On Course

Well, another week is coming to an end and I am gearing up for a long run tomorrow. Last Saturday I ran 12 miles on the marathon course and I think it went well. I was nervous because I hadn’t run over 10 miles in a few months. Also, about a week earlier I clumsily injured my toe by running into a chair leg before I put my contacts in one morning. It turned black and blue and was swollen for days. I was so scared I had broken it. Fortunately, my toe was feeling better and the day was sunny, though only 25 degrees, with a wind chill of 11! After a week of walking on icy, snowy sidewalks I was worried about the state of Comm. Ave but it turned out to be nearly 100% cleared and easy to run on. It was fun to see other runners, some solo, some in groups, out for their long run. We exchange smiles and a few words when stopped at traffic lights or when slowing down near an icy patch on the road. There is definitely a sense of runner camaraderie when training on the course!

As I ran up and down the rolling Newton hills and then Heartbreak hill I thought about the marathon and how excited I am to finally be running Boston. I think I’ve watched it from the Boston College main gate, about 4-5 times, sometimes as a BC student, others when my parents were running it. As I watched runners after they had just climbed Heartbreak hill, I always pictured myself out there. The chance to run this year holds so much meaning for me and I am really happy to be running it for Hospitality Homes.