Motivational Boston Memories!

Shelly Tuma is a fellow MDRA runner and a fantastic finisher of the "worst weather in the history of the race" 2007 Boston Marathon! I asked her to put her race memories in blog form. Enjoy! BTW - that's Shelly on the right next to Bill Rodgers.


The day before I was to leave for Boston I heard the weather guy on KARE 11 say "50 mph wind gusts in the face of the runners at the Boston Marathon" Needless to say panic swept through me. What was my plan B? I didn't have one. Quickly I emailed Coach Anne, "What do I wear, what do I do?" She responded with some excellent words of advice for me. I also remembered Ross Harris telling me you have to accept what the day brings us.

How true. I calmed with these thoughts and tried to keep positive.

My training started at Christmas. I was so pumped to start. Had it all printed out, ready to go. Then my Dad died suddenly at the age of 64 in January. I have spent most of my free time after that with my Mom and my family, helping her through this difficult time. It sure gave my training new meaning. Running is therapy-really.

There were weeks of below zero temps, then snow and more snow. I pieced together training runs with the polar bears, asked friends to meet me for a few miles of my long runs so I would not have to be alone, hooked up with the MDRA Spring training group. There were hill and speed workouts on the treadmill when it was -20 wind-chill. Most of the time running at 530am so not to disrupt family life. I felt like I was ready for Boston.

The weather was all the talk at the airport, on the flight over, in the hotel lobby and at the expo. People from TX, FL and CA were completely freaked out, looking for tights, jackets and hand warmers. I was rooming with an old high school running mate. She has been living in CA and AZ for the past 15 years. She has lost her memory of the MN cold. She was terrified. I had said I would wear shorts if it was 35 or warmer. The guys at the adidas booth said the wind-chill would be too much for shorts. They recommended tights...that was not on my plan. They said, "You'll freeze, you'll cramp" I caved in and bought the tights. Was I really going to wear these? I had never even run in them before.

The morning of the marathon we made our half mile walk to catch the shuttle to the start. It was pouring rain. The wind was blowing so hard it would push us backwards! We waited an hour in that rain and wind for the shuttle. I kept wondering how on earth we were going to do this. It was going to be a long day.

It rained on and off for the first half of the marathon. The wind did not seem too bad at times. Maybe it helps to be 5'2''. There were so many runners. I think we were shielded pretty good. We felt great, running 830 pace- I said I was going to start at 9 minute pace, what was I thinking?! By mile 7 I remembered coach Anne and others telling me not to go out too fast, the hills are coming. I slowed my pace to 845. Still feeling good, I pressed on. The crowd was insane! At about 13 miles we came into Wellesley. Those women are nutty. Men were kissing the girls as they passed. I passed a man wearing a giant afro wig and a guy with a sign that said "train wreck". (how was he ahead of me until then?)

I had my friend Traci and her husband waiting for me at Mile 21, the top of Heartbreak Hill, with a dry shirt. I was counting the miles until I got to them.

I stopped at a port-a-potty at mile 18. They have water stops every mile at Boston. I had to go. There was only one man in line ahead of me so I took a chance. Never have done that before in a race.

I made it through the hills of Newton. The crowd was so wild at the top of Heartbreak Hill. It was incredible. I found Traci and stopped to change my shirt. That was a great idea. Felt like a new woman. 5 miles to go. Did it seem like the Marathonfoto guys were everywhere or was it just me?Good thing I was fresh in my dry, hot pink shirt....Just when we started down the hill after I left Traci, this huge gust of wind came up blasting our faces. This guy came running by and yelled "Come on wind, give me what you got!" and he flew down the hill. What a nut, didn't he have that same screaming feeling in his quads as I did by now?

I was thinking now of all I had been through to get there. I thought about calling my boys when I finished. I felt my Dad with me, he would have loved to see that race. I could almost hear him "OK Shel, this is it, you did it, lets go!" Tears crept into my eyes as I turned down Boylston Street and headed into the finish. I came in at 4:05. Nearly 20 minutes slower than what I ran to qualify. But did it matter? Not really....I was in Boston. A guy at the finish said these were the worst conditions in the 111 year history of the Boston Marathon.

The following day we walked all through Boston (yes, it was still raining). We made it to Bill Rodgers Running Center. A cool running store! He was there! He introduced us to Patti Dillon. She was the first female to run under 2:30 in the marathon. We took some pictures and his final words to us were; "We'll see you again at the Boston Marathon!" Yes Bill.... you will. Until then I look forward to the summer training with MDRA for Chicago. Can't wait.

PS: The sun was shining when I boarded the plane to fly home. That figures!