Wanderers Prevail at Boston Marathon

by Polly Jansen

This being my first trip to Boston ever, I arrived Sunday (the day before the race) a flustered ball of stress! My flight had been delayed two hours and when we landed I had 8 messages on my phone from other Wanderers wondering where I was! I headed to the Expo (dragging my luggage) just in time to pick up my race packet & take a few deep breaths before I met up with the rest of the crew.

By the time we got to the hotel, it was a mad scramble packing our race bags with just about every article of clothing we could stuffed in! Not much sleep was to be had as the wind & rain pounded the window all through the night. Yikes!

Race morning, I had a sense of dread that I would be running into a wall of wind & rain the entire time! I proceeded to my corral with garbage bags tied over my shoes & a rain poncho. There were no pre-race jitters for me! Just the thought of, "Let's get this over with!" By the time I was under way, though, the worst seemed to be over. Now it was time to enjoy the ride.

Some highlights for me were running through Wellsley College & slapping the hands of all the girls screaming & cheering. I could already hear them from a mile back & it was such a great rush! In fact, the crowds were terrific despite the crappy weather. Every time I was feeling tired or "near death," I would scan the crowds & meet the eyes of people who would look right at me & say things like, "You got this, girl! You can do it!"

The hilly section was definitely tough & my legs were aching badly after Heartbreak. Then, out of the blue at the mile 23 water stop, Paige Soltany appeared screaming my name! I was practically delirious at that point, so it took me a second to get my bearings after she hugged me & started jumping up & down & running beside me for a few yards. That Paige. You never know where she'll pop up!

Rounding the last corner & seeing the "Boston Marathon" archway at the finish line was an incredible feeling. I will admit, for a split second I had tears in my eyes & had to catch my breath! The last stretch I joined the people running around me in pumping our fists up in the air almost the whole way! What a thrill! I was so happy to be done & to have broken 4 hours on such a tough day! At this point, I am not making plans for my next marathon. Just enjoying the much needed rest from a rigorous winter of training!

Photos and Personal race-Reports:

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