Posts

Beyond the running part of running a marathon

Image
As it turns out, there’s more to covering 26.2 miles in an organized event than just putting one foot in front of the other. If you’re reading this I’m assuming you’ve already identified your first marathon, have started or are well into your training, and are now looking ahead to the event itself. (If you haven’t, there’s plenty available on that aspect.) I want to talk about the logistics - aid stations, gear check, getting your bib, the expo... Everything else beyond just running. Don’t let this part worry you - there’s nothing frightening here. But knowing is half the battle as they say, and having knowing the various moving parts will help you quite a bit - and hopefully settle some anxiety. So let’s talk logistics. Read that fine website There’s a derisive phrase in tech, RTFM, which stands for “read that fine manual” (or a different f-word if you so desire). In this case the manual is the race website. There’s tons of information available to you, which you should definitely per...
Post a Comment
Read more

New York Marathon

Image
I've been lucky enough to run the New York Marathon three times. I actually hit the lottery all three years in a row (although I had to defer once). How I got that lucky I'll never know, but I've absolutely relished the experience each and every time. Of the majors, New York probably has the most logistics involved, and is arguably the toughest course. It's also the best tour of New York you'll ever be treated to, and the best crowds I've ever experienced. So here's everything I think you need to know about the New York Marathon. Getting a bib There's three ways to get into the New York Marathon: 1. Time qualify. The time qualifiers for New York are faster than for Boston, so you'll need to be speedy. 2. Lottery. The lottery has gotten more difficult over the years, with a backlog from both Hurricane Sandy and COVID cancellations increasing demand. Add to that the excitement around getting 6 stars and you've got an outsized number of people seeki...
Post a Comment
Read more

Route Review - Charles River in Boston, MA

Image
As someone who’s been lucky enough to travel a fair bit I’ve been able to run a fair number of popular routes throughout the country. I want to start a series where I review and give some details about some of these paths. Since I was in Boston relatively recently, it seemed perfect to start with the Charles River. On a gorgeous (if hot) afternoon Overview The Charles River runs west to east right through the middle of the city, with paths on each side. It’s by far the most popular route in Boston, save for that little 26.2 mile route from Hopkington to Boston. With numerous bridges cutting across the river, you can create loops of basically any distance if you don’t feel like doing an out and back. The path itself is bone flat and paved, and is kept rather clean during the winter months. The paths on each side run parallel to rather busy roads/freeways, meaning there is sadly a fair amount of traffic noise for large stretches. However the river does offer some lovely views, and it’s a...
Post a Comment
Read more

Let me introduce myself

Image
In programming, it’s common to have one’s first program print “hello, world.” I’m not quite sure what the running equivalent of that is - maybe “hello, shoes?” In any event, hello. This page is something I’ve been wanting to do for quite a while, and things are finally moving along to a point where I feel comfortable finally starting to write, to share my journey, and to talk running stuff. Well, to talk running stuff in blog form - anyone who knows me knows I’m happy to talk running all the time. But I want to share my highs and lows, my successes and failures, and the what goes into being a marathoner. I can talk origin stuff later (that’ll make for a wonderful post!), but the short version is I started running about 14 years ago as I found myself getting older and not really happy with the shape I was in at the time. What started as a 4 mile walk/run/slog grew into my first half marathon 6 months later, and then into a lifetime of putting one foot in front of the other, literally an...
Post a Comment
Read more