Boston Marathon Weekend

I received a wonderful gift and flew out Saturday morning to be a part of the cheer team of my good friend, Rod Anderson. I know that you're wondering, but no, I did not wear an actual cheer leading uniform! We took planes, trains and automobiles from Detroit to Providence to Boston and it was quite a trip. Rod registered for the race Saturday night at the convention center and the amount of people there was out of this world. We went to Vinny T's for supper and enjoyed the Boston scenery including the train. The next day, we indulged Jodie and went to the John F. Kennedy presidential museum or library...while interesting, history just isn't my passion. Jodie bought a few posters for her classroom and yawn, we finally left. HAHA, don't tell anybody that I said that. Yada yada...race day. What an experience of a lifetime!!! Jodie and I took the train out to Framingham (10k) and watched the wheelchair racers, the elite women and men and then finally, the masses of people. Some of these people who are running, look like they shouldn't be able to run a 5k, let alone a marathon. From the cancer survivor to the blind man with guides helping him run the race...the father pushing his son in the wheelchair and the son putting up his thumb when he could hear the cheers...the husband pushing his wife in a chair...the elite women sprinting (literally)...and just the cheering and general air about the race was amazing. It chokes me up just to think of some of these racers.
Team Anderson missed Rod at the Wellesley checkpoint because the train was late so we had to hustle just to make the finish line. Again, wall to wall people and yet the atmosphere was intense. We made our way to about 100 yards or so to the finish line and watched the runners come in. Some looked great and others did not fare as well. Runners with leg cramps so bad that they could barely walk made me just want to cry for them. Others would stop and encourage or help them along and the crowd yelling to push them the last 100 yards to the finish. I saw two men basically carry a runner down the final stretch. These men gave up their times to help this man across. He could not even bend his legs - they must have been so cramped. We got nervous because Rod wasn't coming at the time that he anticipated...you guessed it...leg cramps. He had them at mile 11 and kept running and stretching his legs. When we finally spotted him, you could tell that his pain was immense as his face was contorted and he was concentrating so hard. He made it! Not in the time that he would have liked (3 hours 48 minutes, I think), but he finished that marathon. It was quite an experience and very humbling. When I think about the runners facing huge obstacles, I better get off my duff and get back to exercising. Anyone, care to go for a run? :)