delicate flower
You spent $$$ at the Expo, but as a triathlete, this is just business as usual
God, ain't that the truth.
<3
Woot woot! Nicely executed, Baboon! The photos are awesome; I actually think it's great that your face shows the pain you were in...it'll help commemorate the day for you, when you think back to this epically hot race in 2019, and say, "remember when....". It'll be a fun thing to compare future Bostons to.
Great RR! Good job getting a BQ at Boston! You’ve had a really good training cycle with lots of wins. I can’t wait to see what you accomplish next!
Well you’re right, you didn’t have to write this because your day almost exactly mirrored mine. But even though your depiction of the late miles gave me PTSD, I’m glad you did, because I’ve looking forward to you running this thing almost as much as I’ve looked forward to me running it. My biggest regret from that race was not having the opportunity to run the time I felt I had in me; my second biggest regret was you not running the time you had in you. Because your training was a monster. But on this day, a 3:15 was a grand slam home run. Great performance, and way to tough it out all the way to the finish. A truly memorable day. Oh and my other regret was that we were not able to meet up. If there’s a next time, maybe I hitch a ride on your bus.
Dave
Great race report!
Interesting that you made two trips. Sounds like it worked out well. I bet the expo wasn't as busy on Friday so it would have been a quick trip. And cool that your running club offered a bus and it was only 3/4 full! Maybe I'll look into a charter bus next Boston...
I would have guessed Newton would have felt easy for you. With all that cycling you do, I would think your quads wouldn't have minded. Makes me feel better.
So, what did you think about the crowd support? Did you have a favorite part of the course?
My blog is JT Running DC. It's awesome. Guide to Washington DC Area Running Routes. Guide to the New York City Marathon. Guide to the Boston Marathon. Guide to Running Gear. Guide to Running Clothes.
Great race report! Interesting that you made two trips. Sounds like it worked out well. I bet the expo wasn't as busy on Friday so it would have been a quick trip. And cool that your running club offered a bus and it was only 3/4 full! Maybe I'll look into a charter bus next Boston... I would have guessed Newton would have felt easy for you. With all that cycling you do, I would think your quads wouldn't have minded. Makes me feel better. So, what did you think about the crowd support? Did you have a favorite part of the course?
The expo was not bad at all Friday, and there were no lines for anything when I left at 2:00. I may actually arrive at that time if I run next year. The worst part of that day was driving home because rush hour traffic on the Mass Pike is soul crushing. The two trips was worth it though to sleep in my own bed and save $1200 on a hotel.
I usually do just fine with hills but I think the heat killed me in Newton. I had no chance to acclimate. And honestly that five miles was my favorite part of the course, personal pain aside. I loved the energy and crowds for those five miles. As far as the crowd support goes, I know you said the crowds seemed smaller and more subdued this year, but being my first Boston I had no basis for comparison and I thought it was tremendous. I've never done a race like it. Even the first couple of miles when you said crowds were thin, that is more people than I have ever seen at a race. It really is almost 26.2 continuous miles of two and three deep spectators lining the course. Really impressive, although at times I felt like I was being yelled at and not cheered for.
The expo was not bad at all Friday, and there were no lines for anything when I left at 2:00. I may actually arrive at that time if I run next year. The worst part of that day was driving home because rush hour traffic on the Mass Pike is soul crushing. The two trips was worth it though to sleep in my own bed and save $1200 on a hotel. I usually do just fine with hills but I think the heat killed me in Newton. I had no chance to acclimate. And honestly that five miles was my favorite part of the course, personal pain aside. I loved the energy and crowds for those five miles. As far as the crowd support goes, I know you said the crowds seemed smaller and more subdued this year, but being my first Boston I had no basis for comparison and I thought it was tremendous. I've never done a race like it. Even the first couple of miles when you said crowds were thin, that is more people than I have ever seen at a race. It really is almost 26.2 continuous miles of two and three deep spectators lining the course. Really impressive, although at times I felt like I was being yelled at and not cheered for.
Hahaha! Newton is your favorite part of the course. That's great. But, you're right - the crowds there are amazing.
Just to clarify - I felt like the crowds were subdued at places that I expected them to be louder. But, maybe my mind is playing tricks on me. For example, I feel like I usually hear the Wellesley girls far, far away and I didn't this year. Similarly, the Boston College kids seemed... sober. LOL!
But then again, I feel like some areas were more raucous than I remember. The smaller towns like Ashland in the early miles, for example.
And, yeah, I almost only run "event" races so my perceptions are skewed.