How Cheryl Got us Kicked Out of Our Hotel Room. And Still Finished The Boston Marathon...

Me after Yelling. 

Hey!   What does a horse sound like?   ....   ME!   Why does my voice sound horse?  Because I spent 1.5 hours screaming at my faulty GPS on my Phone.  

At my Phone, Not the Runners.

A Quick note about Boston:  You need 4 eyes and two brains to navigate the highway system here.  I guess that could be said about any major city if you are unfamiliar with it.  But it does not help when BIG BEN is on your back and you have to reach a certain inner city destination with road closings thrown up to hinder your way.  

And then again....before she disappears!

I catch Cheryl as she lines up.

I had about 3 hours to find the finish line and park the car.   Several wrong turns, a google maps that had a mind of its own, and key exits closed forced me to waste most of that precious time.  And most of that time was spent screaming at an inanimate object.   Good thing no one was there to witness it.  Except that poor kid looking out his mom's back window.   (He must have been terrified!) 

Start Line.

But enough about me.    Just kidding.   (How can anyone get enough of me?)    Let me just sum up my Boston experience as:  Started off good,   progressed as planned,   and then fell to pieces....  But still managed to pull off the objective.   Meaning:  Park car,  Find Finish, Collect Cheryl,  Drive home.  

Lots of Runners!

Cheryl, on the other hand...  had a bit of a "Bad Day."   Similar to mine,  she started off good.   We found the drop off location and POOF!   She disappeared.   I did not link up with her until I had parked the car and took the shuttle buss to the start line.  

Wave Three Begins! at 10:50 AM in the Hot Sun!

There they kept the spectators and runners separated...  so I could not link up with her and give her her Diet Coke... (Which I carried all the way from the parking spot and on the bus) She was in the third wave so she had to stand out in the hot sun for about three hours before she could even begin!   

Where is Waldo  Er Cheryl.

To those who may not know this,  the Sun zaps your strength.   Never mind heat stroke and/or sun burn,  You simply feel depleted absorbing all that radiation.   Add in that her Water intake was limited as well as her caloric intake and she was being set up for failure.   I had a feeling she should have eaten more last night, but she had been feeling a little "off" since that train ride and did not want to eat anything that did not agree with her.  

Cheryl's Competition.  

However,   Dehydration can feel the same as eating something that was bad.   Cramps, side aches, muscle pain is all a form of early dehydration.   And once it starts,  simply drinking more water does not make it go away.  In fact, it may even make it worse!  ( Which it did.) 



Add in the heat!  Which I think was the biggest contributor for today's results, and you have a recipe for disaster.  Well,  almost disaster.

She was feeling bad at mile 6.   But chose to stay in it and slow down.   She said she began to get disheartened when the Tutu's began passing her.   And then the "Charity Runners."   Every time she took a drink it got even worse.   At several points she was forced to walk.  

The REAL Prize!   World Marathon Majors!

But the story does not end there.   Generals sometime have to take  the objective any way they can.  For Cheryl, the objective was simple:   Get that Finishers Medal and check the Boston box.   The ultimate goal here is to tick off another World Marathon Major.  And the path to that goal requires Boston to be finished.  

Nissan and I are friends now.

So Cheryl finished!   Over 4 hours, but a finish is still a finish.   Like College,  no one asks how well you did in English Lit.   They only see that degree.... And the Boston Jacket and medal prove that she came,  she saw, and she Finished.   

To be fair,   the weather slammed others as well.   Scott Jurek and Andy Burrfoot were also in this and logging in 4+ hours  ( and these are Legends in the running world!)  As Cheryl was propped up against the wall, with several runners next to her puking and passing out,  I noted that she at least finished on her own power and was able to keep things together.  

Cheryl at the Finish!

So  Hurray for Boston!    No lobster bake, but that is ok.   I'm happy to be done with this one.   I'm not sure when we will be able to tackle something this huge again.   She even noted that it was possible  that all the hype of this race did not meet her expectations.  It was huge, well organized and tough!   But lacked the "fun" of Chicago and Grandma's marathon.   

She does not look too happy.

As for me.  I found navigating Boston as the biggest Labyrinthian  challenge I have ever faced yet.  I'm impressed that I managed to find parking 1.5 miles away and did not have to pay for it.  (More Dumb Luck than "Frugal Skill" on my part.)  I was worried the whole time that the car would be stolen, broken into, damaged, or towed!   Thankfully none of those things happened.  

Can Marathons Produce "Shell Shock?"

The People, police, and volunteers of Boston were awesome!   It is a friendly city and beautiful.   Maybe someday we will return to simply take in the City Life....or not.   But it was an adventure.  Cheryl noted that it was highly likely we would NEVER have stepped foot in Boston if it had not held the Oldest race in the country.  And we both get to tick off Massachusetts off our State's list.   

Um,  Could you guys move?

Cheryl the Survivor!

Oh, and to answer the questions you all must be having:   How did Cheryl get us kicked out of our Hotel room?   She took a bath.   And the bathtub leaked.... sending water down into the lobby.    The Hotel staff "offered" to find us a new room that was more waterproof.   We took them up, but not before Cheryl voiced her disdain....  To ME! 

 Being the ever diplomat,   I "translated" her wishes and we were able to switch rooms without incident or physical confrontations.  They even threw in a free breakfast.... which we are never going to be able to take them up on.   But I recognize the gesture.  

So that is it!    Cheryl ran Boston.   Been there! Done that!   Now let's move along.  When the going got rough,  neither of us ever quit...  because we are both winners!   Even if the victory was marginal.   A Win is still a WIN!  And that is why I married her.  

And I like the way she looks when she is cleaned up.  

'Twas The Night Before Boston....

Parking Stairs

Expo Guardians

And Cheryl and Ethan Frantically comb the city for any hint that will make tomorrow run smoothly.  Cheryl is the lucky one.   All she has to do is run the darn  thing!  See, Easy!

Expo People!  

Lots and LOTS of People!

I have to do all the work!   I have to: Drive. Drop her off.  Find parking. Find a bus. Travel to the start line. Take pictures. ( hopefully of her!) Find a bus again! Travel back to the car and travel to Boston where the Finish line is.   Find Parking There!   And then hoof it to the finish line about 1 mile away to "Hopefully" catch Cheryl as she crosses the finish line.  I have three hours and some change to make it 26.2 miles...with a car in Boston Traffic.  Paying exorbitant Prices for Parking and navigating my way through an unfamiliar city.    See?   Cheryl has it easy!

The entire point of today's travels was to pick up her packet, and try to show me what to do.   The Expo was a zoo as expected.

Packet Pickup.   Guy had a Boston Accent.   Awesome!

Cheryl tries on the race Shirt

Hmmm.  Try posing a little....

 We managed to get the shirt and packet without much incident and only pay $20 for parking for less than an hour.    Cheryl noted that there was not much she wanted there, except a picture of the World Marathon Majors.

Cheryl Finds the Prize!

Oh!   It comes with a Jacket?

After Boston, that is. 

4 More Cities to Go!

 Did  you know that they hand out an additional medal and Jacket upon completion of the 6th race?   Of course you didn't! Even I did not know that.  But now you're in the "Runner's Loop" and  we are all in this together.

Kids Marking up the Poster!  

They offered Graffiti lessons for the Criminals and Children  in the race.   Cheryl is no child, but felt that she was still qualified to add her mark on the poster.

Cheryl steps in to "Tag" the Sign.  

 (Given the loose definition for Vandals)  Not wanting her to commit a crime alone, I recklessly joined in!   Because I'm a Rebel!  And I want everyone to Know!    They Don't call this the John Hancock Race for no reason.

My act of Defiance!   That is how I back Cheryl up.  

Cheryl Runs on Donuts

With the main objective of the morning completed,  Cheryl suggested that we fuel up and head to the beach.   What better place than Dunkin Donuts.


  The only problem was..  Are there any Dunkin' Donuts in Boston?

And so does BOSTON!

Time to get begin Faze two....Or three.   I lost count.

The answer was surprising.   There are MORE Dunkin' Donuts in Boston than STARBUCKS!   That is NOT an exaggeration.   There were  literally Dunkin' Donuts across the street from each other.   And there is a simple reason for it.  Boston is the Dunkin'Donut Headquarters for the country....Maybe even the WORLD!  ( Ok, Maybe not the world, But definitely the country.)

Not the Hamptons? 

Let's see the water.

??????

At least we can walk on the sand.

And pick up junk.

And show off common treasures.

Cheryl has this romanticized idea of what the Coast of Massachusetts should look like.   The actual truth is a little more boring.   To be fair, we did not check out the Hampton, Martha's Vineyard, or Cape Cod.  "They" probably would have never allowed us close enough to even touch the beach even if we had been able to go there. ( And when I say "They"  I mean: Rich People.) The public beach we settled on was nice enough.   Only one shark attack while we were there.   And Cheryl was able to do a little beach combing.   We scored some shells and a sea glass marble.  Currently the marble is her more prized possession....  At least until tomorrow.

Like this rare Blue Frosted Marble Beach Glass.   Wait a sec.

Or this dead thing. 

On to the Finish line!

Next to the House next to the Finish line.

And this sign.   It should be easy to see from here.

Cheryl stops Traffic!   Or is being cited for J walking.

New Sign!  New Year!  

What does the "J" stand for anyway? 

And then, finally,  we checked out the finish line.   Cheryl got the Police to stop traffic for her.   I heard that they just repainted the start line this year.    Heck!  Maybe they do it every year.   But I found the police were most friendly and helpful.   This may also be the only chance I get to see Cheryl this close to the start.   Tomorrow is a wildcard and anything in the plan list could be axed at the last minute.   We shall see how well I'm able to stick to her plan.   I am the General that had to understand the plans, but also has to ultimately win the war.   Sometimes it is better to lose a battle to achieve victory.  (At least that is What George Washington says.  And Who does not like that guy?)

My Military Uniform for this mission

An Army of ONE!   

So,  I doubt anyone will notice,  But I'll be cheering from the sidelines...  where I can.   Maybe Cheryl will notice me.   Maybe not.   I'll see if I can find something to wear that makes me stand out.   We shall see.

Day 2 on the Boston Countdown. The Trials of Travel.

Old Trains still in use.

Evening

24 hours in a train!   There.   I could end the Blog post there and let your imaginations run wild...because they probably would be pretty spot on.

Morning

Sunrise

24 hours in any cramped condition is most likely to be unpleasant at best. We made it through because we are troopers!   And Allens!  ( That is probably not the best reason....But Com'on!...  Family pride...  work with me here!)

Cheryl had better view

Rocks!

A few things about train travel for people who are not as poor, frugal, or adventurous  as we are; Trains have quite a bit of leg room!    The seats recline similar to a plane; and they have leg lifts and foot rests.   It is "Almost" like a Lay-Z-Boy chair.  However,   the reclining is just enough to give you aback ache or stiff neck if you plan on sleeping.

Lake Erie

More Lakes!

And with 24 hours of continuous travel,  you are bound to try to catch a few Z's.  I'm sure there is a secret to having a more comfortable experience on a train, but we will have to figure that out later.

Food.   Food was offered,  and expensive.   We brought what we could, but eventually had to give in a purchase from the snack cart.   Traveling in those trains is very dehydration!  I'm not sure why, but most of the budget went to liquids!

More Cliffs!

Rivers!

The scenery was nice.   New York has areas that can be found in other parts of the country.  ( Michigan, Iowa, Tennessee, Minnesota.)   Cheryl captured the sunrise over Ohio.  And I managed to catch a blurry picture of Lake Erie in Pennsylvania.

On the Pivot Part of the Bus!

We both show the wear of Travel.

With all that time,  Cheryl was able to discover a cheaper way to get us to our rental car. (they had free WiFi!)   The Silver Bus  Line!   5 Bucks and boom!   We are there!   We then jumped on another bus to head to the rental terminal.  All these bus rides make me leary about desiring city life.   There is something about driving a Subaru that makes me want to hang on to the Driving Responsibility.  However,   Today I welcomed the part of not having to drive 15+ hours a day in Hostile traffic.    And it was nice not having to worry about parking....for now.   I still have the rental car to worry about on race day...but we shall see about that.

Boston at Night

In the mean time,  I feel terrible.   Lack of sleep,  lack of water,  Too much bad food all add up to me feeling fussy, cranky, and grumps.   There are lots of little stories to mention, but I may have to save those for another day... when I feel more "Genkie"  ( Japanese for: Full of Life)

In the Rain

For now,   The important things to note is that: we have arrived in Boston;  Survived the train trip; Ate too much bad food; and feel beat up and bad.   Luckily, we have a full day to recover before the race.   And, best of all:  I'm not the one doing the racing!   ( We shall see about that.   My race differs from Cheryl's,  but it still feels like I have to put forth some form of effort.)   Thanks for stopping in.

Oh,  And forget about eating anything more "Boston"   There was none of it on the train, and the mere thought of food makes me ache.   So I'll have to find another attraction to mention tomorrow.  We shall see.