BOSTON MARATHON 2018 ~ We Must Run the Race That is Set Before Us

Boston Monsoon-athon 2018 Race Report

WARNING:  Marathon post (literally). Get your popcorn ready!

Way more than you ever wanted to know.   I always write long posts after a marathon because running 26.2 miles just isn't enough! ☺ Reading this might be as painful as running a marathon! ☺So you can by-pass it all or enjoy what you chose.

BOSTON!!! 
I made it back to Boston for my second year!!!
And oh, what a story this year was!

The moment I've waited for!  Picking up my bib at the expo! 

With the UTAH RUNNERS!

The Boston Marathon – a race that is considered to be akin to the Super Bowl for runners.  It is the world's oldest marathon and ranks as one of the world's most prestigious and difficult road races. It is unique in many ways but mainly because it has very difficult qualifying standards.  2018 marks the 122nd running of this iconic event. Only 15 participants started in 1897, but now 30,000 runners from around the world make the annual pilgrimage to Boston, each sharing the dream of running the 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to the finish line on Boylston Street.  This was my second opportunity of running this magnificent race. I qualified 3 minutes and 34 seconds under my qualifying time for this year's race.  Last year I was under my BQ (Boston Qualifying) time by over 12 minutes.  The more you are under the better. So, this year I was sweating it, because you don't get in just because you are within your qualifying range. This year you had to be under your BQ time by 3 minutes and 23 seconds. I squeaked in by 11 seconds!!!  Whew! What a relief!  I was so grateful!  I have friends who missed it by one second!  ONE!  11 seconds isn't much more!  When I think of that tight cut-off and how I could have easily used up those 11 seconds by stopping to tie my shoe or linger too long at an aid station....it makes me almost cringe to realize how close I came to missing out on this year's epic race.  One thing for sure is you can't take for granted the opportunity to run this race.  I know I never will.  It has taken a lot of years of hard work, determination, and not giving up for me to get to that iconic starting line. And even though this year's race was less than ideal, there is nothing short of maybe being in a wheelchair that would have kept me from running it.  Maybe even then I would have found a way!  

That being said — Boston race conditions this year were perfect...for a salmon. I heard someone say if you wanted to get an idea what it was like to run it this year, put a treadmill in a car wash and turn the temperature to 30 degrees.  That about sums up this year's conditions.

This little clip is from Adam Hammond's blog post that helps put it in perspective:

"The conditions were not just awful, they were historically awful. Meb Keflezighi, 42, winner of the 2014 Boston Marathon, called them "the toughest conditions I've ever run in."  Shalane Flanagan, 36, Boston native and winner of the 2017 NYC Marathon, siad they were "the most brutal and gnarliest conditions I've ever competed in."  In the New York Times, Matthew Futterman called the race "epic----as in epic misery."  Placing 2018 in the history of notoriously miserable Boston Marathons, Futterman said "Monday was as high on the misery index as anyone I talked to could remember."  Beyond these anecdotal accounts, the best measure yesterday's brutal conditions were the performances of the elite runners.  Des Linden's winning time of 2:39:54 was the slowest in forty years (Gayle Barron, 2:44:52, 1978). Men's winner Yuki Kawauchi's 2:15:54 was the slowest in forty-two (Jack Fultz, 2:20:19, 1976). Most tellingly, less than half of the elite runners who started the race finished it: 23 of 41 elite runners DNFed, including 13 of 16 African runners."

So... how was it for me???

It was hard. It was amazing. It was quite possibly the coldest I’ve ever been. It was the hardest run of my life. It was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever experienced. It was one of the most challenging things I've ever done. It certainly wasn’t ideal. OK, I’ll say it.....it was absolutely miserable. But, I’ll never ever forget it or regret it as long as I live. The city of Boston, the volunteers, the first responders (out in huge numbers), the spectators standing in torrential rain, the courage, the determination, the sheer grit of the runners, will forever be remembered as one of the greatest experiences of my life.

I checked the forecast for weeks on out in great fear of a cold rainy day and as race day drew near, it only got worse each day. Yep, a cold (30° with windchill), rainy and to top it all off, windy day! I don't mind the rain. Or the cold. Not even so much the wind. But all three together is where I draw the line. I was already in fear of running it in the New England cold and rain after hearing my friend's reports from 2015 when it rained. For some reason, it seems I always "get" the opportunity to experience the things I fear the most. Last year, it was record heat. But this year, it was my greatest fear on steroids. If you haven't heard already ☺, this year's conditions made history as the worst and coldest in the past 30 years. (I want to know what it was 30 years ago that could top this!) Temps in the 30's and 40's before windchill, pouring rain (2"), and 30-40 mph headwind with gusts at 50 mph. I was trembling (more out of fear than cold) just thinking about it.

This was a couple of days before and it freaked me out a bit.  I would have welcomed this forecast.  haha  Mild temps and wind compared to what we actually got.  And it snowed the day before the race!  

Trying to decide what to wear was one of the biggest challenges of all. You don't want to overdress, but you really don't want to under-dress either. I basically brought my entire running wardrobe so I could have options. When I knew it was going to be a freezing monsoon, I decided to opt on the side of overdressing and I am glad I did. Many runners were under-dressed and paid dearly for it. I wore several thin layers — a thin Under Armour long sleeve, a thin merino wool long sleeve, another thin long sleeve, my short sleeve shirt I had planned on wearing, my new Saucony very thin waterproof jacket I found in Boston, and a thin poncho. I had a throw away jacket and a thick hoody underneath my poncho to stay dry in the athlete's village that I bought the night before when I heard the temps were predicted to be 28° at the start (where we wait for a long time before the race begins) and I didn't have anything to keep me warm enough. On my legs, I wore compression tights as well as another pair of tights on top and a pair of throw away sweats. I had on one pair of merino wool socks and then duct taped the toes of my shoes to help keep the toes dry and wore surgical booties over them in the AV (Athlete's Village). I wore surgical gloves over my regular gloves. I wore a headband with a hat and a shower cap over that. I had plastic bags over my shoes to help as well while waiting in the AV. 

I’m off! Gonna soak it all in today!! Guess we are all in the same boat ! 
I really wish we had a boat!  #BostonMonsoonathon2018

When I got in the car to head to the bus, it was pouring and the wind nearly blew me down. I just looked to the heavens and had to laugh because it was almost comical to me that it really was going to be this bad. I thought to myself how crazy this was that I was really going to do this, but after working so hard to qualify and then making the cutoff and then training hard for four months, I was not NOT going to do this! 

On the way to the bus stop I tried to eat some yogurt, a half a bagel and a banana but I was too nervous to eat much. Dave dropped me off at the Commons and I had to walk to the gear drop and then to the bus loading which was a good mile and a half in total distance. It was still coming down hard and the wind was ruthless. Everyone was geared up in ponchos or waterproof suits. It was quite the sight. Oh, the photos I could have taken if it hadn't been raining and I wasn't worried about ruining my phone. I sat by a great man from Singapore on the bus ride to the AV. He trained in 80° temps and was a little nervous about the conditions. I drank my fuel on the way. I mixed two packets of UCAN with about 10 ounces of water. It wasn't bad. I was hoping it would work! 

As we got off the bus, the wind was blowing so hard many people were running for hats or gloves that blew away from them. As we crossed into the village, the heavens opened and the rain just pelted us hard. The AV was a muddy swampy mess. I couldn't figure out why there was no one in line at the porta potties and then I saw why.  You had to traverse a large mud pond to get there, which I did.  Since no one was waiting in line, I hid out in a porta potty to keep dry while I tried to organize all my stuff that I was either taking or leaving.  There was icy slush and snow around the tents from the night's precipitation.  It was a crazy messy sight!  People were shivering and muddy and already wet with no possible way of warming up.  Not a good way to start a marathon.

I love the woman in the blue poncho and bagged shoes.  It shows a bit of how windy it was.

Fashionista!

When I came out of the porta potties everyone was making their way to the start. I was in Corral One but didn't hear them call it. I felt ready to get this show on the road until I dropped my glove in a puddle and had to wear it wet, but my hands were already frozen anyway. I then lost one of my surgical gloves on the way to the start due to the chaos. I frantically searched for one that someone had dropped and luckily found one. I drained out the water and put it on top of my other wet glove hoping the insulation would help. A sweet volunteer helped me get the bags off my feet as well as my throw away pants, jacket, and hoody. It was quite the feat when you can't feel your hands. The road from the AV to the start was paved with shoes, socks, gloves, hats, jackets, and poncho's discarded too early. And along with the removal of all that clothing, many dreams of catching a PR were also tossed aside as the reality of what we were about to undertake sank in. The gun had already gone off long before I arrived. It was totally different than last year's ceremonial start when we lined up in our corrals and stood there waiting for 20-25 minutes for the gun to go off. This year, you just took off as soon as you arrived at the start. No lining up, no music, no announcing, just chaos of people taking off their throw aways.  Some of those throwaways included some crazy things such as hazmat suits, painter overalls, complete plastic body suits, you name it!   The smart ones kept their jackets, ponchos, hats, and extra layers on.

Man, am I stylin' or what?  Totally rockin' that shower cap!

There was no time to contemplate what I was about to do, no time to think, just run. I took off and noticed even in those conditions, the excitement level was high. There was a good number of spectators at the start as if it were a nice warm day. Several runners were woefully under-dressed for the conditions.  I even saw a man running barefoot.  I so wish I could have gotten a photo of his bare feet splashing in the four inch puddles.  What a photo to remember.  I told him "good job" when I ran past him.  I know his feet had to be frozen numb because mine almost were and I had on socks and shoes!  

The first four miles are down hill and so you have to really hold back and not go out to fast. My watch told me I was running a 7:30 pace. I had to hold back or my legs would be thrashed by the Newton Hills at mile 16. I pulled back and got to a 8:30 pace. I knew that was still too fast and so I pulled back again and got to a 9:15 pace by mile three. It was still pouring and the wind gusts were brutal. It never stopped raining or blowing. At times the rain would just come down in buckets harder than anything I have ever seen in my life. But, wet is wet. Once you're wet you can't get any wetter. So bring it on. There were raindrops so fierce that your shoes had two inches of water in them because they were filling before they were draining. It was kind of fun to run in big puddles and not even notice a difference. I was feeling great with the exception of the miserable conditions. 

At mile five I found three pennies! Straight from heaven no doubt, because I could still bend down to get them. However, with gloves on and frozen fingers, it was a little tricky. It took me several tries, but I eventually got them. I kept hearing the words, "You Got This Mom!" in my mind and I knew I was going to be okay.  This one's for you bud!!!

I also found a quarter a little before the pennies and had to fight another runner for it. I don't remember what mile.  So much of the race this year is a blur. I am not sure if it's because I had my head down so much to avoid the pain of the rain and wind or if it was the hypothermia setting in or if it's mainly just because I was in survival mode.  I remember last year's race so much clearer.  

I kept my throw away jacket on until about mile six or seven when it became too waterlogged to keep wearing so I tossed it. The many runners who were wearing only shorts, not only looked very cold but their legs were bright red. By mile nine, my feet had joined my hands and were also numb. I was looking forward to Wellesley College and the Scream Tunnel about mile 12-13. It was LOUD even though there were only maybe 1/3 as many as last year.  You can usually hear them from a mile away but today the sounds of plastic ponchos and the hard rain coming down dampened their volume until about a half mile away.  I tried to find the posters that I requested but all of the posters were wet and torn due to the rain and wind. A little after that I ran past a group of missionaries and there was an older man standing with them holding a poster that said, "Go Jodi Wilding!" When I saw it, I thought it couldn't be me. But, I slowed down a bit and yelled to him, "That is my name!". He kind of nodded and off I ran. After going another 300 yards or so, the curiosity was getting the best of me and I had to run back and figure out the mystery even at the expense of costing me some time so I headed back to him and told him that was my name. He told me he was a senior missionary from Brigham City and said he saw my name in the paper and wanted to cheer me on! What!??? Wow! I was amazed! Especially in those weather conditions! I had to have a photo with him and the poster but my fingers were too frozen so I asked the sister missionaries to take one and send it to me, but none of them could get their phones to work (thanks to the rain) as the clock kept ticking. Thankfully, one finally did. I lost about 7-8 minutes for that little pit stop (and added some distance), but it was so worth it. I would do it again in a heartbeat. 

Around mile 14-15, I was starting to feel my calves cramp up. I knew that wasn't a good sign that early on and that the cold was starting to take it's toll.  But I soldiered on and kept pushing through the forceful headwinds.  My clothes were getting very waterlogged and heavy.  I was basically soaked to the bone, and by mile 16, it was becoming difficult to make my legs fire how I wanted them to. I was having serious thoughts of quitting especially knowing the Newton Hills were upon me.  I was worried I was going to need my fuel my family was bringing before I saw them.  I kept looking for them for a good three miles which was a good distraction to keep me from thinking about the cold but every time I looked at my pace I was becoming even more discouraged because my time was slowing. However, each time I looked at my pace band, I saw Tyson's cute smiling face looking back at me and that would give me the inspiration I needed to keep slogging forward. I knew he was alongside me helping me through. About that time I decided to quit worrying about my pace and time. My goal became to just survive and finish. I had my name bib on the outside of my jacket but my poncho had been covering it most of the way. I decided I needed some encouragement and so I tucked part of my poncho into the bib so the spectators could see it. It was a trade off because my legs were much colder with the poncho no longer on them but I felt hearing my name would more than make up for it. It was amazing to hear the spectators cheer me on by name! The lift it gives you is very real. And I wasn't even called Judy once this year! ☺

Then, just when I needed it most, I saw my family at mile 17 waiting for me with big smiles, huge hugs, some much needed encouragement, my fuel, as well as warm dry gloves! I first saw Bryce and Taylor. They both had on beaming (though very wet) smiles!  I ran over towards them and Bryce gave me one of the biggest hugs I have ever had in my life. He wouldn't let go and I was grateful because it warmed me up some! 

 Spotting the fam!

Bryce posted this photo and wrote this on his social media:☺
Well she did it again! It poured rain nonstop and the wind was ruthless, but she smiled thru it all for 26.2 miles. Proud of you momma! @ Boston Marathon Finish Line

They told me Dave and McKay were down a little ways. They were all SO wet! Dave for some reason didn't have on his poncho but he was all smiles and when I told him I was running so slow, he immediately told me that wasn't true.  He was getting updates on my pace and miles and told me my pace was right on and that he couldn't believe how amazing I was doing.  What?!  I was VERY happy to hear that!  Apparently my new Garmin wasn't calculating too well due to the cloud coverage. Knowing I was on pace was the best news I could have gotten! We began to switch out my wet gloves for warm dry ones but they had to take off both pair of gloves because I couldn't move my fingers. Their hands were pretty frozen too and so it was kind of a circus with all of us trying to make the change. The surgical gloves I had on had water pooled inside the fingers and looked like a water balloon. I guess the rain had ran down my wrists into the gloves. It took a while to get the wet ones off and my wet fingers inside another pair of dry ones. But, once they were on, it was heaven. Dave said it looked like I had been dipped in pool.  I told him that he looked the same. We took some photos and after a 7-8 minute pit stop, I was off again with renewed determination and strength to tackle the hills. That was the boost I needed. 

I drank my fuel (1/2 packet of Tailwind with caffeine mixed with 10 ounces of water) for the next couple of miles while on the hills which was a good distraction as was the most unbelievable and heaviest downpour I've ever seen in my life that just wouldn't let up. The hills just kept going and going but I was expecting that. I didn't walk one time and I felt that I crushed them considering it all. I think my fuel was kicking in and at the top of Heartbreak I was even feeling pretty strong. Exhausted as all get out, but strong.  Better yet, I knew there was some downhill ahead and only five more miles to go! I forced myself to take some water or Gatorade at every aid station even though I didn't think I was going to be getting dehydrated, but I did anyway "just in case" because I didn't need dehydration thrown into the mix. The water was ice cold. Hot chocolate would have been a better option! hah I must have given hundreds of high fives along the way even though I barely had energy to do it but the spectators love it.  Last year doing it gave me energy, but this year it felt like it drained me instead.  But I was so in awe that they would come out to cheer us on in those conditions that I felt I owed it to them.  

While still on the hills I started to feel intense pain in my upper back.  This was new to me in a race.  I am sure it was from being so tight and tensing up due to the cold.  The pain increased steadily until I knew I was going to have to do something if I was going to have a chance at finishing.  I tried with all my might to get my Advil out of my side pocket of my pants.  It took me about five minutes just to get the bag it was in out of my pocket.  Once I got it out, it was a whole new challenge trying to get the bag opened and the Advil into my mouth. That seriously took another five minutes. My hands were no longer functioning as hands.  I finally decided to just use my teeth to open the bag and then try to slide them out one at a time with my teeth as well.  Success.  

About mile 22, my legs started to feel like heavy blocks of ice. The strength I was feeling earlier had left me and I had to fight every step of the way from then on. My goal was to smile the entire 26.2 miles (no matter what) because I believe smiling helps me mentally. I think it tricks my mind into believing I am having a good time. ☺ At that point even when I heard my name, the best I could do was a thumbs up to acknowledge their kindness, but I couldn't make eye contact because it just took too much energy with the wind and rain blowing sideways into my face. I just smiled straight ahead and gave a thumbs up. 

 A few photos I got on line so you can get an idea of what it was like.

As I ran past Fenway, I was surprised to see so many Red Sox fans cheering us on because they had cancelled the game due to the storm for the first time on Patriot's Day since 1984. I saw many posters that said, "Just keep swimming!" I was not amused. There were moments when the rain slowed and the wind quieted, though it never stopped the entire 26.2.  At times Mother Nature would unleash a Noah's Ark soaking just to keep us on our toes. Our numb, wet, miserable toes. Several times all 'you know what' broke loose and it was like being in the middle of a monsoon. There were even white caps on the puddles!  I just had to laugh. It truly was almost comical.  It was as if the marathon was determined we were not going to triumph her today.

I took my poncho and shower cap off about mile 23, not because it had stopped raining, but because I didn't want to be wearing them in my final photos. Bad fashion mojo even though I was rockin' that shower cap! 🤣 Not a good idea because my family was looking for my bright yellow poncho at the finish line and a few missed seeing me cross. When I saw the Citgo sign, I felt relief but also frustration because even one more mile was going to take everything I had. Those last few miles I kept saying to myself, "You are running the Boston Marathon!" That, coupled with thoughts of how blessed I am to be able to do this when so many will never get to, pulled me towards that finish line. "Do it for those who can't.", became my mantra for those last few miles. I also kept telling myself (you talk to yourself a lot those last delirious miles!), "You trained hard for this, you're prepared and you've got this!" The memory of the faded magnet I found with that heaven sent message hit me hard. This year's whole race was at least 90% mental.

I have never been so happy when we came up out of the underpass and made our way onto Hereford Street. "Right on Hereford, left on Boylston", the six most inspiring and coveted words in distance running meant I was almost there. Hereford was littered with ponchos that runners had discarded, I'm assuming so they wouldn't be in their finish line photos. It was like a mine field and you had to hopscotch over them.

I could see a sea of umbrellas as I approached Boylston. I was blown away (literally) by the crowds standing out there in that horrible weather every bit as enthusiastic as last year. But this IS Boston and the spectators take it as serious as the runners. As I turned onto Boylston I could already hear the roar of the crowd and I knew those last final steps were going to be a celebration with the world's most amazing, ear piercing spectators cheering all the runners on to that finish line. It's at that point you realize you are living your dream and the tears start to flow. That left turn onto Boylston gets you emotional. The feeling is indescribable. This year the celebration felt more like a victory over a hard fought battle that you weren't sure you were going to win. The feeling was more of a sense of relief that you survived and came out alive when so many others fell along the way due to the weather conditions. The history in what those final steps represent always gets to me. I thought of all the people that have run this stretch in the past 122 years and all the struggles it took for many of them to get there. I also think of all the people who aspire to run it and never get a chance due to the strict qualifying times, injury, or something else in their life preventing them from being there. As I ran past the bombing site, the emotions took a hold of me again. You can't help but feel it and the emotions peak. Remembering what happened right at that spot only five short years ago silences out the roaring spectators for a moment and a deep sense of reverence washes over you.

Oh, what a sight!  The finish line!  It was beckoning to me and I to it.  I was exhausted and ready to get out of the washing machine I'd been in for over four hours. I was only able to see my son Taylor as I ran to the finish, but I knew the others were there. It's so loud and there are so many people, you can't hear them call out to you. Dave said he turned and ran with me from Hereford onto Boylston and was yelling my name but he couldn't keep up and I couldn't hear him.   

As I approached the finish line, so many emotions surfaced and tears fell right along with the raindrops as I raised my arms in victory for conquering this year's epic race.  That's all that mattered to me.  That, and getting warm!  I conquered and survived the Boston Monsoon-athon of 2018 with possibly the worst weather Boston has ever offered up. One that will go down in history and will be talked about for decades.  It was not exactly what I expected but yet it exceeded my every expectation. It was definitely a once in a lifetime race.  It tested my determination, my strength, my grit, my training and my will power every step along the way. Boston has always felt like a hallowed race to me but after running it in this year's conditions, it does even more so.  It was a hard fought battle but it was worth every cold and wet mile, every gust of wind that ripped at my poncho and tried to hold me back, every blinding raindrop, and every frozen body part. 

I didn't reach my goal time of 4:05, but I am okay with that. I finished with a 4:30:01. If I had not made those two pit stops, I would have had a faster time than last year, but none of that mattered to me. Survival and staying out of the medical tent were my only goals this year. What a race!

The looks I saw on the finisher's faces said it all.  It was a combination of relief, disbelief, and gratitude.  There were more tears than smiles this year.  It wasn't the usual finish line celebration.  Today's was much more quiet, somber and rushed but almost in slow motion to get out of wet clothes and warmed up.

I must add that I was in absolute awe of all the volunteers who were standing out in that raw environment cheering us on and smiling. And though there were only about 20% of last year's spectators, those who did come out to give us the boost we needed, will have my admiration forever. Brutal, nasty conditions, yet there they were still out there cheering perfect strangers on. There are no words for the appreciation I have for them all. And that includes my family. Absolute awe. I will never be able to erase the picture of all those people standing out there in the torrential rain cheering us on!

Boston 2018 was the worst marathon I've ever ran and it was the best one I've ever ran...all wrapped into one. It was also the most inspiring, watching all those runners (each who has a story to tell) pushing through with all they had even though Mother Nature was pushing right back. I don't think it was possible to ever be prepared for what happened no matter what kind of weather you trained in. I truly admire those who managed to PR.

Boston Strong took on new meaning this year.  Crossing that finish line made you feel that if you could conquer that, there are no limits in what you can do in life. It made me reach deeper and realize a new depth to my own personal strength. It took all I had to keep running and it made me tougher. I was so inspired by all those who started and especially those who finished. Boston athletes are not the the type who give up. They are unique in that they have earned the right to be there either by qualifying after training hard for years or by raising thousands for charities.  Making it to the start says more than making it to the finish.

This year's Boston became a day for the medal, and all that medal stands for.  Tears, triumph, discouragement, determination, persistence, anguish, pain, courage, fortitude, discomfort, endurance, grit, the list goes on and on.  I wish I could hear the story of every medal recipient and what it took to earn it this year.  I, for one, will treasure this medal for the rest of my life knowing all that went into obtaining it.  It will always remind me that I was beyond fortunate to be able to qualify for this monumental race, then make the cut-off, then stay healthy enough to get to the starting line, and most of all to finish it in such abysmal conditions. The medal I earned this year will always represent to me that we CAN "run the race that is set before us." (Hebrews 12:1)

In the end, when all is said and done, it was worth every step.  Every. Single. Wet. Grueling. Step.

After I crossed the finish line, I got a couple photos, my medal, my space blanket, my food bag, some more photos, and then made my way out to our meeting spot by the statue in the Commons.  Along the way I saw many runners in the med tents and many others shivering and shaking uncontrollably.  But I guess enduring the worst weather conditions the Boston Marathon has had in 30 years will take it's toll.  The veterans are saying it was the worst ever.  All I know, is it was definitely the worst conditions I have ever ran in or hope to. The BAA reported that 1,200 runners were in the medical tents along the route, most with hypothermia and 81 sent to the hospital. That does not count the runners in the tent at the finish.  The new tally after I wrote this is 2,400 in the med tent.  I am pretty sure those were the ones wearing shorts and tank tops with a thin poncho on top, if even that.  Those were dangerous choices for this year's race.  60% of the elites dropped out (60%!) and their times were the slowest in almost 40 years. It was definitely the first time elites wore jackets, beanies, and ponchos!

Oh my gosh, it was freezing!  No idea HOW I am still smiling!  I think my smile was frozen on my face.   All in all, I was fairing pretty well after I stopped running.  I felt cold and miserable, but I didn't start shaking right then.  There is something to be said for wearing several layers!  And that heat sheet helped immensity!

I earned this baby today!

I was ready to find my family and get in a nice hot shower. The walk to get out is a good 3/4 of a mile.  But walking was good. I didn't want to stop or I knew I would freeze.  Once I found our meeting spot, I heard, "Jodi! Jodi! Over here!" It was my dear friend Shauna.  Just seeing her standing at the statue waiting for me with a warm blanket so I didn't get hypothermia brought another downpour only of a different kind. I didn't recognize her at first because she was so bundled up!  She ran over and gave me a big hug and told me how amazed she was I not only survived that but finished it so well.  Her husband Jake was with her and he was concerned about me getting warmed up. They drove all the way from Maine to be there for me at the end while standing out in those brutal conditions!  What a friend!  

This is her post on FACEBOOK (made me cry): This is what crazy and absolutely inspirational looks like! Finding the guts, grit, and determination to run in today’s weather is amazing. Despite the pouring rain, strong winds, and cold temperatures, she DID it! Thank you for taking such a difficult time in your life and turning it into something that gives so many such inspiration. Most of all, Thank you so much for being my friend!!!❤️❤️

Holy canoli!  My shoes look like clown shoes with that duct tape on them! ☺ We chatted while we waited for Dave and the boys.  They all made it but McKay.  I was getting colder and colder while we waited for him.  Jake kept telling me I needed to get out of those wet clothes.  He said they saw so many runners shaking and shivering and I was in the danger zone if I didn't get in dry clothes fast. He was more worried about me than anyone. haha It was cute.  After about 30 minutes McKay finally arrived.  We got some quick photos and then I thanked Shauna and hugged her good-bye and we were off to find the car.  

We walked a long ways to get to the car but it was kind of fun because so many people would stop to congratulate me.  Bostonians make us marathoners feel like Rock Stars!  Even with all the other big sporting events going on this week (Celtics were in the playoffs as were the Bruins and of course, the Red Sox played at Fenway Park a few times) the city rolls out the red carpet for the marathon runners.  Wherever I went, I had many strangers in the days leading up to it, tell me 'Good Luck' (including several homeless men).  The energy in the city is electric!  It's one of my favorite parts of running Boston.  I didn't get a standing ovation on the subway this year like I did last year, but if I had been on it more, I most likely would have again.  The Bostonians are some of the most incredible people I have ever met. 

What. An. Epic. Day!  

When we finally got in the car, I started to shiver and my teeth started to chatter.  We cranked up the heater and headed to our hotel. Everyone was wet and cold but they let me take a shower first.  There was not a stitch on me that was dry. I had to literally peel the clothes off.  I am sure if I had weighed my wet clothes and shoes, they would have been 10-15 lbs!  BUT, OH MAN!  That was the best shower I've ever had!  I'm not sure I would have ever gotten out if all the guys hadn't needed to get warmed up as well.  After we were all warmed up we went to Five Guys to eat.  I actually felt like eating.  That is not the norm after a marathon at least one in the heat.   I wore my race shirt and medal... proudly.  There were a couple other marathoners in there as well.  We looked at each other with that instant bond as if we had been in a war together and the look of, "Good job! Way to survive!"  We then took Taylor to the airport because his flight left at 7:45 pm. 

And wouldn't you know it?  The next day in Boston was sunny and 50°. Perfect marathon conditions!

Finishing with a 4:30:01 wasn't what I was hoping for but considering I lost at least 12-14 minutes for my two pit stops, I am happy.  If I take that from my finish time, my actual running time would be around a 4:17 and just knowing that is my real time means I actually ran it faster than last year's heat wave (4:25:30), and so that makes me very happy.  I did however beat my bib number by 5,288!  I was placed at 24579 and finished at 20458. One of these years I would like to see what I can actually do on the course without record heat or a flippin' monsoon!  My goal is to re-qualify for Boston while running Boston.  I know I can do it. I just need a chance to show I can. I cannot wait to run it again if I get another opportunity!  It really is the best marathon in the world. I already have qualified for 2019 but only three minutes under my qualifying time and so it most likely won't happen.  I must admit I was a little triggered this morning when I heard the howling wind outside and it looked like rain. I think I may have PTBMS (Post Traumatic Boston Monsoon-athon Syndrome)!  And I may live in fear of car washes for the rest of my life.    But even that is a small price to pay for such an extraordinary experience. 

     How I love Boston!  🦄💙💛💙🦄

Here is my personal Adidas video of the marathon HERE:

This is the KSL TV NEWS Facebook Live video that I am on and that was shown on the KSL News (parts of it) HERE It's COOL!
Caption: Caitlin Burchill is at the Boston Marathon finish line. She and 357 other Utahns are expected to run the race tomorrow!!!
Posted by KSL 5 TV on Sunday, April 15, 2018

 Us on the news ↑ 

Here is the KSL FACEBOOK LIVE clip ↓  I am towards the end of it with the other Utah Runners.  This was so much fun!

Sorry this is so big.  I couldn't shrink it!  But it's cool because she takes you on a short walk through downtown Boston and you get to see some of the sites before she gets to the end where she talks to us.

One of Taylor's post...

Bryce's innovative way to dry our clothes so we could pack them!

Here are a few amazing photos I got off the Boston Training page.
(Definitely need to click to enlarge). 

I made the center one ↑ and posted it on the training page....

THIS might be my favorite photo so far.  It really sums up how I'm sure most of us felt as we crossed that finish line this year!

A MUST read about the winner Desi Linden HERE.

Words just can't capture the actuality of it all. Maybe these short video clips will help. This one shows what the rain actually looked like as still cameras didn't capture it.

Medical Tent. She said only 10 went to hospital, but 81 actually did.

On a good note, the conditions created an opportunity for the underdogs to place in one of the toughest marathon's in the world. One article called it "perfect chaos". I think I would rename it "perfect storm'! Sarah Sellers (a full time nurse who ran for Weber State!) took second place when she wasn't even considered to be in the top 20! It allowed American Desi Linden to win when she almost dropped out at mile 2. And that is after she stopped twice to help American teammates Shalane Flanagan and Molly Huddle. There are so many stories and so many things that happened on this historic Boston 2018 that we will be hearing about for years!

I am so grateful and blessed I was able to be a part of this historic year!

And....I can NOT WAIT to get back to that starting line again!

But I may invest in this for next year! 

Haha  Well, maybe not the second one!  I'm not sure I have the anatomy for it.

Final thoughts (the POINT TWO of this marathon post):
This year's running and finishing the Boston Marathon has changed me. Before, during and after, the scripture kept coming to my mind, "You must run with endurance the race that is set before you...." (Hebrews 12:1).  I have always said running teaches me many life lessons, but none more so than this particular race.  I did NOT want to run this race in the conditions that were set before me.  Not at all.  But, it was the race that was set before me.  I wasn't given the choice to run it in with mild temps accompanied by glorious sunshine and partial cloud coverage.  The race set before me on April 16, 2018 was the last choice on my list of what conditions I would hope for.  In fact, they were the exact conditions I feared the most.  Actually, the conditions I feared the most were even milder than what I got.  I had told myself so many times that if I ever had to run in those conditions, I could not do it. I would fail. When I learned the race set before me for the Boston Marathon was going to be so difficult, my doubts continued to grow.  However, deep down inside me I knew I was strong enough, resilient enough and determined enough to endure it.  Or maybe just stubborn enough!  Whatever it is, I am not one to easily give up.  Most runners at the Boston Marathon starting line wouldn't have made it there if they gave up easily.  And even though it wasn't the race I hoped for, I did run the race that was set before me.  With endurance.  A lot of endurance.  Endurance that came from a power not of my own. 

So it is with life.  Often we are given the very trials and adversities we would not choose and definitely not hope for.  Sometimes trials rain down upon us all at once with no break in between. Sometimes we are given the very thing we fear the most.  Almost always we doubt our abilities to endure those trials and sometimes we even wish they would be taken away.  But in most cases we do not have the choice to reject or evict them from our lives.  We must endure them.  We must run the race that is set before us. And when we finish that race, we are often surprised at the strength we find deep inside ourselves that we didn't even know we possessed.  We also recognize that we were given power beyond our own to complete the race. 

The race of life that is set before us is a challenging marathon that requires endurance and the aid of our Savior if we expect to cross that finish line with our hands held high.  No, we don't get to choose the trials that are set before us.  We only get to choose how we will respond to them.  And in the end, we discover that no matter what race we get, we are capable of running it so much better than we ever believed we could. 

YOU DID IT!!!  You just crossed the finish line!  

Woot Woot!  You deserve a medal!  If you will settle for chocolate, let me know and I will send some your way! ☺

Below are a few things of interest that I want to save and you might enjoy as you grab that medal (chocolate) and try to recover from the marathon that was set before you.... aka the world's longest post!

Each year the runners receive a poster that has EVERY SINGLE runners name on it that is running the marathon that year.  This year the posters could not have been more perfect.  2018's definitely created a LEGEND!  

Yeah, my name is on there somewhere! 

This video shows the conditions but it is a bit longer, but still worth watching!

THIS (link below) is a must watch! It's very short but totally captures what it was really like.  It's an article but the second photo down is actually a video (looks like just a photo of a man in a red shirt in a wheelchair) click on it HERE.

The below is a few of my favorite stories and memories I don't want to forget from the post: The 2018 Boston Marathon - The RunRunLive 4.0 Podcast– Boston 2018

Coming down the hill out of Hopkinton there were a couple of kids in bathing suits frolicking in a front yard.  One guy was wearing a mask and snorkel.  There are countless stories of spectators tying shoes and helping runners with food and nutrition when the athletes hands were too cold to work anymore.

One out of town runner, in a fit of hypothermia went to the crowd looking for a spare rain poncho and got the nice LL Bean rain coat freely off a mans back so he could finish the race.  In some ways it reminded me of 2013 when the people of Boston came together to help each other overcome adversity.

I don’t know why but people’s pacing was all over the place during the race.  It might have been the wind or the hypothermia addled brains but they were weaving all over the road.  I had to slam on my brakes for random stoppages the entire race.

Eventually I just ran through them as best I could.  I didn’t have the energy to stop.  This kind of behavior is unusual at Boston in the seeded corrals, but the whole day was unusual. I think the relative chaos of the start may have had something to do with it.

When we got to the corrals they had ceased worrying about protocol and were just waving runners through.  If you wanted to bandit Boston this year or cheat, Monday would have been the day to do it.  But you also might have died in the process, so there’s that.

In my mind I never once thought, “This is terrible!” or “This bad weather is ruining my race!”  All I was thinking is how great it was to get to be a part of something so epic that we would be talking about for years to come.  The glory points we notched for running this one, for surviving it and for doing decently well considering – that far outweighed any whining about the weather.

This type of thing brings out the best in people.  It brought out the grit in me and the other finishers.  It brought out the challenges for those 2700 or so people who were forced to seek medical treatment.  That’s about 10% of those who started.

It brought out the best in Desi Linden who gutted out a 2:39 to be the first American winner 33 years.  In fact it brought out the best in the next 5 female finishers, all of whom were relative unknowns.  The top 7 women were 6 Americans and one 41 year old Canadian who came in 3rd.  No East Africans to be seen.

The day brought out the best in Yuki Kawauchi from Japan who ground past Kenyan champ Geoffrey Kirui in the final miles.

It was an epic day for epic athletes and I am glad to have been a part of it.  I am grateful that this sport continues to surprise me and teach me and humble me.  I am full of gratitude to be part of this race that pushes us so hard to be better athletes, to earn the right to join our heroes on this course. 

If you want to read the rest of this, the rest of this amazing post is HERE.   You can also listen to as a podcast.  The above quotes are clips from it.  The podcast link is HERE.  It is pretty cool and even has sound effects.

  I made this  meme because it really is the bottom line... Runners DO weather the weather!