And, so it goes...

Well, five months, 549 training miles, 26.2 marathon miles and a whopping $4,204 raised for Bottom Line and it's all over. Thank you again to everyone that helped support me and Bottom Line; thanks to those that followed along and kept me going; thanks to Bottom Line for an amazing team experience. I'm sad it's all over, but very happy not to be getting up for those long runs on Saturday mornings (at least for a while).

I will definitely keep running, and without a doubt will keep writing, so stay tuned....

Love and thanks,

Sam, the accidental runner

I'd like to thank....

The following people gave generous support, encouragement and donations to help me get ready for the marathon and to help disadvantaged Boston students go to college. We raised $3,844 and sent a kid to college!!!

You all make the awesome list, THANK YOU.

* Kate Moore * Maureen Apter * Jim Taylor * Alison Hynd * Katie Elbert Enos * Nicole Scott * Nancie Koenigsberg * Samantha LaCroix * Vinyl Street, the tallest a cappella group in Boston * Brenden and Meg Ahern * Mike and Petra Devine * Jason McKnight * Corina Gomez * Irma Ortiz * Amal Harrati * Kristi Gundrum Kebinger * Harini Angara * Snehal Pathak * Emily DeMelo * Sara Savacool * Lauren Castro * Kristina Schmid * Michael Looney * Brooke Roberts * I-Ching Lao * Tony Johnson * The Coopers * Donna Ward * Teri Flemming * Billie Wilcox Brooke * Joe Finkhouse * Andrew Momb * Marlon Grace * The Anthonys * Catherine Hanley * Jeff Roberts * Kaitlin Gibson * The Theriaults * Angela Manginelli * Mike Wartman * Steve Breman * Ben Ligon * The Moores * Courtney Coakley * Jackie McKeon * Eric Ahern * Bob and Cecy Ahern * Liz McLaughlin * Sarah Rosenbluth * Cynthia Singer * Tom Kelley * Inci Kaya * TJ Ward * Barry Gannon * Lauren Wojtkun * Meagan Schultz * Keith Gregg * Catherine Kirwan-Avila * Erin McFee * Louann DeClaire* Andrea Gatti* Cian Duggan*Philippe Pavillard * MaryBeth Manca * Emma Strike * E Derek Smith

Well, Hello Taper

21 miles later...

I am tired. The last 21 weeks have taken their toll and I am looking around to find a bruised and beaten body. I am so tired; so tired of the aches and pains; tired of blisters and back pain, and of the shooting pain in my knees when I go up or down stairs; so tired of getting up at 5 or 6 am on Saturday. I am tired of fundraising and asking people for money! I am so tired of smelling like dried sweat and salt. I am tired of walking into my room and being met by a wall of smell that is my running clothes, just hanging there and waiting for the next time I have to pull them on. The other day on the subway I kept moving seats because I thought the homeless guy sitting close to me was too smelly. Turns out that smell was ME and my stupid wicking gear.

And I am so tired of eating!! I never thought, as a woman who loves her food, I would ever feel that way. But I am so. tired. of. eating. When I am not sleeping or running or talking about running or thinking about running, I am EATING. Enough!

And just when I think I am too tired for any more of it, the taper arrives.

Hello taper! Sweet, glorious taper. The taper means that training is coming to an end and that the hay is in the barn. There is no amount of training I can do over the next week that will help me for the marathon. It's all been done and now it is just time to rest and be excited for race day.

And I am really SUPER EXCITED! Hello race day!

It's been a long haul and I'm going to spend the next week trying to relax, trying to not let my nerves get the better of me and just trying to enjoy the moment. It's not every day that you run the Boston marathon, and I really just want to enjoy it with my friends, my family and my team.

So, share the excitement with me and follow me on race day. You can sign up for Athlete Alert by clicking here and use my bib number (23026) to get updates of where I am as I run the marathon.

More to come this week as I count down the last 7 days...