"I am equal parts terrified and excited." We catch up with Beth Gillespie on the eve of the big Boston Marathon!
WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO SHOW YOURSELF? OTHERS?
I hope to remind myself how strong and capable my heart and my body are. The marathon distance is a beast. When the miles get hard, I want to remind myself I have run over 420 miles just to get to the starting line, and that I have the power to continue to put one foot in front of the other and work my way to the finish line. That is the beauty of running actually, it shows us, we ALL have the power to keep moving forward.
WHAT IS IT GOING TO BE LIKE TO SEE YOUR TEAM AT COWBELL CORNER?
This will be my first time being cheered on my Oiselle tribe. I am sure I will cry tears of joy at seeing them, feeling their love, and being lifted by their mad cowbelling skills. And Heather might get a sweaty halfway hug!
DO YOU HAVE A MANTRA FOR THE RACE? IF SO, WHAT IS IT?
"I can. I will. I want to." When I completed a marathon in the fall of 2016 I swore it would be my last full for a long time because I'd lost the joy of marathon training process. By training to run the one and only Boston Marathon ( a once in a life time chance for me) I have reclaimed the joy of training. I found I would start my runs grinning at the thought of Boston, and when miles got hard and my legs heavy, reminding myself to keep pushing because of BOSTON would have a significant impact. So I have been running happy, running grateful, and running strong. Which is exactly what I hope to do tomorrow! Also, shoutout to Hylands and Girls On The Run for all of their support!
- Beth
