Pre-Race

I woke up at 7AM and managed to put down a bagel and coffee, although I wasn’t hungry.

I chose not to go on the marathon buses, for my dislike of feeling like a member of the herd.  I got a ride with Mark out to Hopkinton, and our small team gathered at our teammate James’ house in Hopkinton.   There, we sharpied our bodies, put our names on our shirts, used the restrooms (NOT PORTAPOTTIES!), ate some final calories (which were necessary, but VERY hard to get down) and got rides over to within 1/2 mile of the start.  It was a really nice way to start the day.

(Note, I didn’t want to post all the photos on the blog, but do have them posted here)

The Cycle Kids team just before we headed out to the Marathon.

It was a great morning.  Cool and sunny. We walked over to put our bags on the buses and then back down to the start.  Probably walked almost 2 miles, which made me a little nervous, but was OK.  Wandering about, Hopkinton is crazy that day.   Runners, runners everywhere.  Dressed crazy, wearing stupid clothing, garbage bags that they might throw away.  And people opening their houses to hundreds of random runners for coffee, OJ, water, vaseline, and even the bathroom  So wonderful.

Hopkinton before the marathon. What a zoo. Not the greatest picture, but you get the idea.

I wanted to really see how much distance running does to my mental state / oxygen feed to the brain.  So I did this pre-marathon video where I recited the alphabet backwards, and planned to compare it to post-marathon.  Just after this video, I put the camera away, to send to Boston and retrieve after the race.

Click here to see the 1 minute video.

I then met up with a Cycle Kids teammate Rich, whom I had never run with before, but we wanted to do similar marathon times.  So we decided that we would at least start together and then see what happens.

The Start and First 6 Miles – Smooth Sailing

So after walking up to the corrales, we got in at our numbers (22,000) and proceeded to ‘illegally’ work our way up to the 14,000′s (sorry marathon volunteers!).  We are those buttheads who push their way up to the front.  So when the Wave 2 gun went off at 10:30, we had only a 40 second time lag from when we started.  And we could see the front of Wave 2, which was great.

As we got going, we ran the first several miles (except the first mile) in 7:20-7:25 pace.  It felt very comfortable, so I thought it was safe.  I wasn’t breathing hard, and it seemed good.  I tried to stay on as much grass/dirt as possible to minimize the beating on the legs.  Although there were rolling hills, it was SO much better than the training run I had done on these roads a couple weeks ago!

Elite men's start - Wave 1 (photo courtesy of Mark Pachucki)

Rich and I stayed together, drinking water and gatorade at alternating stops.  At about mile 5, I felt that the long sleeve I had was a little too warm, but I was not going to throw it out.  Not Patagonia!  So, I knew I was going to see my friend and colleague Lisa at Framingham Center.  I took off the shirt and tied it around my waist.  As we got closer, I started looking, and there I saw her!  I heard, ‘Go Alison!’ and ran over to her, untying my shirt, and threw the sweaty, gatorade-saturated shirt into her surprised face – ‘Bring this to the office!  Thanks!’  I truly hope she got a picture of the shirt attack.

Rich and I near the start (photo courtesy of Mark Pachucki). Note the garbage bag behind us. It was only this crowded at the very beginning. Note the people with 14,000 numbers on around us. Nice job moving up in the wave!

The Middle 12 Miles – The Wind

Immediately after Framingham Center, two things happened.  First, I shifted my hat to the right, to signify the passing of the first 1/4 of the marathon.  Second, the wind hit.  From Framingham to West Newton, the next 10 miles, we ran into a strong headwind.

We pretty much had our own room to run our own pace, without dodging people.  We then got into a rhythm and banged out the miles.  We chatted a little bit, about the crowds, or lack thereof on some portions of the route, I tried to slap as many hands as possible, and heard tons of  “Go Ali”, as I had written my name on my singlet.

It is in this 3 hours that you, no matter how fast or slow you are, feel like a superstar.  I also was SO glad to have done the Hopkinton-Newton training (although in awful weather) just a couple of weeks earlier.  It really helps me to know where the big hills are, what town lines mean (Ashland-DOWN, Natick to go…).  Also, knowing the route and the hills really allowed me to moderate my pace at the beginning.  I knew that there was no way I could run a full marathon at faster than 7:20 in these conditions, so I was not tempted to push it.  Moderate at the beginning.

The times in the middle were certainly slower than at the beginning.  More 7:30′s than 7:20′s.  At about mile 10, coming into Natick, I knew that a negative split was out of the question.  Both Rich and I felt the muscles in our legs.  Tight.  Not cramping, but tight.  Hamstrings for me.  Cardiovascularly, I felt great.  I feared what the hills would bring and if I could keep up this pace.  But kept moving on.

At the Natick-Wellesley border, a noise arose.  You could hear it 1/2 a mile away.  The deafening Wellesley College scream tunnel.  Pretty awesome.

Then we hit the half marathon at about 1:38.  I did the calculation that matching that pace would be a 3:16, but I knew there was little chance of hitting that.  I was already feeling a bit beat.

I knew Nurit and her cousin Colin and Sopheap would be soon after the 1/2 marathon, so I started looking.  Not there… not there.. and then, I saw Nurit’s bike!  And I started almost panicking – did I miss her?  I was running along, yelling her name!  And then, about 100 yards later, I saw them with a CUTE sign!  but i was sort of past them when I saw them, so I could only wave and move on.

Nurit, Colin and Sopheap with the super cute sign in Wellesley.

We strode through Wellesley, into the headwind, time getting slightly slower.  7:33, 7:35… I was taking my own splits just so i would know what the pace was.

After mile 15, and seeing my colleague Susan, we exited Wellesley, did the blessed big downhill into Newton Lower Falls, and then a surprising, terrible, windy uphill across Route 128 into West Newton.  That was the first of several slow miles.

Rich and I passed the power gel station at around 17, and then there was a little melee.   We got water, I saw my friend Alison just before the Newton Fire Station, waved, and the next thing I knew, I had lost Rich.  The rest of the marathon would be on my own.  But in familiar territory, now heading home, and ready to see so many people who would be along the route.

Mile 18 To the End – Newton Hills and Bringin’ It Home

The first of the Newton hills was big and hard.  Another 8-ish minute mile.  Reached the top.  2 more hills to go.  The second hill was blessedly smaller than I remembered, and first I saw my friend Amy D, and then, as I was rounding a corner to start the 3rd hill, I saw Nurit standing there with the sign held high over her head!  I veered my path, stopped to give her a big kiss in front of several hundred people, and ran on.  that moment was a race highlight for me.  ahh, massachusetts.

And then to the third and biggest Heartbreak Hill.  Although I was under no impression that the race is over after this hill, after doing this run and looking at the elevation thanks to this blog, I knew that this is the big beast.  and, I had also noticed that the downhills were feeling good to me today, as opposed to past Boston hill experiences.  So with this in mind, I started up it.

And I heard “A-LI-SON, A-LI-SON”, and looked over and saw my friends Maureen and Jake!  It was so great to see them, I smiled, yelled hi and started trudging up.  Then, I heard, about 15 seconds later, “Go Alison!”  And I looked over, and there was Jake, in jeans and boots, running up the hill with me!  I proceeded to watch him as I ran, an amazing distraction to get through this.  At the top, we waved bye, and the last big obstacle was over.  At mile 20.5.

Boston College was crazy and loud, and after passing mile 21, I was coming up on Chestnut Hill Reservoir.  And as I ran bye, there were Shelly, Blake and Betsy in running garb and they jumped in with me!  I knew it was a slight possibility, but had not known it was the plan.  They were hilarious.  “There’s a downhill in 100 yards.  We can’t wait for it.  Water stop coming up… Gatorade first, water later…”  Like I haven’t seen 20 of these already!  It was so fun to see them, although I felt pretty catatonic at that point.  Passing Cleveland Circle, I looked up and saw Molly, Capone, Vivian and the girls.

Molly and Vivian at Cleveland Circle!

They stayed with me for about a mile, and I was feeling pretty good and steady.  I knew at this point it was a hold on to the end.  I was cranking out steady 7:35-ish miles, and although mylegs hurt, I knew it was just 25 minutes… just 20 minutes… just 15 minutes.  My rally cap was on backwards.

I passed Coolidge Corner, no longer scanning crowds, just looking forward.  and happened to see my friend Jen just passed Coolidge Corner.  The Citgo sign was well within sight.  Then, coming on Park Drive, I saw Peri and Olivier, and knew that the bridge to Kenmore, and the 25 mile mark was just ahead.

I saw my 25 mile time of about 3:11.  Should I try to push it, kill myself to break 3:20?  I decided not to.  I wanted to have a good experience, and plus or minus a couple seconds for some arbitrary goal means little to me.

So i went through Kenmore, down and up under Mass Ave, turned onto Hereford and then Boylston.  There’s the finish line.  Lots of people screaming.  Gloucester… Fairfield… Exeter… Weirdly, I didn’t get the chills that I have gotten in the past when it’s not even my race.  I just ran.  I heard my name over the loudspeaker, “Alison Cohen from Cambridge Massachusetts” a couple of yards before finishing, and then I heard the beep of the ChampionChip as I crossed the finish line, and then I started walking.

And to myself, I thought, so… that’s it? Can I keep running?  It was weirdly anticlimactic!  I walked slowly, happily, content, proud of my time.

I got my stuff, and immediately did the post-marathon video.

Just after finishing! Click here to see the post-marathon video. I missed 'G'!

Post Marathon Happiness and Celebration

And then, I met up with Nurit, who unfortunately had a terrible time getting into town on her bike because of all the closed roads.  She was AMAZING along the route. And, if you can’t tell from this blog, it meant SO much and was so helpful to have so many people on the route.  I can’t thank you enough for being out there.

Warm and dry, happy to be watching other people suffer. Umm... I mean, so happy to see people finishing the marathon!

And for everyone who has emailed / called congratulations, I can’t thank you enough for all the good wishes.

I got on my bike, showered, and Nurit and I went out to celebrate.

With Brett and Aviva. Brett had come directly in from finishing his first marathon

So, the statistics:

• Net time:  3:20:21
• Start time lag: 45 seconds
• Finish overall: #4741 out of 23, 162 who started the race
• Finish womens:  #483 out of 9,432 who started the race
• My mile splits are here.  You can feel the pain!

Overall, considering the hills and the wind, I am very happy with the performance.  I ran a 3:10 in 2000 on a flat and non-windy course.  I believe that this performance is pretty similar to that one, which only means that I haven’t aged at all.

Thank you for your support of me and Cycle Kids! If you still would like to donate on my behalf, please go to this web site. I raised about $4,000 for the group, and our team raised about $60,000.

It has been quite an adventure this winter and spring!  Thanks for reading!

But, the short story, as I take elevators today, is that the marathon went incredibly smoothly for me.  I ran a very predictable time, on the spot of what I wrote last night in my blog, of 3:20.  It was not un-painful, but not torturous.  I now know what an “east wind” means.  It was a pretty brutal headwind.  I finished #483 in women’s (#100 had a 3:05).   I saw tons of friends along the way, and Nurit twice.  Seeing the people helped me out at important points.  I also ran with a fellow charity runner from my team for 17 miles of the marathon.  And, I managed to bike home from it!

A great, but windy day, and one I won’t soon forget!  I’ll write more soon… photos, videos and all.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been admittedly a bit jaded about the marathon.  Although I have successfully avoided injury, my running has felt less than par, I have felt very slow and the conditions have made it less than fun.  Thus, I have this internal reflex to lower my own and others’ expectations and tone it down, be too cool, saying to others and to myself, ‘I’ve done so many marathons in the past’, ‘It’s just 3-4 hours out of many, many, many’, ‘It’s just another training run, but there’s food and drink so its easier’.

And although in my history of athletics, it’s this type of approach that makes me perform well (and in this case, not go out too fast) I have found myself getting caught up in the wave and in spite of myself, and I am, yes, very excited for the marathon.

It could be perhaps because the taper week (or 2 or 3, however people approach it) is the golden ticket week where you are ‘allowed’ to run however much or little that you want.  Your work is done.  And though I’ve often felt tired and junky all winter, heavy legs, I am feeling energetic and spry, and optimistic that I can run a good marathon.

It could be because of the following weather forecast I heard yesterday: “Cool and cloudy, rain holding off till late afternoon for the marathon.”

It could be because so many people are being so wonderful, excited about the marathon, going to be out on the course, have been telling me or emailing me good luck, have come to tell me about their running.

All of these add up to the fact that the city stops for a day, and there is so much positive energy around and no room for cynicism.  Even people who have never run a mile in their lives, students who are out drinking beers, they can all understand and cheer on the people achieving something big.

But in reality, it has been a hard winter.  People much more ‘in the know’ than me, who have been running in boston for decades, have said that this winter has been the most difficult for training.

And there is for me, as for everyone, a personal story.  Over this period of time, we’ve been staying neck deep in our lives here in Boston, while physically and mentally preparing for a new life in Philadelphia.

A friend asked me whether this marathon was the last hurrah before getting pregnant.  Well, who knows about that.  But I did realize that, whether a conscious decision or not, running the marathon as a fundraiser for Cycle Kids has been a sort of last hurrah while we live in Boston, at least for now.  One never knows where the winds of life will carry you.

So, as I run east on Monday (I am choking up as I write this, but am not going to make this oversentimental), with no misconceptions that my story is unique, just one of 28,000 for whom this day is a special day, I do know that it will be a memorable day in my life.  As I look for my friends in Framingham, Wellesley, Newton, Brookline and Back Bay, and my wife all along the route, although my mind will likely be too empty of blood to really appreciate it at the moment, and a camera too annoying to carry to run a good race, I’ve no doubt that whatever happens on Monday, it shall be permanently etched in my own personal history.

So, for the inquiring minds, as I drink my last pre-marathon beer (yes, beer is allowed in my book both pre- and post-marathon.  probably not during), some of my answers to curious pre-marathon questions:

• What do you do the weekend/day before the marathon? Little different than normal. I’ve been out with friends, went out on a short run yesterday, today biked around to several places, walked home, hung out at cafes.  It sounds pretty mundane, and is.  I did just do the pre-race ritualistic aerodynamic shave.
• What do you eat before the marathon? Pretty much the same as normal.  Weirdly enough, I’ve found myself not at all as hungry this weekend as I normally am.  So I have had to force myself to eat calories.  I think it is a combination of nerves and the fact that I’ve run so much less this week than normal that my metabolism has slowed down.  I am not carb-loading, as to do that right, you have to cut down for several days before and then gorge.  I will eat a good pasta dinner tonight (if I were hungry! bah!) and bagels in the morning.  The main change I made was to not eat my normal fiber-protein heavy breakfast this morning and I won’t tomorrow morning.  Fiber + marathon = bad news.
• What do you eat during the marathon? Typically I do just water and gatorade.  As I definitely ran low on calories several long runs this winter, I have to make sure I eat a hefty breakfast so I have some fuel to run on.  I will likely drink every 2 miles or so, walking through the stops (I hate pouring liquid on myself), have 1 or 2 energy gels and if the craving hits and it is available, I might grab a cookie and/or banana along the way.  And, the important part!  I am going to caffeinate!  2-3 espressos in the morning, and I might give some to nurit to give to me along the way.  Why not, if it will help me out?  (there was a NY times article recently that pretty much said caffeine helps all athletic performance)
• What will I wear? Based on the weather forecast, I am going to wear shorts and a long sleeve capilene beneath my Cycle Kids singlet, likely a baseball cap and sunglasses.  I will vaseline every possible chafing spot, and wear my stopwatch, as because I am starting at least 30 minutes later than Wave 1, I want to be able to keep track, at least generally, how I’m running.  If I get too warm, I’ll take off the long sleeve and tie it around my waste.  I like that shirt too much to toss it.

And here we go, in writing.  My goal which, if I met, I would be *elated* is 3:15 OR a negative split (meaning the second half of the marathon is faster than the first half).  Of course I will be happy whatever happens, but why not put something on the table…

UPDATE: I just found out that an east wind, unfortunately means *from* the east, not to the east.  10mph headwinds forecasted.  I might change that 3:15 above to 3:20.  Come on, running gods… do us good…

I have run my last ‘long’ run, doing 12 miles this past sunday in Dorchester.  I’m feeling fine, and honestly have no idea how it will go.  Well, I know it will go fine, but have no idea if it will be a great marathon for me.  My true goal is to come out of it having had a great experience (read:  not crawling across the finish line), a good time and the desire to do it again.  Seeing people along the route and after the marathon will be great in making this come true.  So will the weather.

I would LOVE to see anyone out there on the route who can make it!  If you haven’t watched the marathon before, even to go out for 15 minutes is quite an experience.  Here are some logistics to help you do so:

Start times on Monday, April 20, 2009

Push Rim Wheelchair Start: 9:22 a.m.
Elite Women Start: 9:32 a.m.
Elite Men & Wave 1 Start: 10:00 a.m.
MY START:  Wave 2 Start: 10:30 a.m.

Two years ago, the marathon was separated into 2 waves so the start was not so slow.  Because I’m running as a fundraiser, I will be in the Wave 2 start at 10:30 AM.  I plan to work my way up to the front of that start so I can start almost immediately.

Where and How to Find me During the Marathon:

As I’ve written about too much on this blog, I plan to run between 7 and 8 minute miles.  So, if you are going to be on the marathon route:

• I will be running on the RIGHT side of the road.  So plant yourself there if you are watching.
• I will be wearing a CYCLE Kids jersey – see the logo on their web site.
• If you know where you’ll be, please email me, or leave a comment on this blog, and I can be sure to look for you.  It helps a lot if I know.
• As for times, I’m a complete time nerd, so I made a spreadsheet to help you figure out where I might be when – it has mile markers and estimated times of arrivals for 7 and 8 minute mile pace.  Let me know if it’s not clear.
• To figure out what mile you are at, here a great interactive map of the marathon route (click on ‘Miles’ to see the mile markers).
• You can follow me online.  On the day of the marathon, there will be a link up on the front page of the marathon web site.  My bib number is 21995.

After the marathon, depending on the weather (so far looking pretty good – 50′s and a little cloudy) and how I’m feeling, I’ll probably be wandering around Back Bay with friends for a couple hours between 2 and 430.  Let me know if you might be around – I can give you a call.

If you want to join up and celebrate afterwards, please meet me at the Asgard at 350 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square in Cambridge from 5 to 7 PM for the lowdown!

And, if you can/want to run any piece of the marathon with me at ~7:30 pace, please email me!  I would love the company and support!

Thanks to all of you, I’ve raised $3,500 so far for Cycle Kids.  I’ve really enjoyed keeping this blog and hope you’ve enjoyed reading it.  I may put up one more short philosophical post prior to the marathon, and of course the story of how it went, as soon as I have energy afterwards.

It’s 7:33 on a Sunday morning.  You wake up groggily and immediately realize that your alarm didn’t go off.  You get out of bed, open the curtain to see a gray day with rain pouring down.  What is the last thing you can imagine wanting to do?  Yup, that’s right.  Run 21 miles of hills.  With this run, which includes the first 18 miles of the marathon route, I will have run every step of the marathon route in the past month (adding on the Heartbreak Hill run which I wrote about here).

Click for the live map. Check out the big downhill at the start of the marathon. Gotta be careful of that.

My last run more than 20 miles before the marathon (WHICH IS IN 2 WEEKS!), I had a plan that I decided I would follow.  With no time to make my pre-run cup of coffee (which, according to this NY times article, helps in all athletic performance – you can bet your life I’ll be swigging espressos on April 20!), I rushed out the door, jumped in the car and drove to West Newton.  Grabbing the pieces of clothing / food I thought I’d need, I parked in West Newton, sprinted to the train station, and caught the 8:10 train on the dreary morning.

Apologies in advance for photo quality of this run. I had to use my cell phone. And I didn't take many because it was so hard to move my fingers. Yup, this picture is about how I felt when getting on the train.

Surprisingly, there were actually people on the train.  I browsed the piece of the Sunday paper I brought while watching the stations pass by:  Auburndale, Wellesley Hills, Wellesley Center, Natick, West Natick, Framingham, Ashland…  all these towns I would soon be running by, and would run by them again on Marathon Monday.

I got off at the Southborough station and started running 3 miles over to Hopkinton (the train does not go directly to Hopkinton).  In the 30′s and rainy, a curvy, hilly road with no shoulder, immediately, I could not get the story title “The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner” out of my head.  With my wife just having left for Israel, and ‘un jour miserable’, where all you can imagine you want is flannel clothes, a warm cafe latte, pancakes and the Sunday paper, and here I was, a wet, sodden rat out on the awful Sunday morning getting splashed by SUVs.  The smell of firewood did not help to answer the existential question that all runners face at some point: “Why am I doing this?”

Hopkinton Drug

At the top of a big hill, I reached Hopkinton, the beginning of the Boston marathon.  Oh, how different this place will look on race day.  Right now, an abandoned and cute and small town center, with the town green and Hopkinton Drug, so familiar to people who’ve run the marathon.  In 2 weeks, it will be filled with 30,000 people, many wanting to use port-a-potties as they are hydrating and waiting for the marathon to start.

Marathon starting line and Hopkinton Green. Oh, how different you will look in 2 weeks.

I found the starting line of the marathon, faded but visible, and ran east on 135.  I remember that the marathon route starts downhill, but had been under the mental impression that it was downhill for miles.  But for the first several miles, it was definitely rolling hills.  And I somehow had thought there might be sidewalks on the route.  How could I have been so wrong?

The slogging unpleasantness continued.  When I thought I had been on the marathon route for at least 3 or 4 miles, I passed mile marker 2.  This was going to be a long day.

I crossed the Ashland town line.  The only thing I knew about Ashland is about a superfund site and cancer cluster there.  Very good mood I was in.

One of the few photos I stopped to take. This is a shout out to my friend Lakshmi. I know you're a good frisbee player and all... but come on...

I made it through Ashland, and into Framingham.  The good news was that there were sidewalks now.  The bad news, however, was that I was starting to get really cold.  I ducked under a little overhang to get dry for a moment.  I didn’t feel good, I was freezing, and worst of all, as I literally said out loud to myself, “I guess I’m stuck.”  I had a couple of dollars in my pocket, but on Sundays, there are very few trains (the route is mostly along the commuter rail line until Newton).  So I took a deep breath and started to run again, just nearing Framingham Center.

And like the train sent down from heaven, there it was, like a beacon of light in the night.  The commuter rail line slowing down, about to enter Framingham station.  And this was the moment of truth.  Here is my out – I can just jump on the train and end the misery.  10 miles into the run (7 miles into the marathon route).  It’s what I had wanted.

Like a beacon in the night...

And like I’ve done many times before in this winter marathon training, I took yet another deep breath and decided to run on.  There was something about that moment of decision, however, that changed the run.  Even though only I had decided to do the run, no one had forced me to, it was at this moment that the run was mine.

I passed into Natick, now luxuriously on sidewalks all the way.  And soon came to Natick Center, which is about mile 11 of the marathon.  And there, yet another sign from the running gods.  A man on the side of the road, parked, with a trunk full of Gatorade.  It turns out that several charities were doing official long runs starting in Brookline, running out to Wellesley or Natick, and then back.  These runs were supported by volunteers with food and Gatorade.  And there were other runners!  All suffering together!  For the most part, I’m a pretty staunch individualist.  However, the company and community out here running, changed the run for me.  Smiling faces, small hello’s.  Such a difference from the beginning.  Even though I couldn’t bend my fingers to hold a cup, I did partake in the calories.

Thank you for the Fig Newtons!

I then came to Wellesley.  Up the hill into Wellesley College, at about mile 12 of the marathon.  I pictured the scream tunnel of all the Wellesley girls who will be lined up there in 2 weeks.  Then, past the half marathon mark.  And then I saw my friend Brett who is also training for the marathon with a charity!  it was such a nice little visit.

Coming into Wellesley Hills, I was finally at familiar territory.  Right near Babson where I come by with Nurit so often.  From here on, the route is intimately familiar.  I went down the big hill, crossing into Newton, over Route 128, past Newton-Wellesley Hospital at mile 17 of the marathon route (mile 20 of this run), and I turned off to get back to that blessed, dry, warm place that is my car.

Never have I been so glad to see you, my little VW.

This run really took it out of me.  Between the weather and the hills, my whole body was out of kilter for the rest of the day, and my quads for the next couple.  I definitely felt my quads coming down the last big hill, and recognized that feeling from the last time I did Boston.

Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.  This frickin run better have made me stronger, cuz I’m still alive!  I am proud of the effort, but not sure what my times are telling me.  The pace I ran (about 7:55) certainly isn’t near the pace I’d like during the marathon, and it certainly was hard for me.  So, I’m trying to understand whether I need to recalibrate my expectations as to what I am able to run at my advanced age.

Anyway, I earned my blessed Sunday afternoon latte!

As we are getting very close to the marathon, my next post will have logistics leading up to the marathon.  But… SAVE THE DATE!  Meet me at the Independent in Union Square, Somerville, on the evening after the marathon to celebrate!  Monday, April 20, from 5-7 pm (might be there later, but depends how i feel).  Always good marathon stories to tell!

So, last Saturday I did a phenomenal 23 mile run which traversed the Emerald Necklace, designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, and then to finish the loop, the second half was on the beautiful South Boston shoreline, the North End and Charlestown.  A veritable tour of Boston.

Click on the image for a live map.

My goal for this run was simply to run it.  To get in the miles, with no preconceptions about time or pace.  No pressure.

I left Cambridge and started on the familiar run across the Charles south towards the Fenway.

(left) Fenway Landmark Center and the dumb Snickers billboards. Have I just proven it's effective? (right) On the Mass Ave. bridge looking towards MIT. At 163 Smoots - it says "Halfway to Hell" in case you can't make it out. love it.

It was warmer this day than on any other run, so I had the luxury of wearing a baseball hat!  A mile or so into it, I decided that I’d have a little game with the baseball hat.  For the first quarter of the run, it would be worn normally to the front, to get down to business.  Then, during the second quarter of the run, I’d move it to the right.  The third quarter to the left, and for the final quarter, the rally cap backwards.  I may do this for the marathon.

At Jamaica Pond - hat to my right. 2nd quarter.

After Fenway and Jamaica Pond, I ran past the crazy house just south of Jamaica Pond that has 100,000 Christmas lights on in the winter.

The crazy Christmas light house. They put a crown on top of it this year. It's for sale. Boo.

Then, I went in the gorgeous Arnold Arboretum.

The Arnold Arboretum. Not quite in bloom yet, but there's nothing like it in the spring.

And then, one of the most unheralded beautiful parks in the Boston area – Franklin Park.  It has a gorgeous golf course and a great community, used to be part of my daily morning run ritual when I lived in South Boston.  I stopped here to take my first Gu, at about mile 8.

(left) The tennis court in Franklin Park - immaculately kept, the only time I've ever seen it empty. (middle) The golf course. (right) hat still to right - 2nd quarter.

Then the Emerald Necklace ends.  But you can hook up with beautiful shorelines paths in South Boston.  I cut across Roxbury on Columbia Road.

A soccer game on Columbia Road and Upham's Corner.

And then to the ocean!  South Boston, land of Whitey Bulger, Good Will Hunting and about 40 cousins of mine.  And incredibly beautiful.

Clockwise, from upper left: The famous Sully's on Castle Island, the day before St. Patty's day; Recognize the 'eggs' in the distance from Deer Island? View from Castle Island; The blue house is where my mom grew up in the 1930's and 40's; hat to the left - 3rd quarter.

I then cut up to and around the North End and to Charlestown Navy Yard, which was about mile 20.5 in the run.  This is, I think, my favorite view of boston.  It’s where I often come on runs from my house, and I wanted to take you here for a video.

Click for the 1:30 video. Note the backwards rally cap. 4th quarter. sweet.

What was so cool about this run is that I realized of the 23.5 miles, there was only about 200 yards that I had never run before.  Otherwise, the land was intimately familiar to me, most of it a part of my regular runs at some point or another.  Hmmm, that’s a lot of hundreds or thousands of miles.  Hard to imagine.

I finished the run at the Starbucks in Kendall Square, a very happy and not even too tired camper.  Although not particularly hilly, this distance is great prep for the marathon.  I’m getting excited for it!

]]> http://alicohen.wordpress.com/2009/03/24/emerald-necklace-and-more/feed/ 1 margaret306 emerald-necklace-run-map fenway-mit-pix img_1644 img_1646 img_1649 franklin-park-pix columbia-road-pix south-boston-pix charlestown-navy-yard-pic http://alicohen.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/quincy-shores/ http://alicohen.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/quincy-shores/#comments Fri, 13 Mar 2009 01:23:06 +0000 margaret306 http://alicohen.wordpress.com/?p=305 ]]> FIRST OF ALL:  A reminder that this SUNDAY MARCH 15TH is my fundraiser for CYCLEKids for the Marathon, hosted by me and 2 other runners.  Please come out and support us – I’d love to hang out!

WHERE: MIDDLESEX LOUNGE – 315 Mass Ave., Cambridge (Central Square)

WHEN: Sunday March 15, 2009, 5PM to 8PM

HIGHLIGHTS: The band Change Up will be playing, all ages welcome, raffle and silent auction of fun items, great food and drink for purchase, suggested (not obligated) donation $10-$20.

OK, now the blog!

The worlds stupidest picture. How do I get so many chins? Mark, sorry to pull you into this embarrassment. You agreed to run with me.

Mark and I had a fun little contest last week.  We wanted to run 16 miles together, so we each created 3 cool routes and had some friends vote on them .  The voting came out pretty close among the 5 routes, but a really cool run on the ocean in Quincy won.

It is a run I’ve had my eye on for months, starting on the mainland and going out seemingly into the ocean.

Click on this for a live map. As you see on this map, however, our intended *really* cool looking run was altered. Read below.

So, with the daylight savings time losing an hour, Mark picked me up at 7AM on Sunday morning.  Ow.  And we got started onto Squantum Street on a mild and sunny morning.

Immediately, we decided to take a little detour onto some trails – a little park that has majestic views of the ocean and the city. A little muddy and icy, but fun.

A little trail running. Mark in shorts. Yay spring! The blur is how I felt that early in the morning.

We got back onto the main road, excited for the ocean / island adventure when we arrived at a security house and RESTRICTED ENTRY signs.  Oh, of course, that must be only for cars, runners are harmless.  So we ran on.  And a policeman chased after us, explaining that everything beyond this was City of Boston land.  Bahhh.  Very disappointing, City of Boston!

Restricted Entry. It's only restricted for cars, right?

We turned around, made a small detour into Marina Bay, detoured out onto a dock, and then ran back past our starting point.  I knew there were some cool shoreline exposures and lots of mileage going south, so we did.

Marina Bay.

We ran miles 6-9 on the beach on Quincy Shores Drive, and then miles 9-11 onto yet another residential peninsula with lots of amazing ocean views.

A beautiful morning view of the skyline. Joe Moakley Courthouse in South Boston in the foreground.

For me, it was a good, solid chug-along run.  Wasn’t feeling amazing, but not terrible.  At 11 miles, I had my Gu (which i actually remembered to bring, though because I had to forget something, Mark supplied me with the water) and headed back north.

On our re-entry onto Quincy Shore Drive, we ran straight into a headwind for the last 3 exhausting miles.  Mark sprinted it in, just to show me that he had something left!

Almost done...!

So, driving home, he said that it was 16 miles flat with a 7:54 pace, according to his GPS watch.  That bummed me out.  It was a hard run!  I came up with lots of great reasons (excuses) why it was slower than i would have thought:  My quads were burnt from 2 days of hard skiing, i’ve barely been getting much sleep, the wind was in our face, we had a bit of trails.  Blah blah blah.

Then I got home and mapped it out and 16 seemed very short.  So Mark downloaded his GPS data, and AHA!  It was 16.75, putting our pace at about 7:30.  This changed my outlook on life, the run and the week, suddenly feeling good about myself again.

As I didn’t do a video during the run this week, I thought it might be good to share with you an after run ritual:  pullups.  I swear I’m really doing them here…

Click to see the 1 minute video.

Finally, a great, inspiring quote from a recent article in the New York Times about the history of women in running.  Imme Dyson, an older, very amazing, marathon runner:

Running, she said, “clears your mind.”

“It makes you feel satisfied,” she said. “You are doing something that’s a little more than you expect of yourself. To me it is wonderful.”

• It’s environmentally friendly by nature – avoids the ‘just get into the car’ mentality
• It can be super time-efficient, mixing a commute with a workout
• Finally, for those of you from the A-team generation, there’s a piece of me that loves these complicated connections that work out, and, like Hannibal (George Peppard) at the end of every episode, “I love it when a plan comes together.”

The bike dropoff in Needham! Love the lobster gloves for riding

Here’s the word problem:  Ali & Nurit live in Cambridge; Ali works in Dedham (13 miles SW of Cambridge); Nurit goes to school in Wellesley (13 miles W of Cambridge, 8 miles from Dedham); they have one car and a bike.  How do they get to work / school?  MMC!

(Note about this post: I took so many photos that I love, but didn’t want to jam up the blog too much. I posted all the photos here)

PART 1: THURSDAY

If you click on this, you can see the 8 mile Dedham - Babson run

It started Thursday morning. Nurit dropped me off at the side of the road in Needham with my bike. I biked 5 miles to Dedham.  She drops me off at the side of the road a lot.

Thursday evening, I did an 8 mile run from work to Babson, a really nice run at around sunset. A pretty uneventful run, except for a cut through the beautiful Wilson Mountain Reservation which, duh, had icy trails and resulted in my first real fall after all the icy miles this winter.

After leaving the reservation, a trafficky stretch of the road,  I realized that maybe it’s not a great idea to run near sunset on busy roads dressed in all black.

Click to see this (really) silly video. btw, I am making a fool out of myself for donations. Some generous friends have promised a donation for every video I post...

As it was getting dark, I proceeded to Babson and met Nurit for the drive home.

PART 2:  FRIDAY

Click on this to see the 15 mile Cambridge-Dedham run. Check out the elevation change. High point at Larz Anderson Park.

I got up early (for me) at 6:15 on Friday morning. As demonstrated by my training log, these days it is rare for me to run in the morning. For some reason, I got the urge to do some spackling on walls on the apartment before I left.

It turned out to be the perfect day to do this 15 mile run/commute. 50 degrees and sunny. I only had to wear light layers.

The first two miles were in Cambridge and I crossed the Charles on the BU bridge.

Gorgeous picture of one of our favorite views of Boston from the BU Bridge. At sunrise.

I proceeded down through Brookline and the first event happened. Nature started calling. Oy. 645 AM, not much is open…  Residential areas are a no-go… As it was getting desperate, like a beam of light in the dark night, there was a construction site. Construction sites = Port-a-Potties! Another self-appointed title is that I am Master of Finding Port-a-Potties, or MFPAP. So, a gracious contractor on the site allowed me to use their facilities.

Thank you construction site! Love, MFPAP

I crossed Route 9 and headed down the Muddy River. I know this route very well, because I have biked the 13 miles from Dedham to Cambridge hundreds of times over the past 3 years. Finally, the path opens up onto Jamaica Pond.

Jamaica Pond, shedding its ice shell.

And then I head into Brookline, starting with a ½ mile huge grueling uphill. At the top, however, I am awarded by being at one of the most gorgeous and unknown parks in the Boston area – Larz Anderson Park. It was once a mansion house at the top of a hill and has a beautiful view of the Boston skyline.

Larz Anderson Park. Click on the photo to see more photos of this cool park.

Now, to go directly to work, it would be about 7 miles from here. But, to show my dedication to this blog, I took a 2 mile detour to show you one of the coolest, craziest places that I have come across in Boston. First, I turned into Allandale Farm, a working farm within Boston! It is a gorgeous piece of land (photo).

At the top of a hill behind Allandale is this beautiful hidden huge house, with luscious, ornate gardens. What a mysterious place. Who uses it?

The Hidden Mansion. The photo doesn't do it justice. More photos if you click on the image.

I saw a truck, and I waved down the driver, who wore dark sunglasses. The following conversation, I could not have made up:

“Excuse me sir, I was wondering what the mansion at the top of the hill is used for.”

“Medical research,” he answered very tersely and seriously. “Are you a local?”

I thought he was going to tell me some confidential biowarfare chemical they were developing there that was putting my neighborhood at risk.

“Yeah … I live around here,” I said cautiously.

“Watch out for coyotes.”

“Coyotes? Here in this area?”

“Yes, there are four or five of them that are very vicious.”

“Um… OK. Thanks! Bye!”

Whoa. Weird.  (Real answer is that it used to be Management Science for Health, but they left.  No idea now. Anyone?)

I continued on the final 7 miles of the run, which I knew by heart. All 3.5 big hills, the little hills, the VFW parkway, the graveyards, the Ice Arena, and, yes, the Charles River, which comes through Dedham.

I stopped at Dunkin Donuts to get a Gatorade at 12 miles. I was so proud of myself for bringing money. It was $2.09. The WORST possible price. First of all, I got 91 cents change. I mean, 91 cents? That probably weighs like a pound. And then…, well you’ll see.

Click here to see the video (1:30)

With 5 pounds of $1 bills, I cruised through the last three miles. In Dedham Center, I was SO tempted to stop for coffee, but resisted the urge. And ended up back at work.

Here’s what I affectionately refer to as the Executive Washroom, with a shower, where I keep about ¾ of my wardrobe so I can do these crazy commuting things. Thank you Woodard & Curran!

Mocha Java. Mmmmm!

Executive Washroom

And then, happily, before 9AM, I sat down to my own Breakfast of Champions, or what Nurit refers to as The Brick, that I’ve been eating for the last 10 years.

My Breakfast of Champions, a.k.a. The Brick

To finish out the circuit, I rode 8 miles to Babson in short sleeves, it was so warm.  Spring?!  Boston had a little more wolf up its sleeve before winter would let go.

Bike ride to Babson. Done!!

Last Friday night, exactly two months before the Marathon, I ran the final 9 miles the race route, and then added another 3 miles on for good measure.

Click to see live map. Very cool is the elevation profile - the big hill is the famous Heartbreak Hill between miles 20 and 21 of the marathon.

What started as a sort of spontaneous cool way to squeeze in a long run in lieu of a commute home, turned into a memory-filled jaunt through not only the historic Boston Marathon final miles through the Newton hills, including Heartbreak hill, but also my own 7-year history in Boston.

On a Friday night, Nurit and I left her school, Babson College, in a usual hurried manner so she could make a yoga class back in Cambridge. She suggested dropping me off to run home from Newton. What a great idea. So, in the middle of traffic at a red light where the route turns right onto Commonwealth Avenue, at the Newton Firehouse (about mile 17.5), I jumped out of the car with only light running clothes and a watch on this cold, windy early evening.

At the start of the run is the first of the three Newton hills. The Newton hills, culminating in the renowned Heartbreak Hill, are the best and worst part of the marathon. The worst, for obvious reasons – huge hills this late in the marathon(??).  But when you’re finished, you know you’ve broken the back of the marathon and can bring it in. The hills were really no problem right now at the beginning of the run!

I started to remember when I was a grad student at MIT, I used to take the Green Line T out to this spot several Thursday nights with two running buddies, Cam and Bill, and we’d run in. Cam, an ex-college cross country runner, was always pushing the pace up the hills a little harder than I could, but I would manage to stay with them.

The famous Johnny Kelley statue on Comm Ave in the Newton Hills. He ran the Boston Marathon 61 times. Whoa.

After the hills, you pass Boston College. And here is where the memories started flooding in. For the past 2 years, I had met my friend Matt here dozens of times for early morning runs, seemingly always frigid. We’d go by the Chestnut Hill Reservoir and pontificate on life and careers, and I remember him telling me his excitement about a new job he had gotten as we ran along the icy sidewalks of Comm Ave…

You pass the “WATER 21” mark on the street at B.C., the marker for the 21 mile water stop – one sign that the Boston Marathon is forever etched in the identity of the city.

Then through Cleveland Circle and the turn onto Beacon Street. You can almost hear the people 10 deep screaming as you round this corner. Less than 5 miles… less than 5 miles.

As I ran down Beacon Street on a sidewalk, I passed a guy whom I recognized – the super muscle guy from the MIT gym. Have I been in this city long enough that I can run on a dark street miles away from where I live and see someone I know? As Nurit and I prepare to move to Philadelphia, I remember first moving here from New York and being amazed at what a small town it felt like here. And the longer I have been here, the smaller it feels.

I continue on Beacon Street. There is the synagogue that Nurit and I went to for the high holidays a couple of years ago… here is Washington Square, where I came for a fancy birthday dinner in November… here is the intersection where I ran to on Christmas Eve two years ago on an 8 miler when Nurit was applying to schools, with the empty, quiet, beautiful streets.

Then to Coolidge Corner, where my mom took elocution lessons in the 1940’s… Peet’s Coffee and Indian and Thai Restaurants that I’ve eaten at dozens of times… and then downhill … past the 25 mile mark just before the bridge into Kenmore Square. The Citgo sign… Nurit and I went to our only Red Sox game last spring in the pouring rain… suicidal biking in Kenmore with the new T stop that has been under construction forever… where I helped in advising on bike lane design plans for the Boston Bike Advisory Board… India Quality Restaurant where I ate with my friend Jon on Christmas night 2002, celebrating in the Jewish way, on a lonely, quiet and snowy holiday night and we watched the Manchurian Candidate together.

Citgo sign in Kenmore Square

And finally, crossing Mass Ave, and then making the two turns to head into the final stretch on Boylston Street. When you can see the puffy balloon finish line ½ mile in front of you, knowing it’s the end, that you’re going to make it, people screaming, you’re a champion for these 3 minutes even though you can barely think or breathe. Although I’ve run Boston once as an entrant, I’ve run it so many more times as a pacer for friends (BAA officials, you didn’t read that). Here is the stretch where I usually drop back several steps, let my friend lead the way, enjoy their accomplishment and so I don’t end up in their finishing picture, because it is their moment. Past Copley Mall, and there’s the Public Library, and the permanent yellow finish line that sits on Boylston Street.

The bright yellow line permanently etched on Boylston Street is the finish line! You can even see it on google maps!

Last night, there were no crowds, just cars, buses, cabs, people blackberrying, and I continued my jog down memory lane. Onto Comm Ave with the stately brownstones, so fun to voyeur into, through the Public Garden, around the edge of the Common.  Tonight, I ran into two friends on their way to dinner. Another small-town feeling. Past the State House, where I came to celebrate when same-sex marriage was protected for the distant future. Up Charles Street, through Beacon Hill, past the Sevens, where we celebrated Nurit’s 28^th birthday in a blizzard. Over Longfellow Bridge and into Cambridge, Our Fair City.

My photo from the celebration at the State House in June 2007 when the amendment to ban same-sex marriage was defeated in the State Legislature. An amazing, amazing moment.

What struck me about this run is how these memories of different times of my life, stack upon one another with the place being the one commonality. And I am only one person. Every single of the millions of people with whom we share space with over time, have such associations. Memories walking around everywhere, made more vivid for me through the act of running, such an intense, hard experience.

Boston, Massachusetts, I will miss you.  Oh, and I ran really well too.  The perfect run.

I have great and exciting news! The Montreal Bike Share BIXI (BIcycle TaXI), which will be launched this spring, has made a generous donation to CYCLE Kids on my behalf for the Boston Marathon.

As many of you know, I have been very involved in the conversation about bringing European-style bike sharing to the U.S. and have been working closely with the folks at BIXI. When Boston issues a Request for Proposals for a city-wide bike sharing program, we will be partnering together on this great project.   If you go to Montreal, try it out.  The bikes are awesome, and it is such a great way to see a city, as we found out in Paris.

We went to Paris in December 2007 and had a great time on the Paris Velib bike share. Boston next?

Thank you, Alain and Michel, at Bixi.  Please share this cool news with anyone in the bike community you know, or anyone else who might be interested!