For years, qualifying for the Boston Marathon felt almost impossible.

When I ran my first marathon, I finished somewhere around the four-hour mark. I was proud of that finish, but qualifying for Boston still felt a long way off. Over the next several years, I kept showing up, putting in the miles, and chasing a goal that often felt just out of reach.

By the time I finally qualified, I had already completed several marathons and spent thousands of miles training. Every early morning run, every long run, every race, and every setback had led to that moment.

Then something incredible happened.

In just three months, I was able to shave roughly 25 minutes off my marathon time and finally earn a Boston qualifying time. After years of chasing the goal, I had done it.

Getting accepted into the Boston Marathon felt surreal. Running Boston isn’t something you can simply sign up for—it’s a race you have to earn. For so many runners, it’s the ultimate dream, and suddenly I was going to be standing on that starting line.

All of the hard work, sacrifice, and miles had finally paid off.

What I didn’t know was that I would be running one of the most challenging Boston Marathons in recent history.

The 2018 Boston Marathon brought relentless rain, strong winds, and temperatures hovering just above freezing. More than twenty elite runners dropped out of the race because of the brutal conditions, and countless runners ended up seeking medical attention throughout the day.

At times, it felt like I was running a marathon while standing in a shower.

But despite the weather, despite the cold, and despite finishing well off my personal best, crossing that finish line remains one of the proudest moments of my running journey.

This is the story of my experience running the 2018 Boston Marathon.

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The Marathons That Led Me to Boston

2015 – Coeur d’Alene Marathon

Time: Approximately 4:08

My first marathon. I fell in love with the distance and immediately signed up for another marathon.

2015 – Windermere Marathon

Time: Approximately 4:11

I loved my first marathon so much that I ran another one just two weeks later. Completing two marathons in two weeks qualified me for the Marathon Maniacs.

October 2015 – Spokane Marathon

Time: 3:55:19

A 12-minute personal record and my first marathon under four hours. I also finished second in my age group.

June 2016 – Liberty Lake Marathon

Time: 4:06:26

Not every marathon was a personal record, but every race taught me something and helped me become a stronger runner.

June 2017 – Coeur d’Alene Marathon

Time: Approximately 3:55

This race became an important stepping stone in my Boston Marathon journey and showed me I was getting closer to my goal.

September 2017 – Tunnel Light Marathon

Time: 3:30:55

I improved from approximately 3:55 to 3:30:55 in just a few months and finally earned my spot at the Boston Marathon. It was the culmination of years of training, thousands of miles, and fitting runs into every corner of my life while working as a new night-shift nurse. Crossing that finish line remains one of the proudest moments of my running journey.

Finally Going to Boston

After years of chasing the goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon, it almost didn’t feel real when race weekend finally arrived.

My husband and I traveled to Boston together, and my mom came along to cheer me on. We stayed at the Boston Omni Parker House, a beautiful historic hotel that ended up being the perfect home base for race weekend. The location was incredible. We didn’t even rent a car during our trip because we could walk to so many places, including the finish line area. Whenever we wanted to venture farther out, we simply grabbed an Uber.

One of the things that surprised me most about Boston was how much the city embraces the marathon. Everywhere we went, people were excited about the race. Boston absolutely loves its runners, and for one weekend, you almost feel like a celebrity. The entire city comes alive with marathon energy.

One of the most emotional moments of the trip was picking up my race bib at the Boston Marathon Expo. I had dreamed about that moment for years. Standing there with my bib in hand, knowing I had finally qualified and earned my place at the starting line, was overwhelming in the best possible way. Even now, it still makes me emotional thinking about it.

The expo itself was incredible. It felt like the ultimate running event, filled with vendors, gear, speakers, and runners from all over the world. There was so much excitement in the air, and it made everything feel real. After years of training and chasing this goal, race weekend had finally arrived.

Of course, none of us knew that race day was about to become one of the most challenging Boston Marathons in history.

The Weather Forecast No Runner Wanted

As race day approached, runners began paying close attention to the weather forecast—and the forecast wasn’t looking good.

The 2018 Boston Marathon would eventually become one of the most infamous races in Boston Marathon history. Temperatures hovered just above freezing, heavy rain was expected throughout the day, and strong winds threatened to make an already difficult course even harder.

At first, I think many of us hoped the forecast would improve.

It didn’t.

By race morning, it was clear that this wasn’t going to be a day for personal records. It was going to be a day for grit, determination, and simply making it to the finish line.

The conditions were so severe that 23 elite runners ultimately dropped out of the race rather than risk injury. That statistic alone tells you how challenging the weather truly was.

As runners, we spend months preparing for race day. We train, plan, and obsess over every detail. The one thing we can’t control is the weather.

And on this particular day, Mother Nature had other plans.

The Biggest Race-Day Risk I Took

One of the biggest risks I took before the Boston Marathon had nothing to do with the course itself.

At the time, I had been training in Nike Zoom Flys and planned to wear them on race day. But just before our trip to Boston, I heard that our local running store had the Nike Vaporflys in stock. These were the shoes everyone was talking about at the time. Elite runners were wearing them, records were being broken in them, and I was curious to see what all the hype was about.

So I did something I would never normally recommend: I bought a pair right before we flew to Boston, and my very first run in them was the Boston Marathon.

Every runner knows that’s a huge no-no. The general rule is simple: nothing new on race day. Don’t change your nutrition, don’t change your gear, and definitely don’t wear brand-new shoes for a marathon.

Somehow, though, it worked out perfectly for me.

My feet felt amazing from start to finish. Usually after a marathon, I’m ready to kick my shoes off the second I cross the finish line. Not this time. After the race, we walked back to the hotel, explored the city, went out to dinner, and headed to the Mile 27 party at Fenway Park. By the end of the day, I had logged well over 60,000 steps, and my feet still felt great.

Would I recommend buying brand-new shoes and wearing them for the first time at the Boston Marathon? Absolutely not.

But somehow, one of the biggest race-day risks I took ended up being one of the best decisions I made all weekend.

Gear I Used on Race Day

• Nike Vaporfly Running Shoes (The Vaporflys I raced in eight years ago have since been updated and improved several times. This is the current version of the shoe line.)
• Nike Alphafly (My current racing shoe for my half marathon and return to racing.)
• Running rain jacket
• Favorite race fuel

Race Day: Surviving the 2018 Boston Marathon

Nothing could have prepared me for the weather on race day.

The 2018 Boston Marathon is remembered as one of the coldest, wettest, and most miserable Boston Marathons in history. Temperatures hovered around 38 degrees, the rain came down relentlessly, and the wind seemed to blow from every direction.

There was no staying dry.

Runners showed up wearing garbage bags, ponchos, old sweatshirts, and even shopping bags wrapped around their shoes in a desperate attempt to stay warm. Before the race even started, most of us had simply accepted the fact that we were going to spend the next several hours completely soaked.

Honestly, it felt like running a marathon inside a shower.

Medical tents were packed with runners suffering from hypothermia and other weather-related issues. Despite all of that, Boston runners are a stubborn group, and most of us were determined to make it to the finish line.

One thing I hope to experience someday is Boston with perfect weather. Even though spectators still came out to support the race, the weather definitely changed the atmosphere. Boston is famous for its incredible crowd support, and I would love to go back one day and experience the course lined with spectators from start to finish.

The true heroes of race day were the spectators.

At least the runners were moving. My husband spent hours standing in the cold rain waiting to see me finish, and thousands of volunteers and spectators stood outside all day cheering for complete strangers. Looking back, I honestly don’t know how they did it.

For the first half of the race, I felt strong and maintained a solid pace. Surprisingly, I didn’t think Heartbreak Hill was nearly as intimidating as everyone made it sound. Having trained and raced on hilly courses before, it felt manageable compared to some of the hills I was used to running.

As the miles piled up, though, the cold started to catch up with me.

My legs became increasingly numb, and my muscles began to tighten and lock up from the constant exposure to the rain and cold. At that point, I made a conscious decision to run conservatively and focus on finishing rather than chasing a specific time.

After traveling all the way to Boston and working for years to qualify, my only goal was to make it to the finish line.

And then came Boylston Street.

Even now, it’s hard to describe the feeling of making that final turn and seeing the finish line ahead. The crowds were incredible. The energy was unforgettable. Despite the freezing rain, the numb legs, and the brutal conditions, I felt overwhelmed with gratitude and emotion.

I had done it.

When I crossed the finish line in 3:46:00, I wasn’t disappointed by the time. In fact, considering the conditions, I was incredibly proud of it. I had survived one of the most challenging Boston Marathons ever run.

It wasn’t a personal record, and it wasn’t the time I had originally hoped for when I arrived in Boston. But on a day when elite runners were dropping out, medical tents were overflowing, and thousands of runners were battling freezing rain and brutal winds, simply crossing that finish line felt like a victory.

Years of training, thousands of miles, and one of the toughest race days imaginable had led to that moment.

When I crossed the finish line in 3:46, I wasn’t disappointed by the time. I was proud. I had survived one of the most challenging Boston Marathons ever run.

Afterward, I couldn’t stop shivering. The race volunteers wrapped us in heat blankets, but I still couldn’t get warm. Finding a place to take finish-line photos was almost impossible because everyone was simply trying to escape the weather.

By the time we made it back to the hotel, I was so cold that my husband helped me into a warm bath. It felt amazing. Later that evening, we celebrated with a nice dinner and finally had time to reflect on everything that had happened.

Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing.

Would I love to run Boston again someday with sunshine and perfect weather? Absolutely.

But finishing the legendary 2018 Boston Marathon will always feel like a badge of honor. It was one of the hardest races I’ve ever run, one of the most memorable experiences of my life, and without question one of my proudest accomplishments.

Recovery, Celebration, and Exploring Boston

After crossing the finish line, my immediate goal wasn’t taking photos or celebrating—it was simply getting warm.

Despite the heat blanket the volunteers gave me, I couldn’t stop shivering. By the time we made it back to our hotel, I was so cold that my husband helped me into a warm bath. After spending hours running through freezing rain, it was exactly what I needed.

Once I finally warmed up, we headed out to dinner and then made our way to one of the coolest parts of the entire Boston Marathon experience: the Mile 27 Party.

Hosted at Fenway Park, the Mile 27 Party is a celebration for runners and their loved ones after the race. There was live music, food, drinks, and thousands of runners sharing stories from the day. One of my favorite memories was seeing Fenway Park filled with runners celebrating such an incredible accomplishment.

My husband especially loved this part of the experience. It was such a unique way to celebrate and reflect on everything we had just experienced. Between the live music, the energy of the crowd, and the opportunity to explore Fenway Park, it was the perfect way to cap off an unforgettable day.

We spent the next few days exploring Boston on foot and taking in the city. One of the things I loved most about Boston was how walkable it was. We wandered through historic neighborhoods, visited famous landmarks, and soaked in as much of the city as we could before heading home.

I was incredibly sore, although I honestly think a lot of it came from shivering for hours in the cold rain.

The funniest part? The very next day, Boston greeted us with beautiful blue skies and sunshine.

After running through one of the worst weather days in race history, it was hard not to laugh.

Like many Boston Marathon runners, I proudly brought home my Boston Marathon celebration jacket. Every year has its own unique design, and mine will always remind me of one of the toughest and most memorable races I’ve ever completed.

It’s a jacket I’ll keep forever.

Life After Boston

Shortly after running the Boston Marathon, I qualified for Boston again. At the time, I fully expected that another Boston Marathon would be in my future.

But life had other plans.

My husband and I decided it was time to start our family, and before long, my focus shifted from training plans and race calendars to diapers, baby gear, and late-night feedings. I had even signed up for a race that I planned to run postpartum, but then COVID changed everyone’s plans.

Instead of chasing marathon goals, we spent those years growing our family.

Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing.

Over the last several years, I’ve traded some of my long training runs for stroller miles, school drop-offs, and planning some pretty epic family celebrations. Between raising three young kids, working as a nurse, and organizing milestone birthday parties for family members, life has been wonderfully full.

If you’ve read some of my other posts, you’ve probably seen a few of those celebrations already—from my daughter’s Wicked birthday party to my dad’s Oregon Ducks-themed 70th birthday and my mother-in-law’s Dorothy-inspired outdoor birthday celebration.

While competitive racing took a back seat for a while, running never completely left my life. I’ve logged thousands of stroller miles over the years, and I’m convinced stroller running is speed work in disguise.

Those stroller miles taught me a lot about what actually makes running with kids easier. If you’re a parent who loves to run (or wants to start), check out my guide to stroller running essentials, where I share the gear, tips, and lessons I’ve learned after thousands of miles on the road with little ones along for the ride.

This year, nearly eight years after Boston, I finally decided it was time to pin on a race bib again.

If you’d like to read more about my journey back to racing after nearly eight years away, you can read that story here.

My training wasn’t perfect. In fact, it was pretty minimal compared to the training I used to do. Between raising three kids, building this blog, and planning multiple large family parties, there simply wasn’t enough time to train the way I once did.

But I realized something important.

My kids don’t care if I set a personal record.

They don’t care what pace I run.

They just love watching their mom race.

So I signed up for a half marathon and decided to show up anyway.

It was humbling, challenging, and exactly what I needed.