Remembering Boston

The Boston Marathon is this weekend, and I want to wish all of my friends running it well.  Good luck and have fun!

Last year at this time, my Hubby and I were in Boston so that he could run his first Boston Marathon.  My role during the trip was that of chief cheerleader and run supporter.

After the expo.  Even I came away loaded
down with stuff, including new shoes!
The Boston Marathon expo rocks, by the way.

At the finish before the big day.

Mile 22 - the only spot I saw Hubby on the course.  He's there somewhere.  Trust me. 

With his medal.  Finished!

With all the focus on the marathon, that is not to say I didn't get a chance to do some running as well.  I had a couple of my favorite running experiences to date while in Boston.  First, on Saturday of marathon weekend, we did a five-mile jaunt with Christopher McDougall (of Born to Run fame) and ultra runner Scott Jurek, as well as some other notables.  The CEO of Vibram was there and Michael Sandler of www.runbare.com, to name a few.  No doubt there were others.  The run was to promote barefoot and minimal running, and there were a lot of folks in Vibrams or even sans shoes.  Hubby and I had dabbled a bit with minimal running, but at that point didn't trust ourselves to go unshod, so we wore our shoes.  However, we were welcome, too, and it ended up being a great run along the river and a good time.

Hubby and I with Christopher McDougall

Hubby with Scott Jurek

Monday, while Hubby got on the bus to Hopkinton, I laced up my shoes yet again and took off on a five mile run or so following the Freedom Trail, which takes you past Boston Common, Paul Revere's house all the way to Bunker Hill and back.  I took some pictures along the way and really enjoyed my time as a running tourist.

The Freedom Trail

USS Constitution

Bunker Hill Memorial

The obligatory self-portrait

Someday I may make it to Boston as a marathon participant, or I may not.  I know that for now I am nowhere near the qualifying times for the run, and it's hard to say that I will ever improve enough to go.  My friend Ann ran the race in 2010, and yesterday as we were running she mentioned maybe wanting to get back when she turned 50.  That's only eight years away - for both of us.  So, I jokingly (seriously) said that if she took me under her wing now and trained me up, I would go too.  She jokingly (seriously) said sure.  So, I am now officially on the 8-Year Plan to Boston.  Ha-ha!  I don't know if I can make it, but I have eight years to shape up and try.

Happy Running!