Boston Recap, everything before 04:09:43

Bronze statue of George Washington near Boston Common with the city skyline behind.

The City of Boston

This was my first time in Boston so I was happy to make a little vacation out of it.  We got into Logan Airport Saturday morning giving us the better part of the day to explore the city, stop by the Marathon expo to get my bib, and still have all of Sunday to sight-see.  After shockingly being allowed to check in to our hotel at 11:00am, we headed over to Charles Street to get brunch at The Paramount, a locals favorite diner.  Though it was a long wait in line the Banana Caramel french toast did not disappoint!

Even the churches fly the Boston
Marathon colors!

Thats my number!

Even Hoka One One, my funny looking
shoes had a booth at the expo!

There was a definite "buzz" in the air while walking around downtown and to the Marathon Expo to pick up my bib.  After the expo I was able to strut proudly in my Boston jacket, a must-buy for any first time Boston Marathon runner!  Saturday night we met up with some friends from back home for dinner at Wagamama, an Asian-infused pasta joint.  This was a welcome treat since its a mostly European chain and tough to find in the US!

Sunday we made our way out to Cambridge to look around Harvard yard and get brunch.  In the afternoon we passed up overpriced (and oversold) tours to go to the top of the Prudential Center.  This gave way for great views in all directions of the Boston area, and also an informative (albetit lengthy) audio guide.  I appreciate trivia as well as history so usually enough patience combined with dry audio tours can be quite rewarding.  After working up a thirst I gave in and headed to a bar near the Marathon finish.  This proved to be an invaluable chance to try the limited release Sam Adams 26.2 Brew!  I don't normally drink the day before a marathon but this was an exception.  It was tasty!  Lower in alcohol content than standard Sam Adams and higher in calories.  It was light but full bodied with a bit of a fruit undertone.  Kind of like a combination of the Sam Adams Boston Lager and a Magic Hat #9.

Looking West we see the famed Fenway Park (a game was going on that day!) and the Citgo Sign on the right.  The
Citgo sign is a welcome symbol to Marathon Runnes since it means you are almost done!

The night before the race we headed to the pasta dine-in, a carbo-filled dinner held the night before most marathons in a public place.  I had never been to one of these before but figured now would be a great time to try it.  After attempting to eat my spaghetti and meatballs in a cold, windy courtyard we found an indoor option.  It was a lot of fun chatting with all the runners and their supporters, from so many places, all running at different levels and for different reasons.  I even got interviewed by a local news station while standing in line! No idea if it aired or not.

Day 0

On Marathon morning, any marathon morning, I wake up (typically at the crack of dawn) and feel like its "game time".  Despite not starting until 10:00am, I still had to wake up at around 5:00am.  This gave me enough time to go through my morning routine to "wake up", have a quick bite and get out the door.  Making my way over to Boston Common I met a friend at 6:15am to wait in line and get on the buses that transport the runners to the start.  It was around a 45 minute ride on a school bus and I had a hard time staying awake.  Once we did arrive in Hopkinton we were treated to a huge runners' village with snacks, drinks, and the mandatory endless sea of Port-a-potties.  We made our way to the start corrals at around 9:30am.

Only a small portion of the massive runners' village before
the race start in Hopkinton, MA.

Race:  The Boston Marathon

Date: April 15, 2013

Time: 03:18:20

I'm going to stick with only having a visual race recap - that being my last post, "The Boston Marathon in 26.2 Pictures".

A little collage of my Marathon Experience.  Posing by the
finish, a picture of my running with only about 800 meters
to go, and after the finish on Marathon Monday.

04:09:43

We all know what happened when the race clock hit 04:09:43 (or 2:49:43 p.m. EDT).  Since then we have all been bombarded with a mixture of fact, opinion, and speculation (better known as "the news") so I'll stick with only my major thoughts on the event.

Running is something I love, something that keeps me going in life, and is the only true sense of community I'll ever share with so many people. The Boston Marathon is a celebration of that love and a time when all New Englanders come out to support us as runners.  Those bombs didn't just attack the people out there that day, they attacked what I love, and what I have always felt safe doing.

Everyone I knew back home was glued to the TV or computer waiting on details all week but I was kind of beyond that.  Since the attack took place right by the finish, by the TV cameras and bright colors of Boston, it almost seemed like a TV friendly tragedy.  I wanted the authorities to find the responsible parties but I knew it wouldn't really give me peace either.  In the end it was a deranged extremest and his brainwashed younger brother who were found to be the culprits.  Once they were caught I did feel a little better but not much.  The damage was already done.

Before the Marathon that Monday I wasn't sure if I would come back to run again next year.  Whats so great about a run from the small New England suburbs along a country road into Boston?  This Marathon isn't about the course, the scenery, or a PR friendly run.  Its about people - and thats something that can't be bought, duplicated, or manufactured.  Will I be back to run it next year? Definitely.