April 17-18, 2010
I tried to write the whole account of my Boston experience in one go, but I couldn't. Let's just say there never was enough time. Finally, I'm getting worried that the memories and impressions are slowly fading, and decided to write this entry in installments. Please, check back for the updates--I will be adding them into this entry.
Why is Boston marathon so important?
The answer to that question lays in the two and a half years that led me to Boston. From the moment when I set the goal to try to qualify for Boston, through the training for the Mississauga marathon where I qualified, finally to registering and training for the world oldest and most prestigious marathon. It's a long commitment which requires a lot of running.
I was fairly excited preparing for the trip, this also being my first marathon outside Canada, but the immensity of it didn't register until I took the subway to downtown Boston with my entourage of Meg and my mom in tow. On Sunday, the day before the race, we were going to the runners expo, which precedes every marathon. That's where the runners pick the official race kits with their numbers and spend hundreds of $$$ on things related to running. As the train approached the downtown, on each station more and more people came in, wearing Boston marathon official jackets, all models from two decades ago until this year's. It was as if, for the weekend, there were no one else in Boston but runners.
The crowds of runners were converging on the Hynes Convention Center, where the expo was held, from all sides, like ants. Though I usually can't stand overcrowded places, now I couldn't stop smiling. I am not sure how to describe the feeling: I felt at the same time small and insignificant as an individual, and extremely powerful and proud to be a part of that mass of runners which took over the town.
The expo was huge and you could find there anything your runner's mind ever imagined, and more. First, of course, I picked up my race bib number and the kit containing the timing chip, which this year we can keep as a souvenir. In the kit was also a blue-and-yellow Adidas technical shirt with long sleeves. Naturally, I had to buy the official jacket -- also Adidas -- for which I had to spring $90. No regrets, the jacket is nice and the Boston 2010 logo on the back is priceless.
Now we could start browsing, though the longer we stayed, the more crowded the Center got. I managed to see the second half of the video showing the course, and we shopped mostly for the souvenirs. Mom was fairly impressed with the whole atmosphere, but thought everything too expensive. It was her first close look at the running world, and the first time in the States, so she was as excited as me, though for different reasons.
Finally, some time after 3 PM, it became almost impossible to move around without locking shoulders with people. Our legs were heavy and I suddenly remembered that I should rest for
the big race the next day. We squeezed out and walked toward the subway in a current of people all carrying yellow Adidas bags with the race kits. The air was filled with nervous but positive energy. Walking in that mass of people who were all here for the same reason, I felt the excitement rising and knotting in the pit of my stomach.
The traditional pasta dinner was provided in the downtown for participants, but our hotel was away, near the airport, so we opted for the pasta dinner near the hotel. Loaded with carbs, I went to bed, expecting that I won't be able to sleep from excitement. Before every marathon, I usually spend a fitful night tossing, turning and waking up constantly. Not this time -- I slept like a baby and woke up at the sound of the alarm clock.
Continues at Part Two
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