Boston came and went and the knee was just fine. Now surgery time for the torn meniscus... or maybe not. What an elite running doctor would say? After evaluating my MRI he said that he would not recommend surgery and that nobody in his group would do it either. He prefers to monitor it, go back to running smart, and if, only if, the knee hurts, then an arthroscopic clean up could be done.
Off I went to run my first half marathon as part of my come back. It was hard, it was difficult. It took me longer than my first marathon ever in 2009, but I was there pushing myself and doing what I like best, running in a race. The night before I was like a little kid going to school for first time. Yes, the Seattleite runner that has run 132 half marathons in 5 years; the citizen of The Sun with 52 half marathons in 52 weeks was nervous. Ran it, clocked it, got it. 2:29:08 for 11:23 min/mile, and third place for the lack of competition. Three minute per mile slower than my average Half Marathon, and 45 minutes slower than my best, not too long ago. It made me think.
The weekend after, this week, I hesitated to run Inspiring Hope 10K. Why the hesitation? My 10Ks are in the 7:40ish what is beyond impossible at this very moment... nor an 8, or a 9 min/mile for that matter. I needed humbleness. Why the competition? It is a "Inspiring Hope" race, you know? It's Penny Kellam's race; it is Penny, who inspires constantly with her graciousness. It is about the people that are gone but inspire others, you know? Thought of my friend Marisela Hobaica who didn't make it as I did. I jumped out of bed and went to my pink drawer, got my pink wig, and left.
When I got to the race I saw the sign START, and it dawned on me. The sign talked to me. START. The 7:40s, or the 8s, or the 9s will not be possible if I don't start AGAIN. 1:01:56 for a 9:58 min/mile. Then, the following week I went for a Half Marathon on Mother's Day in Kirkland. 10:34. And the week after, I ran the Snohomish Women's Run: 10:12. It's A Start.
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Sunday, April 27, 2014
From Boston to Dayton to Boston
After landing on the Sun a racing break was on order. And a
racing break unintentionally
paired with a blog break.
The break was also paired with the company of my beautiful
daughter who came from overseas to visit and the best summer we’ve had in
Seattle: sunny, warm, and dry. Paddleboarding, sleeping in, preparing fresh
meals, and just enjoying the weather were the activities that filled up our
calendar.
After living the dolce vita, a new marathon training program
was followed to prepare me for my 10th state: Ohio. This training
coached by Migs was centered on specific paces for each of the workouts, and
mandatory “no-racing” unless they were purposely included in the plan. I
followed the plan to the T. The mileage was reduced by about 25% but I still
felt strong and very good throughout the season. 2-mile and mile intervals,
400m repetitions, and long runs
accompanied me for 8 weeks. The scheduled races were Seafair 8K, and Over The
Narrows Gig Harbor 10 miles. I did well in these races though they were just a
tad slower than the year before.
I clocked in Seafair (07/27/13) 42:08 (8:29) and placed 1st
in the division, compared to 41:24 (8:19) and 4th place in 2012.
In Over the Narrows 10-miler (08/31/13), race I love, I
clocked 1:22:08 (8:13) and 1st place in the division compared to
1:21:15 (8:08) and 1st place in 2012. I think I still was within my
range on both races.
I ran also a First Call Half Marathon on 8/3 as part of an
18-miler long run.
The tapering for Dayton was new. It was a 2-week tapering
with a 24 mile run just two weeks before the race. I trusted blindly and
followed suit. This has been one of the best, if not the best long runs I’ve
ever done. I ran it with my friend Ginger who helped me to stay focused. The
last miles were strong and I felt very comfortable with the marathon ahead of
me. My only goal in Ohio was to run a great marathon. I was not expecting a PR,
I just wanted to run down Boston’s emotions still carved in my heart, and feel
good along 26.2 miles.
The trip was fantastic in the company of Steve B. and Jimmy
D. Other than a major delay and problems with the connection through O’Hare I
made it to Dayton at 11 pm (planned to be there at 3pm) and changing my trip
via Dallas. The weather was a threat, mid-80's, sunny,
and horrendously humid the day before the race, so I was clear that
regardless a good training, the marathon could go south due to these conditions;
but… on marathon day the weather was perfect: The start
was hot and muggy, but after 45 minutes the humidity dropped dramatically and
the rest of the race felt cool and nice for an overall 63F, overcast and a wind
that helped more than damaged.
The run started uneventful and Jim and I were running at the
same pace. At mile 2 I saw my dear Maria Jose, which made my day. No talk or
conversations were allowed but being together provided some sort of welcome
help for me. At mile 12 there was a heavy headwind and I deliberately left
Maria Jose to move to the right and draft behind 3 tall guys. It worked pretty
well. At the half mark the wind was not bothering as much and I moved back to
the left side of the course where I normally run. I have lost MJ at that point
so I just said to myself: Let’s do this sh#t all over again.
Jimmy continued being close to me, when at mile 20 I started
to feel tired. My pace dropped a lot but curiously I still was running with
good form. The last 10K, though slower, were good. I never felt that I needed
to drag my feet. I conquered my 10th state OH clocking
4:01:18, for a 9:13 min/mile and 2nd place in my division. The time was good
enough for a 2015 BQ with 9 minutes to spare. The trophy, which I received
later in the mail, was gorgeous, to say the least.
I felt so good after Dayton that I
wanted to run a marathon right away, but resources were an issue. I focused
then on speed and didn’t run anything longer than 6 miles for week totals of 30
miles. Asthma was very present during this season, and racing a couple of 5Ks
proved that asthma can limit me a lot. My doctor mentioned that air stagnation
could be the culprit. I just hope so.
I started my build up for Boston with
Seattle Half Marathon in November and I went from there. After much thought,
I concluded that racing is my passion and that I can’t be on a leash. I need to
feel the freedom to race when I feel is right, and enjoy very much the social
and competitive environment that races offer. Nothing wrong with any other type
of training but they are not for me. Racing is my thing. From Boston to Dayton
to Boston, a year will go by.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Landing On The Sun, 52 Half Marathons In 52 Weeks
On August 20, 2012 I wrote: The next adventure translates to reach the hot, round, and yellow star that is above us. And with that I will secure a special place in the asylum sharing with nuts individuals that will continue doing nothing else than piling more Half Marathons underneath the bed. There will not be any more movements towards anywhere, no other dimensions, no other solar systems, nowhere, just moving around in circles around the star because when I arrive there I will become one of the Masters of the Asylum and I will be fried. 52 Half Marathons in a year...
Landing On The Sun: 52 Half Marathons in 52 Weeks has become a matter of fact. I can say that I am
glad I did it though I hesitated several times on continuing doing it. The major challenge of all was not being at home
during the weekends with my hubby, and not having any day to actually sleep in.
Though most of the races were in Western Washington and relatively close, just
the fact of getting up early, drive, run, drive back, shower, eat, and nap,
made the whole weekend day unavailable for anything else. It's done now and I loved ALL the races. I am taking a well deserved 3-month period of not racing. I’ll
keep running and I may race only 2 or 3 short races at most before my next
Marathon in Ohio (Sep 21). So, if you are encouraged, come and visit. It takes time, but it feels great up here, and HOT!
The greatest thanks to my hubby for his unconditional
support.
Here are the stats for this 52-week cycle which started and
finished with the same race: Berry Dairy, in Burlington, WA, from 6/16/12 to
6/15/13.
Stats: 52
Half Marathons in 52 weeks. 46 in Western Washington, 2 in Eastern Washington,
2 in Oregon, 2 in British Columbia, Canada.
Fastest: 1:45:23 – JBLM,
Lakewood, WA - Sep 15, 2012
Slowest: 2:08:58 – Lake
Sammamish, WA – Mar 09, 2013
Average: 1:55:00
Favorite Race Overall: Capital
City, Olympia, WA (tough decision between Capital and North Olympic Discovery, NODM,
Port Angeles, WA – didn’t like the profile of the latter).
Favorite Course: Edmonds USRA,
Edmonds, WA
Least Favorite Course: Labor
Day, Redmond, WA
Favorite Shirt: NODM
Favorite Bling: NODM & Capital
City
Favorite Division Award: Seattle,
Tacoma City, Capital City, NODM
Hilliest: Edmonds USRA, Edmonds,
WA & Round Mountain, Naches, WA
Flattest: First Call (Spring, Presidents
& Veterans), Bothell, WA
Most Scenic: NODM & Round Mountain, Naches, WA
Wettest: Abbotsford, BC, Canada.
Driest: Sage Rat, Sunnyside, WA
Coldest: Veterans Day, Bothell,
WA – 11/10/12 – 30F
Hottest: Moon Run, Olympia, WA –
7/7/12 - 84F
Closest: Edmonds, USRA – 7.5
miles – 15 min
Furthest: Helvetia, Hillsboro,
OR – 207 miles – 3h 20 min
Hardest: Lake Sammamish, WA (Very
sick during that week, 80 hours without food before the race.
Easiest: Edmonds, USRA
(definitely, hills is what I like)!
In My Heart: Seattle
Monday, May 27, 2013
Running North, South, East, And West: What Else?
When you are pursuing a specific challenge within a specific
time limit, you gotta do what you gotta do. In my case (reaching the sun) means driving around no
matter what or where. I am about to finish my 52 Half Marathons in one year, so go
figure.
On Sat May 18, I drove to the EAST side of the mountains, 190
miles, 3 hours, accompanied by a friend. The race: Sage Rat, a
point to point Half Marathon from Sunnyside to Prosser. As I used to live in this
side of the state I felt the nostalgia of the dry country and the well-known
vegetation (or lack thereof?) It was a hot day for Seattleites standards and I
had nothing but to accommodate the pace to avoid overheating. I learned in the
Moon Run race last year how to run in the heat, and it pays off. For the first
miles I maintained a comfortable high 9ish pace, and at mile 7 felt acclimated
and I was able to push it then. The strategy worked again and I had a very nice
negative split (splits below). The finish line was fantastic, a lot of great food,
gigantic medals and a cute sage rat medal for division winners. I got second in
my age group with 1:58:46.
I drove back immediately after to the WEST side not to
home, but to the capital, Olympia. Noteworthy to mention that I was distracted
talking to my co-pilot and took I-90 East. Yes, this Goddess of directions
(because I am indeed pretty good at it) made a huge mistake and had to drive 26
miles each way to come back to the junction of I-82/I-90W. We laughed and decided
to see it as “a couple of marathons” in our way.
We stayed at The Governors hotel and that was the treat of
the weekend: Just to slide the balcony door of our room, and we could literally
jump to the finish line; so worth it. We picked up the packet, had dinner and
went to bed, but the best of all is that I could sleep in till almost race
time. Only needed to get up, get ready, and get out of the hotel. How good was
that?
The race was fantastic as always, but without rain this
year. Last 2 years had been pouring (which I love, BTW). I finished strong with
an 1:55:40 and got 3rd in my division, a nice plaque that couldn’t
be handled to me right away because they messed up with the bib # and chip, and
had me as a Robert, male 51. They promised to mail it.
Following weekend, on Sat May 25, was the turn to drive SOUTH:
180 miles (3 hrs again) to St. Helens, Oregon for Race Against Child Abuse. It was a small
local race for a great cause, and again what made it worthy was not the
additional race to pile to my stats, but the amazing ladies I met: The Honey Badgers
of Oregon. After chatting and getting to know each other, we started together
the race as a nice female six-pack (yes, we all look that good too.) The
course, designed by some of these ladies was gorgeous. A portion of the course
ran by my beloved favorite river in the world, my Columbia River, and then
about 4+miles in the woods, in a beautiful mountain setting. Did I mention “mountain”?
Yes, we had a 2-mile climb that was absolutely beautiful. We started to spread about
mile 4 but seeing the girls in the out and back was great. One of them, Christine,
is my age, and she not only got the division, but was the overall female winner
with a strong 1:51 in that challenging course. I ran the course in 1:58:06
 |
| The Honey Badgers of Oregon harassing a Washingtonian runner |
And on Sun May 26 I drove NORTH to Abbotsford,
Canada, for Run for Water, another super awesome Half Marathon, worth, worth of
doing, supporting Ethiopia's communities. It was very well organized, great course, amazing volunteers, great
medals, and the best food EVER. Chocolate milk, bagels, bananas, oranges, PB,
jelly, boiled eggs, the most delicious yogurt with pistachios, other nuts, and
fruits; you name it. The race occurred under my favorite weather conditions: 52F,
overcast, zero wind, and non-stop rain. I love to run in the rain as you can’t believe. I
couldn’t get wetter. I finished 4th place in the division with
1:51:11.
Running North, South, East, And West... What Else?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, I did a couple of local races the week prior to the prior (sighs): First Call Bothell (always longer than Half Marathon, I wonder why), and Kirkland's Mother's Day
---------
Race #204: First Call, Bothell, WA - May 11, 2013 - Why Takao Suzuki draws the rainbows further than the Half Point? - 2:01:40 - No splits in Bothell.
----------
Race #205 - Mother's Day - Kirkland, May 12, 2013 - 1:53:57 - Great course as always
1- 9:16
2- 9:00
3- 8:00
4- 9:11
5- 8:15
6- 9:22
7- 9:30
8- 7:24
9- 8:36
10- 8:43
11- 9:18
12- 8:35
13- 8:00
13.1 - 0:42 (7:00)
----------
---------
Race #204: First Call, Bothell, WA - May 11, 2013 - Why Takao Suzuki draws the rainbows further than the Half Point? - 2:01:40 - No splits in Bothell.
----------
Race #205 - Mother's Day - Kirkland, May 12, 2013 - 1:53:57 - Great course as always
1- 9:16
2- 9:00
3- 8:00
4- 9:11
5- 8:15
6- 9:22
7- 9:30
8- 7:24
9- 8:36
10- 8:43
11- 9:18
12- 8:35
13- 8:00
13.1 - 0:42 (7:00)
----------
Race #206: Sage Rat,
Sunnyside, WA - May 18, 2013
1- 9:07
2- 9:20
3- 9:36
4- 9:30
5- 9:24
6- 9:36
7- 9:12
8- 9:03
9- 9:03
10- 9:07
11- 8:36
12- 8:14
13- 8:12
13.1- 0:45 (7:39)
--------------------
Race #207: Capital City, Olympia, WA
1- 8:59
2- 8:54 3- 9:27 4- 9:27 5- 9:13 6- 9:12 7- 8:55 8- 8:52 9- 7:35 10- 8:50 11- 9:08 12- 8:43 13- 7:39 13.1- 0:45 (7:39) |
---------------------
Race #208: Race
Against Child Abuse, St. Helens, OR
Splits:
1- 8:49
2- 8:32
3- 8:24
4- 8:24 ...
and here comes the 2 mile mountain:
5- 9:55
6- 10:05
7:11:16
8- 8:15
9:8:16
10-7:31
11- 9:02
12- 8:39
13- 9:00
13.1- 0:56
1- 8:49
2- 8:32
3- 8:24
4- 8:24 ...
and here comes the 2 mile mountain:
5- 9:55
6- 10:05
7:11:16
8- 8:15
9:8:16
10-7:31
11- 9:02
12- 8:39
13- 9:00
13.1- 0:56
-----------------
Race # 209: Run For Water – Abbotsford, Canada
Sunday, May 12, 2013
The Most Dramatic Mile And A BQ In Her Pocket
After finishing my 100th 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 |
 |
| Look at the clock, look at the clock |
 |
| Maria, look at the clock |
 |
| Keep your eyes on the clock |
 |
| You got it Maria, YOU GOT THIS |
 |
| She sees the clock and she knows she's got it |
 |
| The most beautiful expression. |
 |
| I asked her: Can I touch now? And she said: YOU CAN TOUCH ME ALL YOU WANT!!! |
Friday, May 10, 2013
100 Half Marathons Along The Road
When I started this running “business” pretty much with my
first marathon in Seattle in 2007, I liked it so much that I decided to run one marathon
per year (WOW!). Loyal to my commitment I ran Seattle again in Nov 2008. As I
was ready with air tickets in hand, luggage packed, a furnished apartment, and a
car to start a new work adventure in beautiful Italy for the next year I put my
eyes on Rome Marathon on Mar/22/2009 to be my 3rd marathon. Then, life
hit me hard. Luggage was unpacked; tickets, apartment, and car were returned. My
own illness plus the terrible loss of one of the most important persons in my
life, the father of my children, all happening at the same time reshuffled my
whole being.
After the main treatment was over and I was able to cope with the
loss, I started thinking back on running a race. After much thought I got inclined to
work more for speed than for endurance. I dedicated to run 5K and 10K; a bunch
of them. I unleashed myself and ran 24 races in 8 months. By the end of
summer I decided to run something not so short, but not as long as a marathon.
I discovered the half distance, and registered for Seattle Half Marathon 2009.
My first.
41 months later, May 2013, I have run my 100th. It was a feast for me; a running and numeric
feast; a milestone. And it was no coincidence that my 100th Half
Marathon was run at Tacoma City: a Maniac/Fanatic centric race because the Half
Fanatics Club was pivotal to reach this goal. It motivated me to run more finding
my own limits. It was only a year ago when I ran my first back to back
(Saturday and Sunday), now I do it all the time. Every race in the calendar
means seeing friends and new faces, and the new faces become friends, and the
friendships become magical.
Tacoma City was inundated this weekend with MM and HF from
all over the country. It was a whole weekend of festivities celebrating the 10th
anniversary of Marathon Maniacs. Starting with the Ghost of Tacoma Marathon and
Half Marathon on Saturday (my 99th HM), followed by a day at the
Expo at the Hotel Murano, girls times with good friends, raffles as a pre-stage for the 2012 awards and pasta dinner (let’s not talk about this). I got 2012 Half Fanatic of the year 5th place, a pretty
trophy engraved with my name and HF # 881. On Sunday the real deal happened. MM and
HM departed our way to run an awesome race (HOT) but awesome. For the Silver Striders of Washington is was the last race of the Grand Prix Series.
After I finished my 100th Half Marathon, which I struggled a lot because let me repeat: it was HOT, I celebrated with friends at the finish line. I went to mile 25 to cheer on my
marathon friends and to pace a dear friend that was running to qualify for Boston 2014. This particular pacing deserves a blog entry of its own (coming soon). It was exciting to be now not a runner but part of the crowd
and to encourage all runners with the terrible sound of: Only one mile to go! (If
I don’t know how hard that last mile is.)
I always ask Prez (Steven Yee): Did you guys ever imagine this MM/HF explosion? The answer is
always no, but I will continue asking so they can savor the good they have done
for running, not only in Washington State but in the US. The beauty of the Half Fanatics Club and the
Marathon Maniacs is that are all inclusive. It is for all kind of runners, you
don’t have to be elite, fast, or under certain range of speed, or age. You just
have to want to be part of the community, run like a maniac, and voila, you are
in. Sorry, yes, you have to run like a maniac. I heard once some runners in
Green Lake criticizing the club because it was a matter of “quantity” not
quality. Those are the runners that believe the track belongs only to the under
6 min/mile runners.
There is no major quality for me that what I have
experienced during these 41 months. The amazing friends I have met during my 100 Half Marathons Along The Road.
 |
| Lizzie Lee 100th Half Marathon |
.jpg) |
| 2013 Ghost of Tacoma Half Marathon and Marathon |
---------
Splits details of races #201 (98th ,HM), #202 (99th,HM), #203 (100th HM)
Splits details of races #201 (98th ,HM), #202 (99th,HM), #203 (100th HM)
Race #201 – Heroes Half Marathon – Everett, WA – Apr 28,
2013 – 1:51:47 – 8:32 min/mile – 2nd place
1- 8:59
2- 8:52
3- 8:21
4- 8:18
5- 8:29
6- 9:24
7- 7:45
8- 8:40
9- 9:00
10- 8:44
11- 7:58
12- 8:12
13.1- 8:12
-------------
Race #202 – Ghost of Tacoma – Tacoma, WA – May 04, 2013 – 1:50:24
– 8:26 min/mile
---------------------
:55:38 –
8:50 min/mile
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Boston Marathon: Ordeal At The Finish Line
It should have been a story about a red-eye coast to coast trip, a
marathon expo, marathon gear as a badge of honor, settling at a pretty brownstone
building, carboloading, bus loading, bus bonding, pre-race jitters, athlete village,
meeting friends, happy pictures, porta-potties, start line.
It should have been about the physical, mental, and
emotional experience of every single mile throughout a 26.2-mile course; about
the connection with the crowd, and about every mile split.
It should have been the story about crossing the finish line and kissing
the ground of another conquered state on my 50-state quest.
But it is not that story.
It is the story of horror and ordeal that started when I turned into
Hereford and heard a huge blast. I immediately thought it was a bomb but looked at the
fans to find some cues in their faces but they kept cheering on. Then I heard the second explosion, I couldn’t focus on the race anymore,
I was trying to understand what was going on. I saw confused faces and the
crowd looking and walking in all directions. I turned into Boylston and saw the
smoke by the finish line. I slowed down and when I by mile 26 I
stopped, the police was coming running toward us to stop us and protect us. Complete
chaos. I couldn’t react. I felt on my knees and started crying. The only image
that came to me was my daughter being blown up while waiting for me at the
finish line. She bought her airplane ticket back in October to be with me for
the race. She cancelled her trip at the last minute to stay in Venezuela to
vote in April 14th presidential elections. She would have been there
on that side of the street because I always run on the left side. She would
have been there. She would have been there. Then I thought of my mom who should
be in Copley Place, the building right behind the Public Library where the
finish line was. Then thought of me running by the areas where the explosions
happened, I was 3:20 minutes away from the first blast, and 2:30 minutes from
the second, but the recurring thought was my daughter standing at the side of
the street by the finish line waiting for me. And at this very minute, that is
still the picture that comes to my mind. I can’t let go.
A lady that saw my distress offered me her vest. I was wet, it was 51F, very windy, and overcast. She also helped me to contact my
husband and son. She dialed for me, I was shaking. She could communicate right
away as only minutes have passed since the explosions. The police cars haven't even arrived yet to the scene. They did when my husband’s call went through, he
said “congratulations sweetie”. I told him “No, No…. There were two bombs. Two
bombs exploded by the finish line. I am OK. Please, call Diego (my son) and
tell him to call my mom to stay where she is. I will go and get her.”
Police directed me and other runners to the medical tent
that was right there. I was shivering, they ran out of blankets but gave me a
cotton sheet that did the job. Two men were lying down on cots, two other were
being helped, two girls were sharing a wool blanket. I shared the cot with one
of them who asked me if I spoke Spanish. She happened to be from Caracas,
Venezuela, city where I was born and raised. She was crying thinking of her
family, boyfriend, and friends who would not know if she was OK. She mentioned where
she was staying and I told her not to worry that I would help her to get back
to her apartment in Beacon St. when things were clearer. I learned that she was
member of the VO2Max team in Caracas, where one of my very good friends runs. I told her that as soon as we found a phone I would communicate with my son for him to send a message to our
common running friend. About 5 minutes later the police evacuated us from the
medical tent in Boylston and told us to move toward Dalton. We moved to the
corner of Dalton and Boylston and we sat on the sidewalk by The Capital Grill.
The medical personnel gave me a very thick wool blanket that one of the runners
let on a cot. I was very wet and I needed to avoid getting Raynaud, a disorder that
when getting cold, narrows the blood vessels in my fingers hindering blood of
getting to the surface of the skin and turning the skin white and blue.
A couple of girls, Kathryn and Macie, were passing by and I
asked them if they could help us to make some phone calls. I was very concern about
my mom and the evacuations. She is 84, doesn’t speak English, and I knew she
would not be able to go back home by herself. From that moment on the girls stayed
with us and told me they would not leave me until I reunite with my mom. Not
too long after, the police evacuated us from Dalton, mentioning that there was
possibility of more devices. We entered in the Sheraton Hotel and sat on the
floor at the lobby. The lobby was packed with runners and bystanders. Sheraton’s
personnel were amazing, providing us with water and warm towels to cover
ourselves. We still had no information on what was the magnitude of the
tragedy. I presumed that people had been killed. Cell lines collapsed; it
was impossible to communicate with anybody. I lost track of time. Kathryn
and Macie where constantly dialing my son’s and mom’s cell numbers saying “everything
is OK. Your mom is OK.” The comfort that they provided during those hours was
priceless and I will forever thank them for their kindness. The Venezuelan girl
saw somebody known at the lobby and she went with him. Then we learned that 2
people had been killed and there were dozens of injured. I was in shock, I
couldn’t react and I felt like a zombie. I broke again. I let the girls resolve
and make the decisions on what to do and when and where to go. I wasn’t capable
of even thinking. They finally got a hold of my mom, and she told us the exact
location where she was at Copley Place. I told her not to move that we were on
our way. The plan was to cross to Prudential Center and Copley via the Sheraton
sky bridge, but when we got to Prudential they had just closed the bridge to
Copley and we couldn’t go through. We needed to go through the street, but at
our attempt to leave Prudential, all buildings were on locked down and nobody
could get in or out. As soon as they lifted the lock down we walked to
Copley through alternate streets as the main streets were closed. When we got
to Copley Place this was being evacuated, and my mom was not where she had been.
I started looking on the street and finally saw her at the sidewalk almost 2.5
hours after the attacks. The girls and I had tears in our eyes. Kathryn and
Macie, immense thanks for all your help and kindness. God bless you.
From there my mom and I went to try to recover my bag. I needed my
phone. We walked about 0.3 miles to get to where the bags were placed. The area
looked like a war zone. No smiles but tears, no happiness but sadness. We runners
looked like refugees walking wrapped on blankets, with our heads down on isolated streets. The Boston
Athletic Association, BAA, off loaded the buses and placed the bags on a nearby
street. With all the chaos and street closures, BAA kept the organization to
the highest levels. Once I recovered my bag we walked home, 0.4 miles away.
What came in the aftermath of the explosions were dead and
destruction. Three young and beautiful souls were killed: Martin Richard, 8; Lingzi Lu, 23; and Krystle Marie
Campbell, 29. 180 injured, amputations, people in critical and serious
conditions, sadness, anxiety, vigils, prayers, and memorials for the victims
and their families, 24/7 sirens, police, bomb squads all over the city, bonding
with the runners and the city of Boston, healing, unity, strength, and
determination.The marathon jacket , that "badge of honor" became a special symbol in the somber city. We runners looked at each other, nodded our heads, and shared a sad smile.
On Thursday, the interfaith service at the Holy Cross
Cathedral, 4 blocks behind the apartment where I was staying, provided me some
closure. Thousands of people gathered to comfort each other. We were one.
Boston was one. I felt that, even with the suspects still on the run, the
commotion was about to be over and the people were ready to start the healing
process. Until midnight.
I woke up at midnight due to endless sirens; one after
another, after another, for more than half hour. Instead of turning the TV on I
texted my husband and son: “Tons of sirens.” My Hubby encouraged me to go back to
sleep, but my son texted back: “Because a
cop was killed in Cambridge. A gunman killed him at the MIT campus... Multiple
shots and explosions in Watertown.” My mom and I had been in Watertown on
Wednesday night having dinner at the home of a very close friend from my teen
years. TV was on for the next 20 hours. The city of Boston and its suburbs were
on locked down. Metro and taxi services were suspended. All businesses were
closed. The manhunt in Watertown became the center of our world. The rest is
history.
My dear running partner Michelle texted me on the day of the
events: “Who would’ve thought that your daughter
would have been safer today in Venezuela than in Boston.” True. That may
have been providential, and although I am extremely sad I have no fears.
All marathons leave special marks,
but this particular edition of the Boston Marathon, the 117th, will
be indelible. I will work hard to come back in 2014 to run this great city of
Boston, city that has been carved in my heart and in my soul forever.
And my daughter will be there at
the finish line waiting for me.
Thanks to all that were concerned for my well-being and my
mom’s. All my love.
sincere-lee
lizzie lee
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