Pre-race Inhale

Here we go:

Thursday before race day, and I was feeling antsy ("eager" may be a better word) on account of the end-of-training taper. As I'm packing for the fourth time to leave, the reality of running the Boston Marathon sweeps over me, and I need to sit down. Add to this the truth that this will be the most public marathon I have yet to run, with enormous interest from my community (due to the incredible coverage for the Mission Possible fundraiser), and the weight of it all stuns me. As I express this to my wife (who has learned and continues to learn how to deal with me leading up to a marathon) says, "Don't feel this as pressure. Feel it as people lifting you up, encouraging you." Duh! While this doesn't entirely alleviate the situation, I can at least function a bit better.

Friday morning, I go for a short run with my friend, a young fella who ran Boston in 2015. He gives me a couple pointers, namely, "Be patient at the beginning because it's crowded, but don't get stuck in the crowd." Afterward we talk briefly about the excitement and he hands me $26 for the Rescue Mission, saying, "A dollar per mile. I'm not giving you twenty cents because when you turn onto Boylston, you stop running. Now you're flying to the finish."

For lunch that day I've been invited by the Rescue Mission's director to the Kiwanis meeting. After eating, it's sprung on me that I'm one of the guest speakers. It's Jackie Robinson Day, and Jackie once said, "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." That's my opening line. I then tell the story of gratitude, of my entry into (which loosely parallels to the grace offered through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus) and preparation for the Boston Marathon, of how Robinson's words speak to the importance of the work at the Rescue Mission. When I sit back down, one of my tablemates says, "Too bad you weren't prepared to speak," and I remember (again) God's promise to Moses in Exodus: "I will be with your mouth."

When my wife gets home from work, I'm packing for the fifth and final time. She tells me of a woman, Vera, with whom she works, that Vera called and said she wanted to donate to Mission Possible. My bride tells Vera to put it in an envelope and place that on her desk, that she'd retrieve it the following Wednesday. On our way out of town, we stop to get a coffee. Vera is inside the coffeeshop, a coffeeshop that is not in her neighborhood. She hands my wife some cash for the fundraiser. Details are important.

Fast-forward to Sunday when we ride the world famous Swan Boats, have lunch with some friends, and head to the race expo. As a Pittsburgh Pirates fan it was fun when, as soon as I received my bib number and race packet, I received notification that Andrew McCutchen had hit a home run. Later, my traveling companions and I walked down to the finish line, and I was honored to have them pray for me, the race as a whole, and the Rescue Mission. A true highlight.

Sunday's pre-race dinner: We had reservations at Ristorante Fiore in the North End of town and planned to meet our crew in the hotel lobby in order to make our way there. As my wife and I reached the lobby, I was surprised to see our very great friends (who live near Philadelphia)  who had made the trip to cheer me on the next day. All I could do was laugh...to tear, indeed.

In order to appreciate what happened during our meal, you have to understand that my wife has myriad anaphylactic food allergies. If she ingests certain foods, her airways will swell and she'll be unable to breathe. That said, when we go to restaurants with friends, she almost never (like 98% of the time) orders, opting instead to eat ahead of time or bring her own food. The potential danger isn't worth the risk.

And so, as our server took our orders, the only thing he wrote on his notepad was the foods to which my wife is allergic. In fact, when she told him her allergies would prevent her from ordering, he responded by asking, "How do I know whether or not we can help if we don't know the allergies?" He spoke directly with the chef and assured us that there was no possibility of cross-contamination with her meal. And so she ordered, confidently. And with great peace in her heart, she ate what she ordered. Details. God smiles on us, even in details.

Pre-race prayer at the Finish Line