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Taken by Matt Bellizzi at mile marker 17. Thanks sweetheart! Yellow and Blue – the colors of the Boston Athletic Association – were everywhere! The crowds were unbelievable. The morning of the race, Michael, Matt & I all got up super early to make our way to Boston from Michael’s home in Ipswich. The game of hurry-up-and-wait had just begun. We would get to downtown Boston, be dropped off by Michael, and then I would get in a long line to be picked up by a bus and transported the 26.2 miles to Hopkinton and to the start line – where I would then wait in the “athletes village” for close to 2 hours before my wave would be called and I would get ready to run – and Matt would check in at our hotel in Boston, Mass so we would have somewhere to freshen up post race.
The bus line was long, and full of expectant registered racers. No friends or family of runners were allowed – you had to “have your number” on you in order to board. The bus ride took about 45 minutes as we snaked through downtown Boston and off through small towns on the way to Hopkinton. The athletes village was a mob scene! There we were, all 26,000+ runners (and a few “bandit runners” or runners without official race numbers) and all of us had to use the port-o-potties. Each line would take 45 minutes to navigate. So, as soon as you got done, you’d get back in line all over again just to make sure you were ready for the start of the race. Announcers using a PA system to notify people of where their friends or family were waiting for them. Bananas, bagels, Gatorade, and water circulated with so many people bundled in layers and space blankets as the temperature hovered around 40 degrees with a forecast of 51 as a high, and strong headwinds especially as we would near the finish in Boston. About 30 minutes prior to my wave’s start, I placed my second layer of clothing in my numbered bag – which I would retrieve after my finish – and went in search of the bus with the appropriate number range that would accommodate my number: “24606”.
As the first wave left at 10:00am, the second wave was promptly called to their appropriate “corral”. With a race number of “24606”, I would be looking for the 24000 corral. There was even a line to enter the corral! When 10:30am struck, the race began, and we began the slow moving plod to the start line. Since I was starting in the 2nd wave, and the 24th corral (of a possible 26), you can bet I was right towards the back of the pack of second wave runners. It took 14 minutes for me to reach the official start line!
Going into this thing – this “Holy Grail” of marathons I knew one thing. I was going to “run my own race”. There would be no rushing. I was going to enjoy every minute of this race, and I was going to finish it strong. My only goal was to finish it in under 6 hours. I had run Honolulu in December of 2008 in 5:50:55, so I knew I could run Boston in less since I had been training so hard. I figured that with all of the hills being primarily between miles 17 and 23 that I would finish in about 5:30:00 if I worked to keep a steady pace. Boy was I wrong.
As I kept a steady pace through the beginning, many runners passed me, and I began to feel like I was REALLY slow, so I kept reminding myself – it should feel like I’m running too slow in the beginning – and so what if I get passed, I’m running my own race!!!
Along the way, I saw many “bandit runners”. Most notable were 3 college guys from Boston University who were running in nothing but speedos and running shoes. They stopped at course front parties and did keg stands, ate their hotdogs, and continued on to the next course front party. There were a couple of live bands at various points of the course, a Harley Davidson Motorcycle Rally blasting Guns N’ Roses, a rooftop party blasting The Drop Kick Murphy’s. Hands down, it was a party! A runner clued me in early on “Don’t drink the B.U. Water”. I figured out what they meant when someone operating a makeshift water stop tried to hand me a beer. BU apparently stands for Boston University. Just before (or just after, I’m not quite sure which) the half way point, we came up on what sounded like a thousand girls going crazy at a Beatles concert during their heyday. A pair of guys next to me said “Are we THAT close to Fenway yet?” I just shook my head… We crested a hill, and began coming down the other side and lo-and-behold, it was lined with young women wearing shirts that said “Free Kisses” or who held signs saying roughly the same. Male and female runners alike either ran up and pecked them on the cheek or mouth, and continued on. Some were more aggressive than others, but all were having a great time! I ran past them, offering a high five, and kept my pace. Interspersed here or there would be a young man holding a sign that said “free boy kisses” or “I’m a boy”. At the end of the pack were two women holding a sign that said “Free Kisses for Lesbians”. I learned later that these girls all attend an all girls College called Wellesley (spelling may be WAY off).
At the halfway point, I realized I had just run 13.1 miles in 2:23, which was an improvement over my half marathon time last October by more than 16 minutes – and I felt STRONG – so I kept my pace. At mile 17 I saw my dutiful husband – who had taken a train to meet me there. Math had become hard with the miles though, and I couldn’t really calculate what time I would finish if I kept my pace. To me, it still looked like about 5:30. So, I kept my pace. Mile 22 came and went, and so did “Heartbreak Hill” and I kept my pace. 3 potty stops aside, it seemed I was making really strong progress and keeping a fairly consistent pace “on the clock”. Somewhere between mile 25 and 26, I saw my husband once more, and I just had a little further to go, so with a kiss I ran on – and I sped up. I won’t say I sprinted the last half mile or so, but I ran it pretty quick. The announcer came on the air, “And here comes Corinna Bellizzi of Santa Cruz, California” as I ran my last 50 yards even faster, and as I crossed the finish line, raised my arms in the air, and still felt strong. My official chip time was 4:49:52 – a full 40 minutes quicker than I had expected to run Boston, and a new Personal Record (PR) that bested my first marathon by more than 1 hour and 1 minute. Not only that, I had run a really consistent race with my last half of the marathon only taking me 3 minutes longer than the first half! 2:23 for the first half, and 2:26 for the last. After mile 17, I had begun walking through water stops, so that must have been the extra time.
Today, I am still flying high with the achievement of it all. I am excited for future races, for the opportunity to inspire other non runners to give it a try, and for the simply fact that I can run. For me, it was a friend’s battle with Leukemia & Lymphoma that brought me to running – so now I will continue to race on to save lives with Team in Training – This time as a Mentor or a Captain for the team – so I can help others achieve their athletic and fundraising goals… But that’s not all that keeps me here.
I am still in disbelief about a simple fact. I AM A BOSTON MARATHON FINISHER!!!
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