Law school keeps you busy, especially as a 1L. So, why did I choose to commit to running the Boston Marathon when I already had enough to keep me busy as it is? The simple answer is: balance. You can only study so much and you can only work so hard before it becomes pointless and your body craves, needs to release frustration and stress. Running provided me the best outlet for this, especially when I ran with the Running Club. I was able to get a great workout and train for one of the world’s most prestigious marathons and meet some of the most fantastic people I have yet to meet in law school.

As I look back, the training for the marathon that we did was not that tough or time-consuming. We maybe went out on 12 team runs, with only the last 3 being 15 miles or more. The runs were every week, usually on Saturday and Sunday and often followed by brunch together. It was really a great time. I got to see more of Boston running around it than in any other way.

When marathon day arrived, I have to admit that I was a little worried that I wouldn’t be able to cover 26.2 miles. When we arrived in Hopkinton, the sky was ominously gray and I felt like I was crashing a big party. But, we waited by the start line for the opportunity to slip in, made our move, and we were off all before I could realize what was happening.

The first 10 miles went by really quickly, the whole time I was looking to the 15 mile mark; it represented the farthest I knew I could go. But before 15 came, Wellesley came. The place went nuts! The fans pumped me up and somehow 15 miles came before I knew it. I didn’t even realize I passed 15 miles. I was then in uncharted territory.

My teammates gave me great support and we had a great time running and running and running. When we hit BC, the place went bananas and the adrenaline kicked in again. Students, alumni, little kids, and anybody with a pair of lungs were cheering and yelling for us to keep going on. At mile 22, we were joined by some of our Section 1 peeps and they just made my adrenaline go through the roof.

The rest of the race was the most surreal experience ever! When we came down Boylston on the last stretch of the race, I felt like I was in a ticker tape parade! Both sides of the street were jammed with people and their cheering was deafening. We crossed the finish line and I did nothing but smile for the longest time.

In retrospect, I am extremely glad I ran the marathon. The fans were amazing; they cheered us on all 26.2 miles! The course was very easy; not too many uphills and went through amazing countryside. My teammates were fun and so supportive. When I think about what sort of shape I was in when I was running, I can only remember that my adrenaline was pumping the entire 26.2 miles and the whole thing seemed effortless. At the end, I was tired, but the whole thing was definitely not painful. I look forward to next year’s marathon!