Lessons Learned, Part II

When I wrote my previous post of things I learned in Boston last week, I really wanted to come up with 26 items, but since it was getting late when I posted, Lani encouraged me to keep it to "an even ten." So without further ado, here are a few more.

11. The crowd was simply amazing! Don't let yourself tune it out. Soak it up. Let it energize you.

12. Take an early bus. I got to Boston Common about 6:15, and didn't have to wait in line either at the port-a-potties or to get on the bus.

13. Bring warm clothes to Hopkinton. It's pretty chilly at 7 AM. Although I had pants, a long sleeve shirt and my sweet Boston Marathon jacket, I was wishing I had a sweatshirt or something extra to wear.

14. Bring sunscreen. It was a beautiful day in New England. By the time I finished, my face, arms and neck were pretty red.

15. Give high 5s. I guess this is related to #11, but it was fun to see the kids faces light up when I reached my hand out to theirs.

16. Put your name on your shirt. Again, this is related to #11. This was probably the smartest thing I could have done. Think of something unique. "Ax" is definitely a little cooler than "Reid." The spectators definitely got into it.

17. A simple left turn can mean so much. That turn from Hereford St onto Boylston was amazing. Spectators were lined up probably 5 or 6 deep. The sound was deafening. You can see the finish and you know you're gonna make it. This guy describes it perfectly.

18. No matter how much you're hurting, you always have something left for the final push to the finish. This is something I've always believed. This race reminded me of that.

19. It's hard to hold back at the beginning. Anyone giving advice for Boston will tell you to take things easy the first few miles (which are downhill) and save it for later in the race. I think I did a pretty good job, but could have kept it a little slower.

20. Don't worry about time. This is Boston; enjoy the experience and have a good time. Although I didn't make the time I was hoping for, I had a great time.

21. Keep your eyes up. New England is such a beautiful region of the country. I realized, from looking at pictures from the race, I totally missed out on a lot of the scenery.

22. My experience is worth a lot more than a few buck on ebay. I was wishing I had picked up some more souvenirs, so I was checking it out and I found people selling their finisher's medals. Isn't that ridiculous?! I'm not the only one who feels this way.

23. Make a friend in Hopkinton. It'll ease your nerves and help time go by more quickly.

24. Co-workers will think you're awesome. When I went back to work, countless people came to congratulate me. I was even asked to share my experience with the 5th grade classes who were talking about drugs and how I wouldn't have been able to do what I did if I had been using drugs.

25. Kids at school think it's cool. A school psychologist is not a real high profile position in my school. But after my visit with the 5th graders, I've gotten a lot more hi's, waves, and smiles of recognition.

26. Be prepared for a never-ending high. It's been almost 2 weeks, and I still can't stop thinking about it.

26.2. Virtual friends are awesome! I felt tons of support and encouragement from all of you out there. Thanks for reading my blog and running with me.