BQ Foto Friday

I love this picture. It was taken at the finish line of the Chicago Marathon the first time Hubby qualified for Boston (maybe 2001?). He ran something like 20 marathons before he hit his qualifying time, so it was an awesome moment. Next week, he is hopefully going to qualify for next year's Boston at the Sunburst Marathon. (He missed re-qualifying in Boston last month by four minutes). Please send fast running vibes, as I'm not quite sure what I'll do with him if he misses by four minutes again.




And this....THIS....is the cutest Halloween costume EVER! (the wee one is pretty darn cute, too)

Running update: The 17.6 last weekend sucked. My knees have been killing me and it's so disappointing to actually be in shape cardiovascular-wise, but have so many aches and pains that it isn't even fun. I've been doing yoga, massage therapy, icing and anything else I can think of this week. Two slow runs this week showed definite improvement with the knee pain, so I'm hopeful I can get through the 21-miler scheduled for tomorrow. Then it's TAPER TIME!

Happy Weekend!

Love those Dirty Waters

How I love Boston! I love the food. I love the places to go and the things to do. I love the food. I love the T. I love the people watching. I love the food. I love how everyone says "Bahstin" and "wicked good" and that they sing Sweet Caroline at Fenway. But most of all, I love the food. No, just kidding....most of all, I love the Boston Marathon.

I'm sure it's easier for me to say I love the marathon because I've never had (and never will have) the opportunity to torture myself on hill after hill from Hopkinton to Boylston Street, but being in Boston during marathon weekend is amazing. That city absolutely comes alive for this race. The atmosphere of the city is incredible, and the support of the marathon runners is unlike anywhere else we've ever been. This is the seventh time Hubby has run Boston, and every year I feel the same way. It's incredible.

Friday we flew out on such an early flight it shouldn't have been legal, so we were in Boston early enough for breakfast. We went to one of our favorite breakfast spots on Newbury, traipsed along checking out Niketown, people, and the flagship Life Is Good store until we had wasted enough time to go to the Expo. I always enjoy the Expo...but this year I got to pick up a packet and a race shirt, too! (Any race that lets you try on your shirt to be sure it fits = awesome. I have more race shirts that don't fit than Carter has liver pills....whoever Carter is...)

The Expo was fun and great. We saw Bart Yasso and Frank Shorter and met Kathrine Switzer who was putting the hard sell on us to buy her book, but my favorite part of Friday came later as we were walking back to our hotel and we ran into her on Boylston Street:

Kara Goucher is a class act. She was so nice, down-to-earth and personable. She even asked Hubby if he had any course tips for her since he'd run it before!

Sunday was the 5K and just like you could expect from a BAA race, it was the best race I've ever run. It was a bit too crowded to run very fast at the start, but other than that it was fantastic. Running through the streets of Boston and finishing on Boylston at the marathon finish line was just damn cool! All the finishers got medals, they announced names at the finish line, and the snacks were great. Oh yeah, and I got that PR. 27:55, a flat 9-minute mile pace. Yippee! :)

Monday was a blast. I walked Hubby to the Common and waited with him until he boarded the bus for Hopkinton. About 10am my cousin (who lives in Cambridge) met me and we took the T to the 16.8 mile mark in time to see the elites racing. Amazing! After they ran by, we passed the time cheering and clapping and anxiously awaiting Hubby. All of a sudden he was there! He looked great and threw us his gloves and some kisses. I tried to get a picture of him, but I was too excited....so here's my cousin while we were waiting for him. Isn't she adorable!? We had so much fun.

As soon as he passed us at that stop, we took off to the T and made it to Cleveland Circle (about 21.5 mile mark) with about ten minutes to spare. He still looked great, even though he had just come off of Heartbreak Hill. After he passed, we ran back to the T and were lucky enough to have a train waiting, so we made it to Commonwealth Ave just in time to watch him turn on Hereford. His gait had changed considerably and he looked exhausted, but he was still smiling and blowing kisses. He's the one in green (with his head blocked by the tree branch!):

Afterwards, we met in the Public Garden. I think he looks tired, but happy!


Of course as the evening passed, he couldn 't help but dwell just a tiny bit on having missed re-qualifying by 4:02. He has already started checking out fall marathon options to remedy that.

Has anyone ever run Philadelphia or Richmond? Sounds like we get to go on another trip....

Monday

Today I went to viewing #3. The son of the deceased is the tummy toucher, and when I spoke to him he never made eye contact with me....because he kept looking at what appeared to be my chest region. I thought he was looking at the ugly red chafe mark I got from my running bra during my 15-miler, but Assistant says not so much. What the heck is that?!? Besides creepy, weird, and inappropriate?? People are so weird.

Anyway! I'm glad the viewings and general sadness are over. I'm looking forward to a much better week....which includes leaving for Boston on Friday. YAY! Hubby ran his last long one on Saturday, so besides his normal Boston Marathon jitters that he gets this time every year, he's ready. (Speaking of Hubby....I got mail today in his name but with my office address. How bizarre.) The weather for marathon day is supposed to be decent, but it looks like rain the day of the 5K. Oh well, I don't care if it's pouring. I'm running a 5K PR across the Boston Marathon finish line! (I'm hearing Big & Rich saying "can I get an Amen-ah")

Some Resident Nuggets:
*Gladys had a birthday. When I told her happy birthday she said she couldn't believe she was 92 and I couldn't believe she remembered she was 92! She looks incredible for her age and I told her so. She said she figures she looks young because she always stayed active. "What did you do?" I asked, thinking how cool it would be to find out she had been a runner. With that ever-present twinkle in her eye and an even voice, Gladys replied "Oh, the normal. You know, beating the tar out of boys."

*WorkerBee made Pearl's bed for her and found a hammer under the pillow. (now I'm hearing the Beatles ... "Bang, Bang, Pearl's silver hammer came down upon her head....")

*Apparently Mr.-Reminds-Me-of-a-Tim-Conway-Character, who moved in last Friday, was finding it difficult to access his mail box. All I overheard was "how in the hell does this son-of-a-bitchin' thing work?"

Nothing makes me laugh like a 90-year old with a potty mouth.

Boston Excitement

The BAA is hosting its first-ever Boston Marathon Weekend 5K....and I'M IN!!!!!! So, why is this exciting? Let me count the ways....

1) How about because it finishes on Boylston at the marathon finish line?? HOW COOL IS THAT? Ok, so not as cool as crossing that same finish line after 26.2, but for a runner like me, this is the only way I could ever run across the Boston Marathon finish line at all.

2) Part of the 5K course runs the same course as the women's olympic marathon trials last year, which Hubby and I were so lucky to get to watch on the Sunday before the '08 marathon. I think there is something reverent about running the same streets as Joan Benoit Samuelson, not to mention the best women marathoners in our country.

3) I'm running a race. In Boston. The day before the oldest marathon in history.

4) I should run a PR. This is simply because I have only ever run one other timed 5K, and I'm thinking the excitement of running on Commonwealth, turning onto Hereford to finish on Boylston Street is pretty much going to carry me faster than a stinkin' 29 minutes, which is the time of my only other 5K.

5) I will actually be running a race all by myself with Hubby as my fan! This NEVER happens. Because we both run, we're usually both, well running. He's running the marathon on Monday, so had no interest in the Sunday 5K. (Pussy.)

6) Have I mentioned finishing on Boylston Street? At the marathon finish??? As if that isn't enough awesomeness, the finish is only a handful of blocks away from my most favorite breakfast spot ever. There will be a plate of lemon ricotta stuffed challah bread french toast with my name on it. And don't even think about forgetting the blueberry coulis topping. (and for once, I'll have actually burned a few calories before consuming a bajillion)

I am totally thrilled to be a participant in the Inaugaral BAA 5k, and have already started to interject things like "I sure hope I'm ready for Boston in April" into my daily conversations. You know, just to sound cool.