Boilermaker II

I promised a second post about the Boilermaker, so here it is.

I had run the Boilermaker once and felt that was enough, but it did not work out that way. Cindy, a friend and co-worker of my sister, had run the Boilermaker in the past and was inspired by my feat (and my feet) to start running again. She declared that we would run it together. How could I refuse?

As it turned out, when it came closer to the day, my would-be running partner decided she had not trained hard enough and would wisely sit out. But her boyfriend, Dave, was registered and ready for what Cindy called the Boilermaker Experience.

See, Dave is a serious runner. He runs to run. I know a lot of people run the Boilermaker to improve their time. They are more concerned about the athletic aspects of the event. I am more concerned about the fun aspects of the event. In the first place, the sheer number of runners makes running your best race difficult. I hesitated about running the Boilermaker for a long time, because running in the midst of that mass of humanity did not look that fun to me. I’m glad I eventually ran it, though, because it is, in fact, a great deal of fun. All those runners may make it difficult to set your own pace, but it is a great bunch of people out to have a good time. You can’t help but appreciate being part of something so big.

I daresay I could run a better time if I did not wave back to the people who encouraged me, call out remarks about the more amusing signs, and in general enjoy the scene. This is what Cindy meant when she spoke of the Boilermaker Experience. My assignment was to make sure Dave 1) sang along with a band, 2) ate a popsicle, and 3) high-fived a a kid.

I made sure Dave did all three. He even had to back track a few steps to high five a couple of kids. He told me he enjoyed it very much. In return, Dave made my Boilermaker experience a little easier. He drove us there and knew a good place to park, and he got us through the crowd so we got our lunch and beer, which I did not do on my first Boilermaker. Cindy and some members of my family found a great place to sit and be spectators. I even got to pause for a quick kiss with my hubby, which is a thing I saw a lady do the year before and was quite envious.

I should mention, too, that the Boilermaker offers a full weekend of entertainment. Friday featured an expo, where racers can pick up their packets and a number of goodies donated by local businesses. My first year all I did was pick up my packet and find the Information Booth for more details of exactly where to go on Sunday. The second year I was able to take a little more time to walk around the booths. All sorts of businesses and non-profits turn out. Saturday offers a walk and a pasta dinner.

You can find out all about the Boilermaker on the Utica Roadrunners website: http://www.uticaroadrunners.org. I encourage everyone to come out and watch or run. Next time I hope to be there myself.