I need a good half marathon in August...any suggestions? I did the Providence Rock and Roll last year. It was great, but too expensive.

Once you've run Boston, spectating on marathon Monday becomes harder than running. That's why I had to jump in bandit style in 2010. It's the one day per year when I feel both the spirits of my mom and sister with me. I love to get as many people as possible excited about the greatest story of humanity that ever was, taking place right in our own backyard. When I don't run, the marathon isn't about me, but I think I can provide a glimpse into what the experience of a former runner is like. I flew back to Boston from England specifically for race weekend. I decided to hit the expo with Kim and Russell on Saturday after my 10 mi long run, so as not to rush myself. I think holding it at the World Trade Center detracted a lot from the experience. First of all, the Seaport district is far less convenient than Hynes. With limited space, not all of the vendors fit into the smaller venue. More importantly, it felt like a giant marketing scheme. In years past, my heart has done sommersaults as I've walked beneath the banners, international flags, and tv monitors in Copley Square. I've caught glimpses of elite athletes doing press interviews and stopped to admire maps of course elevation and progression through towns on the walls. This year, those feelings didn't come until Sunday. I was quite proud of myself for only indulging in a few energy bar samples at the expo. I also picked up some GUs and two really cute headbands- one with international flags and the other flaunting “26.2 Boston” in Red Sox lettering. I thought about upgrading my Garmin but decided to hold off. I couldn't find the Wright socks I was looking for. Adam came to the expo with us, and I dragged him out to try the Sam Adams 26.2 ale. I quite enjoyed it, but he wasn't a fan. I thought I'd failed at my mission to excite him, until he txted me on Sunday to say he had started to get into it and was bummed that work travel would prevent him from watching the main event. That made me happy. Sunday morning was the 5k. I left myself plenty of time to get there. The forecast was for 70 degrees at gun time- ideal for me! Unfortunately, my jet-lagged ass had been awake and downing water since 2 a.m. So, I had to pee by the time I got to off the T. By the time I had wasted my 20 spare minutes in the porta potty, Boylston street was packed. I had to start around the corner at the back of the pack. For the first mile plus, I felt as if I had to slow to a walk at points. But, I ran the shit out of the end of that race to post a 24:08 81st place finish. It was a nice surprise to see my friend Eric from DFMC out there cheering. I'm happy with how that will bode for the Boston distance medley, since some of those who placed ahead of me won't be in for the series. I had to walk up to Hynes to catch the T around road closures. On the way, I cheered for the runners who were finishing up the race. In the station, I met a really interesting Kiwi. He must have been about 70 and hailed from the second southern most city in the world. He can't run distances anymore but was sponsored by O'Leary's bar in 18 Bostons. Now, he flies over to spectate, because he loves our city so much. One of my favorite parts of the marathon is meeting new people and hearing their incredibly inspiring stories. I booked it out of the city to pickup my sister and volunteer at the Dana Farber pasta party, where once again inspiration abounded. We met a friendly aspiring runner, named Vanessa. She filled me in on some local free runs and the news that the B.A.A. had decided to allow runners to defer. I filled Katie and Vanessa in on the stories of some of the runners I knew. On Monday morning, Kim and Russell picked me up at 5:00 a.m. to volunteer on the Dana Farber baggage bus in Hopkinton. I thought there might have been a problem with my registration, since I hadn't received any confirmation. But, I still managed to snag a size small jacket to add to my collection. I was glad to be able to wish my friends good luck. When temperatures reached the high 80s before the start of the race, I felt relief that I wasn't officially registered to cover 26.2 miles as quickly as possible. I also felt inspired to try and help others remember why they were running, enjoy the day, and get to the finish safely. So, after our shift, we made it back to Boston just in time to see the elites pass through Coolidge Corner. Finishing times revealed that most people were having tough days. We went for lunch at Sunset, where I bought the 26.2 Sam Adams glass. Pictures do not do this puppy justice. Then, I headed back out with supplies for anyone who might need them and fully prepared to walk/run alongside friends who might need encouragement. I was blissfully hot just watching friends pass. I made a point of cheering for every DFMCer who passed by. I moved up and down the second half of the course with a variety of people, in hopes that for a stretch I could help show them how much I admire them for triumphing over less than ideal conditions. After last year, I know what its like to put in months of training only to wake up on the morning of the marathon to circumstances outside of your control. Last year, I had to put my own disappointment aside, remember why I was running for Dana Farber. It made me a stronger person and runner. It also provided a rare opportunity to thrive on the crowds, take my time, and enjoy the world's greatest marathon course. I wasn't sure how to comfort my friends on Monday. I tried my best to figure out what each one needed. I shared my story with some out of empathy and hoped they'd understand that I wasn't trying to make it about me. I hoped having someone who could loosely relate would help them along. I cheered and joked with others, covered miles beside some, and gave passed out drinks and GU. I missed a few, but I waited on that course until I'd either seen everyone or received the txt that they'd finished and then some. It was interesting to watch them close the course. First came two street sweepers. Beacon Street was littered with cups, and then suddenly it wasn't. Next, vans followed for them to break down the water stations and pile in supplies. Finally, a police escort, and then a line of cars waiting behind the caravan. People continued to trek along the sidewalks, many of them elderly. I cheered until about 8 p.m. Each year, I am reduced to numbness when I look into the faces of those runners and think of their personal tales of sacrifice and inspiration to get to Boston. This year was extra special. After marathon weekend, I flew back to London to spend an awesome weekend with Kirstie. It was great to see her after many years. We volunteered together at a sport festival for east London children inside the Stratford Olympic Park!!! How cool is that for someone totally obsessed with the Olympics! Sunday was coincidentally the London marathon, and now I am even more driven to one day run from Greenwhich park across tower bridge, up and down the embankment, and onto the mall at Buckingham Palace. Gordon Ramsay was running for charity. All in all it was a great weekend to take a planned break from training, relax, and catch up on British TV.

The other day, some douche bag spit all over me as I ran past Agganis in my skirt and compression socks. I don't think I've ever been so disrespected in my life.

Wonders how my sister came to read the Guardian, but according to this, I'm in good shape

Say it once and move on.

A paraphrase of a line from a conversation yesterday. Um, yeah, I can work on this.

Saturday was a very special day. Let me back up to last Saturday...

Every year all of the Boston marathon charity teams do their longest 22 mile training run on the same day. Regardless of which side of the table I'm on, it's one of my favorite runs of the year. Sponsors come out to distribute free "fuel" and congratulate everyone on reaching taper. The energy on the course is just so incredibly electrifying. I like to capitalize upon it, regardless of where I am in my running. I met some really great people at my water stop. Ashley is also in the process of applying to MBA programs in the states and abroad. Jen has an MBA and reads my blog. Doug had great stories, having been involved with the team for many years. It was great to see all of my friends run by looking strong. Low and behold, Teddi Bruschi, and his wife Heidi came along too! They're trainiing with Teddi's team this year for stroke. One of the teammates, Shifter, fundraises his 18th+ marathon in memory of his dad via an annual 5k. We got talking, and he said I should run if I was free. I casually commented that I might, without any intention of doing so. But, then Jen started talking about it a bit.

I got home and looked up the race. $25 = pretty cheap.Great cause. Post race party with Harpoon beer. Small event. I figured I had a good chance of placing well. I asked my training buddy, Jenn Fonda, if she was interested. She had actually been looking to gauge her pace in a 5k and totally psyched me up with this great idea.

We both had a great race, and a ton of fun! I want to train well for my 1/2 and full in the fall. I still think of my base pace as 8:00 miles, but in the back of mind I was wondering whether that might be slightly dillusional after a disastorous last year. I ran the thing in 24:06 (7:47 pace) at about 8 pounds over my racing weight. Yay! I was quite pleased. with my 13th place finish in a division that included both men and women. The feeling of the race was great. I loved seeing so many great teammates out on the course and Eileen, Shifter, Tyler, Gordon, Jack, and Jan cheering us on. I was so proud of Jenn. As soon as I crossed the finish, I grabbed a water and downed it. I turned around, and there she was crossing the finish line in 25:40. Amazing!!! I ran into two friends from high school, and it was awesome to catch up.

The post race party was pretty stellar too!!! Note to self, don't get tipsy and then spend $ on T-shirts. And the excuse "I don't have cash on me" will only lead to you getting sucked into a purchase in exchange for a donation later. In this case, it was a tech shirt that saiys "you don''t know Jack" on the front and lots of his popular slogans on the back ("the hay is in the barn," "Cybex arc trainer," unpredictable weather etc.). Pretty snazzy and a funny reminder for my runs in France ;-)