Boston Marathon training – Week 14

Saw this in Downtown Crossing

So there I was, running along the river on Tuesday, when that dreaded feeling hit me…I needed a bathroom. I wondered, could I hold it? Nope. Could I find someplace on the river to go where no one would see me? Double nope. I took a detour through Beacon Hill and popped into the Starbucks at the bottom (top?) of Charles Street, the one closest to the Common and the Public Garden. And that is twice this week I had to stop for a bio break – on Saturday I stopped at the Holiday Inn on Beacon Street. If you go in the entrance on Beacon Street, you can head straight downstairs and bypass the hotel lobby. Other restrooms of choice that I’ve discovered by trial and error include the Lenox Hotel in Copley and the Whole Foods in Wellesley. Of course there are Starbucks practically everywhere, but I am one of those people who feels bad using their restroom without buying something (though strangely I don’t feel that way about hotel restrooms). Plus it’s always hard to tell if you have to ask the barista for a key. I once had a hare-brained idea that someone should create access to restrooms through a subscription-based program with a code or key card (kind of like city toilets for runners) as well as partnering with local businesses. When you gotta go, you gotta go – do you have any secret ninja places you like to stop?

I also have to share that 10 miles on a weekday is no joke. I try to do my longer weekday run on the day I work from home, and it was just really tough to fit it in.

I lasted 10 minutes in the ice bath this week. I guess the first time (of the season) and the first two minutes are the hardest. After that I was just numb, obvi, and distracted myself with a hot beverage and my phone…Facebook, Instagram, and writing notes for this post. Want to read more about ice baths? I found a few interesting articles:

• 9 tips to survive a cold soak (via runladylike.com)
• 8 ice bath dos and don’ts (via active.com)
• Ice baths for sore muscles can work (via webmd.com)

Total distance covered
31 miles

Donors of the week
Sharon Darak
Sandy and Chris Carlberg
Brittany Martel
Katie Smith