It's Boston Marathon Day!

Happy Patriot's Day! FIVE years ago I was scared out of my mind, riding on a little school bus all by my 21 year old self out to the start line of the Boston marathon. I was not trained well due to injuries and very cold. I started out way too fast, got a huge blister on my foot at mile three, wanted to curse Heartbreak Hill, and even stopped at a water stop or two and WALKED. I hurt and wanted to quit, but five years later I am so glad I crossed that finish line. I will never forget hearing my daddy cheering on the final stretch to the finish line (he was standing across the street from where the bomb went off at last year's marathon) and the tears started flowing! Then, they really flowed when I finished and couldn't get to him from all of the barricades. I had a little hypothermia, finally found him and had to promise not to mention any of this to mom until we were back safely in Alabama :) 
I still don't know how I qualified, besides a grand finale to my testimony of that season, but I am so thankful I got to experience it. I am thankful for the memories and that a week later I met my husband (he had just ran his first marathon) I am thankful that five years later I couldn't run 26.2 miles if my life depended on it and the only runs I get are pushing 60+ pounds in a jogging stroller. I do hope I can qualify again and go back one day, until then memories from 2009 will be on my mind every Patriot's Day :)
So, today, I will proudly wear one of my Boston tech tops and push my babies for a few miles (until the littlest baby starts screaming because she hates it so much!) and remember one of the coolest days of my life!