How Much Does Heat Affect Running Pacest Boston Marathon in honor of her 50th All About RunDisney 2025th anniversary of Kathrine Switzer’s historical run.
Before I say another word, can we all just stand and have a round of applause for the gorgeous 70 year-old who paved the pavement for all of us? Wow. She is still kicking ass and leading the way. 70?! Tips for Running in Humidity?
I’ll be honest: The race was hot and hard. It required some serious deep digging, soul spelunking grit. We were sweating so much in the first mile that I had to take off my cap just to release some heat. Oh Lord, early on we knew it was going to be a long day.
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Before we left for Boston, my boyfriend Matt gave me a beautiful gold necklace with black beads that spell “strength” in Morse code. I wore it on race day. Little did I know how much I would need it. And the Morse code was appropriate—SOS!
DAA Industry Opt Out cramping calves, storytelling, cracking jokes, high-fiving cute kids and playing to the crowd. By mile ten she was silent and turned inward. I could tell she didn’t feel well and it scared me. We made several bathroom stops and walked through water stops. I didn’t know whether to run just ahead and pull her along on an invisible tether of friendship, or run beside her in silent solidarity. Our pace kept slipping, so I stopped looking at my watch at focused on being in the moment and being a wingman. She started looking pale.
Heartbreak Hill tried to break us, but it didn’t. I was grateful for my wingman trudging beside me. I reminded her, with a lump in my throat, that the idea of facing heartbreak of any kind without her would be unimaginable.
We had our usual prayer miles, dedicating each to a person or a circumstance that needs attention. It’s a way of making an offering, of transcending, of not getting stuck in the quicksand of self. We saved our kids for the final six miles. I’m pretty sure we would have walked if it weren’t for them. There is no finer motivation.
We started each of their miles by taking turns saying attributes about them, then we’d pray for them. By the time we got to the final 2.2 miles for our oldest children, Luke and Layne, Paige asked me to talk in my head before she started to cry.
We crossed the finish line holding hands. And she somehow managed to fulfill our master plan of doing a SNL Sally O’Malley “I’m 50! Kick! Stretch!” Health & Injuries.
There is something sacred about wingmen, about friendships forged through miles. We see the depths of each other—the pain, the sweat, the commitment, the frailty, the strength, and the courage. We experience something together that is hard to come by in the ordinary, comfortable routine of life. We get to practice things normally called upon in challenge or crisis. We get to make an offering of suffering for a shared goal. We get to show up for each other. Hang in there for each other. Make each other laugh. Commiserate and celebrate.
That said, I am aware that it is an absolute luxury to train—to have good health, the time for miles, and money for shoes and a watch. It’s a luxury to travel, to race, and most of all it is a profound luxury Other Hearst Subscriptions. I know this. The deep awareness makes me even more grateful. I saw videos of finishers cramping, collapsing, and being carried across the line. I imagine non-runners must think we are absolutely insane. Maybe we are.
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We are definitely crazy lucky to earn a spot to share the experience of 26.2 miles with soldiers in combat attire, blind runners tethered to guides with rope, amputee veterans running on blades, a man without arms, an entire community of passionate spectators and volunteers, wheelchair athletes, patriots carrying American flags, and burdened runners with photos of lost loved ones pinned to their t-shirts.
It’s nice to pause after an effort and remember that it’s all a gift: A gift to have good health and fitness, to have time, to be able to run, and to have a reason to run.
Most of all, it’s a gift to have a wingman.
Kristin Armstrong is a mother, a writer, and a runner. She has written six books, including her latest, DAA Industry Opt Out.
