A Force to be Reckoned With – Jacqui

I made it at last! This is my final entry before the big run. I am both very excited and anxious about the upcoming day. Since I have not been running excessive mileage over the last three weeks, there is a part of me that worries that I can no longer do a really long run. I know the whole taper idea is tried and true by the best of experts, but I am still anxious about the distance. 26.2 miles seems a lot longer to me this week after only running a maximum of eight miles last weekend, compared to three weeks ago when I had just run 20.6miles. It is a good thing the mileage is less this week, as I have been spending a lot of time trying to coordinate my run and my supporters. I picked up my running shirt and some cow bells from Newton-Wellesley today. This weekend I’ll be getting my bib #26135. The Boston Athletic Association offers many options to track runners while on the course. You can sign up for text messages that alert spectators to specific mile markers once crossed and you can monitor progress on-line. The Boston course has a lot of key topographical and emotional landmarks, so runners often have loved ones at pre-specified locations for help with motivation in these areas. Many people have informed me that they plan to come out to see me run. I thought that I would probably have my husband, son and parents watching me on Marathon Monday, but I never dreamed this many people would fight the crowds to see me pass by. I can’t believe how supportive my friends and family have been. I have been getting phone calls, e-mails, snail mails, care packages and donations for the Newton-Wellesley charity all week long. If you are planning on coming out for the run and you happen to see me in the crowd, please yell out your support. I will use every and any help out there. Thank you for joining me on this journey to 26.2 miles. It has been a long and hard 14 weeks, but now I feel like I can cross any bridge that comes in my path. Armed with my realized physical and emotional stamina, and more importantly my amazing support network – I can be a force to be reckoned with.