Spectator Information

There are 15 days until the 15th. I have conquered my last long run (pictured at right, with my running partner, Charlotte, and a gorilla at mile 20), and we are down to single-digit miles until race day. Now that I have stepped foot on every inch of the course from Hopkinton to Kenmore, I can do a better job answering questions for those of you who would like to be out there on Marathon Monday. I've broken down the route by town to help you figure out where you should be!

A few general things that I have already learned:
1) The earlier in the course you see me, the less crowded things will be, and the greater likelihood I will actually be able to stop for a second and say hi.
2) I will need some serious support later on down the course, but those spectators will need to make a significant time investment to secure a spot early in the day and wait for me to get there. Once I arrive, I can't make any promises about my physical or mental state. I will likely just need to keep moving, but will appreciate some water and encouragement.
3) Be visible. Last year, my co-worker, Kira, and I had a Dora the Explorer balloon and several colorful signs (pictured left). Let me know what you'll have in advance so I can look for you. 
4) Know what side you'll be on. I will need to know if I am looking for you on my left or my right as I am running. If you're taking the T, you won't be able to cross the course on foot, so that will dictate what side you're on.
5) Driving is a bad idea. Unless you have a friend's house where you can park and you know the roads will be open in that area, use public transportation.
6) The commuter rail will be running on a WEEKDAY schedule to provide more options for spectators, and the T will have increased service. Bus service may be impacted by the race.
7) The Copley T station will be closed ALL DAY. You can walk to the area from Arlington, Convention Center, Prudential (all Green line), or Back Bay (Orange line/Commuter Rail).

One more general FYI: Charity runners start at the back of the pack; my team is in the 9th corral of runners to go off in the third wave, which starts at 10:40am. You may be out there for a number of hours before you see any of us, so plan accordingly.

Hopkinton (Mile 1)
The roads here close very early in the day, so this option is best for those of you with family in the area or who really want to be at the starting line. It will be pretty crowded on race day, but there are some buses out to Hopkinton from the Framingham Commuter Rail station for spectators.

Ashland (Mile 2-4.8)
The later parts of Ashland are a pretty quiet area of the course and reeeeally boring for runners. There is a commuter rail stop about a mile away from the course (rte. 135) for anyone who's looking to get their spectating in early in the day, or catch runners early and then again toward the finish line!

Framingham (Mile 4.8-7.3)
Parts of Framingham are also pretty boring. We are still on 135 and will pass right by the Framingham commuter rail station (and The Bone, which will give me a wicked hankering for buffalo mac & cheese). I may need to stop for a quick snack just at the end of this stretch.

Natick (Mile 7.3-11)
If I don't stop in Framingham, I will need to stop in the first couple miles of Natick for an energy boost (on our trial run, we stopped right by Natick Animal Clinic). I will also need to give someone in Natick a stash of snacks that I can pick up and carry with me for the rest of the race. My co-worker, Kira, will be staked out at the 10-mile mark (just a few houses to the Framingham side of the intersection of 135 and Washington Ave [not Street!]), which is a bit less chaotic than Natick Center, and won't be gated off. Natick Center is really fun for spectators, but if you're planning on hanging out there, know that I may have a hard time finding you and likely won't be able to stop.

Wellesley (Mile 11-16) 
The first mile or so of Wellesley might be a good, shady place to watch from, but up near Wellesley College is one of the craziest, loudest parts of the course. Where I might need help will be after that madness dies down and I come to the sad realization that we are only halfway through. There are Green Line (D) stops right on Rte. 16 at Wellesley Square and Wellesley Hills. I will need another snack break before I hit Newton. My coach will be at Mile 16 to give me one last pump-up before the hills.

Newton (Mile 16-22)
Newton is rough. And, fortunately and/or unfortunately, I know exactly how rough it is, because this is the section of the course that I run every single Saturday with my team. There are a couple different options for spectators, based on how happy or not happy you want me to be when I pass you. One of the toughest hills is actually very early on in Newton, coming over Rte. 95. If you take the T to Woodland Station and walk past Newton-Wellesley Hospital, it's less than a mile away. It can be a pretty lonely (and windy) part of the course, and it would be great to have some cheerleaders there. Especially since I know what's coming up next. Newton pleasantly flattens out for a bit through some residential space before turning onto Comm Ave (at the Firehouse) and beginning the climb up the 4 Newton Hills, culminating with Heartbreak. You can take the T to Woodland and walk in the other direction to watch at the Firehouse, or to Newton Centre if you want to walk a bit and watch from around the 20-mile mark or stake out a spot on Heartbreak Hill. Once we come up over Heartbreak Hill, we will have plenty of "support" from the Boston College students, who will be trying to feed us beer/vodka and assure us that there is only "half a mile to go!"

Brookline (Mile 22-24.8)
My last snack will likely come just before Cleveland Circle. We will be running through Cleveland Circle, Washington Square, and Coolidge Corner, coming right down Beacon Street (along the C Green Line). These areas will have very lively (and/or drunk) spectators out on their roofs/balconies. I will be very, very tired, as this will be the furthest I have ever run. It might be nice to have a cheering section toward the end of this stretch, but before Kenmore.

Boston (Mile 24.8-26.2)
There's a pretty rough little hill over the Rte. 90 overpass at Mile 25 that is walkable from the St. Mary's or Fenway T-stops (though CAUTION: the closer you get to Kenmore, the crazier things will be, especially because there's usually an early Sox game that will get out around the peak time for runners). Stake out territory early. The closer you get to the finish line from here, the more crowded things will get. If you really want to see me at this part of the race, get there early and bring some chairs (and snacks!) I can't give many helpful hints for the latest part of the course, because I have never run the last mile. I can't promise that I will be cognizant enough to let you know in the moment, but I will really appreciate having familiar faces there. Again, Copley will be closed, but you can get access to the area from Yawkey, Arlington, Kenmore, Back Bay, Prudential, or Hynes Convention Center. 

The Finish Line!
Anyone who is interested in hanging out (and/or drinking) after the marathon is welcome to come join my team in our reserved conference room at the Westin Copley. We will be hanging out there to welcome each of the Marathon Coalition's charity runners as they enter the room as Official Boston Marathon Finishers. It's the "second finish line" for those of us who have been training and bonding together for the last 4 months.


T-shirts!
I still have "Team Beaston" t-shirts available for $15. It will make finding you on race day that much easier! Plus, you'll look awesome.

THANK YOU ALL for your support, whether it has been emotional, nutritional, and/or financial. I couldn't have made it this far without you all.

To communicate with me and other spectators about your intended location, please use this Facebook page!

Next week I will post my bib number and tracking information! This is all getting so real...

Lastly, here are a couple more resources and links for you to do some more of your own spectating research!
Official Spectator Info from the BAA
Interactive Mile-By-Mile Map of the Course
Another Runner's Breakdown of the Course by Mile

The Final Countdown

Tomorrow I will run the furthest distance I have ever traversed on foot in my entire life (trumping the 20-mile Walk for Hunger that follows much of the Marathon route). These 21 miles begin at the Boston Marathon starting line in Hopkinton, and conclude at the top of Heartbreak Hill. This blog has focused on the importance of starting lines in my life, and it feels a little surreal that tomorrow I will step foot on THE starting line for the first time. I will finally have a shot at those first downhill miles, and finally know how it feels to climb the dreaded Newton hills with 17 miles already behind me. I feel insane saying that I'm excited.

Believe it or not, I think the next three weeks before Marathon Monday may be even harder than the past three weeks, which included a grueling, uncomfortable 19-miler in several inches of slush. Our coach, Rick, struck a chord with me when he said that being forced to taper will feel like being 3 weeks away from finals and having your professor tell you not to open your books or consult your notes before the exam, because you already know everything you could possibly know. Anyone who knew me in college can vouch that this would not fly with me; incessant flashcard quizzing and note re-writing often continued until seconds before my exams began. 

Knowing that I will have to rely on the training I have done already and use these next few weeks just to maintain my fitness level and rest my muscles is terrifying. The doubt creeps in--what if I haven't done enough? What if I'm not ready? How can I possibly slack off for three weeks and then wake up and run a marathon?

I can identify now with the stress my students have been expressing since January. Many of them submitted their college applications in November or even October, and are still waiting until April 1st to hear back from their top choice colleges. They look back at their essays and worry that they came off sounding trite. They wonder if their teacher recommendations were as glowing as they had hoped. All they can do now is maintain their grades and pray that they did enough to get in.

Thankfully, just like our students have their Bottom Line counselors to rely on, I have coaches like Rick and experienced teammates to convince me that I have put in the work and that I will survive. I can focus on other aspects of my preparation, like nutrition and race planning. Whether these next three weeks drag on or fly by, Marathon Monday is coming. And one way or another, I'll be ready.