How Will You Celebrate?

So how will you commemorate Paul Revere's great heroics tomorrow? Will you dress in period costume, ride a horse, and go down the streets of your neighborhood declaring that the British are coming?(if anyone actually does plan on doing this, please send pictures). Will you put an American Flag on your mailbox?

Chances are, unless you actually live in the state of Massachusetts, you have no idea that tomorrow is Patriot's Day, or the day set aside to celebrate Paul Revere's ride.

There is only one way to truly celebrate Patriot's day, and tomorrow, 26,000 people in Hopkington, Mass will gather, scantly clad to celebrate this event together over 26.2 miles. There jubilation will reach a crescendo when they are arrive on Boylston Ave in downtown Boston as they cross the finish line, and can officially call themselves Boston Marathon finishers.

There is a special aura that surrounds Boston, as the only way into this storied event is to train and run a previous marathon in a certain time. No questions asked. No exceptions. Run your time, and you are in. Well that is of course if you are one of the first online to actually register. You have to earn this one. You cannot sign up race morning, or just decide to do it on a whim. To run Boston, is at minimum, for the average Joe-a year in the making.

First you have to train and run your first marathon. Assuming you have been running for sometime, and have some ability, you have the capacity to gear up for a fast one as your first. There are three months of focused training time there. So you run your marathon. Congrats, you hit your BQ (Boston Qualifier). Now you rest a month or so, enjoy some turkey, start building back up in December, and then in January, you are hard at it again, for that race at the end of April. Okay, so 10 months, you get my drift.

115 years old tomorrow, it is the longest standing human foot race in America. Elites covet the crown in Boston. It is most definitely not because it is a course suited to fast times, the first time a runner went under 2:07 was just last year. It is not because it is in anyway an easy course. Fifteen miles of quad obliterating downhills followed by a very rolly remaining 11 miles is far from an easy day at the office. It is the prestige. It is the girls of Wellessly College. It is literally the race that has the actual Heartbreak Hill. The Red Sox fans cheering on the runners before an early afternoon game. It is a World Marathon Major. Elites come to win, and wear laurel wreaths at the end of the day. Next to an Olympic Medal, this is sometimes considered the pinnacle of running. It is a must on every elite marathon runners checklist.

Tomorrow will be a great day. Most of us will watch from home as the elites battle it out for the crown. Perhaps we will see Americans return to Boston glory, as a phenomenal field has been assembled there. As much as we enjoy watching them battle it out, there will be thousands more behind them making their dream come true. Pushing themselves, and reminding themselves during the pain, of all that it took to get to this point. The year, or years of trying. The long, dark, and cold months of training for a marathon in the winter will give them strength to handle the fabled Newton Hills that so eagerly look to squash the will of all who ascend. It will not be easy, but they will persevere and wear with pride the finisher's medal they so richly deserve.

Most importantly though, these runners have to run as fast as they can. After all, they want to come back next year.

High Hopes

I would agree, and so would most, that I have been fairly realistic with my expectations for being able to run again. I felt July 1, almost 7 months since the accident, was a very conservative and realistic goal to be back logging the “miles of trials”. That has remained fairly consistent until recently. Now I think my eyes are getting bigger than my ability to heal quickly.

Over the past few weeks I have become very brave with my attempts at walking without my crutch, and I must say, things are going very well. I had a surgery two weeks ago to remove a screw from right below the knee, and I can make running motions with practically no pain. The unfortunate thing is that I can tell my lower right leg is very weak.

Tomorrow I will go back to the doctor, mainly for a follow up after surgery, but I am really hoping that he will at least give me the go ahead to give up the crutch officially. However, lets be honest, I want him to say, "Looks great, you can start running as long as you can handle the pain and do not over do it." I will say if that is not what he says, I may get a little upset for the first time in this whole process.

The weather is turning, spring marathons are being run, I should be out there pounding the pavement. To say the least, the fire has not died. When I watch Boston next Monday, my cup may runneth over, and I may just go for a run. Do not try and stop me. I mean if almost 50 year old Joan Benoit can be out there gunning for another trials appearance, surely I can run half a mile on my bum leg sometime this week, right?

Crazy hopes and dreams aside, The Olympic Year, is going very well. Do not forget to bookmark the page, www.theolympicyear.com. I have press credentials for the Country Music Marathon. I should be hearing back from Amby Burfoot very soon about an interview, which is the most exciting thing to date. Still having issues contacting most athletes and their agents, but these things take time, and as I show up at events, my name will be out there and connections will be made much easier.

All of this to say, I am healing, and about to go out of my mind if I cannot run in the near future.