Mile 6 to Mile 7
You are now running through Framingham which is the home of Staples my current employer. As you start this mile you will find that you are actually heading downhill. Look for the Framingham Train Station on your left about 2/10 of a mile past the 6 mile marker. H. H. Richardson who designed Trinity Church in Boston designed nine stations for the Boston & Albany Railroad line. The Framingham Railroad Station you are running by is one of the largest of these stations. The building is a long, one-story rectangular structure in Richardson's typical Romanesque style. The building was completed in 1885 and served as the Framingham station for many years.
I always look for my favorite chicken wing joint along this stretch. It is called the Chicken Bone and marks the halfway point of this nice, flat mile. The Bone was voted the best chicken wings in Boston this year. My favorite flavored wings at the Bone are the Phantom Gourmet wings which are a combination of the traditional Buffalo sauce and the Roman (garlic and parmesan). Now that is tasty! Don't stop in for wings as they will not sit too well for the next 20 miles or so. But, check the joint out if you have the time before or after the race.
As I said, the course here is really flat. In 2009, it took everything I had to not increase my pace through this mile. Keep in mind that Boston is not a marathon course where you can “bank” minutes. This is because the second half of the race is so tough. So, listen to the experts like I did and stay on plan.
Mile 7 to Mile 8
As you cross the 7 mile marker you are about to leave Framingham and head into Natick. Natick is home to the TJX Companies. In case you don't know, the TJX Companies is the leading off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions in the U.S. and worldwide, ranking 119 in the most recent Fortune 500 listings. TJX operates four major divisions with chains that include T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods in the U.S.; Winners, HomeSense, and Marshalls in Canada; and T.K. Maxx and HomeSense in Europe. Staples in Framingham and TJX in Natick employ thousands of people here in Metrowest Boston.
There really isn't a lot to see along this mile. You will pass one of the better Mexican restaurants in the Metrowest area - The Aztec. While I like the food here and at Acapulco's in Framingham, it just does not live up to the great Mexican food I used to get in Texas or California. But, you have to make due when you live in New England. Once you pass The Aztec look for the Natick Train Station as it sits just before the 8 mile mark.
Mile 8 to Mile 9
After passing the Natick Train station you will start a slight climb past some office buildings, a very large Planet Fitness gym and a car dealership. Right before you reach Speen Street, you will pass The Henry Wilson Shoe Shop which is an historic "ten footer building". A ten footer was a small backyard shop structure built in the 18th and 19th centuries in New England to serve as a shoemaker's shop. The name came from the fact that it was usually 10 feet by 10 feet in area. The ten footers were forerunners of the large shoe factories that developed in New England later in the 19th century. Built in the 1850s, it was the shoe shop of Henry Wilson, a Senator from Massachusetts and the eighteenth Vice President of the United States. He was a leader in the local and national abolitionist movement, a U.S. Senator, campaign manager for Abraham Lincoln and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Military Affairs throughout the Civil War. His last public office was as Ulysses S. Grant's Vice President. Wilson died in office in November 1875 and was buried in Natick.
As you approach Speen Street, there is another minor uphill. Don't worry about these inclines through this stretch. They are really nothing. Overall this section of the marathon course is flat. Look for the Natick VFW sign on your left, it sits right near the 9 mile mark. Once you pass the 9 mile mark you are heading into the Henry Wilson Historic District of Natick.
Mile 9 to Mile 10
You will find this mile is really a very quiet one. Due to the fact that you have MBTA train tracks on your left and Lake Cochichuate on your right, there is really not much room for spectators. I remember thinking where are the huge crowds I heard about. I shrugged it off knowing it was just an abberation. Due to the pancake flat elevation, I found that this mile went by really quickly. When you hit the 15K mark you will enter the Henry Wilson Historic District in Natick. This route features many beautiful Victorian houses built when Natick reached its zenith as a shoe manufacturing center in the 19th century. It is quaint and a nice respite from the commercial zones you have run through in Framingham and West Natick. As you finish this mile, you head into beautiful downtown Natick.
Mile 10 to Mile 11
If the last mile was quiet, the next one is very loud. You will find great crowds in Natick Center. You will be running past the fire department, municipal buildings and the First Congregational Church with its tall steeple on your left. The earliest Congregational Church in Natick was founded in 1651 by John Eliot and served the Natick Praying Indians, who were settled in what is now South Natick. After the retirement in 1799 of Rev. Stephen Badger, last pastor to the Praying Indians, a new First Congregational Church was organized to the north in 1802, with construction of a meeting house having already been started in 1799, in what is now the center of Natick. The original church burnt down in 1874. The church you see now was built in 1875-1880 and attributed to J.B. Goodall, is an example of High Victorian Gothic, with a distinctive polychromatic steeple.
In the center of Natick there is a large green with a gazebo on your right. I remember it being packed with onlookers and marathon fans. You will definitely see lots of cheering people here. I have to say a slid over to the right along this section and gave a lot of the kids out watching the race a high five. It was really a lot of fun. I remember feeling really good here. If you went out too fast and are not feeling great, drop you pace down a bit here and try to recover a bit. There is some tough running ahead.
Eleven miles down and only 15.2 to go. Up ahead is the noisiest spot on the marathon course and the half way point. If you stuck to your plan, you should be feeling really strong through this section. I remember thinking how great I felt and had already covered 11 miles. Some of that could have been the euphoria of being in the granddaddy of all marathons and some of it could have been my training. Regardless, I kept on truckin' as the Grateful Dead would sing in my headphones. I will post about the next 5 miles in two weeks.
Feb. 6 – 8.10 miles (1:18:17; 9:40 pace)
Feb. 7 – 3.20 miles (24:44, 7:44 pace) – Speed WorkFeb. 9 – 8.20 miles (1:05:32, 7:59 pace) – Tempo Run
Feb. 10 – 8.20 miles (1:17:24; 9:27 pace)
Feb. 11 – 7.20 miles (1:07:31, 9:23 pace)
Feb. 12 – 15.10 miles (2:35:59, 10:20 pace)
Feb. 13 – 6.10 miles (58:18; 9:34 pace)
Feb. 14– 3.20 miles (24:55, 7:47 pace) – Speed Work
Feb. 16 – 8.20 miles (1:05:33, 7:59 pace) – Tempo Run
Feb. 17 – 6.10 miles (56:43, 9:18 pace)
Feb. 18 – 10.20 miles (1:32:37, 9:05 pace)
Feb. 19 – 10.10 miles (1:29:46, 8:53 pace)
Total Miles: 94.0 miles
2012 YTD Miles: 306.5 miles
