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.

The Stew Crew

March during Marathon season, means it's time to return to the mean hills of Clinton, Sterling and West Boylston and revisit our Reservoir Dogs Days with the Stu's 30K, organized by the Central Mass Striders and providing an E Streeters culinary gathering rivaled only by the hallowed New Year's Day Soup Run

 This year's edition features several special guest stars (more on that later)

Pre-race, your Stew Crew

Everyone seems to be getting a kick out of Tommy's pre-race stretching routine

Photo-bombing courtesy of Andrew in the early goings

At the Wachusett Reservoir. Keith O'Brien of Chelmsford makes his early move

This is how Andrew started his Spring Break from Holy Cross

Scott's looking fine, pre-blister

Here comes the pack.  You can always hear them coming with the telltale Carlooooooos call signal and see them coming with Andrew's muscle beach poses

Coming into mile 9, Andrew has apparently been holding the pose for four miles

One of my favorite spots in the race, for obvious reasons - Wicked Good Cookies.  Like they were made for this blog.

Not to be confused with a Wicked Good Blog

An impressive four-pack

One of these runners was in need of some Vaseline.  The other one was spooked by the offer.

So, in one of SEVERAL surreal moments along the course, and for reasons I still can't fathom, there were several Wicked Good shoutouts.  Multiple people - and I kid you not - gave a shoutout to the roving cameramen, with several saying they're readers of the blog and others just randomly asking to have their pictures taken.  Which led to moments like this, a near on-course collision.

Yes, even in the throes of a grueling 18.6 mile jaunt, we find the time for town-line battles

In the wilds of Sterling, a near-sterling performance by the crew

Always know where the cameras are, no matter which side of the road they migrate to

No to mention, watch your back.

Another request from another runner who knows about this blog.  She kicked all our asses, by the way.  Except that is, for the Founder of the Feast himself, Scott

Try as he might, her husband Mike couldn't catch up to her

Thumb's up from Barry, because he knows he's in the final 5K of the course

21:10

21:07

Caught off-guard, Andrew was unable to flex

The medals await

Sean, clearly stunned by having earned his hard-fought-for medal, tries desperately to grasp the concept, while Barry just grasps

Tommy clocks in

Meanwhile, at the tailgate, Scott readies the magical elixir

And the rest of us were all to happy to sit and enjoy the spoils of war.

Lots of passers-by were envious of our tailgate spread.  Judging by the comments on the course, most of them are probably reading this blog today, so a big Stu's Shoutout to all our unknown followers out there!  Happy to have you aboard!

Nowhere to Run to, Baby

For all the veterans of any Boston Marathons out there, I ask you - is this the toughest season of weather we've ever had to train in in advance of the April Classic?  It certainly seems that way for us E Streeters.
Freezing temperatures day in, day out (with today FINALLY cracking that streak)

Incessant snowfall

Icy roadways

Disappearing sidewalks.

What's a runner to do?

Funny you should ask.

Early this morning, myself and fellow marathoner Barry Scanlon had to get creative for our training run.   So we took to the pathways of the Lowell Cemetery.

Virgin (a word that should never be used in a conversation about Barry and I) snow lay over all the streets within the cemetery, providing some simply breathtaking snowscapes.

Believe me, we do our damndest to hit the streets, but when there's no road shoulders, huge puddles, and lots of car drivers blinded by the solar glare, sometimes we're better off Hiding on the Backstreets.

Ask Lowell historian Dick Howe, and he'll tell you, the cemetery loops are a peaceful and educational snapshot of our region's history, and when you're the only live bodies winding through its passageways, it provides a serene and welcoming respite from the treacherous streets.

Sure, cemetery runs aren't your bag if you're looking for the long mileage, but for the maintenance miles we need to log between the LSDs (runners know what I'm talking about), a cemetery stretch might be just what the run doctor ordered.