Brooke has been running for over twenty years.  She was lured to the sport under the pretenses of conditioning for the field hockey team as a middle schooler.  But, she soon found out that running came easier to her than any other sport, and she went on to set school records on the track in high school.

But, last Monday, as she powered down the slick roads from Hopkinton to Boylston Street, nothing was easy about running at all.  Rain pelted down, and her clothes stuck to her in a cold and clammy way.  Every step, the rain squished in her shoes, and the bitter air that hovered near freezing bit at her skin with ever gust of the strong headwind.

Any expectations of a personal record were out of the window last Monday.  It was a classic survival race.  The winning times on either side were the slowest in 30 years and the dropout rate was up 50%.  These were conditions you could not even dream up in a hellish nightmare.

But, as Brooke watched the weather in the week leading up and finally reached the starting line, she was prepared.  She knew what to expect, and she weathered the storm accordingly (no pun intended).  By starting off conservatively, she was able to run close to even splits on either half of the race (Boston’s second half is notoriously difficult as it climbs miles of hills through Newton on its way into the city limits), while others fell apart over the latter half of the race.

In poor weather conditions, the distractions can make you unaware of your nutrional needs, making it even more important that you remain hydrated and replenish your sugars and electrolytes.  Using her experience, she was able to do precisely that.

Through it all, Brooke ran 13 minutes faster than last years Boston Marathon, and given her perseverance in these adverse conditions, she bettered her finish by 1,300 places!

No two races, obstacles, or hardhsips in life are the same, and if you can focus on and adapt to the goals in front of you, the feeling of accomplishment is that much sweeter.

What an amazing day for Brooke and all of the other Boston Marathon finishers.  You are truly inspiring!!!  Congratulations!

Brooke Magni is our HKRS Lititz, PA Series Community Coordinator.  Check out her series here.  If you are interested in starting your own race, head over to our Start-A-Race Page