Boston Marathon recap

BOSTON BOUND!

April 17-21 2014

Boston 2014-

Such an amazing vacation!  Tay and waffered about coming just because it’s hard for him to leave work and school and hard to get sitters for our kids and I got pregnant and injured so we couldn’t run the marathon together like the original plan.  But the big deciding factor for me was the fact that it was a kidless vacation and we haven’t done one for awhile and our life is going to drastically change here in less than 2 months so  figured we should take advantage.  Plus we had already bought our plane tickets and our hotel room and the marathon tickets.  

Eileen came to watch the kids thursday afternoon.  The twins were totally fine and just cute when they said goodbye and eileen just stuck Kace in a stroller to go on a walk so he kind of didn’t notice it was a total goodbye.  Eileen said the kids did great.  She was with them through the night and morning and took them up to Midway for the day and then my sister watched them for a tiny bit and my mom picked them up and took them back to her house.  They stayed there friday-monday then went back to my house with my mom so they could go to school on tuesday morning.  I’m so grateful for Eileen and especially my mom because it’s not an easy task to take care of 3 little kids.  I know they did good and the kids had a blast.  Kace had the hardest time especially Facetiming because he could figure out why he could see us but couldn’t get to us.  The twins were able to go to bday party, play at the park with my friend Jessica Bills kids, go to their primary/ nursery, hang out with their cousins Jane and Evan and luckily it was warm weather so they could play outside quite a bit which makes a huge difference!  I’m so so excited to see them!  I really missed them!  It’s always good to get away as a couple and it makes you appreciate your kids more.

Thursday night we just flew to Boston.  It was a 4+ hour flight and we got in after midnight Boston time so by the time we got our car and got to our hotel which was about 30-40 min outside of town it was late so we kind of just settled in (Suzy and Matt stayed with us) chatted and went to bed.  

Friday- Matt, Suzy and I went to the gym and Tay stayed in the lobby and did homework.  Poor guy had an assignment due so he kind of had to.  We went into town and met everyone to go to the expo.  Such a fun and huge expo! We probably walked around and shopped for a few hours (Tay had a call so he luckily missed out on a lot of it because he would’ve gone crazy).  While we were in there some alarms started going off telling us to evacuate.  It was a little scary considering the events of last year.  2013 was the year the Bombs went off at the finish line.  That is why this year was so amazing because normally they allow 20000 runners at max and this year they allowed 35,000+ runners and did a lot of special things.  They had all these scarfs that were knit by people everywhere to give to a lot of the athletes to remember last year.  The sister missionaries planted over 200,000 tulips a long the course.  The jackets were bright orange which I personally think was a way to kind of shove it back in the bombers face and say we are here and proud of it.  They had a memorial put on in the library.  They gave every runner a tatoo and face bracelet to wear that was from the banners from last year.  They also had SO much more security and there were gates lining probably from miles 6-26 with people the entire way!  There were SO many specators and the last 6 miles they had check points with security that made it almost impossible to even spectate but they let people through and thousands upon thousands were standing around cheering people on for hours!  

After the expo we went to a little burrito shop and got dinner and waited for the Red Sox game.  It was NOT warm!  We were so cold!  Luckily I had brought boots and we took a blanket from the hotel and that saved us but after 4 full innings we left.  It was super cool to be in Fenway Stadium and to watch the game and get baseball game treats but baseball games are so long and we were so cold so we were happy leave at the bottom of the 5th inning.  By the time we drove back to hotel it was decently late anyways and we were able to relax and chat (and laugh which we did a lot).  

Saturday- I went to the gym again while Smiths ran.  We got ready and drove around the suburbs of Boston. They are the cutest neighborhoods and remind me alot of daybreak.  We stopped in a cute little town called Arlington and had lunch at a yummy side street cafe.  It was perfect.  The Gates, Shoemakers and Wests met us there and we drove to the temple after.  Tay left his recommend in the hotel but luckily there were able to look up his membership.  We were all laughing though because he forgot his recommend.  Then once we got in the temple Zac didn’t bring a white shirt so he look hilarious in his black volcom button up with purple Tom’s.  Then I was an idiot and when they gave me white temple shoes I didn’t pull them apart and just thought I was only given one shoe.  When I went up to get the other shoe they just separated my shoes and the girls were all gut giggling at my “specialness”.  We did sealings as a large group and our sealer was a way cool guy.  The only problem is they kept adding additional couples into the room and finally had to split the rooms but needed one of us to go with that group so Tay and I went.  We did sealings for quite awhile.  It was really nice to be in the temple with my hubby because it had been a long time and it was so fun to experience a different temple.  We really didn’t have any concrete plans that day so it wasn’t a big deal.  Our sealer was telling us about a Rabi that came through with his congregation and how he could explain everything in the temple except the alter in the sealing room.  So amazing that aside from that it truly is ancient religious history. 

After the temple we headed to the North side of town for dinner at an Italian restaurant.  The place we were going to go had a 2 line wait out the door so we went to one close by.  It was fun to experience authetic Boston Italian food but honestly I’m always happier with my chain restaurant (cheesecake factory type food).  But I’m glad we went!  We couldn’t all sit together either which was a bummer.  After we hit up a famous pastry place called Mike’s Pastries.  They are famous for their canoli’s.  The line was out the door and around the building.  It was crazy how many people wanted to get these desserts but when in Boston we figured we should be doing the same thing.  They were good.  Not saying I’d buy them all the time but they were yummy to try.  We just hung out with our large group and chatted for a while then we headed back to our hotel.

Sunday morning Suzy and I went for 2 mile jog.  Felt good to get outside and run.  It’s hard to say how my injury is doing because it is achey and hurts a little but nothing bad at all!  After we got ready we headed into town to meet everyone for a Duck Tour.  It was a guided bus/ boat tour of Boston.  Fun to go on because you could see a lot of the historical spots and famous places while just sitting on the bus thing and then you drive right into the water and get to see more of the city from the water which was pretty cool.  We had a large group too with the Gates, Smiths, Wests, Kastelers (Cam and Larane), Debbie Tebbs, Jess Perry, Danielle Johnson, and The Eastons (Tori and Mitch).  We got to see Trinity church, Boston Commons, the copper top building and many many more things.  After the tour we went and ate at CPK and then some people went shopping at the expo and a few of us went and got an inside tour of trinity church.  It was really neat how intricate all the details of this church were especially considering the church was built in the 1800’s before any special tools were around.  The stained glass windows and they columns and arches and everything were so ornate.  There weren’t very many people in there either so we got to look around and take it all in.  After we went to Boston Commons, laid out a blanket and just relaxed a little bit.  It was so nice!  Fun to sit in a park that kind of reminded me of central park.  The weather was warming up too which was so nice because Friday was freezing!  We had a meeting spot at the finish line area at 4:30 to meet Utah runners.  We kind of didn’t really make it in time.  We dove in at the very end and were able to get in a few pictures but I don’t think the other runners were very happy about it.  After we walked around aimlessly trying to find somewhere to eat.  We finally ended up at the Cheesecake Factory and I couldn’t have been more thrilled. I Love that place!  It was a good pre race meal for the runners because they knew what they were getting.  At dinner it was just the Wests, Eastons, Smiths and Gates.  The group was pretty dang funny though.  We had a lot of good laughs.  The Smiths stayed in our room one last night.  Matt snores so I kept having to yell (whisper yell) at him :)  

Sunday- RACE DAY- Because we stayed outside of town we were only 10 minutes away from the start area.  It was fabulous because most people had to wake up at 4:30a.m to get on the buses and then sit up at the top for hours.  We slept in and didn’t even wake up til 7:30a.m. and took our time to get ready and out the door.  Matt just drove up right to the front.  We had to take a bus for 1 mile but we got up there in plenty of time to go potty and see a few friends.  Tay and Zac took off at 10:00 a.m in Wave 1 corral 6.  I decided to run with Katie Shoemaker and Angie Gates in wave 2 corral 6.  I promised Tay and everyone I would stop at mile 6 and that I did.  It was so so neat to be up at the top with my friends and then to run the first miles through the cute towns and slap hands with people and hear everyone talk about how I was pregnant.  Seriously so many people were dying watching the pregnant girl (but they didn’t know I was only running 6 miles).  We also had the same outfits on so we got a lot of attention from the crowd.  I honestly haven’t ran much in 9 months and haven’t done more than 5 miles so 6 miles at a 7:48 average pace was definitely tiring for me.  If I wasn’t injured I think I maybe could’ve done the marathon but I would’ve had to slow down in order to make it but I didn’t want to be stupid for my injury’s sake and my baby’s sake. Just not worth it.  So at mile 6 I hopped out and immediately saw a commuter rail.  It was perfect timing!  I was able to go hop on that train and get taken straight into about mile 25.  There was honestly cops EVERYWHERE and gates everywhere so I was thinking there was no way I was going to be able to hop in and run the last little bit (which is what I was hoping).  As I was walking around I saw some portapotty’s and no cops watching so I hopped the fence and jumped in the potty.  Once I jumped out I had to just go because they were any volunteers right there and I know the cops knew I hadn’t been standing there so I just jumped in and started running.  Right then I realized that I was running in with the fast men runners that were on track to get sub 3 hour marathons.  There were no women around and I looked like a complete idiot!!!!!  Not only was a chick because I was a really pregnant one.  I heard so many gasps in the crowds and people talking about the pregnant girl.  It was seriously so embarassing but there was nothing I could do at that point because there were only gates and then spectators 10 rows deep lining the gates with no volunteers or help or anything anymore because it was the last mile.  I just had to run and couldn’t stop.  I looked so stupid.  I was seriously stressing when I crossed and then I got a text from my friend Caisa saying it says I finished in 2:18!!! That’s the freaking winning time this year!  AAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!  I know it’s not believable  but I was still stressing out like crazy (and I still kind of am).  I went up to race marshal and told the scenerio and he didn’t think it was a big deal at all but I still was nervous!  I’m still glad I hopped in because it was so neat to be at last mile where the screaming and crowds were unreal and such adrenaline was there and I was able to sit in the runners shoot and wait for my hubby which I wouldn’t have been able to do had I not hopped in.  I got the text saying the Tay had finished in 3:13 and as soon as I saw him I could tell he was hurting!  He immediately said it was the hardest race he has ran because his body just hurt the entire time.  He has the nastiest blister on his heal and his body was cramping!  Once you finish they make you keep walking.  I totally understand why with their being so many runners but poor Tay just needed to sit down.  We finally found a spot he could sit down and put his legs up but he still was struggling.  They finally got him a wheel chair and took him into the med tent.  He wasn’t sick at all but he just kept having charlie horses and leg cramping.  Had it been another race he could’ve just gone on a grass area and laid down and been fine but this was just all concrete and they wanted you to keep moving.  I felt so bad.  I sat outside the med tent for a while and when we came out we both sat outside the tent til he thought he could get up.  Our friends were at Boston Commons but Tay knew he couldn’t walk there and then to the car so he and I just headed to the car.  It was in the mall so we decided to go get lunch.  We ate at Cheesecake and had a very enjoyable lunch with the just the two of us.  We were there for awhile and saved the table because the Wests and Smiths met us and got lunch there too.  We had been with people the entire time so it was kind of nice to have some time to ourselves.  

Although race day is kind of the entire day because of the later start it was also nice to just chill after.  We literally went back to the hotel, showered, relaxed, got dinner and came back home and relaxed more and went to bed.  We had to wake up at 2:30a.m. SLC time to get to the airport so we didn’t get much sleep.  The Smiths stayed in their own room which was kind of nice because our beds were so tiny so we finally got to spread out and we also got to just hang out with each other for a night.  We are currently on our 5+ hour flight home right now.  It’s long but flying without kids is a piece of cake and kind of relaxing.  It has been so so much fun to be with Tay and just have time with adults and each other.  The group we were with was seriously so much fun!  We truly laughed so much and got a long great and just jive together.  The hubby’s get a long well and the wives obviously do too!  I’m so so glad we came.  I don’t know when Tay and I will come back to Boston.  I would love to actually run it again sometime with him but I don’t think we will come back for awhile.  I think we will go do another destination race before we do this one again.  Who knows maybe we will come again but it’s not a cheap trip and now that Tay has run the marathon I’m sure he doesn’t care to come back anytime soon.  I’m just glad we got away before we have 4 kids and a year that all my friends went and a special year for the marathon.  Even though it was heart wrenching to see this amazing weather and fabulous day and not be able to run the marathon I am still so glad we went and I was able to experience it a little bit and see my friends do great.  They all did amazing!  Debbie got a 3:03!  Seriously amazing! And everyone else did fab! Tay was 3:13, Zac 3:14 (they ran the first 18 together and were both hurting), Tori 3:26, Jess 3:29, Dana 3:32, Katie 3:41, Angie 3:47, and Suzy 3:54.  The weather was beautiful!  It was fun to be with there with Suzy because she has been trying since she started to run marathons to qualify for Boston so this was a big deal for her to be here!  She was so cute and happy and just soaking it all in! Everyone was happy (aside from my hubby cramping up but not getting sick for him is huge and he was so happy with that).  Like I said I really am sad I wasn’t able to run it but this was the 2nd best thing and I’m beyond grateful to have a baby girl growing in my tummy right now.  Definitely more important!  I’m so proud of Tay and even though he always says after a race he’s never doing another marathon again or this race he decided he wasn’t going to the the 50 miler in june, he still amazes me that he can do what he does.  He has so much going on with work, school, kids (because he is the best little daddy and always wants to be with his kids, and training for races.  He’s amazing!  I love him so much and so happy and blessed that he is my companion :)