The Beantown Bloggery

As some of you may know, I ran the NYC Marathon last year for charity (here).  One of these days, I aspire to do the Boston Marathon, but the timing is a little bad.  You basically need to train during the winter in order to be ready for April, and I HATE running in the cold.  Anyway, I thought I'd give the first time runners out there some advice:

1.  Get some of those energy gels.  They really do perk you up during the race.
2.  If you have friends that are willing to stand outside and cheer for you, there's nothing like seeing a familiar face out there to give you a little pick me up.
3.  Have a solid plan on how you're getting home afterwards.  The T is going to be PACKED.  And there will most likely be no cabs available.
4.  Pee before the race and stop drinking all that water/gatorade while you're waiting to start.  You really don't want to have to stop in the middle to pee.  Once you've started running, you'll be surprised at how much you'll drink during the race without needing to pee.  It's just waiting beforehand that gets you.
5.  Carbo load the night before.  But not to the point where you're ill.  Speaking of Carbo-loading, I got the following email from The Beehive.   
   
Carbo-Load is All the Buzz At The Beehive
The Beehive in Boston, MA Celebrates Marathon Monday with a Carbo-Load Special

The Beehive invites you to prepare for the Boston Marathon with a special night out. On Sunday, April 15th, 2012 fuel up on carbs at The Beehive’s “Sunday Night Blues Series” featuring an all-star house blues band led by 25-year musical veteran keyboardist and producer, Bruce Bears. Enjoy Executive Chef Rebecca Newell’s carbo-loaded pasta specials such as the delicious Bolognese with Pappardelle ($20), or Whole Wheat Linguine with Clams & Jalapenos. If pasta isn’t enough, add a side of Cheese & Gravy Frites.