Sudbury Native Rediscovers Joy in Running

Sarah Romain admits she is feeling the nerves.

The Sudbury native is still somewhat of a newcomer to marathon running, having first competed in one in New York in 2009. And without a coach to help in her training, there's a bit of doubt on whether she can hit her goal next week in the historic 116th running of the Boston Marathon.

"I can only reflect on the training I've done," says Romain, who hopes to break the 3-hour barrier. "I don’t feel I have a good caliber on how I’m going to do. I wish I had a coach. I'm little nervous without having that expertise. I'm confident, though, and excited to run."

During her time as a student-athlete at , Romain competed in track, running the 2-mile for the Warriors.

Injuries prevented her from continuing life as a competitive athlete while studying at Brandeis University.

But after graduating from Brandeis in 2006, Romain rediscovered her love of running in 2007 after competing in her first 10K.

Now, the 28-year-old Easthampton resident is training for more grueling events, which includes the Boston Marathon. Romain admits the thought of running marathons wasn't on her original agenda when she decided to take it up again.

"I run for personal enjoyment," says Romain, who first qualified for Boston after running the New York Marathon. "I qualified for Boston in 2010, but I got bronchitis and couldn't run."

But that didn't stop her. She laced up her running shoes again in 2011 and posted a 3:07 in her first Boston race.

"I had a great time," she says. "I want to better that time this year, see what adjustments I can make in my training to have a really strong marathon."

In her first marathon in 2009, Romain says her effort was "relatively consistent," but that she started to break down toward the end and finished in 3:19.

She hopes her experience will help her as she puts in her final preparations leading up to Monday.

"I'm going to take it easy, get a massage (today)," she says. "I'm going to have some nice fun runs. My boyfriend (Jackson Weber) is a cyclist and I'm going to go to a race. It's kind of inspiring to see other athletes in their element, working really hard. It will be motivational to support him."

Romain says one of the keys to the race this year will be at mile 17, the start of Heartbreak Hill in Newton. That's where her parents plan to be to give her a boost during the marathon's toughest stretch.

"Seeing them will definitely give me a needed boast," she says. "It's always good to have someone to look forward to. When I'm running I’m pretty much in my zone, and seeing other people can be a bit of distraction. But it's nice to look forward to seeing someone high-5 you as you keep going."