NRR: Boston gives me all the feels

A visual recap to Boston that has a smidge to do with the marathon and a lot to do with how I started out year #35.

Adam and I had an early flight on Friday, my birthday. I had petit fours and coffee at 4a.m.

 Then a beer and coffee at 8 a.m. once we were at 30,000 feet.

 Our Airbnb was awesome and our host left pasta and gels knowing I was racing Monday.

I went for a shakeout run along the Charles River. 

 Then we headed to Boylston for finish line pictures.

 A giant plate of nachos.

 And to packet pick-up!

 Going on Friday afternoon has its benefits as I was able to walk right up to the Sam Adam's booth!

 All that expo-ing wore me out so we hit up 7-11 for some slurpees. It was BOGO!

I needed a nap and then I bounced back with a Boston Creme donut.

Age is just a number kids....

A trip to Star Market for some provisions.

 Then I asked this bike taxi for a selfie.

A little FaceTime with my favorite nephew.

 An onto dinner where I consumed tater tots smothered in caramel, peanut butter, bacon, bananas, and cheese. Heaven exists y'all.

Erin made it for a little carbo loading.

And then it was time to hit the sack for our 5K in the morning.

Erin, Adam, and I headed to the 5K and Erin and I did a 2 mile shakeout together. We met up with Bangle and then got ready to run.

Adam gave it every ounce of his body.

 And he got to finish with a little extra help.

We all comiserated over bad races and Adam felt better with food and rest. Erin hung out with us for a bit and then headed home. Bangle, Adam, and I eventually made our way to Cambridge Brewing Co. for dinner. I wore my #teamgwen shirt and tried to capture her surprise.

Jamie joined cause it's tradition and the 5 of us enjoyed a brisk Boston evening.

Then it was onto Pour House for a nightcap and a Mark Remy meetup. Gwen showed us her amazing Jersey driving skills and we all appreciated the curbside service after a long day.

I woke up and did a 20 minute run that was terrible. I felt awful and my mind was still on Adam's race. I took a fake smiley picture. 

And then a real feel. Because sometimes even QC's world can get a little rocky.

But I vented and wrote and slowly felt better. By the time we were headed to Fenway, I was ready for more fun. Bangle, Adam, and I saw a great game in shaded seats on a gorgeous day. I had a beer and a hotdog as my winning pre-race lunch.

Then it was onto Gwen's Airbnb for pasta with her family and a guest appearance by Jay. We talked running and Spartan races and tried to figure out who was most insane.

The evening ended early so we could all try to sleep. I laid out my flat girl and set the alarm.

I rode the bus to Hopkinton and made a friend to chat with while en route. We parted ways at the Village and soon I met up with Matt, Jamie, Eric, and Bangle.

The red bib kids took off and then Gwen arrived along with 2 of Brad' s friends.

THEN I RAN THE BOSTON MARATHON.

See my previous blog if you want race details.

The after party begun when Brad arrived to the AirBnB. We went across the street to have dinner and were joined by Matt and Shanda.

Matt had to make his way back as he had to catch an early flight, but Shanda, Brad, and Gwen came over for beers.

 It was an early night after a long day and I slept very well. We had tickets for the Sam Adams brewery tour in the morning and met Brad, Gwen, and Nicole for an a.m. beer tasting.

We had lunch at Doyle's and sopped up beer with overpriced lobster rolls. Then we bid adieu to Gwen and the boys took naps.

I took a walk over to Boylston and ended up standing in line to have my jacket embroidered with my finishing time. Luckily the guys were still zonked when I got back and we watched TV until it was time for the Last Supper with Brad.

 I walked him to the subway station and took the long way home for a little personal reflection on the weekend while the sun set among the brownstones.

On Wednesday, I went back to the Charles River for a run. My legs were a bit stiff, but warmed up enough to let me run 5 miles. The morning was stunning.

Our final meal was at The Friendly Toast where I had a French toast donut with sausage, egg, and cheese.

Before our flight, we wandered around the Boston Public Library, taking in the odd mix of very historical and very modern.

I felt at ease when I left. Happy that it was perfectly unperfect. Happy that it holds dear memories. Happy to have the opportunity to return to make more.