Boston = Worst City to Train for a Marathon

You know that you are in a terrible place to train for a marathon when you check Weather.com, smile, and think to yourself "High of 19 today, that's great!" I have a hard time getting myself out the door on days like that, but if I have any intentions on surviving the marathon I've got to get my butt out the door.


The weekends are great for long runs. During the week I am so busy with 5 classes, my internship downtown 16 hours a week, on-campus job, activities, social life?, (the list goes on) to devote multiple hours to running before it gets dark outside. I used to have no qualms about running in the evening, but with the myriad safety alerts that Tufts Police dept. has been issuing, it is not a risk I am willing to take. I have figured out the times of the day that I can go to the gym and spend 90 minutes on the cardio machines without causing others to wait. (Training for a marathon or not, I feel bad about exceeding the 30 minute limit when the gym is crowded.)


Sunday I left around 10:30 hoping to run about 10 miles. I checked out a map of the Charles River, and decided to run to Harvard, along the river toward Newton, then back to Cambridge. I took the long way to Mass Ave., and about 14 minutes in began to have serious regrets about going on this run. The sidewalks were mostly clear, but there were buildups of ice and snow at each intersection. When I reached Harvard Square, I was still feeling apathetic about this run, and my T pass burned in my pocket.


I hung a right down the path along Memorial Drive, disappointed by the fact that it was a choppy mess of ice and snow. For some reason I had thought that this would be shoveled, but it made sense why it was not. I ran apprehensively on this precarious surface, eager to cross the bridge by Mount Auburn Hospital. Instead of sticking to the path along the river, I ran along the sidewalk that hugs the road. This surface was mostly fine, but there were spots that I wish I had ice skates for. You know those sneakers that turn into rollerskates? People trying to run in Boston in the winter need an ice skate version.


I settled into my pace around 25 minutes in, which was a welcome feeling. Around 45 minutes I ate some Sharkies (review coming soon!), and felt a surge of energy! (Placebo effect? Miracle energy packed fish gummies?) I had my iPod on with a new running mix. I sometimes get frustrated by running with my iPod when I have to keep switching the songs. (Playlist to follow in upcoming post.)


I thought that I knew where I was until I passed a huge sign for Boston University. In my mind, BU is really far away in the city. Like, unknown territory. When I get lost when I am running I get really scared that I will never make it home. I tried to stay calm, but finally had to check with someone to make sure I was going the right way. I had been. When I finally made it to the Museum of Science I felt surprisingly good. I probably could have kept going, except I was planning on taking the bus home from Lechmere, and didn't really know how else I would get back. I ran to the Lechmere station, and stretched while I waited for the bus.


All in all it was a successful Sunday long run! (I am writing this too long after the run to remember any silly things I thought about during it!)


Distance: 10.07 miles
Time: 1:30:07
Pace: 8:57