The Long and Winding Road/Journey to 26.2

The Long and Winding Road......that leads to Boylston Street!

I am writing for the first time since April 13, 2013, when I dedicated the 2013 Marathon to Rosanne Ameno.  I have thought about posting many times, but have not been able to do it.  Even now, as I'm typing, my heart is beating faster and I feel anxious.  But I have to write - it's time.  I'm going to tell you today about the events as I saw them of April 15, 2013 - a snapshot view.  Our Long and Winding Road to 26.2 will span 2 marathons - thank you for taking the journey with me!

April 15, 2013.  That morning was UNBELIEVABLE, one I will never forget.  Perfect weather, the kind we ALL wished for.  Carl brought me to meet my Red Sox Foundation team at our private bus, parked at the Westin Copley.  I loaded the bus, and gave many of my team members a hug - I love this team!  I sat in my seat, took out my snacks, plugged my phone in to charge, and hoped to take a little nap en route to Hopkinton.  No nap, though, I was way too excited.  I thought about my boys and Carl, waiting for me on those VIP bleachers at the finish line.  "Boy this bus is driving a long way.......and I know how I'm getting back here!"  NO WAY I was going back NOW!  Next Stop......Athlete's Village.  My team that morning in Hopkinton:

My first time at Athlete's Village.  What an experience - the excitement and anticipation in Hopkinton that morning was something I'll never forget.  The announcements of the Elite Runner's Starting, and the groups following.  Bouncing around chatting with my teammates either in the village or on the bus.  Best thing about the private bus?  Private toilet!  :)

Then, they announced our corrals.  We got ready, had our layers of throw away extra clothing on (Thanks Carl), and brought our bags to the buses to be transported back to Boston to be waiting for us at the finish line.  I put everything in there - wallet, license, everything I would not need for running went on that bus.  We started walking toward the starting line, and Pete Borgmann snapped this photo of me - I'm such a dork, I was SO excited!!

The sound of the starting gun - Wow!  The Boston Marathon!  Ran past the starting line, waved at all the TV cameras, was enjoying seeing all the runners make their way to their spots along their journeys.  Mile 1 for Dennis Peterlin.  Was thinking of him and praying for his family, my friends, the Peterlin family.  Over this year, he did pass away - STUPID CANCER!  So many people cheering, little kids high fiving - I had to slap so many hands, and savor the moment!  Obviously I was not interested in my time, I was having way too much fun soaking it all in. 


Running through Hopkinton, Ashland....and then OUCH, I started to hobble, my hip all the way to my knee was hurting - something snapped and I had to hobble walk/run for the next 17 miles!  It hurt, but I was still having fun (turns out I had a FOURTH degree stress fracture in the center of my Iliac Bone in my hip!  Lucky it didn't snap in two! Can't believe I ran 17 miles on that!).    At this point, I texted my boys and told them to go to their seats at the bleachers at 4 - 4:30, rather than 3:00pm, as I'd be at least an hour behind schedule due to the injury.  In hindsight, WOW, I'm so happy I made that text!!

Loved seeing the ZLX "I quit" tent, and all my mile markers for people.  I had "26.2 For Rosanne" on the back of my vest, and so many people I passed yelled her name!  Mile 13 for Alexander the Great, through Wellesley!  Wow, that was FUN!   The whole way of my race, I was running behind and in front of a Juggler - this year, I sure hope to run ahead of a guy who can run and juggle at the same time!  He kept me amused for miles!  Mile 18 for Debbie Rech Whitmore, and all the miles in between, each dedicated to a friend who has either lost someone dear to them, or someone struggling with cancer.  It kept me going on that stress fracture, and I knew I had to get to Tony's Mile (25) and Rosanne's Mile (26 - 26.2).   Couldn't wait to see my boys and Carl at the finish line!!  We're almost there!!!

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And then things would never be the same........

Making my way up the Newton Hills was so interesting - I trained on them, so I knew them.  What I noticed first that seemed unusual, was that the water stations were packing up, and I did not understand, I was SO thirsty and needed some water.  The course is open for 6 hours, so it wasn't that.....I couldn't figure it out.  I kept going.  The guys who were riding bikes around and checking in from time to time were now not around.  There was also a man from China in my little 'pack' who spoke no English.  We ran separately but together for much of the way.   His goal, I'm sure was just to keep running until he got to Boylston Street.  But that was not going to happen today.  Suddenly, there were many golf carts with BAA people (I was coming up to Heartbreak Hill Running Company (home of my favorite gorilla!), just shy of Mile 20 and right before the final incline of Heartbreak Hill that leads into BC). My brother had just texted me asking me if I was ok?  (In my mind I thought, I'm great, just hobbling along!).   I was sooooo anticipating seeing my friends, The AGINS, waiting for me just after Mile 20 with their sign!   With the exception of that crazy pain shooting up my leg, the rest of me felt fine and I had it in me to finish this race.  The people in the carts were saying, "The Race is Over".   I got a text from Luisa, saying the race was over and that they would wait for me.  What ???  We were still making our way up Heartbreak Hill.  This had to be some sort of mistake.  Finally, one of the golf carts had someone saying, "There are bombs along the course, get off the roads!!!".  (I'm shaking again as I type this).   WHAT ???  Suddenly, my phone became VERY important - as we all cleared the roads and were sent to wander the side streets of Chestnut Hill, everyone was SO confused!  Where do we go?  Is there a train?  WHAT is happening?  Chatter of "a gas explosion at Marathon Sports", etc.  Then I saw a glimpse of what happened on Facebook! 

Holy Mother of GOD, my kids are at the FINISH LINE!

I don't remember anything for a little bit after this realization, just panic...... Luisa texted me that my kids were safe, and I breathed the BIGGEST SIGH OF RELIEF EVER IN MY LIFE!!!!!!  I quickly posted on Facebook that I was fine.  (I noticed that so many people were asking already if I was ok).  Meanwhile, my body was starting to fall apart - from going UP the Newton Hills for miles, and then just meandering along side streets, I started to shiver.  Everyone was. No water anywhere except what I had on me.   A man gave me his blanket that BAA was handing out.  I will save that forever.  The man from China could not figure out what was going on at all - Imagine that??

I called my Mom and got through - she is always glued to the news, and was I was SURE panicking.  But this time, she was not!  I said, "Mom, turn on the news, and please know, the boys and I are fine.  I have to go". 

Luisa's phone died, but Warren texted me and said they were coming to pick me up on the corner of Heartbreak Hill Running Company.  (home of my favorite gorilla!!)  Like heroes in the night, they wisked me away from there, and brought me home, where I saw for the first time what happened that day along Boylston Street......  my friends who were there have described in painful detail what they saw that day - things we never think we will ever see as Americans.  My friends who work at Mandarin Oriental had a 4th floor front row view of the 2nd bombing, and some of them shake in terror about coming back to work on that day this year. 

For anyone completely out of touch enough to say Boston overreacted to that day cannot imagine what people went through.  The ONLY reason we did not lose more lives is because it was at the finish line with all the emergency medical tents, doctors, nurses and volunteers right there, and some of the world's best hospitals all within a mile or two.  Ambulances ready to rescue runners had a different job that day.  Runners had to keep running, despite already traveling 26.2 miles.  People who live and work in that area saw a war zone.  People I know have lost limbs, and are STILL learning to walk again, hear again, have some sense of normalcy again in their "New Normal".  Some lost family members that day and will never be the same.  What turned out to be such a promising day, was wrecked and robbed by terrorists who ended up on the cover of a Rolling Stone.  (I still won't buy that magazine, OR buy ANYTHING at Barnes and Noble).  Boston was amazing in the week that followed and we hunted those animals down.  Boston STRONG!

As Boston Magazine so beautifully portrayed on their cover following the Marathon Tragedy, "We will finish the race".  And now that race is less than 3 months away.   We will finish that race one step at a time.   I will finish my blog.   I'm so grateful for so many of you who have followed along with me.  Ready to do it again??   Ready or not, here we go !!!!


I am running again this year for The Red Sox Foundation.  While the BAA granted me entry to participate this year without raising money for a charity,  I'm so impressed with all the work the RSF does, I'm raising money again this year.  Inspired by Rosanne due to the Red Sox generosity with The Jimmy Fund, I chose the RSF last year and the journey was amazing.  The money raised by our Marathon team goes to Red Sox Scholars and RBI league programming - please support my journey and the Red Sox Foundation here:  http://www.fenwayoga.com/RSFBostonMarathon/MariaShea

     My son took this picture that I discovered a few months after.  That was the blanket I received from the kind gentlemen who also had his race cut short.