PRINT ADS

High school Spanish teacher Heidi Lyga loves to run and, along with 25,283 other runners on April 21, she participated in perhaps the most prestigious run in the world.

Competing in the 40- to 49-year-old age group, Lyga finished the Boston Marathon in three hours, 58 minutes and 49 seconds.

It was an unforgettable experience, and although it was a beautiful, sunny day in Boston, the course itself was quite a challenge.

“If I’d have known how hilly it was, I’d have gotten off my stinking treadmill more when I was training,” Lyga said.

“When I got to mile 22, I kind of hit the wall. My legs weren’t cooperating — they felt totally detached from my body. But (the) next day I felt so much better.”

Lyga traveled to Boston with her mother and the atmosphere on race day was something she will never forget.

“We had to be there two hours prior to the start and it was great to be sitting there talking to entrants from all over the U.S. and the world,” Lyga said. “Many were running for different causes. It was non-stop energy.

“On the course, it seemed like the whole state was spectating. People were cooking out, playing music and drums — it was so cool.”

It was Lyga’s first Boston Marathon and her third marathon overall. Training for it during a Wisconsin winter was particularly difficult this year.

“I tried to integrate long runs midweek and on weekends,” she said. “I did quite a bit of cross training: yoga, pilates and weightlifting — I think it helped because I feel pretty good right now.”

After Lyga’s rubbery legs carried her across the finish line, things got much better.

“Everyone was so kind and helpful,” she said. “I felt like a celebrity. People were taking my bags, congratulating me and getting me tram tickets. People respect and honor you for running. Even though my time was off, I wouldn’t have traded it for anything.”

Lyga said she might one day run the Boston Marathon again, although she doesn’t want to overexert herself.

“I still really love training, but I want to be running when I’m 80, so I try not to overtrain,” she said. “You just never know — I think maybe someday I’d like to do it again.”