A love letter to Boston ... and Brookline, Newton, Wellesley, Natick, Framingham, Ashland, and Hopkinton.

Thank you for yesterday's gigantic exercise in good will. Starting with my running club, the Colonial Road Runners, which granted me a Marathon waiver, helped me train, and got me to the starting line.

Thank you to the extremely generous woman in Hopkinton who let me and my friends use the bathroom in her house as we schlepped to our corrals. To the runners I met from Dublin, Toronto, and Sao Paolo. To the bands, the drummers, and the guy who was playing the theme to "Jurassic Park" on his trumpet when I went by.

To the runners dressed as Batman and Robin, a giant cheeseburger (Go Big Sandwich!), cross-dressers, a British bobby, the man who ran in a tuxedo and black sneakers (did you propose to anyone?), and the runner with the inflatable Pesky Pole strapped to his head.

To the kids who blew bubbles, gave passing high fives, and offered Twizzlers, orange slices, Popsicles, and Kleenex. To my husband, John, who wrote Go Chris! on my shirt, and to everyone who thought the exclamation point was an "i" and yelled Go Chrisi - well, that was just sweet.

To the man who told me I better get going because his money was on me. To the baseball fans holding signs to inform runners that the Red Sox were ahead.

To the Wellesley College women with their screams and free kisses and the Boston College dudes slapping my hand, especially the one who told me to dig deep. To the two runners I saw who ran with prostheses, the brave man running with an oxygen tank on wheels behind him, and the two I saw running blindfolded (with guides) to raise money for the Perkins School for the Blind. 

To all the other charity runners.

To Santa Claus and the giant furry chicken who patted me on the back. To my friend Susan, who gave me a hug at Mile 15.

To the endless army of ever-gracious volunteers who must have been out there all day, you earned those jackets.

To the runners I saw supporting a woman who ran into trouble at Mile 25.

To my brother-in-law Matt who steadied me afterward and kept my legs moving around the Public Garden until my posse arrived with warm clothes.

To my boys, Rob and Ryan, who made me a lovely cheering sign.

To the police and State Troopers who kept the peace.

To the crews who are still cleaning up. To the friends, family, and co-workers who wished me well.

For every loud, messy, miserable, crazy, wonderful step of the way, it was a privilege.

Thank you.

Personally, I could not have asked for better running weather. Not too cold, definitely not too hot. Just enough cloud cover to shield the sun, yet not completely block it out. All in all, the weather gods really set the tempo for a great race day.

I have to admit that after arriving in Hopkinton, I was a definitely chilly, which meant that I basically stayed bundled-up right up until I threw my gear bag in the bus. However, once the gun went off, I warmed right up.

While there was a slight headwind at times, I personally found this refreshing more than stifling. Additionally, the temperature throughout the race was such that when I passed by the water stations, I was grabbing Gatorade and water to hydrate, versus quench my thirst.

All of this meant that I was really able to focus on the run, versus my body, which in my opinion makes all the difference in world. What I mean here is that in my experience, my best races and times have always been the result of race day experiences where I’ve been able to successfully focus on what’s going on around me, versus what’s going on within me, mainly the physical discomfort of running 26.2 miles. Therefore instead of wondering where the next water station will be or how my knee is getting sore, I’m able to just soak up all that is great about the running the Boston Marathon. This includes, but is certainly not limited to, the cheers of everyone who lines the roads in Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham, and Natick who are so key to setting the tone for those first 10 or so miles, the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel, everyone in Washington Square (particularly my mom, wife and son, who at 5 months old was watching his first marathon) and all the folks on the Kenmore Bridge, Comm Ave., and Boylston Street for that final push to the finish.

On a personal note, I have to thank the folks on the Kenmore Bridge, as I did start to really feel some pain just after mile 24 that I thought might just kill my race. The thought of getting over that last bridge was daunting, but hearing all that cheering just enabled me to block out the pain and really gave me what I needed for the final push to the finish line. Thank you!!!

I also had the good fortune of briefly running alongside Team Hoyt (Rick & Dick), which is always incredibly inspiring. I also saw at least two competitors with amputations who were easily running sub-seven minute splits…amazing! Seeing these kinds of scenes, as well as just being in the company of my fellow runners reminds me of how running, or even just watching, a marathon is inspiring on so many levels.

On a personal note, I had the good fortune of recording my best time since 2006 and in the process re-qualifying, which is always gratifying.

In closing, I just wanted to congratulate everyone on a great race and I hope to see you all again for the 114th running in 2010. Cheers!

Running with a foam cheeseburger around your waist is hard enough. Then come the catcalls.

"I got 'Nice buns!' and I got 'Where's the beef?'" explained John Koss, the 28-year-old Boston resident, who endured that and more R-rated banter thanks to a gigantic cheeseburger -- complete with lettuce, tomato, and onions -- strapped to his waist as he trekked the 113th Boston Marathon in 4 hours, 34 minutes, 29 seconds Monday.

Koss agreed to be a human toothpick for the local B.Good burger joints in order to raise money for the Run for Research foundation that benefits the American Liver Foundation.

"In a year like this, when donations were hard to come by, we looked for everything and B.Good was good enough to work with us," said Koss. "The challenge to me was to actually finish in this."

Running his second Boston Marathon was decidedly more difficult than the first (which he ran sans beef). The burger tutu didn't exactly weight him down, but it proved to be quite bulky, particularly in crowds.

Racers and supporters had a good time with Koss, who enjoyed the supports (and jabs) from the crowd.

"The kids, that's the best part, the kids' faces," said Koss. "I don't know if they have it any more but, Mayor McCheese, (I'm) kind of like the life-sized version of Mayor McCheese."

Weather.com pegged the temperature near Copley Plaza at 47 degrees when John Perham crossed the finish line of the Boston Marathon a little after 3:30 p.m. Monday. The website noted that, with 17 mph winds, it felt like 39 degrees, and fans along the course would argue that it felt even cooler on this late April date.

Not Perham. No, it felt more like a day at the beach for him. A resident of Newton's Upper Falls, Perham crossed the finish line sans shirt, but wearing a large smile that indicated he was in no rush to dig a T-shirt out of the pouch strapped to his waist.

No shirt, no problem.

"The first run I did, I did two miles in 15 degrees," explained Perham. "Sweat was pouring off me. I thought, 'Hey! It's cold outside, I should be letting the cool keep me cool.'"

Unless temperatures dip below the teens, Perham skips a shirt (and even then he only prefers one that's open in the front). You can convince him to run in some light pants, but only because of the perspiration that can build up there.

In his mind, the conditions for the 113th running of the Boston Marathon were ideal.

"This temperature, this is perfect," said Perham. "Perfect for running naked."

Running shirtless earned Perham plenty of comments, particularly from the ladies near Wellesley College. He said he kept his hands warm by throwing high-5s to anyone that would reciprocate along the route.

Of course, not wearing a shirt leaves a dilemma about wear to pin your bib number. Once again, not a concern for Perham.

"I haven't qualified in years," he said with a laugh.

George Braun wanted to spice up his wardrobe for the 100th running of the Boston Marathon in 1996, so the Jamaica Plain resident spanned the course in a top hat.

The following year he added a dress shirt. Soon after came some pants. Then he added a pair of suspenders. Ever since, he's been running in what amounts to a full tuxedo.

During the 113th running Monday, it might have been the perfect attire on a cool day.

"This is my 14th Boston," said Braun, who finished in 4 hours, 28 minutes, 8 seconds. "Today was fine. I ran it like this in 2005 and 2006 when it was 80 degrees out and that wasn't so good."

Braun, 55, thinks the strong headwinds slowed his time by about 15 minutes. But that's the only thing slowing him down. He doesn't plan to ditch the tuxedo getup any time soon.

"I've been going like this for a long time and everybody looks for me," said Bruan. "I can't stop now, that's the problem. Everyone is looking for me, so I gotta keep doing it."

His only fashion faux pas: We spotted dark sneakers, not dress shoes. Maybe next year.

It's tough to look good after running 26.2 miles, but that was the plan for a trio of locals at the 113th Boston Marathon.

Stacy Murphy of Walpole, Heather McKay of Wrentham, and Kathleen Kearnan of West Roxbury donned matching pink cowboy hats and pink tops for their trek from Hopkinton to Boston.

But the friends wanted to do more than just look good. They wanted to do good.

The trio helped raise money for the House of Possibilities, a respite home for families with children and young adults with special needs.

"We thought we'd look good while we ran," said Murphy as the group joked about each other craving attention on the run (they did take a moment to apply lip gloss before our cameras started rolling, but after a four-hour run, that could be forgiven). Their real goal was raising funds for their charity.

"It's a place where families can bring (special needs children)," said McKay. "They can get a break, a breath of fresh air, and rejuvenate."

“It’s the most humbling experience of my life and I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” the native of Reading, Penn. said. “There’s nothing more satisfying than sucking in the Boston Marathon.

“The crowd is everything. They pull you right in and they made the difference. It was amazing.”

Shaub’s finish time of 3:20 wasn’t far off from her desired time of 3:10, and the enthusiasm in her voice after finishing the 26.2-mile course was evident in any number of other runners.

“This is the greatest marathon in the world, and it’s an honor to be able to run in it,” said Mike Shalhoub, of Santa Barbara, Calif., who said his favorite memory from the day was not necessarily joining the other finishers along Boylston Street.

“I want to say crossing the finish line, but it’s really at the starting line,” he said. “Because it’s a lot of hard work to get there, and it’s just an experience.”

For San Diego’s Erin McManus, the chilly, windy conditions were less of a hindrance for a California runner than the stress fracture that she was dealing with, still managing to finish in 3:21.

“Best marathon by far,” she said. “Little chilly for a San Diego person, but very nice once you get running.”

If you're looking for compelling evidence that Boston Marathon crowds are a well of unequivocal support, it may come in the form of Jerry Knox.

Knox, a Los Angeles native, ran 26.2 miles in a Lakers jersey on the suggestion of his 11-year-old son, Alex. Expecting a negative reaction from the pro-Celtics crowd, Knox said he was surprised instead to receive hearty encouragement from fans along the route.

"I heard a lot of 'Kobe sucks' and 'Go Celtics,' but a lot of people said 'Go Lakers,'" he said. "Some people were saying, 'Go Lakers ... wait what did I just say?'"

When it comes to coming through under pressure, Patrick Harten has had quite the year.

A New York air traffic controller, Harten was the man who famously aided Captain Chesley Sullenberger and US Airways Flight 1549 into the Hudson River earlier this year. Today, Harten finished the Boston Marathon in 2:47, despite a gusty wind that did its best to hold up runners along the course.

“Great day, great race, great crowd,” Harten said.

While submitting his application for this year’s race, Harten requested bib No. 1549, to signify his part in this year’s most compelling story. It was a desire granted to him by race organizers.

“Flight 1549, that whole event was obviously a big part of my life,” he said. “So tying that into running, which is also a big part of my life, was very important to me.”

Check out the video at the top of this post for more from Harten.

A loud batch of cheers went up from the finish line area with no runners in sight a short time ago.

The reason?

A message flashed on the giant TV screen alerting fans that Jason Varitek had hit a solo home run to put the Red Sox on top of the Orioles, 3-0, in the second inning.

Deval Patrick (Globe File)

There's one security checkpoint outside the Copley Fairmont -- the media headquarters for the race -- where a group of workers are checking bags as those with finish line access make their way from behind the Boston Public Library.

One set of well dressed men approached and one raceworker quickly realized who was at the front of the pack and told them they could walk right through. Another raceworker, not seeing the exchange, began to chase after the group hoping to screen their bags.

"You can let him through," the first race worker hollered as the other began to give chase. "That's the governor!"

This being Boston, the last quote sounded more like "guvnah," but it got the point across as Deval Patrick and his entourage continued towards the finish line.

Skies are cloudy and temperatures are cool, which is good for the runners, but there will be a significant headwind. Forecasters say the temperature in Hopkinton will be 43 degrees at the start, with winds of between 10 and 15 miles per hour. The forecast for Boston calls for a temperature of 48-50 degrees, but the wind -- out of the east at 15 to 25 miles per hour -- may be a significant factor.

"As far as any rain is concerned, it will hold off until the end of the day," reported Ch. 7 (WHDH-TV) meteorologist Dylan Dryer this morning.

Be sure to check our stride-by-stride blog to check the leaders' progress on the course throughout the race today. We'll also have plenty of photos and video leading up to and throughout the race.

If someone were to ask me right now, 'How do you feel?', I’d have to simply respond that I’m just plain anxious! By this point, I’ve picked up my number, been through the expo, put in an ungodly amount of time getting ready for Race Day, and am in the final moments of what I like to call my “idle” phase in which I stop running in the days leading up to race day. Therefore, I just want to get to the starting line in Hopkington and start running this race.

Ask anyone who’s run a marathon previously (or even if you’re a first time competitor), the days leading up to race day are filled with emotion. These feelings can range from fear to excitement depending on who you are and the journey you’ve taken to get to this point. Feeling emotional is completely understandable. Just take a moment to think about all that you’ve done to just simply get to this point. It’s been an incredible journey!

The thing about running a marathon is that it’s not something that you can do overnight. The actual race is one thing, but the journey you embark on to get there is another. We all have our own reasons for why we are here and taking on this challenge. As a result of all that we have endured, in these final days, the race itself becomes an event that just seems to loom larger than life itself.

While race day is the pinnacle of the marathon experience, it’s also a day unlike any other. No matter how hard you’ve trained or what you’ve endured to get to Boston, nothing can compare to what you’ll actually experience and how you will feel the moment the gun goes off. While training ensures that we’re all ready for this moment, what happens and how you feel once you are out on the course is a completely different and unique experience.

In the end, if someone were to ask me, why do you keep running marathons and putting yourself through all of this, sure I have a variety of answers and reasons, but it really boils down to the feeling and emotions associated with the race day experience. It’s why I keep coming back and ultimately can explain why I’ve been bitten by the marathon bug.

It all goes back to my very first marathon, Chicago 2000.

I had been an avid runner up to this point, running 6-7 miles daily to keep in shape, but had never run longer distances. However in the summer of 2000 I made my first visit to Chicago in over two years (I grew up there) to see some old friends and had a really good time. As a result, I vowed that I would make an effort to return to Chicago more often so as to ensure I did not lose touch with my roots as well as some of my oldest and dearest friends. Therefore, in order to ensure I stayed true to this vow, I decided that the following October I would run the Chicago Marathon.

Having never run a marathon before, I was a little unsure of how to approach training, and instead of buying a book or joining a team I just decided to construct my own training program. On top of this, I decided that I would not actually register for the race until I knew that it was something I was definitively committed to doing, in that I had hit certain training and distance goals. Fortunately, I stuck to my guns and in early September I signed up and was now fully committed to running my first marathon. (On a side note, this just goes to show how popular marathons have become, seeing that in 2000, you could still register less than a month before the actual race).

Before I knew it, I was in Chicago and I was sitting at dinner with my father having my “last supper” on the eve of race day. I remember him asking me if I felt I was ready, which I certainly felt I was. I also remember him asking me what I had hoped for in terms of a time. I said that I was not really sure, but a few of my friends who had run marathons previously had done so in around four hours, so I thought that if I could match that, I would certainly be happy. He then asked me about the Boston Marathon, and I remember telling him that it would be great to run it one day, but it was a race you had to qualify for and I felt that there was no way I would be able to do that.

Sure I had trained and felt that I had a good shot in completing the race in about four hours, but qualifying for Boston…no way. To be honest, getting a Boston qualifying time was not why I was running the race. I had made a commitment to return back home and I honestly just wanted to prove to myself that I could run a marathon. Being able to run Boston would be great, but I really did not give it much thought as I did not really have plans to run any more marathons beyond this one and the time needed to qualify for Boston just seemed way out of reach.

All of this was based on the fact that that this was my first marathon, and the only experience I was drawing on was training and a few 5K races I’d run in previous years. The one thing I did not count on or understand was the power and energy that comes with race day.

Sunday, October 22nd -- Race Day.

As I got to the start, I decided that I would be a bit ambitious and run with the 7-minute mile pace group. Could I really keep-up this kind of pace throughout the race? To be honest, I was not 100% sure, but based on how I was feeling at the moment it seemed like the right choice. As I looked around at all my fellow runners who were most likely feeling something similar, while it’s hard to explain, I just felt a real sense of energy…and the race had not even begun. Surrounded by all of these fellow athletes just got my adrenaline pumping.

Then the gun went off!

Since I’d positioned myself towards the front of the start, I was able to hit my stride pretty quickly, and I remember hitting my first mile in under 7 minutes…way too fast I thought. Therefore, I decided to try and slow down a bit, but something about the energy of my fellow runners and the people lining the streets just kept me going. As much as I tried to hold myself back, I found myself just pushing harder and feeling great.

Soon at mile 10, I remember someone calling out what approximate place you were in and I remember hearing as I passed by…1,000. Upon hearing this I was in a slight state of disbelief…I was in approximately 1,000th place in a race with over 27,000 runners, in my first marathon. However, I was just feeding off the energy.

I then remember hitting the halfway point in around 1:28:00, and suddenly it hit me, that I was running at a pace that was way, way beyond anything I could have ever imagined. But, I still had 13.1 miles to go and a lot can happen between the halfway point and the finish line. However, it was suddenly at this point that I realized that maybe qualifying for Boston could be a reality, and suddenly I had a new goal in mind.

With thoughts of Boston suddenly filling my mind, I somehow found the strength and will to keep-up my pace. Again, the Race Day energy was all consuming and the thoughts of potentially running Boston began to overtake any feelings of pain and discomfort that come with the final miles of running a marathon. By mile 26, my pace was such that I even briefly flirted with the idea that maybe I’d break three hours, but that was not to be.

As I crossed the finish line, I did so in 3:01:27 and much to my disbelief I found out that I had indeed qualified for Boston!

This to date stands as my second best time on record, but in my annals of marathon running my most important time. The reason being is that it demonstrated to me how powerful the actual Race Day experience really is and how it can bring out the best both physically and mentally within any of us. Race day had brought out something within me that was completely unexpected. Sure it was there, but I guess I did not know how to unleash it. Race day brought it out and as a result it made me realize that things that I did not think were possible were actually achievable.

While it’s been almost 9 years and 15 marathons since that October day (tomorrow will be by 16th marathon, 8th Boston), I have to attribute much of why I continue to run marathons to this particular day and experience. While every race is different, and surely Race day in Boston is unlike any other, it was a true testament to the power of the entire marathon experience, especially race day.

In the end, Race day is where you transform from trainee to marathoner, and in the process of this metamorphosis you undoubtedly learn a lot about yourself and ultimately why running a marathon is really so much more than just a 26.2 mile race.

For the last few weeks, I've lamented that "The Hay Is In The Barn" ­ -- meaning that the hard training was over and it was time to taper. Well, now it is time to feed the horses.

How to best go about that:

1. Relax -- take some deep breaths ­-- and enjoy yourself on Monday. You¹ve done a lot of work to be here. Savor the moment.

2. The race on Monday is not your final exam. It is your graduation celebration.

3. For the first 10K of the race, if you don't feel like you're going too slow, you're going too fast. You need to be running so relaxed and comfortably during this phase of the race that it will feel too slow ­-- especially holding yourself back on the steeper downhill sections. Shorten your stride and save your quads, but it's OK to take slighter, quicker steps to keep your pace.

4. Use all the downhill sections in the first 16 miles to save energy rather than to make up time. It is very easy to run fast here, but don't be tempted to do so. Your quads are working overtime to catch and brake you with each longer stride you take. You'll pay for this over the final five miles ­-- with a very high interest rate.

5. Think of the Marathon as a 17-mile light training run and a 9-mile race. Think of the Firehouse turn at 17-plus miles as your halfway point ­-- at least from an energy standpoint. You want to still feel comfortable and in control here.

6. "The Newton Flats." Think of this section, from miles 16 to 21, as the 'Flats' rather than the 'Hills.' Only about 1.75 miles of this 5-mile section are significantly uphill. Just get over the hills with minimal effort and damage to your body. Then, on the longer flat sections, get into a good rhythm and pace where you're starting to make up some of the time you may have given the course over the crowded first few miles and on the uphill sections of ''The Newton Flats.''

7. From Boston College -- a.k.a. the top of Heartbreak Hill -- you have five miles of primarily downhill running to do. Who can not enjoy running five miles ­-- downhill -- ­with a million screaming fans cheering you on?

8. Even before you finish the final five miles, you get to high-five the cheering section at Mile 25. From here on in, you'll barely feel your feet touching the ground.

9. Finally, remember to smile big for the cameras as you cross the finish line with your arms held high!