26.2

Patriot’s Day, April 19 2010, marked the 114^th annual running of the Boston Marathon. The day couldn’t have been more perfect, with sunny, clear skies and temperatures peaking in the mid 50’s. The alarm went off at 5:15, and within minutes Bekah was dressed in her Team Brigham singlet, downed a pre-race breakfast of Frosted Mini Wheats, and headed out the door. She met up with other teammates downtown and boarded a chartered bus en route to Hopkington, MA. The ride took about an hour, making Bekah nervous she would not be able to run the whole way back. In Hopkington, Bekah was pampered to energy-rich snacks in a warm, heated Team Brigham tent, while other marathon runners were left outside to brave the elements in the 40 degree weather. Mitch and Adam even dropped by on their bikes for a surprise visit to wish Bekah luck for her big race. After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, the officials directed Bekah to her starting corral, the gun fired, and 17 minutes and 51 seconds later Bekah crossed the starting line.

The beginning of the race was crowded with Bekah jostling for position among the other 23,126 runners. After a near catastrophe at mile 1 when Bekah almost twisted her ankle on a discarded piece of clothing in the road, it was smooth sailing downhill along the spectator lined course to the halfway mark. There, tears of joy filled Bekah’s eyes as she was greeted by her cheering squad (Mitch, Dan, Laura, Adam, Tom, and Ari) sporting Bekah t-shirts and a giant banner. They made such a commotion that several other spectators hung around just to see Bekah and cheer for her too. Here Tom and Laura jumped the barriers and joined Bekah as bandits. They met up with Kari at mile 16, who also joined the team of Bekah cheering bandits. With much support and encouragement (along with wonderful water, Gatorade, and orange slice service from her bandits) Bekah made her way up the infamous heartbreak hills that encompass miles 16-21. From there it was a tiring downhill trip to the finish line. Just before finishing, Bekah was given a final boost from her cheering squad (this time with the addition of Rob and Malissa). It was the encouragement she needed to run the remaining mile. At 3:19 PM, Bekah crossed the finish line, making her the 19,753rd finisher. Her finishing time was 4:32:30 with an average pace of 10:24 per mile. She then met up with her cheering squad at FitCorp, where she showered, re-fueled, and received a much needed massage from a Brigham nurse. The day ended with a celebratory barbeque at Dan & Laura’s place, where they served hamburgers and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese upon Bekah’s request.

There are several memories Bekah will always have from the day, including the tens of thousands of spectators lining the entire course, cheering for Bekah by name (her name was written on her jersey), and passing out an assortment of items (water, juice, Twizzlers, popsicles, orange slices, Kleenex, etc) to keep the runners going strong. Bekah will also not forget seeing some interesting folks (a man dressed as a hamburger, a man running barefoot, a 77 year-old woman, a bride wearing a veil, Team Hoyt, and a group of runners dressed as bunny rabbits) who ran alongside her on the marathon course. Some of these memories were captured with photos.

Preparation

Preparations are well underway for Bekah's running of the 114th Boston Marathon. The runners are already beginning to arrive in Boston, including our friend Jori, who made it in today. Last night we made a gigantic sign to cheer Bekah on (above from left to right: Laura, Tom, Ari, Mitch, Bekah, Todd, Kari, Katelyn, Adam, and Dan). Today she finalized her registration, picked up her official bib number, and carb loaded at La Familia Giorgio in the North End. Tonight she is going to get a good night's rest. The countdown is now less than two days away. She is super excited and can't wait for the race to begin. Good luck, Bekah!

26

This year, Mitch had many surprises in store for Bekah's birthday. For about a month before her birthday, Mitch hid this huge box in the tiny apartment without Bekah discovering what was inside. The new Kitchen Aid mixer also came with an ice cream maker attachment, which will get plenty of use this summer. In addition to exciting presents, Mitch also prepared a surprise progressive dinner with friends. The celebration included appetizers at the Buys', "Curry Mountain Medley" fully prepared by Mitch, and chocolate fondue at the Viens'. A good time was had by all. Check out the pictures for proof.

April 1

Okay, just to make sure no one is confused, Bekah actually did reach her fundraising goal today. This is not an April Fool's day joke. It is a cause for great joy and celebration!

Funded

Admittedly, $3,500.00 is an impressive sum of money to commit to raise for community programs at the Brigham and Women's Hospital. The fundraising process has not been easy, with many slow weeks of no donations leaving Bekah wonder if she would ever reach her fundraising target. Today, however, it is with great joy and enthusiasm that we are announcing Bekah has successfully reached her goal! She has surpassed the $3,500.00 marker by $12.66. Bekah is so grateful to the many supporters who have made her fundraising process a success. Thank you so very much to everyone who so willingly gave to help out this worthwhile cause. The fundraising was the hard part. Now all Bekah needs to do is run 26.22 miles. That should be a piece of cake.