Been There, Run That – TJ Takes on Boston… Again!

By TJ Sherwin

If you want to run the Boston Marathon, you have to want it bad enough! That’s exactly how Joe Aliberti of Voorheesville and I were able to complete the Boston Marathon this year; we REALLY wanted it. Lining up at that starting line, seeing all the greatest runners in the world, and making that last turn on to Boylston hearing the crowds screaming gives you the magical energy to finish and finish strong.

As a legally deaf and vision impaired runner, I have the opportunity to meet and run with some amazing people, including my support runners. Joe wasn’t one of my support runners this year. After doing the second half with me last year, he decided to qualify, and run the Boston Marathon on his own this year – and finished with a great time.

Last year, I attempted and finished my first Boston: adksports.com/2022-05-running. Since I didn’t properly train for the Boston Marathon last year, I got stuck, though I was proud to still finish. I have had the opportunity the past year to learn from my mistakes and improve. I took notes and trained, fueled, and prepared better this year. Although I still made some mistakes, I am excited and motivated to continue to learn, grow, and better myself for my next marathon, because there will definitely be a next one!

Preparing for and running a marathon takes perseverance and discipline. It takes a positive attitude, grit, determination, and a unique perspective on life. 

I went hiking recently and along the way I came across three different people. The first said there was ice and to be careful. The next said the marking sign was fake news and the hike is longer than you think. The last person said going up the stairs is harder than going down. Hearing all three perspectives, I had a choice. I could have listened to their warnings, turned around and went home and maybe looked at some pictures online, or I could have kept going. I told myself turning around was not an option. I came to find a waterfall and I didn’t want to stop until I reached my goal. I wanted to really feel and experience that waterfall up close, not through the eyes of a stranger. 

That is just like running the Boston Marathon. The first year I ran, people told me it was hard. Although I understood that this wasn’t meant to be an easy journey, I wanted to experience it for myself. Running is hard; it’s lot of work to train for any big event. I remember when running 200 meters 20 years ago felt impossible, but I kept trying. I got better and I kept going farther, and now I can run 26.2 miles. 

Life is all about timing. You have to be in the right place at the right time. I wasn’t ready to run Boston 10 years ago, nor did I have the strong support system to help me that I am so thankful to have now. Al Bills ran the first half with me this year and Mike Langevin of Colonie ran the second. They both did a fantastic job out there helping; showing me where water stops and bathrooms were during the race, and slowing me down if I was running too fast. I felt so solid and strong this year that I still don’t know where Heartbreak Hill was; it all looked pretty flat to me. 

Running the Boston Marathon isn’t just about race day. It’s the whole journey: all the runs I did with my training group and the laughs, sweat, and tears we experienced together. We all had fun and that’s what is most important in my opinion. Every step of the journey is what makes it so great. Just getting out there every day doing what we love to do: run, and all the friendships we make along the way.

TJ Sherwin (Athlete Profile, July 2017) is an independent homeowner who lives in Colonie. To get to work at FedEx, he takes Star, a special program run by the CDTA for people with disabilities.