Boston 2007: you've got mail!

Just got my 111th Boston packet in the mail! Right on schedule, hopefully the same for the 23,000 other entrants.

OK, that won't be the 111th for me, just the 4th. In what became a tradition since I qualified in 2000, the family and I are flying there every other year, taking the opportunity to visit the Paradis, dear friends living in Andover, MA.

André, Ann and Steve Paradis, with my sons Max, Greg and Alex after the 2005 finish

So, after 111 years, what's different this year?

• First, the start time. 10am instead of noon. I already met quite a few people who like this time much better. Personally, coming from the West Coast, I thought noon helped handling jet lag and decreasing the rush to the start, especially as this is a point to point course, so getting to the start is logistically challenging. However, an earlier start makes a lot of sense for slower runners, and will allow race management to close the course by 4:30 pm in Boston. I though the change was also to minimize the confusion with the Red Sox' Patriot Day game, but not at all since the game, traditinally held in the morning, will only start one hour earlier.
• Second, a 2-wave staged start. The elite women will still start 30 minutes ahead of the elite men, a 2005 rule to avoid a potential pacing of them by "slower elite" guys. In addition, the rest of the pack will start in two waves. One at 10am (bibs up to 9,999), the other one at 10:30 for the bibs 10,000 and above.
  

So, please, be on time, and see you there if you managed to qualify and afford the dream of running this legendary marathon!

I'll be there with my friend Bob McDonald, my biweekly "speed co-worker" (Homestead high school, in Cupertino CA, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:45 am, everybody's welcome!). I also hope to catch up with Scott Dunlap as this will be our first race in common this year.

Bob paced me at my first 50-miler (Fire Trails)

And Bob and I will miss Leo Alapont, who was used to run with us on the track bi-weekly as well, but moved to Eugene, OR, last year, took a new job, and didn't put enough training to come to Boston again this year. Fortunately, he has many years ahead of him to catch up!

Leo at the 2005 finish

By the way, since I just completed a 50-miler as a long run and am more thinking of ultras this season, including Western States in June, I don't dream of getting back on the podium like in 2005 (top 10 Masters), but who knows what farther and faster leads you to... ;-)

The 2005 Masters podium: blurry, but the red spot, that's me!

Farther and faster,

Jean.