Otherwise titled …. It Could Happen to You.

The Boston Marathon. It’s THE race. For us amateur marathoners it’s the shining star, the center podium.

If you have been following my journey you know that Boston, even though I have qualified twice, has eluded me. I have been unable to run with my bib 2 years in a row. The first time because I had just suffered a miscarriage and the second time because I was pregnant.

This year I was able to run. Yes I had a baby via c-section 7 months before the race. Yes I had complications from said c-section. But gosh darn it I am healthy and recovering and NOT pregnant … So I was going to run BOSTON!! I trained my little postpartum heart out.

And then the other shoe dropped.

As I said before I was unable to run with my bib last year. However someone did run with that bib. I gave it to a friend. I didn’t sell my bib, she didn’t pay a dime for it and I didn’t pay her to run with it. I gave it to her with the thought that someone should love the bib. Someone should enjoy the miles that I worked so hard for. It was a stupid thing to do, but I swear it was entirely innocent.

Based on an “anonymous tip” the BAA found out. They had photo proof that I wasn’t the runner who ran with my bib. This breaks their rules and disqualifies me from running in any further BAA races.

My heart is broken. I’m embarrassed and ashamed.

I did what so many of us do, we transfer bibs that are non-transferable. Some even sell them. We think it’s innocent, we don’t think we will get caught.

I know I broke the rules and therefore fault no one but myself. I take full ownership of this. BUT let me be an example, I hope that other runners are reading this and think twice before they make a mistake like i did. Don’t get yourself get disqualified from a race series, it’s a terrible feeling.

To the Boston Marathon, I don’t know if I will ever be at peace with this. It’s a tough pill to swallow … For now I will continue to strive for another qualification and maybe, just maybe you will forgive this mama for the mistake she made.

The thing about life is that there are ups and downs, there are times when curve balls are thrown at you and they sting. I’ve had some big ups and downs over the past 3 years and although this may seem like a low, its hard to see it that way. When I look at the face of my beautiful baby boy its crystal clear: APA > Boston … I’d give up this race and pretty much everything else for my family (obviously). Our 3rd child has been a lesson of patience and true love. It took a lot of patience for him to come into our lives and now that he is here I would go through it all again to love this little boy.

Its not unlike running and marathoning … the journey isn’t always pleasant and man sometimes it hurts but the pure joy of accomplishment makes us love the run. And we will always run, because no matter what the journey feels like we keep training because we truly love it. So I continue on, running and accomplishing and all the ups and downs that go along with it. I learned a lesson here, but it will never deter me from doing what I love to do.

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