Heartbreak Marathoners: Gorillas, Tacos and Challahs

It's not too often I can use that for a blog headline.

After months of running in temperatures that hovered near the zero mark, we were finally able to get out and log some miles in some warmer climes today, so naturally, we headed to the Hills of Heartbreak for a training run on the Boston Marathon course itself.  Us and about 2,000 other runners.

For Mary-Jo, it was her first time running on the fabled course.  She'll have stories to tell after completing it come April 21.  She's not likely going to share any of the stories from today's outing, which started at Sean's sister's home in Brookline.  Strategically chosen for its proximity to.....read on

Early on, we had our run of the course, before the crowds set in in Newton 

The Reservoir Six-Pack

Having Barry chasing her made Mary-Jo run significantly faster

Andrew's back in form after a temporary injury setback

Footing up top at the Chestnut Hill Reservoir was a bit too damp for our liking, so it was back to the streets

No, the snow is not yellow in Brookline, that's just Tommy's artistic photography.  Why didn't anyone want to run with me?

All the years we've been doing this run in March, this is the first time we've seen the reservoir iced over

Heartbreakers all around, at the apex of the infamous hill

Andrew's rocking the air guitar at Boston College

One of the greatest features of running this particular course is the amazing support from running groups all along the route, who supply runners with water, gatorade, gummy bears, licorice, schnapps, and other sordid running supplements

Here's a shoutout to our local favorite, the Greater Lowell Road Runners, who had not one, but two aid stations along the access road.

Boston Marathon legends past - and future.   Johnny Kelly gets a hand from Mary-Jo

Mary-Jo just hopes she's still smiling this happily when she reaches this point on Heartbreak Hill come Marathon Monday

Because nothing says Heartbreak Hill like a gorilla.  I guess in hindsight, this was a gorilla run for some of us.

At run's end, the agony of the feet

Mary-Jo can't seem to get a handle on her fanny pack

In a preview of Marathon Monday, Sean shows off his bib number

So why drive all the way in to Brookline?  Why tacos at the nearby Dorado restaurant, of course, a staple of our E Streeter marathon training excursions.

Outside the Dorado, we literally bump into another Greater Lowell running legend, fresh off his crushing achievement at last week's Stu's Run, Keith O'Brien of Chelmsford, in town for a local track meet, and taking a quick run through the Brookline neighborhood

And finally, in a scene stolen straight from Seinfeld Soup Nazi, Sean took us to the local gem, the Clear Flour Bakery, home of the legendary challahs, french breads, and macacroons.  A waiting line outside a bakery?

After getting some pointers from the local experts, Sean was ready to order one of everything

All in all, a fabulous day in the long, tiring, and draining Boston Marathon training season.  Now if we could only figure out why we GAIN weight after these long runs.