“When things get difficult. When you want to quit. When you question why you’re out there, remember that we’re the lucky ones.

When things fall apart and when you doubt your capacity to take another step into the dark, give yourself a solid tap on the chest, realize what a miracle you are, remind yourself that this is a gift that countless others would give anything to have and so let’s not let it slip away.

Eyes up. Stout heart. Believe. And remember, that we’re the lucky ones.”

– Dr. Tommy Rivers Puzey, DPT

This is BOSTON.

A marathon for 27,000 people. 27,000 ordinary people, each with their own unique story, who go on a (sometimes decades long) journey of obsession, of triumph and tribulation, to enhance and perfect their physical performance so that (even just once!) they might actually make the cut.

And once they do… that invite officially issued, their qualifiers adequately verified, they begin that journey all over again – preparing obsessively in order to arrive on race day (Patriot’s Day), the third Monday of April, ready to run this world renowned and brutally challenging course that spans all the way from Hopkinton to Boston. An iconic foot race, dating back more than a century. A race that has grown and evolved dozens of times, much like the athletes themselves who are running it. A race that has stood the test of time and become a beacon of hope, burning brightly, for those who might otherwise have chosen to give up.

The road from Hopkinton to Boston is an unforgiving one. The ultimate reality check. A scorching reminder of who you really are, who you’re pretending to be, and forcing you to reconcile the difference.

This race is for runners on a mission to prove their worth to the world, to the sport, and (most importantly) to ourselves – that we deserve to be here, running the greatest marathon in the world.

Marathon Monday is a holiday in Boston. A cause for celebration. A reason to cheer on a random stranger doing a random thing on a random day for God knows what random reason. But it brings us closer together. It unites us. It makes us all feel good, and proud, and an important part of this incredible moment in our future’s history.

This race is known for its difficulty, its runners for their determination and grit. The people of Boston are known for their toughness, their tenacity, their indelible strength and ability to keep showing up, to keep carrying on no matter what! Coming to Boston to run this race is a dream come true for me. The journey to get here, a testament to who I am and what I’m made of – determination and grit, toughness, tenacity, and the strength to keep showing up; the very same things that make this town and all of its people “Boston Strong”.

I have no idea what this race will look like for me. The truth is, it doesn’t even matter. I’ve already decided that this will be my final full marathon and I’m going to enjoy every mile. Coach Nick has finally helped me to realize that “it’s about progress, not perfection”, and Dr. Dan has helped me to see that it’s no longer about my pace, but the work we’ve put in and the progress that we’ve made in building me back better, stronger, and more stable than ever before. How incredibly lucky am I to have the opportunity to demonstrate all that I’ve learned and all that we’ve accomplished on this particular 26.2 mile course? The one that I have dreamed about and imagined in my mind for the better part of my adult life?

This course is challenging – full of hills, rolling from start to finish. Several of them so large and long (spanning from miles 16 – 21+) that they’ve been given their own name and are revered around the globe! But isn’t that just like Life? It’s full of ups and downs, and we have no choice but to face them all. But how we go about doing so is completely up to us. I’ve learned along my own life’s journey (and with a lot of help from my therapist!) that it makes the most sense to take it all just one step at a time – to face the climbs with courage, the descents with grace, and to find a delicate balance in between.

So draw up your race signs and raise up your beers. Cheer louder than a screaming teenager at a Taylor Swift concert. You may never know exactly who I am, nor I know you – but because of you, standing there all along the way or cheering from afar, I know that I will run strong. Because this is BOSTON, and I am (finally!) one of “the lucky ones”!

#BeyondTheBoylstonLine