running: the dawn

Here are my tips for surviving the organized chaos that IS running’s biggest party:

1. Buy the jacket!!!! I’ll admit it, I was a total Negative Nancy when the jackets first came out.  I hated that they where black and green rather than the traditional blue/yellow motif associated with the race.  Then, they’re not embroidered this year which a lot of people have complained cheapens the look of the jacket.  I was tempted to protest by not buying it.  Once again Mr. Dawn saved me from making a HUGE mistake.  I ended up ordering it online to ensure that I could get my size.  I literally have worn it every day since the race.  It is super comfortable, well fitting and awesome.  Don’t underestimate the emotional bond that you will have with the jacket, no matter the styling.  It was SO fun on the flights home to spot others in the same jacket and instantly feel bonded to them.  And really, it’s been raining up a STORM since I got back and it got me to thinking…if the jacket was embroidered, it probably wouldn’t be as good at keeping out the rain.
    

   

2. Plan to spend lots of time at the expo. This is something I learned the hard way.  Because of the way we scheduled our time, we didn’t get into Boston until Sunday afternoon, which was the last day of the expo.  They were already out of all the official gear in my sizes (which worked out fine, I was able to find it all online, but without the fun of getting it at the expo).  I wanted to hang out more, watch the course preview video, listen to the elites, eat all the gu’s samples I could find….but it was so over crowded and exhausting, I didn’t want to wear myself out the day before the race.  So, get to Boston early and soak in the entire weekend.  Let yourself get all geeked out all things running.

   
   

3. Carb-load in the afternoon. I was worried when we left the expo that with the thousands of runners around we’d have to wait forever to get in to an Italian restaurant (I must have my pasta).  But, since we were eating at 3:30 in the afternoon it was no trouble at all.  We walked from the expo a few blocks down and immediately were seated.  It was awesome!

4. Bring a cheering squad.  It was so awesome to have my family there.  True, I tend to be a little rigid with my “night before” routine which involves getting into bed long before anyone else wants to…but they were all so supportive and helpful.  No one complained about the crowds at the expo, or fighting through the hordes of people at the finish line so I could get some pictures.  The BEST part about having people there for support is being able to count down the miles until you will see them.  I knew that my crew was at mile 21 and when things started to get tough during mile 17, I knew that in just 4 miles I’d be able to see everyone.  It made a HUGE difference.
    

5. Pack enough food to feed an army for the morning of the race.
   
   Seriously.  All of this was in my check baggage.  Plus a bagel, cream cheese, a banana, and some peanut butter.  Oh and some dark chocolate bars .  I didn’t eat all of it by any stretch of the imagination.  But I was worried that I’d get hungry at the village or not be able to find my family at the finish line.  I did actually use all of those gu’s!  I pack 6 of them for a full marathon because I’d rather be safe than starving.  Also, I never know what I’m going to be able to convince myself to eat the morning of a race.  I can’t always finish a whole bagel, but the gu chomps or clif shot blocks are easy to mindlessly chew on.

6. Have a plan–that makes sense for YOU–for getting to the start. Yes, there are buses and most people say that you need to ride the busses to enjoy your Boston experience.  I actually decided that since I was staying so far away from where the busses were loading, and I didn’t want to leave my hotel at 5am, I would buy a seat on a chartered bus that wasn’t loading until 7:30.  That way, I could be a little more relaxed getting ready and spend less time freezing in Athlete’s Village.  I am 100% satisfied with that decision.  I still sat by awesome people who were first timers.  We still shared our stories and talked nervously about the course.  It was the same energy as the school buses, just with a bathroom on board.  And yes, I used the bathroom three times during the hour and a half drive to Hopkinton.  It was awesome.  I didn’t even have to go while I was in the Village.
   
7. Wear your throwaways to the starting line. There are drop off locations EVERYWHERE.  No need to get rid of the warmth before you have to.  It was cold.  It was crazy windy.  I missed my snuggie the moment I took it off.
8. Be smart with your race plan. For me, that meant that I needed to be realistic about my training.  When I was getting ready for Grand Rapids, my mileage peaked at 55, and I was doing a lot more tempo and marathon pace runs than I did leading up to Boston.  I knew that I was not in shape to PR, and in the last two 20 milers I came face to face with how difficult it was going to be for me to even get under 4 hours.  So, I decided to run conservatively and it worked out perfectly. I ran a race that I’m proud of and I literally smiled my way to the finish line.
   
9. Do your homework.  I read several books about the history of the Boston Marathon.  It made being there so much more significant.  I can see how people would say that the course is not terribly exciting or its not as grand as everyone builds it up to be, but if you know the story and look at the pictures you can’t help but feel the magic from start to finish.  I loved recognizing the Biker Bar and the Clocktowr, I kept watching for the Firestation.  Its all those little things that helped me to realize that I was running through history.  My favorites:
   Duel in the Sun about the famous race between Alberto Salazar and Dick Beardsley
    

   26 Miles to Boston: a Bandit’s take on the historical miles from Hopkinton to Boston.  He tells a lot of the history and points out every land mark along the way.
   

10. And last, but not least: enjoy.  Enjoy the run.  Enjoy the runners.  Enjoy the course.  Enjoy the fans.  Enjoy the moment because it is YOUR’S!