Get ready for a photo dump!! I just realized that I haven’t told you about my Boston trip! I think April is the busiest month in the year for me. Mostly because of our annual trip to Boston. This was Alan’s 7th consecutive year running the marathon. We had a great flight to Boston on JetBlue. This was our first time flying with them and I give them a solid thumbs up!! It was fun to see a lot of celebration jackets on the flight. I was surprised how many people were wearing their 2017 celebration jacket before the race! GASP! Don’t they know that will jinx them??
We checked into the hotel, which was fancy…
And then went to the race expo. I couldn’t believe it – it was freaking packed!! We had to wait in huge lines, but luckily they went fast.
After-race party tents, and race expos – the only time it’s OK to drink beer before 11am. Oh, and on vacation 🙂 Cheers to you too Sam!
We took lots of pictures with my selfie stick.
We stalked the group over at the Runner’s World pop-up store. Look, it’s Katherine Switzer with the 261 shirt on!
And Shalane Flanagan!
Time to head down to the finish line for some pictures! yep, also crazy busy.
Had lunch in Chinatown.
We scored big at the expo. Happy to get something from our favorite booth… Minute Rice! I loved all of the Kind bars we scored and Alan loved the beef jerky.
The next morning we went for a run on the Esplanade along the Charles River. We saw this lady from behind and thought it was Shalane again! Not sure if she is out running, or still waiting from her injury, or what. If you know, tell me!
Another fun part of our trip was going on a Duck Boat Tour. Around the town, and into the water. They let all of the kids drive the boat in the Charles river.
And we didn’t crash!! 🙂
We went to the BAA pre-race pasta dinner on Sunday night. If you get the chance, go to the dinner! It’s not a fancy affair, but it’s got some delicious food. We ran into friends and heck, it’s free for the runners and kids!
Cheers to the runners!! Sam Adams Boston 26.2 Brew. It’s really good!! It’s a special brew for the race with lower alcohol and a bit of salt in it. The best part? All profits generated from the sales of Boston 26.2 Brew along the Boston Marathon route are being donated to the Greg Hill Foundation, which supports survivors and their families who were impacted by the 2013 Boston Marathon.
After all of the walking around the town, it was fabulous just to kick back in our huge king size bed and watch TV. The Godfrey hotel is a winner if you’re looking for something plush right next to Boston Common.
On Monday, Patriot’s Day, I went along with Alan down to Boston Common in the bus loading area for the marathon. It was a sea of people, excitement and buses!
After the race sendoff, I went for a run in Beacon Hill. That’s a very beautiful and historical district of the town. And hilly. Very hilly! If I needed a “city house”, that’s where I’d live. I’m sure I can afford it. NBD.
After hanging out downtown for a little bit, the kids and I hopped on the T and went to Boston College, AKA mile 21, top of Heartbreak Hill. It’s a very busy section of the race and you get to see a lot of good stuff there. Like runners who are exhausted! Fact: I cried at the top of Heartbreak Hill when I ran Boston. Because I still had an hour left to run!! Here are the men’s elite runners coming through. Galen Rupp ended up in 2nd place that day. Can imagine being tracked with a camera for the whole race?? Talk about pressure!
As we waited, and waited, and waited for Alan to get there, he finally arrived looking like this. yep, swigging down a beer. His race was going on track (on track for a warm day, not a PR time) until around mile 10 when his hip really hurt. After that point, it was a run / walk kinda thing to the end. And a drink a beer kinda thing. He finished in a faster time than when I ran Boston – 3:54! Boston #7 is now in the books. Poor guy. He was in a lot of pain at the end. He’s still in recovery mode.
The next day I got to run one more time in Beacon Hill. And then we went for a family explore.
I was really intrigued by these short little doors the houses had. I guess they are for deliveries to the basement?? That, or everyone was really short back when the houses were built!
There was a really cool playground down by the Esplanade. And then it was time to fly back home!
I hope you have enjoyed my recap of the Boston Marathon! It was another fun trip, other than Alan’s bum hip issue 🙁 🙁 But, with much needed rest and recovery, he will be back at!
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Q: What do you think about wearing race shirts/jackets before the race? Bad luck??
Q: Have you ever taken a Duck Boat tour?
Q: Have you ever been to Chinatown?
This weeks Runners World pod cast had Shalane on and she was just released to run. So it might have been her.
Took a duck boat tour in 2014, it was purple, don’t remember its name! Very cool!
I should have listened to that this morning! Instead I listened one all about the science about the “moonshot” BQ attempt. I really like the Runner’s World podcast!
Aw man that stinks about the hip but I can see that Alan made the best of the situation! 😀 Can you imagine running sub-4 doing run/walk with a painful hip? That’s amazing!
Kristina Running recently posted…Giveaway: Marathon Woman by Kathrine Switzer
So that’s my new race plan – sprint super fast the first 10 miles, then I can just cruise in for the next 16. Sounds totally legit!!
We also took Jet Blue to Boston for the first time and I was impressed with free TV and WIFI but the smaller overhead bins made it a tight squeeze for my overstuffed backpack. Our hotel was near the Commons in the Beacon Hill area and we explored that area before leaving on Tuesday. We had planned on running along the Charles River on Sunday morning, but since I strained my calf a couple of weeks ago, we opted for the art museum. I was bummed that I had to bail on the 5K. I look forward to that every year. First time I went to Boston to watch friends run, there was nobody on the plane wearing the new jacket. Since 2014, seems like it is common practice now. So much for tradition. Only Chinatown I have been to is the one here in Chicago. Will have to check it out next year.
I loved the jacket color this year. I saw a ton of them all during the weekend. I wondered about the 5K for you. I am interested in running it, but a bit concerned about the number of people doing it. I don’t want to trip over anyone!! True on the luggage space –
we made sure we hopped on early to grab our overhead space, but there wasn’t much. We all really liked the free snacks and drinks 🙂
When we took the train home from Boston it was fun to see people wearing the jackets! I definitely wore mine on the way home. Mile 21 is right where Paul waits for me! It’s a good spot. Sorry about Alan’s hip. Is it something that was bothering him or did it just pop up?
Megan @ Meg Go Run recently posted…Friday 5!
The hip thing has been going on since around Sept. It has it’s bad times, and good times. Good when he doesn’t run, and bad when he does!! So, he’s on a well needed recovery break right now.
Sorry about Alan’s hip issue at The Boston Marathon but he still did it in a great time! Really enjoyed this recap as it showed a completely different side – what a fun family getaway!
I tell Alan that it’s almost as much work to go along the Boston marathon course and spectate. Lots of logistic issues to think about and be at the right place at the right time!