The Longest of the Long Runs

A few things we learned on our latest long run:

1.  Micah needs to limit his intake of Gatorade and other sweet drinks.  He dilutes the Gatorade so he can't taste the sweet but still gets the benefits, but if he has too much it upsets his stomach leaving him to contemplate how he will vomit on the T without anyone noticing.  (The conclusion was he would puke in his hat and wrap his hat in his shirt to avoid drippage - in case you were wondering)

2.  Allison will stop at EVERY water station whether she needs it or not.  There were tons of groups running the marathon route yesterday, which meant a water stop every mile or so in the beginning then every two miles past Newton.  In the first 6 miles, I think I stopped at 10 water stations.  Perhaps this is the culprit for #1.

3.  Throw your running shoes away if you've gone more than 300 miles in them.  I decided I was better off risking blisters and wore my new shoes on our run (New Shoes).  No knee problems whatsoever and the blisters really weren't so bad.

4.  Allison is unbelievably lucky to have a Micah.

5.  You DO NOT take Commonwealth Ave all the way into Boston before hitting Beacon St.  You take a right on Chestnut Hill Ave then an immediate left on Beacon which takes you straight to Copley Sq (the finish line). In the real marathon route, you should run by Boston College.  Not Boston College AND Boston University.

6.  There is a Raising Canes near Boston University.

7.  Kinesiology Tape is best if applied properly.  Otherwise it is just a nuisance.  Removal is painful, worse than a Band-Aid.

8. Chipotle guac tastes delicious after 20 miles.

9.  Running is one of the most unpretentious of all the sports.  I plan on walking Heartbreak Hill.  Nobody else running will judge me for this because they have/will be walking it as well.

10.  In addition to Gatorade and water, a lot of the stops had gummy bears, swedish fish, cheez-its, dum dums, pretzels filled with peanut butter, pretzel rods, and starburst.  I wasn't sure if I was preparing for a third graders birthday party or a marathon.  I carb-loaded before the run; I crap-loaded during the run.

And now, here's some pictures from the Hyannis Half Marathon in February...