Team
volee
by. Stephanie Viloria
East Greenbush, NY
Gearing up for her Boston debut, Stephanie has been a Volée member since 2012. It is a dream come true for Stephanie to finally get to run down Boylston Street and has her sights set on a 3:30 marathon. Visit Stephanie's bio page to get the low down on this marathoner.
I ran my very first marathon on my 25th birthday. My whole family traveled to Quebec City to cheer me on. Their rendition of “Happy Birthday” even pulled me up a rather large hill. Just as any other first time marathoner, my goal was to finish. My time was 4:36:55. It was a far cry from a BQ, but I did my best and hobbled proudly for days after.
It is now seven years later and I am able to say that this year will be my first Boston Marathon. It is a dream come true for me to even be able to "toe the line" on April 21st . I'm pretty sure Boston 2014 will be the race I tell my grandchildren about someday!
Maybe it is because of the way I qualified for it....
My first ever BQ was in November 2012, it was also my first official race as a member of the Oiselle Team. I was supposed to run the NYC Marathon that year, but we all know that NYC 2012 was the marathon that never happened. So, I quickly decided to make a trip down to Virginia for the Norfolk Freedom Marathon and finished my training cycle as it should have been completed, with 26.2 miles. I gave those miles my all and finished with a time of 3:32:43. You couldn’t wipe the smile off of my face as I was running that day because I knew that I was going to run the Boston Marathon!
Or, maybe it is because of what happened last year....
My sister was supposed to run Boston last year, but she was pregnant and decided not to. I was dying to check out the marathon and get a feel for what it was going to be like in 2014, the year I was qualified to run. So, my husband, daughter, and I headed out on the three hour drive east to Beantown, in order to pick up her packet and breathe in all of the Boston excitement. It was amazing. I met some pretty cool people, scooped up some deals at the expo, and headed home more eager than ever for my turn.
I watched the marathon last Patriots’ Day, just as I always do. I cheered for Shalane and Kara. And, I tracked all of the fabulous Oiselle Team ladies. It seemed like the perfect day for a marathon.
Last year's events were terrifying. But, nothing could make me not want to run in 2014. I worked so hard to finally qualify for Boston as a new mom, training during naps and on little sleep to meet my goal. I will never forget breaking down and crying when I found out that I was accepted to run this marathon. And, I will never forget the hiccups along the way or those special days when I have felt like I am flying instead of running. Although I am nervous because anything can truly happen during a marathon, I am beyond excited to, again, reach the finish line with a smile on my face. I’m sure this race will always hold a special place in my heart.
Even though there will be thousands of spectators lining the marathon course, I plan to bring my family to cheer me on in this race, just as they did for my first marathon. I can pick those voices out of a screaming crowd and it is just what I’ll need as I run from Hopkinton to Boston.
