Memories of heat..Boston 2012 numbers

Here are the number for the 2012 Boston Marathon. 
I found this incredibly interesting.

• Number who registered- 26,716
• Number who ran in Boston Marathon-22,426
• Number who never picked up their bib-3,863 (about 14% of field)
•  Number who dropped out-932 
• Number who picked up their bib and never showed up- 328
• Six of the 17 elite women's runners did not finish, while 4 of the 20 elite men's runners did not finish!
• Mutai, who broke the world record with his 2011 run, gave the 26.2 mile course a try, but succumbed to cramps from the heat at mile and dropped out at mile 18.

 My Memories of my run through heat and hell...Chicago 10-10-10 Temp-92'
The temperatures were in the 80's for the Boston Marathon this year. It brought me memories of my BQ-ing race...My first Marathon..The Chicago Marathon. 10-10-10.
The temperature this year soared to 92degrees.
The difference between the Chicago and the Boston was that the Chicago started t 7:30 am not 10am! And the Chicago Marathon is quite flatunlike Boston which is mostly all decline with the gruesome Heartbreak hill.  .
Running the Chicago Marathon to qualify for Boston was the HARDEST thing I have EVER done physically to my body. HANDS DOWN.
I had a 3:40 Pace Team to support me. My qualifying time to meet was 3:45. The Chicago Marathon had actually closed when I went to register so I ran it for TEAM IN TRAINING. To support Leukemia Lymphoma. Andy had a second cousin who has gone now to be with the Lord from this horrible cancer.

My pace team consisted of about 8 pacers and about 75 runners, most trying to qualify for Boston. I was one of the older ones in this pace group and was very shy about letting people know my goal and that it was my first marathon.  I got the LOOK....when I was asked..
Let me just say HOT..It was so horribly hot. The sun was blazing. I stuck with it till about mile 17.  blessed to see my family already twice on the course. At that point my body started shutting down. I was freezing cold and had skin prickles everywhere. By mile 20 75% of our group had dropped back. The Pacers were looking nervous. Although they were running effortlessly they had a look of panic for us runners. They were turning back and shouting at me."ANITA, Today is YOUR day." "Anita, Come on, you are doing good, Look at me, come on stay with me."

They continued to take turns yelling at me and keeping me on my toes. My mind was gone. I couldn't think. I was scared to death. There were sirens going off everywhere. My body was turning against me. My bladder just turned on like a faucet. I had NO control as warm liquid just ran down me legs. I wanted to cry. Just cry in pain and failure. I wanted so bad to give up. I would shake my head  and try to come to because I thought I had passed out. The heat had me dazed and confused. My pacers were now grabbing me water and passing it to me. I had no energy to even hold it. 
All I could think of was my honored hero struggling with cancer. He would give anything to be healthy enough to run this. I had to run it for him. Failure was not an option. I had worked to hard..I had to keep going or collapse trying and that is what I wanted to do. It hurt so bad. I felt like a zombie..Like I was running dead.
My Pacers NEVER gave up on me. I never gave up on me or my dream of Qualifying for Boston.
I am grateful for those Angels that kept me going, for their encouragement and motivation. I am grateful for prayers and God hearing them.As my body and mind began to shut down in the heat...The dream never burned out.
I finished.
"I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH HIM WHOM STRENGTHENS ME" PHIL 4:13
My verse that helped keep me going...I knew where my strength was coming from.. Similar to this years Boston Marathon winner Wesley Korir, who rehearsed Christian songs gaining strength from Gods promises and words to get him to the finish line.

I had many say to me "Arent you so happy you DIDNT run Boston this year...But Oh I remembered my heat to get me there...

Anita