It’s been a good week y’all! I’ve gone from Boston to Austin and, though I’m pretty tired, I’ve had a lot of fun.
My brother, Miles (also known to some of his high school Spanish students and cross country runners as Mr. Master Senor Coach Bryan) accomplished an amazing feat and ran the Boston Marathon this past Monday. Miles didn’t become a serious runner until he lived with me in Austin back in 2014 and in that short time he got fast! So fast, in fact, that his finish time for his very first marathon last year qualified him to run Boston this year.
For those unfamiliar with the running world, the Boston Marathon is one of the six World Major Marathons along with New York, Chicago, London, Berlin, and Tokyo. To run Boston, you either have to have a qualifying time on a certified marathon course OR raise at least $5,000 for an approved non-profit organization. Miles crushed the qualifying time and earned a spot in wave 1 (the first wave after the elite/professional racers).
So, this past weekend, my family (both immediate and some extended) rendezvoused in Boston to explore the city and, most importantly, to cheer on my brother. Having lived in Boston for 3 years for grad school, I gladly volunteered to plan the trip. I was a bit worried about corralling our group of 12 adults and 2 kids under 3, but our crew did great! No one got lost on public transit, most of them had their first dim sum experience in Chinatown, and all of us cheered our little hearts out for Miles and the other runners on Marathon Monday.
Most Marathon spectators choose one spot to camp out and cheer. But this was a big day for Miles–he was nervous AND excited–and we’d traveled a long way to share in his joy so we made the most of it by renting a 12-passenger van and making 3 different cheer stops. The original plan included 4 stops, but Miles was moving so fast that we had to skip one just to get ahead of him! We made posters and all wore Miles’ favorite color so that our blob of green would be easier for him to spot. We saw each other at the 10k mark (that’s 6.2 miles) and the 14 mile mark (for a water bottle trade). My sister, brother-in-law, and their two boys saw Miles on the brutal Heartbreak Hill (mile 21ish), and we got to see Miles cross the finish line at a distance.
(We were so busy cheering that we forgot to take pictures of us so you’ll just have to imagine a group of grown-@$$ adults cheering like they just got called up to be on the Price is Right.)
Miles absolutely crushed it! It was a warm day which was great for cheerers, but not-so-great for runners. Miles had to make some last minute adjustments due to the temperature and he finished in 3 hours and 3 minutes. Y’all…that is fast! We’re so proud of him!
On Monday afternoon, after the Marathon, I flew straight from Boston to Austin for my company’s in-person Summit. I could tell it’s been a busy weekend because I’m not “extroverting” much as I normally would in a large group of people, but it is really good to connect with my colleagues in-person. First day highlights included our signature Ignite Sessions, where folks give a quick 5-7 minute presentation on a unique interest (this year’s line-up included fishin’, aviation, the Austin bats, crochet, someone’s cookie business, and a board game maker). Second day highlights included me leading a breakout session on how to spark creativity in your workday. Day 3 will be a short one, then I’ll head back east for my nephew’s third birthday in Chattanooga.
Like I said, it’s been a good week!
Oh, one more thing: we found our homestead! More on that in my next post 😉
Until next time,
Charli
Yay Miles! Sound like you all have been busy! glad to see everyone had a good time.
OMG….our son Christopher is waiting to hear if he qualified for next year. Please share where yall stayed and all highlights from the adventure. And congratulations Miles.
Yes, Lisa, I have lots of tips and a few things I’d do differently – I’d love to share it all with you! I’ll get your contact info from Ariel and send you my “packet” 😉 And our fingers are crossed for Christopher!