I did manage to get out and buy some new shoes at lunch. I went with a pair of Asics Landreths (sorry Mike). I’m not sure why I bother buying shoes online (unless the store doesn’t have what I want), since the store usually give me a good deal. These were $72, while they’re $81 to $90 at roadrunnersports.com, depending on your membership.
Congrats to everyone that competed yesterday. I’m looking forward to reading some race reports. Of the 10 people I was tracking, everyone had a positive split of 2, 4, 6, 8, 8, 9, 10, 14, 30 and 30 minutes. I do like to go through the results and see the first and second half splits for people. I like to look for people that blew up big-time and those that ran negative splits. I found one guy from Minnesota that ran EXACTLY even splits; 1:28:01/1:28:01. Pretty weird.
I didn’t get to see the race on TV. Hopefully my wife was able to tape the re-broadcast, but I haven’t checked the tape yet. Anyone else think it’s weird that runnersworld.com types their webcast right from what they see on TV? Aren’t they one of the leading magazines covering this sport? Don’t they have some reporters tracking the race themselves?
Nice to see 5 Americans in the top-10. Does that mean "we're back" or does it mean Boston isn't that important to foreigners anymore? Hopefully the former.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
What’s with the people that don’t say “hi” in the hallway at work? It’s not like I work for a major corporation; the company I work for has less than 200 employees. From now on if I say “hi” and don’t get a response, I’m crossing you off my “hi” list. Same goes for runners I see on the street.
How about the people that want to talk business every time you pass them in the hallway? Oh I see; it was so important that it required a random meeting in the hallway to be discussed.
How about the guys at the urinal with both hands in their pockets? Now that’s talent. I didn’t realize taking a piss was so relaxing. Can I get you a pillow?
Is every trip to the Post Office miserable? You couldn’t pay me enough to work in one of their windows. Everyone that works there just looks so worn down. I bet you don’t have to worry about them saying “hi” to one another in the hallway or relaxing at the urinal.
Quote of the day:
“Sweat, pain and exhaustion are all temporary. Finishing Boston is forever. Impossible is Nothing.” adidas poster
Your post had me laughing - specifically the guy at the urinal w/both hands in his pockets....! I also cannot understand why people have such trouble returning something as simple as a smile or a hello.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure how RW did their webcast this year, but if it was like every other year, they were just sitting in the press room, watching it on the TV monitors, which is a different feed from what people see at home. You get much more information than you'd ever get anywhere out on the course, because the cameras allow everyone in the press room to see multiple parts of the course at the same time. Even if you ride the press truck, you only get to watch one race, and you only see the leaders, not anyone who has dropped back.
ReplyDeleteFor example, I was out on the course and I had no idea who won or what times anyone ran until much later. So yes, the press room does separate the reporters from the race, but it allows them to do a better job of covering it.
DGC, what gets me is that there's a guy that will say "hi" one time, then the next day I'll seem him again and he won't say "hi." It's like, make up your mind.
ReplyDeleteAlison, this is one the posts that prompted that part of my post;
"Women In The Last Mile:
We're not getting any info on the men. TV is sticking with the women's race. Prokopcuka might be closing slightly. She's got 3/4 of a mile to give it her everything."
Makes it sound like they're watching the TV coverage and just typing what they see based on that.
Here are some more, I like the last one.
ReplyDelete"Women's 2 Mile:
TV pulled away, so we don't have a good split time. Reiko Tosa, Jelena Prokopcuka, and Zivile Balciunaite are at the front. Balciunaite is a big overstrider; she looks awkward out there. But she has a PR of 2:25:15, so she's legit."
"TV isn't giving us a chance to watch the runners go past the mile marks, so we aren't getting splits. Just heard they ran 5;10 for the second mile, so this is a walk in the park...uh, the New England countryside."
"TV isn't showing us the men at the half marathon."
"TV isn't showing the men's race--maddening."
They've got the international feed in the press room. The only way they can do better is to be in the TV truck, getting the four major shots (two cameras with each race.)
ReplyDeleteOr have their own network of spotters out on the course, and the expense and logistics for that are way out of scale with the task.
What's silly (IMHO) is that they wrote a paragraph like that. Write about what you do know; the jackdaws on the message boards will write about what TV misses.
I wonder how roadrunner sports makes any money, when you can find the same shoes at other stores for 20-30% off what roadrunner sports charges. And don't get me started about on how 90% of the shoes are for "high mileage runners," whatever that means.
ReplyDeleteParker, good point. It's more about what they're saying in the paragraph; it's maddening.
ReplyDeleteBrian, I agree. With the copy that RRS uses, it's amazing they sell any shoes. Everythings says; "Designed for runners with (insert build here), with (insert arch type here) and (insert mileage here)."
Or they list things like ABZORB, Hydroflow, DuoMax, etc. Wow, that tells me a lot. Thank you.
Re: Boston, I always forget how tough that course is- anyone running even or negative splits out there is a monster!
ReplyDeleteGlad the T made it out there.
Your random thoughts are hilarious-you hit on a pet peeve of mine. We call it the "headfake" at work when someone gives the quick head turn & darts their eyes as you pass and say hello- what's up with that?! Courtesy people- get some!
Susan, yeah it was one of my rare runnerSusan-type posts. I can't do that everyday, like you.
ReplyDeleteMike, yeah the shirt is great. I love the material - nice and soft.
As Duncan has mentioned, regarding Boston, some people just have an easier time with the course than others. I guess that's part of the mystique.
uggh I was the 10 huh? Grrr Negative splits next year!
ReplyDeleteI work in an office with 6 people and one of the guys refuses to even acknowledge my presence, it irks me to no end! I have decided though instead of crossing him off my hi list I am overly nice to him. :) Kill em with kindness!