Stateside

Finally have arrived in Boston. long flight and was pretty much wrecked but got the expo out of the way. This is the first time herself tagged along at an expo and she was suitable unimpressed by my browsing around looking at running gear and all things related. Well now she knows what it's like I doubt she will come to once again. Number pickup was smooth and got the Boston jacket, colors are not as bad as they looked in print. My bib number for the race will be 11644 if anyone wants to track my progress or lack of during the day.

The Newton Hills

Had planned this as my last easy run before the race. Caught the Worcester line to Wellesley Farms which is half a mile from the very bottom of the course on mile 15.5. I meat a local runner on the train who had his 2011 Boston Number with him. He was on his way to meet friends in Hopkinton and they where going to run the course today. In discussion he told me that each of the four hills had a double climb. On arrival at Welleslsy Farms the station is in the countryside so I had to use basic navigation skills in that the rising sun was the way back to Boston. Soon I was at the bottom of the first climb. The climbs are not long but there is a gotcha, you crest the climb and see a drop and rise again. This occurs on all 4 hills so each one for want of a better word is a double dip hill. Soon I was over heartbreak hill and glad I had made the effort to come out this far for a run. Hopped on the tram at Boston College green line which follows the rest of the course back to the city. Noticed shortly after Boston college their is another bit of a pull. Having ran that section of the course I now have the strategy of attacking the second climb. Initially I was going to attack each hill just before cresting. Conditions today where ideal but Monday we are promised a sea breeze headwind which will make the Conditions cooler. There is rain promised for the second half but that has never end bothered me just hope that the breeze does not become significant.