Week 3 continued and a little of Week 4: Boston!

July 17-July 20

Friday: 7 miles on the Charles River Walk
Start Time: 8:00 am
Starting Temperature: 64 degrees
Post-run fuel:  Hostel breakfast of toast, peanut butter, bagel, cream cheese, yogurt, oatmeal, and coffee.
Notes: I like cities because they frequently follow a grid system. This means I can be dropped randomly in any part of the city and still have some idea where I'm going. When I moved from Suburbs, Long Island to Phoenix, my sense of direction improved greatly (don't verify this with my husband...). Boston, it seems, is not one of these cities. So, when I planned out a route on g-map-pedometer, I was setting myself up for failure an adventure.

Don't believe me? Please look below at my route in BLUE. I meticulously plotted out a route that would go near the Charles River Walk, Fenway Park, and the Emerald Necklace (a popular trail in Boston that is part of Boston's Half Marathon course). I planned to end my route at a T station that would get me back to the hostel.

If you look at my route in RED, you will see where I actually went. I stayed on course for a magical half mile. Look at all these photos I took while I was on course!

 
Then I did nothing else that I planned. I made it to the Charles River and got lost and more lost. I stopped and looked at my map several times but couldn't really figure out where I was because Boston's roads go in every freaking direction. So, I got a photo of Fenway from the wrong side of a big freeway and turned around. Then I went round and round in circles a trapezoidal-type pattern until I got in my 7 miles before the end of the run.

All this was okay because I got in my weekend run on Friday, which meant I could relax for my cousin's wedding weekend. I would give this another try on Monday.

And now for something completely different...

Crazy Jenga-ing at a Boston park for grown-ups

     Cousins!

Monday: 6 mile run to Fenway and 2nd (failed) attempt on the Emerald Necklace
Start Time: 7:30 am

Starting Temperature: 82 degrees
Post-run fuel: More hostel breakfast, yum!
Notes: Craig and I ran together for a mini-tour. Once again, we didn't follow the pre-planned route AT ALL, but this was okay because there is a neat little park that follows Commonwealth Avenue.  We made it to our points of interest: the Boston Marathon finish line and Fenway Park.

After that Craig headed back and I continued on my own with my second attempt of the Emerald Necklace. 

There was a sign RIGHT there!

One of my cousins had explained that Boston summers are filled with construction. I verified this on Monday's run. My intention was to run a total of 6 miles and finish at a nearby T station to take back to the hostel. Good news: I made it to a T and am not forever lost in Boston. Bad news: I lasted about a quarter mile on the Emerald Necklace before getting confused by construction and passing by the path.

I found the trail on my way back. Too late.

Once again, I ran some loops to get my distance in and finished at the Fenway T station, which (SURPRISE) was also under construction.

Okay. But I didn't bring my rappelling gear.

It took me about 10 minutes just to figure out how to get to the station. Upon leaving Boston, I feel disappointed that I didn't get to run all the routes that I found. To hell with touristy sight-seeing. I want running tours!

Blue = planned route
Red = real-life route

Epilogue:
I showered and changed after my run and left the hostel room, which I was sharing with FIVE men. I returned to the room later and was immediately overwhelmed with the smell of a locker room. Ugh! I wish I could blame any one of the men in that room But, alas, it was stinky old me. Or rather it was two sets of my sweaty running clothes stuffed into a bag in a poorly ventilated room during a humid Boston July. My apologies to the kind Japanese men and Scottish men and men named Craig. I promise not all American hostels are this foul.

Total Marathon Miles: 88