Boston/ Boston Marathon/ Buffalo (longest post ever sorry)

It has almost been a week so I think it is time to post about our fun vacation.  Reddin and I flew to Boston on Friday April 13th.  We were on the airplane for 7 hours but it really wasn't bad we got our rental car and went straight to our hotel in Waltham.  Our hotel was really nice it had a cook to order breakfast everyday and snacks and juice every evening.  On Saturday we drove to the alewife subway station and we both got on the subway for the first time and headed into the city.  

We went to the running expo and I got my bib number, and race shirt and we walked around there for several hours.


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After the expo we got back onto the subway and went to the north end of Boston to eat at Regina's pizza, it was so yummy.  After lunch we walked around the freedom trail a little then headed to the Boston Common, and then we ended up at Harvard Square.







 The next morning we woke up and headed into the city to meet a group at the Boston Common and we went on a Freedom Trail run.  The run was fun our guide took us to 17 spots and told us all about them when we finished we had ran 3 miles and got to ride a ferry.







We then went back to the Italian district for a canoli and whoppi pie from mikes pastry and  subs from a restaurant  that said express on the outside of the building we don't know what the name of the place was, but it was packed and very good.





After lunch we walked back to the Boston Common and along the way saw college kids playing a game of quidditch (they had broom sticks and everything).






We then headed back to hotel to rest and shower and then back into the city for the pre race dinner with Heather and her husband Chad.  The dinner was pretty good I ate lots of pasta and several rolls.  Heather and I asked two guys that set next to us several questions ( this was their 5th Boston Marathon).  They really did make me feel a lot better they pretty much said take it easy just have fun.  I knew it wasn't going to be a PR day because it was going to be really warm, but I wasn't too worried about the heat, but I think I should have been a little more worried then I was.  After dinner they handed us a bag of chocolates and snacks and we went back to the hotel to try and get to sleep early.


I woke up at 5:10 am on race morning (Monday April 16th), but truthfully I woke up several times during the night, I was worried I would over sleep and I was nervous.  I woke up and put on sunscreen and my pink tank top and pink checker shorts, and headed out the door.  Reddin and I drove to the subway station and I was happy to see so many runners getting on the subway.


We meet Heather and then road the subway to park street.  There was a long row of yellow school buses, we took a few pictures and got on a bus and Reddin took of to go explore.


Heather and I talked the whole way on the bus, It was nice to have someone to talk and it made the trip go quick.  We got to Athletes village a few hours before the start so we ate a bagel, stood in the potty line a few times, collected free stuff (powerbars and body glide), and at about 9:30 started walked to the buses to drop off our drop bags and walk to the start.  Before the race even started I was sweating.  I was in wave 2 in corral 8 so I wished Heather good luck and we both went to the correct spots.  I crossed the start line at around 10:25 and then started running.  I didn't look at my watch very much I just wanted to do what felt comfortable but every time I did look it was always around 8 or 8:15.  I felt pretty good but sweat was dripping down my face and I really wished I had a towel or visor or something.  I drank all of my water and had to take my first gel by mile 5 because I was starting to feel funny.  At mile 10 I started to slow and knew that I needed to slow down if I wanted to finish this race and not pass out or get sick.  I was doing anything I could to cool my body down.  I ran from sprinkler to sprinkler, the spectators were amazing they lined the whole 26.2 miles and they came prepared with garden hoses, spray bottles, and water guns to keep us cool.  Several also handed out ice and cold wet sponges (those where to of my favorite items).  The race organizers where really worried about the heat (It got close to 90 degrees that day a race record I think) so they had the fire department come out also.  They fire department opened up fire hydrants and sprayed us down and they even has at least three huge yellow tents that you could run thru that sprayed water on you.  My shoes were soaking wet early on in the race, but I didn't care I just wanted to finish.  At mile 13 I ran by Wellesley college and laughed at all the signs (kiss me I am a senior, or never been kissed)  I saw a few guys stop and get kissed.  Right before mile 17 I saw Reddin and stopped and gave him a big sweaty hug and kiss and then kept running.

 I was felling pretty good then, but a few miles after that I started to slow again and took another gel, I realized then that I probably wasn't going to finish in under 4:00, but I just kept running.  I walked a little to take a gel as I started up Heartbreak Hill which helped and then just kept going. I loved the spectators at Boston College they were so loud and called me pink (go pink, looking good pink).     The last 4 miles I just kept telling myself one loop around the Islands and then when I got to 3 miles told myself you can do anything for 30 minutes.  Then the crowd really started cheering the last 2 miles and even though my legs where tingly I finished as strong as I could at 4:16:59.  My worst race time ever, but I was still so proud because I finished.  This was the hardest race I have ran so far but I was glad I did it, it is fun.  After I finished they have you walk to get you metal and goody bag and then you have to keep walking to to get your drop bag.  I saw the long line of runners in wheel chairs and I didn't want to have to sit in one of them but by they time I got to the bus with my drop bag I felt like I was going to pass out so I set down behind the bus and texted Reddin.  He was waiting for me in the family area under the letter E.  I ate a few potato chips that is the only thing that sounded kind of good and then got up and walked to him.  After I found him I set back down again and finished my chips and then we walked to the park and got on the subway and headed back for our hotel.  I took an ice bath and then went and got in the pool and finally around 8pm that night decided I wanted to eat more then just salty snacks.  Overall it as so much fun and want to do it again someday if I can qualify again.

Tuesday morning we slept in and packed up and headed to the Boston Temple to walk around the grounds and then we headed into the city for lunch another canoli and a quick tour of Paul Revers house.





Then we headed to the airport.  I was pretty tired and sore already so I wasn't moving very fast.  We flew to Buffalo and got to Travis and Stephanie's house around 11:00 pm that night.  We stayed up and talked for an hour or so and then went to sleep.  I slept really good I think I even forgot where I was at first when I woke up in the middle of the night.

 Wednesday morning we got ready and went to Niagara falls.  We looked at the American side first, but then walked across rainbow bridge to the Canadian side and spent the rest of the day there.  We went on the maid of mist, which is a boat that takes you right to the base of the falls,  you get soaked but they give you a poncho so we only got a little wet (mainly our feet and heads).  After that we went and was the class 6 rapids, then the whorl pool, then we got to go in three tunnels that take you behind the falls, and last we watched a 4D movie about how Niagara Falls began.  It was a fun day filled with lots of walking.  That night Stephanie made us a yummy dinner and we ended the night watching TV and eating ice cream (perfect).

Thursday we woke up and drove 1.5 hours to Palmyra to see some church history sites.  We stopped at the Hill Cumorah first then walked around the Temple, then we visited the Smith Family houses and farms, the sacred grove, and then the Book of Mormon Historic Publication Site.  We ate at Mikes pizza for lunch between tours, and then drove the 1.5 hours back just in time to meet Travis, Stephanie, Collin, and Weston for dinner and Wegmans (their grocery store).  Wegmans is an amazing grocery store I wish we had one here. 

Friday morning Reddin and I drove to Delaware Park and I ran for the first time since the race and it felt okay.  I was still a little sore but I made it 3.5 miles.  We spent the rest of the day just hanging out with Travis, Stephanie, Collin and Weston.  We had a picnic lunch at Niagara Falls on the American side.  We went to another park and walked along a side walk that goes out into the river (I cannot remember the name and we didn't stay long it wasn't a very nice park).  That night we ate at Duff's (a buffalo wing joint), and then went back to Wegman’s for yummy muffins to have for dessert and a red box movie.

Saturday morning it was rainy and cold the weather changes so quickly, so I put on warm running clothes and went for a run in the rain.  After 4.5 miles I ran into Stephanie we ran a little more and then went and got everyone and we went and got donuts for breakfast from Paula's donuts.  The place was packed and they were yummy I tried several different ones and liked them all.  Then we got ready, visited, and pack up.  We had one last yummy lunch and their house and then headed for the airport.  When we got to the airport Reddin decided he needed to try Anchor bars wings so he could compare them to Duffs (Duffs won I think) and then we got the on the plane for our 5 hour flight home.  The flight went pretty fast I just listened to hunger games, read, and played Sudoku games.  I was excited to see my kids, and parents, and talk to all my friends again.  We had a great trip thanks to my mom and dad for watch our girls for 8 days and thanks to my friends that helped watch my kids also and get them where they needed to be, and thanks to Travis and Stephanie for being such great hosts.