Sunday before the marathon we all headed to Fenway Park (minus the runners, who were resting up) to watch the Red Sox play the Toronto Blue Jays. It was the perfect day for a game once the sun came out after some pre-game showers. We sat in the outfield seats, and they did not disappoint. I even got a pretty wicked sunburn on my forehead at the game; first sunburn of the year!
Ben received so many comments about his Minnesota North Stars sweatshirt; most of them in hilarious Boston accents. "Hey Minnesota, how much you want for that sweatshirt?"
Also, Fenway has so many diverse food choices, Gluten Free, Kosher, Vegan, etc., very cool!
I got my first look at the famous Citgo sign. The neighborhood around Fenway is such a fun area.
The next morning we were up bright and early to hit the marathon course and cheer on Rose and Peter.
We headed to Framingham, right past the 10K mark for our first stop. I loved how the course wound through these little towns that still had so much colonial charm. We saw the elite runners take off past us there.
We also saw Rose and Peter looking strong!
Next we headed to Wellesley College that's known for the sound of high pitched screaming girls cheering on the racers. There we spotted Rose, but she didn't see us, she was way too focused. She looked determined coming up this incline, that's her, right in the middle sticking out from the pack.
She also looked fierce when we saw her at Boston College right after the 20 mile mark. This is where so many runners hit their wall, but she still looked strong, if not stronger than when we saw her before.
This was a great spot for all the energetic students, and also the area of the infamous "heartbreak" hill that's an incline for nearly a half mile when many marathoners are suffering the most.
Rose finished strong, in 4:46 even after suffering cramps. I am always impressed by her, and the fact that she's in her late 50's and running marathons. My in-laws are seriously SO active, golfing, traveling, biking, swimming, taking history courses; I hope Ben and I can be like them when we're that age!
Unfortunately, Peter did not finish the race, as he wasn't feeling well, and then started to cramp badly. He had to make the tough choice to pull off the course, or he knew he would end up in the medical tent. Peter is such a strong athlete, and I commend him for this decision, a lot of people would not have put their health first like he did.
Post marathon, once showers and massages were had, we all headed over to Cambridge near Harvard for a great meal at Grafton Street Pub and Grill. This place was delicious! I had HUGE scallops with butternut squash puree mixed with apples and bacon vinaigrette. So delicious that I gobbled them up before I took a picture.
For dessert, I also had their Gluten Free flowerless chocolate cake, yum! It was so warm and delicious. The hardest part of this gluten free diet for me is giving up a lot of sweets I love (it's also probably good for me too!) so this hit the spot.
I also had my first Gluten Free beer while in Boston, RedBridge, and it was so refreshing. I was a Miller Lite gal pre-celiac, so I don't expect much out of a beer, so maybe to beer snobs they'd hate it, but I loved just being able to have a cold one!
Boston was all in all a great time. Ben's dad kept calling it an "unlivable city" and I'd have to say that I agree. Although a great city, it's set up very goofy, and even with good public transit, it's not a city you can completely go carless in, like New York City. I surely can't wait to visit again though.
Oh, and if you're wondering why Boston is called "Beantown,", here's why.
1 comment:
I'm so jealous of your trip - it sounds like an AWESOME time! And congrats to Rose and Peter for running Bostons' - what an accomplishment! :) Have a great Easter weekend, Alexa!
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