Thursday, March 15, 2012

The Road to Boston-Boston 2000

     I was going back to Boston and things would be different this time. No intimidation for me, I had done this before and I was ready to run. Of course things never seem to work out as planned so naturally we had several bumps in the road along the way. The first problem was finding a place to stay-I waited to late to try to get reservations and it seemed like every place I wanted to stay was booked up. We ended up getting a room in Cambridge so we were a taxi-cab ride away from everything.
    One of my very good friends was also going to Boston. Jerry Russell of Longview(by way of Dangerfield) was also running Boston. Jerry and I have been friends since Jr. High so this was an extra bonus for me. Another bonus, the Gazette did an article on me running Boston and it ended providing me with my own personal cheering section from Boston. Becky Lawler Montgomery of Pittsburg was living with her family in Boston while her husband Mark was doing his residency there. Becky grew up down the street from Mary and I in our first home. Her dad Arnie was one of my Dad's best friends and a wonderful person.
    Becky still got the Gazette and called me at home one night and the rest as they say is history. Mary and I had our own personel tour guide for the weekend and it was great. Becky met us at the airport and took us to our hotel. The first thing I did after settling in was to take Mary to "Cheers". We had lunch there and just walked around the Boston Common. Later Becky, Mark and the kids took us to eat at "Legal Seafood". We had a blast and I was actually getting to really enjoy the "Boston" atmosphere.
     The next day Mary and I met Jerry and Linda at there hotel and then "EXPOOOOOO! I was ready this year-if there was a shirt for sale-I bought it. I actualy still have all the stuff I bought that year. Later we all went and did the tourist thing. Rode the trolley and all that jazz. Between where we went that day and where we went with Becky and Mark, I should have picked up something. Harvard and MIT-I should have learned something.
     One good thing about our hotel, every morning I would go out and run along the Charles River and everystep the same song kept playing in my head-"Dirty Water". "Well I love that dirty water, Boston your my home"-a classic garage band hit!!! Running and watching all the college scullers(sp.) rowing up and down the Charles was very neat.
     Race day finally got here and of course I had to call a taxi to take me to the bus pick-up. I left and Mary had a long wait to call her taxi so she would be at the finish line waiting on me as usual. No cell phones to keep in touch or to check my progress as I ran. Just a lot of sitting, waitng, and worrying. To be honest she probably had it worse than I did. I rode the bus to the Athletes village and as soon as the race started I was thru waiting. Once I left the hotel she still had 6 or 7 hrs. to wait and worry.
    Next week the race itself!!!

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