from the 19 mile marker, I started walking. The hills were brutal. I ran as much as I could and walked when I had to. I had no real expectations of finishing under 4:30. I was so happy to reach the 20 mile marker. I reached 20 miles in about 3:08! That was perfect! But, I knew the race had just begun.

The last 10k was going to be the true challenge of this marathon. It took me over an hour to run the last 10k. I walked mile 24 and so did everyone else. I also walked about a quarter of a mile of mile 25. At about 25.5 miles, the road flattened out and I lengthened my stride and  picked up my pace in a last attempt to pass another runner. I passed him and ran right through the finish line with a time of 4:16:11. I had completed my 3rd marathon of the year and my 8th overall. I felt absolutely amazing. Throughout the race, I had no major problems. My fueling was on point and I never felt tired nor did I experience the wall. 

Dog Tags for Bling

The next day, Monday, I joined my Crossfit family at Crossfit Beyond and completed the "Murph."

                                              

At mid week, I still felt fabulous. Crossfit is making me stronger and a much stronger marathoner. Can't wait to tackle Lake Pacid Marathon in less than two weeks! Yikes!!!

Thanks for taking the time to read,

Sheila

Post Boston Marathon

Where do I begin? I waited a whole year for the 118th running of the Boston Marathon. In that year of waiting, I had to deal with the demons of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. I am very fortunate because on April 15, 2013, an angel put her wings around me and shielded me from the second bombing on Boylston Street. Thankfully, on that day, my family and friends where no where near the finish. I will never forget that day. A day that started out prefect ended in such tragedy. My heart goes out to each and every person affected by the events of that day. But, our day would come. We (the runners and spectators) would take back our Boston Marathon finish line.

Wow, I had been waiting so long for marathon weekend in Boston. And it had finally arrived. How could I feel so excited and sad at the same time? There was no turning back. I was there to finish what I had started over a year ago. Not just for me, but for so many others. Nothing was going to get in my way. Everyone that knows me knows that I will physically and mentally fight to the end. 

My husband and girls were with me on that special weekend. We headed out to the expo and, to my surprise, I felt calm. I picked up my bib and did a little shoping. Then we headed out to Boylston St. My husband wanted me to point out where I had been last year. As we neared the site of the second bombing, my heart sank. But I didn't lose my composure. There was something about seeing all those people on Boylston St. There was life on that street. It gave me some inner strength. I was back in Boston with a whole new purpose. I was going to be a part of the healing process... not only for myself, but for others and the city of Boston.

At the Expo

Reading a note left @ 2nd bomb site

Marathon Monday began at 6am. I awoke and stuck with my marathon morning ritual of two hard boiled eggs, oatmeal and a cup of coffee. Before 8am, I was on a shuttle from the hotel in Natick to the State Park in Hopkinton. From the state park, all the runners were searched with a metal wand before boarding an official B.A.A bus to the marathoners village. I arrived at the village at about 8:30am. My start time wasn't until 11am. Let the waiting game begin. I did manage to kill one hour waiting in line to use the porta-potty. By that time, it was 10am and I was getting anxious. In the sea of runners, I bumped into a running friend, Kim. The chances were slim to none that I would bump into anyone I knew. So, it was a nice treat to see a familiar face.

Waiting to start

Finally, at about 1035am, my wave and corral were announced to begin walking to the starting line. The people of Hopkinton were all out cheering, clapping and holding up signs. The race had not even started yet. It was a little after 11am when I began my journey. 

The day I had been waiting for was finally here. I wasn't half way into my first mile when I heard someone yell SHEILA! I looked over my left shoulder and to my surprise it was Anastasia - one of the girls I had meet last year at the marathon who was also running for Dana Farber. We hugged and chatted for a bit. Then I took off. At about the 5k mark, another runner approached me and asked, "are you from Albany?" "Yes," I said. Her name was Audrey and she began telling me how she remembered me from the Mohawk Hudson Marathon a few years ago. She recognized me by the tattoo on my arm. We got to chatting and realized that we were soul sisters in so many ways.

At 6 miles, I began to look for my husband and girls. There was nothing better than seeing familiar faces along the way. I found them, we exchanged kisses and took pictures then I was off again with my soul sister. We ran together for a while, but then I lost Audrey sometime before the half-way mark. 

At mile 6 w/ my soul sista

Running into mile 13, I got ready to experience the screaming tunnel. The girls of Wellesley College were off the charts with the screaming. I was still feeling pretty good, but I also knew what was up ahead. The Newton hills were coming. Miles 18, 19, and 20 (heartbreak hill) were going to be torture. But, before I got to the Newton Hills, I had another running friend to look for. 

At about mile 17, I found my friend Judy. What excitement and joy I felt to see another familiar face along the way. I stopped, gave her a big hug and continued on my journey. At that point, I felt my left gluteus and hamstring start to nag me. So, I decided I would start walking through the water stations. I would be able to take in the full amount of water in the cup and second to be able to stretch my hamstrings. The stretching helped; the tightness never shortened my stride. As I went through the Newton hills, there was something a bit different from last year. The college kids were out cheering for us, but they were no longer running out on the course along side the runners. There were metal barricades preventing them from spilling out onto the course. Just another reminder of how tight security was that day. Throughout the course, police presence was high. There were local police, military police, ATF agents, MA State Police and I'm pretty sure I saw some plain clothes police officers roaming around, as well. I felt safe. Finally, I made it to the top of heartbreak hill. Which also meant I was just about to complete 20 miles. 

With just 6.2 miles to go, I broke the race down mile by mile. I expected to see my husband and girls at the 25 mile marker. Knowing that I would see their faces again kept me moving forward. I fueled for the last time at mile 22 and I made sure to stretch the hamstring again. Once I saw my family at mile 25, I had no intentions of stopping until I reached the finish line. As I approached the 25 mile marker, I began to walk. The crowd was so thick... I didn't want to miss my family. I walked the length of the the bridge but could not find them. For some strange reason, I gravitated to the left side of the road and... to my surprise... my friends Amy and Deb were waiting for me. Wow!!! They went all that way to cheer me on. How lucky was I to see family and friends on the course cheering for me? And, l can't forget all those spectators. What a big time boost that was. And I was off again to finish the race. 

I took a right turned onto Hereford St and I could feel the energy from the crowd steadily grow. My heart was pounding out of my chest. I knew once I turned on to Boylston St., the crowds would be the deepest. And, I also didn't know how I was going to react. Would I be scared or have flash backs? I wasn't sure. And, there it was... the last turn. Left on Boylston St, and the crowd's roar was unlike anything I've ever heard. YES, there it was, the finish line. "Go get it, it's your's" my inner self told me. So with excitement in my heart and for the whole world to hear, I raced to the finish line. I did it!!! I finished the Boston Marathon. I crossed that finish line happy and with beautiful memories of that day and weekend. A week later, I am still smiling about my experience. The feeling of crossing the Boston Marathon finish line was like no other marathon I have ran.

Hugs and kisses after my finish

Thank you for stopping by,

Sheila