Spent the morning at Fenway Park in an executive suite. A CC event that was super fun and hopefully will yield us a few more members of the class of 2012. The amount of work that goes into prepping the field for a came is unbelievably meticulous and clearly takes most of the day. I got goose bumps listening to the choir practice America the Beautiful. I think that was the moment I really started to feel like I was here to run the Boston marathon.
After the event Kat and I walked from Fenway to the convention center. It is spring in Boston and we walked through the community garden plots near Fenway. So many things beginning to bloom and such a gorgeous walk. Getting my number was a piece of cake. Getting my shirt, too. They even had a separate room to try on the shirt so I could get the right size! And it's a women's cut technical T, too.
Then came the Expo. Yikes. I can't say I've ever seen so many people in one place. So many fit people! But so many people.
I had two goals - see if I could get Katherine Switzer to sign my book and get a BAA Boston Marathon jacket. Neither seemed like an easy task. The Adiddas booths were insane. Long lines, lots of disorganized racks and what appeared to be, at 2:15 pm on day 2 of the expo, a dearth of jackets - the only thing left - size xs. Now I saw lots of fit people, but they were clearly normal sized people. The only ones that might fit those extra small jackets are the elite runners. Needless to say I was bummed.
So we went, instead, in search of Katherine Switzer. Had something of a hard time, but finally discovered she was signing at the Runner's World booth. She was due back in about 5 minutes from an interview. It was worth waiting. The woman working the booth said the Expo was extra crazy because the Marathon was sold out. Apparently this isn't common, but because of the Women's trials this year the race has the second highest number of runners in its 112 year history. And when they all bring friends and family to the expo - it's like sardines!
Within minutes of 3 pm Katherine Switzer walked up to the Booth. So easy, no waiting in line, a chance to thank her for the inspiration her book gave me while I was training for my Boston Qualifying race. The inscription now in my book, "Marathon Woman," reads: To Jessica! In honor of your 1st Boston - This is a victory forever!...and you know it's Magic! Go for it! K. Switzer, Boston '08. For those who don't know, she is the first official woman to run the Boston Marathon in 1967 under the name K. Switzer. The race director tried to shove her out of the race once he realized she was a woman, but she finished and helped build the women's running movement and was instrumental in securing the Women's Olympic Marathon in Los Angeles in 1984. I am awed by her accomplishments as a runner and on behalf of female athletes. She did make a point to say I shouldn't be loaning my book, but rather encouraging friends to buy it. I assured here that with her note in my book I wouldn't likely be loaning it anymore!
We took one last look around and discovered what turned out to be the official BAA merchandise booth. Move over Adiddas! So jacket found, two bought and one returned (Kat and I both stood in line and they went equally fast, but neither of us is tall enough to see over a crowd) and book signed, we left the chaos.
The rest of the day brought a quick shopping trip at Fenway, a trip to the airport in the Infiniti and a chance to do laps while we awaited my parents arrival and finally dinner with the friends in Cambridge who have so graciously opened up their home.
In the morning we see America's fastest women run. I can't wait!
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