Boston Jackets

The jacket of your dreams. Everyone loves the Boston Celebration Jacket, and this year the color scheme is a departure from years past of a variation of blue and yellow. There are a whole bunch of clothes from the Adidas website right now. In coming weeks there will be more and probably some stuff from Nike and New Balance, but the official gear is always fun to see when it's first introduced. I'm not sure I'll actually buy the jacket, because it's a little flashy, and I don't know where I'd wear it. On a run? To the mall? Neither occasion seems appropriate. The only venue I'd wear it would be post marathon and that would just seem like a wedding dress -- wear it once and then it hangs up in the closet. I think I'll stick to the long sleeve shirts and shorts.

I Got a Golden Ticket

I got a golden ticket! I got a golden chance to find my way! 

That song was from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I really didn't find a golden ticket nestled in my Nestle's, but I was accepted into the 116th Boston Marathon. It's official folks. After last year's debacle of a registration that sold out in eight hours, I decided that I really wanted to run this year and have it be my last marathon for a while. The waking up early, the long runs, the injuries, etc, I can do without. So that's why I had to make sure I registered myself this year.

Many months before the process even started, I marked the date I could register on my iPhone calendar and made sure I was notified at least two days before. Also in the preceding days, I checked the Running World Forums to see how the new rules were affecting everyone.

My qualifying marathon was the 2010 Detroit Free Press Marathon with a time of 3:01:45, so I would be able to register with the third group on Friday 16 September. (Those with BQ -20 were allowed to register on Monday, and those with BQ -10 were able to register on Wednesday.) And then Monday (19th) of this week, I received a notification that my $150 dollars were collected by the Boston Athletic Association. So I'm going to Boston!

I already have my hotel reserved using all my Marriott points. I'll be staying here. Now all I need is a flight and I'm all set. I've already invited my parents, so I'm going to make an event out of it.

Logistically, I'm almost set. But I still haven't decided on my goal time. I would say sub three hours, but it's just been too many times, too many heartbreaks. Plus it's seven months away. I have time to decide.

We Meet Again

After a prolonged vacation from posting on this blog that no one but me is allowed to see, I've decided to return to writing. I just moved into Washington, DC, and I don't have a TV so I am going to need something to fill my days. I watched BOTH commentaries for "Inconvenient Truth," y'all! So instead of watching some trash reality TV, I'm going to write this for the universe until I can't stand it anymore then I'll go public.

My first order to duty is to state that I plan on registering for the Boston Marathon on 16 September if the new Wicked Retahded entry process allows for it. I've already purchased my hotel room using Marriott points. I ran Boston in the spring of 2009 and it was a great experience. I had run a few... let's say quaint marathons in the intermittent time, which weren't as fun. So I want to get back to a grand spectacle type racing. Plus the Boston is the most important event in recreational running in America.

In the meantime, I plan to do a few shorter races in preparation, including one that I ran two years ago, Freedom's Run. Shepardstown, WV, really is one of the quaintest (in a good way) cities in the Washington, DC, area (note: this includes cities two hours away). There is even a John Brown Wax Museum for only $7 in the town of Harper's Ferry. John Brown (seen above in daguerreotype) is one of the most controversial characters in American History -- he tried to free the slaves at Harper's Ferry through armed insurrection.

He didn't inspire me to run that particular race. I'm also planning to run the Detroit Turkey Trot when I go home for Thanksgiving. So I'm running the races that I want to run this year. Now I know what I like, and I still have some on the back burner. The Army Ten Miler is definitely NOT THE ONE that I will ever race, so I'm fine with shunning that.

New Boston Rules: Wicked Retahded

The new rules aren't really wicked retahded, I just wanted to use that as a title. Initially I thought the changes that were made to the entry process of the Boston Marathon were fair. After reading about it from a variety of perspectives, I think it's just ok.

Basically the changes make it easier for the faster people (per group) to register. For 2012 the qualifying times remain the same, but people who are faster by 20 minutes, 10 minutes, or five minutes can register before the open registration. This I think is mostly fair because it favors the cream of the crop of runners, and that's what running Boston is all about. Then after reading this blog post, I kind of had second thoughts.

The qualifying standards for Boston heavily favor women. I mean there is a 30 minute different between different genders of the same age. To put it into context, the world record is about 12 minutes apart and the gap between men's and women's times are narrowing. The 30 minute rule was put into effect sometime in the 1970s. Women have become much faster since then as well as opinions about their capabilities. For instance, at some point they thought the women's uterus would fall out if a woman ran a marathon. I don't want to detract from anyone's accomplishments, but I really think that time should be lowered by at least 5 minutes for females in relationship to that of their male counterparts.


For 2013, the times will be lowered by 5:59 across the board. So men ages 18-34 will now have to run 3:05:00 or below instead of 3:10:59 as in previous years. Because for 2011 Boston sold out so quickly, something needed to be done and I appreciate that they are trying to make it more competitive. Maybe my feelings have something to do with me already being eligible to register for 2012. That being said, I might not be able to register if those people who are 20 or 10 minutes faster than I am already register before I get the chance. So my fear is that women who are 18-34 who have an easier qualifying standard register in a larger number.

I guess time will tell if their policy will work for the better. The Boston Athletic Association's goal is to make money, but they also have a legacy to keep intact. And if they piss everyone off, then it's not going to make as much money. I've also noticed that their merchandising is not longer just for those who run the race. The apparel (below) now reads "Boston Marathon Qualifier." That's nice for those who ran a qualifying time, but didn't get in. It's also nice way to get that green.