Life after the Boston Marathon: my running Nirvana

It's now been 12 days since my Boston Marathon experience, and I'm settling into life as a Boston Marathon alumni.  The first three days after the marathon found me barely able to walk let alone run.  What they say about the hills in the Boston Marathon is definitely true: the downhills are worse than the uphills, and they definitely left their mark on my quads and my hamstrings.  I'm normally extremely flexible; in fact my physiotherapist remarked that I'm almost too flexible to run efficiently.  Yet two weeks later, I still don't have 100% of my flexibility back.  Yeah...the hills were killer.

Accomplishment begets accomplishment

Every new running accomplishment has changed me in some way.  My very first road race was a St. Patrick's day 5k.  It was hard as hell to complete, but completing it opened a door to a new world for me.  I couldn't imagine then how it would change my life.  Nine years later, I'm a marathon runner, and my desire to see how else running will shape me continues to burn in my heart. 


Running into the finish line at my first marathon.



Running my first marathon was a defining moment in my life.  There are very few times in my life when I have been THAT proud of myself.  After conquering the marathon, I expected more of myself - I ran with a confidence that I held in my heart like a religion.  I didn't think it could possibly get better than that.  I had reached running Nirvana. 

Then I ran the Boston Marathon...

What is better than running Nirvana?  Life after Boston is my world beyond running Nirvana.  Since the Boston Marathon, I run with a sense of pride that I never realized I could feel.   It's a light that shines from the place in a runner's soul that still holds the memory of the first time they ran and REALLY enjoyed it.  You know - the time when running no longer felt like a challenge; when everything came together and you felt that "click"...and for the first time, you understood why people loved to run.

Since Boston, I run with a new spring in my step.  Every challenge I meet while running, be it a tough hill or my tired calves, I counter with reminding myself: "you conquered Boston"; and the challenge dissolves in a rush of pride and confidence.  I'm not sure I can ever top this feeling, but I'm determined to try.