A Marathon Day of Celebrating Bostonian Pride

It’s one of the greatest things about being a Bostonian in the springtime. Only in Massachusetts do people know that Patriots Day is Marathon Monday.

I remember my father packing up my sisters and me and heading to Route 135 in Natick so we could see the runners pass by. As a child, I didn’t understand the importance of clapping for strangers as they flew past me at a breakneck speed.

But, the pinnacle of it all was watching my husband run it himself.

Six years ago, Andy became an official Boston Marathoner, and this new tradition reinvented the day for our family. My son was 4 and my daughter was 2 weeks old. The day before the race, we went to the Runner’s Expo to pick up his number, and being around the thousands of athletes made me tingle with excitement.

Mind you, I felt hugely fat and grossly out of shape just being there. Granted, I had just had a baby and, I’ll admit, never been able to run more than two miles without seriously considering calling an ambulance to transport me back to my bed. Although happy that my husband was part of “the club,” I was envious of the sea of super-fit runners.

We dropped him off in Hopkinton and headed to Wellesley to my friend Mike’s house where we could park, feed the newborn and then watch Andy run through the halfway mark. As we craned our necks for what seemed like an eternity, looking for the bright yellow shirt that he was wearing, the excitement was off the charts!

I grasped my son’s hand, and when we finally saw him approaching, I actually started to cry. Having one of those heroes stop and hug you is without a doubt one of the most exhilarating experiences you can imagine. Let me say this: I have birthed three children, but seeing my husband run the Boston Marathon was hands down, the proudest moment of my life.

Andy ran Boston five times and not once did it lose its luster. We would drive into Boston to watch him cross the finish line and each year I cried. He would run in honor of Sara Schewe, a family friend who was killed in a bus accident in 1996, and he raised thousands of dollars for the charity in her name (Sara’s Wish Foundation). We had the privilege of cheering on Andy with Sara’s parents a few times and it made the experience all the more special. Knowing that we were part of something even bigger than the huge feat that is running 26.2 miles elevated the day even more!

This year, we will all head to Wellesley to watch with Mike and his family once again. Andy can’t run anymore (surgery on a torn meniscus will do that to you), but the day will always be something special. We’ll cut oranges to hand to runners, pack those beach towels for sitting on, lose our voices from cheering and celebrate with our friends. On Marathon Monday, we will be true Bostonians and take part in one of the greatest days of the year.

Whether your blisters are from running or from standing and clapping for the thousands of heroes, it’s all worth it. Fellow Dedhamites, don’t miss out.

(Sara’s Wish Foundation helps promote safety standards for student travel programs and provides financial assistance for young women who want to pursue international travel experiences in the areas of education, healthcare, or public service. These women will help sustain Sara’s living spirit. To donate, visit http://www.saraswish.org)