Well, you've all read about the problems people had at Boston this year -
primarily, the surprise heat (even *I* was warm) at the start and the wind
for those of us running sweep at the end. :-) I was delighted to set a
new PW for road marathons at 5:10 chip time (something like 5:28 clock
time). I blame it on the noon start and running out of fuel in the high
teens - somewhat like Richard Ferguson, I think, but his shuffle pace is
quite a bit faster than mine. I was hypoglycemic afterward and had to get
quite a bit of fruit juice down me in order to stand up for more than, say,
90 seconds at a time, but what the heck. All that stuff passes and you
still have the medal.
So, that's enough of the negative. Here are some positives from my second
Boston Marathon:
1. The @%#-&$@* #@#$!%#% red rental car. I warned A, I swear I did...
2. Getting EVERYTHING I wanted in all the right sizes at the expo. I was
even about to slam the Adidas people for not updating the Supernova Classic
colors in darn near a century, when lo and behold - there they were, on
display. Of course, I had to buy a pair. Bummer.
3. Phil Graceffa in cahoots with Les, director of the Lake Tahoe Marathon,
talking me into the triple for 2004. Hey Mathineer - you're going too. I
told them you'd do just about anything for a hot dog and a beer.
4. Tony Bell keeping me company on the Sunday run, and being just fast
enough to catch Connie's full tour. Plus the authentic dead runner photo
amongst the grave stones on an Easter morning.
5. Spending a pleasant Sunday afternoon at Joan and Conrad's house in
Somerville... Jenn Gannon was kind enough to pick me up at the cemetary and
didn't even complain at my attempt at navigating around Boston.
6. The 9 AM chauffeured drive to the start... I didn't even have to get up
until after our bus left the Common. :-))))
7. Walking across Boston Common after the race, wearing my mylar blanket
like a Superman-cape and the medal over that, looking like some silver
alien - and being congratulated by most people that passed by.
8. The post-race dinner at PF Chang's with A, Jenn, and Doug Dodds. I'm
sure the waiter was as surprised as we were that we ate just about
everything we ordered. Ian - we called each other at the table with our
cell phones, in your honor.
9. A driving everywhere so I wouldn't have to. (Huge sigh of relief.)
I'm sure I missed a bunch of stuff, but that's what immediately comes to
mind after a hideously bad first day back at work. (What can go wrong,
will, especially when one is out of the office trying to have a good time.)
A couple of observations for next time:
1. NO RED RENTAL CARS.
2. Don't ask Finagle a Bagel to create anything with peanut butter and/or
jelly.
3. Trust no one's driving directions - especially when they include the
words "at the split" several times.
4. Maybe do a couple more long runs. Starting at noon. After sitting around
all morning. :-)
I do regret not checking the Hash House Harriers for a weekend run in
Boston - it turns out they started ~2:30pm on Saturday right near my hotel.
I was wondering who those idiots were, wearing silly white sailor hats and
yelling ARG! in the middle of Faneuil Hall...
--Tracey, back in St. Louis, MO, where work s*cks, my neck is sunburned,
and my quads are trashed.