Boston Marathon Pacer

COVID-19, “ The Rona Era”

Today is labor day 2020! My sole sista and Black Girls Run Ambassador, Katonya is going to run her first marathon. Her first Marathon is the Boston Marathon. This is super special for K, because she just turned 45 and she is running for a race that she prepared to run in April.

With the delay of the Boston Marathon, runners had to train twice. They trained all winter for the Spring race. Since that didn’t happened they had to train again throughout the summer for a fall race. Painful all around and I tip my hat off to all the runners

I told Katonya, my gift to her would be running the first 10 miles with her. I was thinking about running half with her, but the next time I plan to run 13.1 miles is in Hawaii, Idaho, Wyoming, and Oregon.

Plus this would be my long run challenge. I don’t think I’ve run 10 miles this year.

At 4:30 a.m, I met her in Franklin Park. Well, across the street from the park, since it was closed at 4:30. Labor Day, Day, parking would not be a problem.

She drove me to her house and a support crew was already there. She had her newphaws do video camera, other friends, were doing drive- by cheer support, and her our friend Marie was going to bike with us for the first 10 miles as well.

Running alone, you need medical and fuel support. The whole team was good.

I would pace her. I don’t think I was a good pacer but she did slow down when she needed to and speed up when she had too.

The first ten miles we ran through the city, Dorchester, down blue hill ave, past Dudley Square, Mass Ave, Melena Cass, Tremont Street. We passed the Dimock Center, South Bay House of Corrections, the Boston Police Department headquarters, the Reggie Lewis Center.

We started in the dark and ran into the light. We chatted a bit and did some checking in while running.

Side Note: The “black” part of the city is not runable. No bike lanes, green spaces. There was trash, broken bottles, glass on the street. For some reason, people felt the need to speed and blast their music while driving at 5:30 in the morning.

There was a “ bike” lane but it didn’t go all the way.

When we reached Franklin Park, there was another cheer squad waiting for K. I was so happy to see some of my BGR sole sistas that I haven’t seen in a while.

She ran straight to the Franklin Park Club House to use the restroom, which was at the 9 mile marker. I was chatting with some of my sole sistas that I hadn’t seen in a while, when K ran past me. I had to stop in mid- sentence to back up the pace to continue with her..

I finished the mile, for a total of 10, then I walked back for a mile to get to my car.

I was beyond the moon happy to be apart of K’s first marathon experience.

This is what it is all about