From Within Training for the 2012 Boston Marathon: April 17 ----Running With Your Heart---- Boston 2012

A restless night of sleep had me waking up at 3:00 in the morning. It was hard to go back to bed with all that had happened and all the emotions that I had swirling about in my head and heart. After laying in bed and staring at the ceiling for what seemed forever, I managed to drift off again for a couple of hours.

We spent the morning packing up and getting ready for our train ride home. I was astounded at the amount of things that I had purchased on our trip. And, I had to chuckle as I repacked all of the cold winter running gear, hats and gloves that we brought in case the temperature dropped and unfortunately we never got a chance to use.

We decided to take one more walk around the harbor before we had to leave. On our walk we ran into quite a few other marathoners and talked with them. I also had a chance to see some of the news footage of the race and pictures that were in the paper and I have to say they really completed my story. I congratulated every runner that we saw on an amazing accomplishment. On overcoming the odds, digging deep and finishing what they started. I reminded them just how awesome they were and they should look at this run as a moral victory and not one of time. As runners of the 116^th Boston Marathon we will always share the memories of a race filled with soaring temperatures, stories of how we got here and those that were written at the Athlete’s Village, all of our painful steps along the way, help from spectators that we will never be able to thank again, and that feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction as we crossed over the finish line and entered the books as FINISHERS of this historic race.

I knew that the weather was hot and that all of us were having a hard time of it, but seeing the coverage of the event was unbelievable. To those that never started the race, I wish you the best next year and hope that you have cooler weather and the run of your life. To those that started and never finished, I can only imagine how painful the decision was to stop running and drop out. To those that received medical attention, I wish you a speedy recovery and hope that you are back on the road again soon. To those of us that toughed it out and ran the 26.2 miles with our hearts, I raise my hand and salute you. This was the first race where I ever contemplated stopping but there was something deep inside me that kept me going. This race taught me that my heart was stronger than my legs. In my heart was the passion from my training, the love and support from my family and friends and the determination to finish what I started. After all, my name isn’t NEVER KWIT for a reason.

It seemed like the race was a lot longer than 26.2 miles. When the first half of the race is harder than the last half, you know you are being challenged. When your tank is on empty and you haven’t even made it to mile 12, you know you have a rough road ahead of you. But what does this teach us? Well, for me, this whole training program taught me patience, commitment, determination, how to laugh at myself, how to be proud of little accomplishments and how to celebrate each victory. It showed me how to stare fear in the face and take it on. How not to be afraid to try and get better and stronger and to know that it is possible. How to get faster by running with those better than me. How to remember the real reason why I enjoy running; because it is fun.

Somewhere along the course when my muscles were aching, and legs were straining to keep on moving, I forgot what mile I was on and just kept going. The crowd was deafening. It was as if they knew that the louder they cheered, the more it would keep us going. When I came out from under the bridge and was running the last mile and a half, that was when the emotions got to me. My eyes teared up. I knew that my journey was coming to an end.

As I was running down Boyleston and raising my hands up in the air begging for the crowd to scream and yell, they responded and kept me going. Their voices literally carried me in to the finish. It was the most magical marathon I had ever run. It made me stop and think how much effort it took to not only start but to finish this race and be standing at the finish line.

I think that I am going to name this race the marathon that taught me 26.2 lessons about myself.