After a few nights of restless sleep I woke up monday morning ready to run. I put on my clothes that I had set out the night before and headed out to meet Smith and Shauna my fellow injured friend. We met through our trainer. We loaded the bus to drive out to Hopkinton 26 miles away. What a long bus ride. It took over an hour to get to the starting line. We camped out at the althletes village for a while trying to settle nerves and prepare for this race. We saw many interesting people dressed as nuns, minnie mouse, and some guy wearing a Yankee uniform. He got booed the whole marathon.

The time came to walk the 1/2 mile to the starting line. By the time we got there we had to run to the start because they had already started our wave. We were off and running. To see a river of bobbing heads head down the first hill was intimidating. There were so many people. It was crowded with people the whole marathon. I was feeling great (but who doesn't at 3 miles). The crowds were great. I was slapping the hand of all the little kids lined by the road. The were cheering me on by name even if they did misprounouce it (Go Kristen, Go Kirsten).

The course was very up and down the whole way into Boston. I started on course to do a 3:45 marathon. All of my splits were under what I had predicted. I hit the halfway point at 1 hour 53:54. About a quarter mile before I got to Wellesley college I could hear the college girls screaming. This is the most crazy crowd for cheering. I saw my husband at some point along here. I'm not really sure where it was all a blur. What's 1 mile when your doing a marathon right? At mile 19 I had to take a pit stop to take care of Aunt Flo. That mile was 12:06. Curse that Aunt Flo. I was really losing steam at this point. I came upon heartbreak hill and wasn't sure that thats what it was. I personally felt it was not worth all of the hype. Maybe that is because we run so many hills out here in Sherwood. I actually liked climbing the hill. When I see a hill I find myself more focused and into the motion of what I'm doing.

After heartbreak hill my mind was starting to play games with me telling me that it was ok to walk. I just kept my body running. The students at Boston College were a big help to me at this point. They were all yelling my name and telling me I was doing a great job. I really needed this pick me up. From this point on there were people lining the streets several people deep. I kept telling myself 5 miles to go, 3 miles to go. I turned the corner onto Hereford St. and knew there was one more corner to turn before the end. I saw my husband perched on the ledge of a building with a second sign. It meant so much to me. He had told me when I saw him earlier that he would be around mile 19 and when I didn't see him there I was a little disheartened. I turned the corner onto Boylston St. saw the finish line and knew there was only .2 miles to go. "I can do this" I thought. I looked down at my watch and saw that I could finish in under 4 hours if I picked up the pace. I found what I had left in me and picked it up to the finish. I finished in 3 hours 59 min. and 57 sec. I was so glad to be done. And I was very happy to finish this marathon and within my goal. Even better I felt no lingering pain from my injuries.