The Most Dramatic Mile And A BQ In Her Pocket

After finishing my 100^th HM at Tacoma City and celebrating with many friends my milestone, I went back to the course to mile 25 to cheer on my friends and to pace my dear Maria for the last mile in her Boston Qualifying quest: 3:45. I was frantically texting with our common friend Marie to know where Maria was and how she was doing. Marie told me that she had just run at mile 21 with Maria and that she was ahead of pacer. I was in a corner before the last water station, exact location 25.1 mile. Three young girls are cheering on every single runner. I saw 3:25 pacer running by, texted Marie back and forth, and after I saw the 3:40 pacer I put my phone away.

When the 3:45 pacer was approaching I noticed that Maria was not with him, I started to freak out. Then I saw her may be 5 seconds behind, and told the girls: This is it. Here she comes. The girls started screaming: Go Maria, Maria, you can do it, only one mile to go.  Maria was running with Marc Frommer what gave me great relief.

As soon as we passed the hydration station, Maria stopped and said: I can't do it. I told her "you've gotta go. You can't stop now, only one mile to go”. The pacer was separating from us and he was about 10 seconds ahead now.  I gently put my right hand in her back pushing her, and told her, we gotta keep going. Maria started running again, and 10 seconds later she stopped again saying I can't do it. I replied: YOU MUST do it. I pushed her again now not so gently and she kept going. I told her as soon we turned around the corner this slight uphill is gone, then will be flat till mile 26, and the last .2 are downhill. We turned into Pacific and about mile 25.6 Maria started to slow down. The pacer is now about 20 seconds away.  I understand distance and velocity well, and I knew that we still had chance to press on to reach the pacer, but seconds were golden and we couldn’t afford to lose any of them. I pushed her again literally with my hands on her back, she accelerated and yelled at me: NO ME TOQUES !!! (DON'T TOUCH ME in Spanish); I yelled back, "Fine, I won't touch you but you must keep going." Marc was on my left, Maria on my right and to avoid touching her I moved to the left to leave Marc in the middle. She goes, sorry Lizzie. I told her: “don't worry HATE ME today, hate me if you want to, puke if you have to, but you can’t slow down. We need to pass the pacer, we are getting close." I totally knew and understood what was at stake, I knew the regret if missing it by a matter of seconds, and I knew that she had the guts to push the pace, so I could care less that she had yelled at me...Then, we passed the pacer, Maria moved to the middle, and I think this moment was huge because that gave her the confidence she needed (somebody captured this moment with a great photo).

After passing the pacer

We were now about mile 25.9 and I told her, "see the cop's car? That’s mile 26, the rest is an awesome downhill". We turned around the corner, and when we had the clock in front of us I wanted to get Maria focused only on the clock. I knew that with that she would have all the adrenaline that she needed to cross the finish line with a BQ. I told her "Maria, look at the clock, look at the clock, keep your eyes on the clock".

Look at the clock, look at the clock

Maria, look at the clock

Keep your eyes on the clock

Then I told her "YOU GOT THIS" and I stepped aside to avoid crossing the mat.

You got it Maria, YOU GOT THIS

She sees the clock and she knows she's got it

 She beautifully crossed the finish line at 3:44:41. A Dramatic Mile And A BQ In Her Pocket.

The most beautiful expression.

I asked her: Can I touch now? And she said: YOU CAN TOUCH ME ALL YOU WANT!!!