Boston Marathon 2012 (Read 2370 times)

jpdeaux


    For a local, these are great observations to read. Random things you take for granted and never even think about.

    Yes, Wellesley is loud. I expected that, too. But damn. Boston College is LOUD! They did not rest. And since it was coming from both sides of the road, there was no respite. No place to hide. It was awesome.

    xor


      For a local, these are great observations to read. Random things you take for granted and never even think about.

      Yes, Wellesley is loud. I expected that, too. But damn. Boston College is LOUD! They did not rest. And since it was coming from both sides of the road, there was no respite. No place to hide. It was awesome.

       

      I was going to add BC to my list and then suddenly had a confidence crisis regarding whether it was BC or a different school.

       

      10.  The BC kids toward the end were the best.  More than anywhere else, this group cheered for folks by name (if you had it written on you).  McLovin was a hit.  I had heard about Wellesley Wellesley Wellesley, but no one really warned me about BC until bhearn mentioned it before the race.  Yup.

       

      BeeRunB


        STUFF THAT WAS UNEXPECTED TO THIS NEWBIE

         

        1. If you are from the area or have run Boston or did a lot more homework than me, this is a "duh", but for some of the rest of us... Boston isn't a city race (with big looming buildings) until the last few miles.  Most of it is kind of rural, kind of suburby. I did not appreciate how much until I was there.

         

        2.  Similarly, I have often heard sections of the course referred to by town name.  I did not realize how ingrained this would actually be in the race experience.  The mile signs had the town on top.  Cool.  And now I know how to pronounce Natick.

         

        3. The bus ride seemed a lot longer than I was expecting, and I've ridden lots of pre-race shuttles.

         

        4. You have to walk a really long way to the start from the staging area.  When they call your wave, get your ass up and moving.

         

        5.  There are a ton of portapotties in the staging area.  And a ton of portapotties at the drop bag buses.  And then, what they don't tell you about, there's a whole village of portapotties in a parking lot out by the corrals.  I waited in line at the bus potties thinking it was my last chance. Apparently all the other newbies had the same notion.  Didn't need to do that.

         

        6. I knew the Wellesley gals would be loud.  I didn't know I'd hear them a mile away.  And that was a day with a slight tailwind.  I'm guessing in a headwind year (which means the weather is probably nastier), you can hear them even farther out.

         

        6a. I didn't participate in the kissing, but I wasn't expecting the signs.  All the gals had signs.  "Kiss me, I'm (fill-in)".  I took the time to read the signs. Some were funnier than others.  And some worked.  Hey! Texas gal!  Hey!  I'm from Seattle too!  Aloha Hawai'i!  Happy graduation, senior!  etc etc etc.

         

        7. I didn't think the famous hills of Newton were all that.  I know, I know, shoot me.  Maybe I'll have to run them when I'm not all a-skeered of the people weaving and staggering. I was expecting Pikes Peak or something with fire at the top (that wasn't the sun itself).  They were just a series of, to this person from the land of hills, gentle hills.

         

         

        Great post!!!Cool

         

        I kissed me a Wellesley girl back in 2006. She invited me...what was I to do? I was running  in between the waves, and there were very few of us, so it was quite easy to do. It is amazing how you can hear them. The tradition of it is so cool.

         

        I don't remember the hills being too tough either. One was kind of long, but that's not uncommon in a marathon. I had no clue which one was Heartbreak hill. I imagine if you start the race too fast (which is easy to do at Boston), then the hills might seem a bit tough.

         

        I remember all the portapotties near the corrals---I came away from that race thinking it was a marvel of organization. In my experience, the only one to come close has been the Peachtree Road Race 10k in Atlanta (50,000+ 10k-ers). 

         

        Way to finish! Tough day.

         

        --Jimmy

        BeeRunB


          For a local, these are great observations to read. Random things you take for granted and never even think about.

          Yes, Wellesley is loud. I expected that, too. But damn. Boston College is LOUD! They did not rest. And since it was coming from both sides of the road, there was no respite. No place to hide. It was awesome.

           

           

          When I ran in 2006, I high--fived a drunk frat boy at BC, and almost lost my arm. I can still feel the impact....

          Shocked

           

          --Jimmy


          Queen of 3rd Place

            Agreed that the BC kids were the best. Seemed like they were there for a mile of the course. You couldn't possibly walk with them screaming like that! And coming into town, the crowds seemed to just get thicker and louder.

             

            The other thing is the whole town in general, everywhere you went, ads referring to the race, people asking if you were running. Even getting out of town a little for dinner, fellow diners chatting about how much they look forward to "marathon Monday". The vibe from other runners - it was special.

             

            I rode on the bus with a charity runner, it was great chatting with her. ALL of the marathons she runs are charity runs, and she said she typically raises $4 - $6000 every time. Made me feel a little sheepish that all I had to do was selfishly train and then run hard on one lousy day.

            Ex runner

            xhristopher


              I rode on the bus with a charity runner, it was great chatting with her. ALL of the marathons she runs are charity runs, and she said she typically raises $4 - $6000 every time. Made me feel a little sheepish that all I had to do was selfishly train and then run hard on one lousy day.

               

              Why can't you be both? There are plenty of charity runners up front. I know one who ran 3:03 last year.


              Feeling the growl again

                 no one really warned me about BC

                 

                Most are too delirious by that point in the race to know what is going on.  Wink

                "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

                 

                I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

                 


                Feeling the growl again

                  Why can't you be both? There are plenty of charity runners up front. I know one who ran 3:03 last year.

                   

                  I ran ~2:36-2:37 one year in Chicago as part of a charity run.  We got together a group from our business school and challenged another business school to do the same, whichever team had the lowest cumulative time for their top 5 runners got to pick which charity we gave the money to.  I think we ended up raising ~20K for a child-related Hurricane Katrina cause.

                  "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

                   

                  I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

                   

                  Jeff F


                  Free Beer

                    I was going to add BC to my list and then suddenly had a confidence crisis regarding whether it was BC or a different school.

                     

                    10.  The BC kids toward the end were the best.  More than anywhere else, this group cheered for folks by name (if you had it written on you).  McLovin was a hit.  I had heard about Wellesley Wellesley Wellesley, but no one really warned me about BC until bhearn mentioned it before the race.  Yup.

                     

                     

                    I agree.  I ran Boston in 2010 and 2011, and both times I would say BC rivaled Wellesley in enthusiasm.

                     

                    I also agree with your comment about the hills.  The first year when I reached the top of Heartbreak I had to ask some spectators "Was that it?"  I envisioned them being bigger.  Don't get me wrong when I ran for time in 2011 they got my attention, but manageable.

                      Congrats to all, for H'ing TFU. Smile


                      Queen of 3rd Place

                         True dat.

                         

                        Why can't you be both? There are plenty of charity runners up front. I know one who ran 3:03 last year.

                        Ex runner

                        xhristopher


                          More observations... Saw lots of popsicles beong offered to runners and ran along side pink tutu guy for a stretch. Boy, he seemed happy. I wonder if they sell shoes that color or if he does it himself. What I need more than ever right now is to recover, run another race, and forget Boston.
                          Julia1971


                            The other thing is the whole town in general, everywhere you went, ads referring to the race, people asking if you were running. Even getting out of town a little for dinner, fellow diners chatting about how much they look forward to "marathon Monday". The vibe from other runners - it was special.

                             

                             

                            Yeah, this was pretty cool.  I got about a block post-race before someone wished me congratulations.  I was startled the first time but by the end of the night, I was enjoying my rock star status.  The marathoner wants sushi; we're having sushi.  The marathoner wants someone to do her taxes.  (Okay, I didn't try that one but I should have).


                            Kalsarikännit

                              I ran along side pink tutu guy for a stretch. Boy, he seemed happy. 

                               

                              The guy runs Badwater.  It has 12,220 feet more of elevation gain, it's 108.8 miles longer, and it gets 45 degrees hotter than this year's Boston.

                               

                              I'd be happy not to be in Death Valley in July, too.

                              I want to do it because I want to do it.  -Amelia Earhart

                               

                              xor


                                More observations... Saw lots of popsicles beong offered to runners and ran along side pink tutu guy for a stretch. Boy, he seemed happy. I wonder if they sell shoes that color or if he does it himself. What I need more than ever right now is to recover, run another race, and forget Boston.

                                 

                                He does it himself.  I asked him about that while running with him in the Seattle Marathon a couple years back.  I expected some special process to turn them pink.

                                 

                                Nah.

                                 

                                "spray paint".

                                 

                                Ok then.

                                 

                                Also, emphasis on runs (plural) Badwater.  He has become a regular there.