RUNNING BOSTON (and 3)

May 13: my second birthday in Boston. I’ve got up at 6.00 a.m. and I‘ve had breakfast. Then I’ve done my homework and I’ve gone to the Academy. As daily, I’ve been learning English for six hours there, and afterwards I’ve come back home. My knowledge is going up and I am satisfied with my improvement. It is tiring to have to think and speak the whole day in a language which is not yours. However, I’m convinced that is the best form to learn any language: a total immersion in the language you want to learn. And yet, you have never the warranty you’ll be able to domain it. Although when I got home daily I feel tired, after resting a bit I can do anything. I go sometimes to run, but we have today guests for dinner. Accompanied by our best friends in Boston, we are going to have something out.

I ran yesterday. I decided to go to the Bunker Hill Obelisk and follow a track of the Freedom Trail, a 2.5 miles touristic route through Boston that leads to 17 significant historic sites. Places such as Paul Revere’s House, USS Constitution, Bunker Hill Monument, Old State House, etc. that are related with the revolution and independence of the United States in late eighteenth century. I done my usual previous preparation, and afterwards I started running towards Harvard Bridge. I crossed it and turned right in front MIT following the path next the Memorial Drive. I went down the Charles River and passed under the Longfellow Bridge. It took its name of the well-known Portland nineteenth century poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. One of his poems was “Paul Revere’s Ride”, a poetic version about the pre-war actions of one of the most popular local heroes against the British. Paul Revere was a patriot who rode speedy his horse to warn the colonists about the positions and movements of the British troops. He’s an icon in Boston. The subway red line crosses the river over this bridge in its way to Harvard Square. (Subway is also known in the Town of the Hill as ‘T’.) This zone is not pleasant for running because of the traffic, noise and pollution. While I was running, I realized the atmosphere was not the best. However, I decided not to change the way. I had my target in the obelisk of Bunker Hill, and I wasn’t going to stop.

I was running in the middle of an industrial area along Edwin Herbert Land Boulevard. Land was a scientist and inventor who cofounded Polaroid Corporation, the company who launched the instant photo cameras in the late 40s. In my route to Charlestown, where the monument is located, I crossed the John F. Gilmore Bridge. A bridge with the name of an important financial businessman sited over an industrial estate. It’s curious how they put names to the bridges. After crossing the bridge, I entered to Charlestown, a beautiful quiet residential neighborhood north of Boston. I went straight along Austin St. and Green St., then High St., and finally Concord St. I had in front the famous Bunker Hill Monument. The 221-feet granite obelisk has stairs inside and you can go up the 294 steps to the top. Last year, I climbed in 2’36”. It was erected to commemorate one of the most important battles against the British in the early American Revolutionary War. It happened in June, 17, 1775, and though it was actually in the adjacent Breed’s Hill, is known as Battle of Bunker Hill. Despite the American colonists lost the battle, they were able to cause serious damages to the British. It can be said they began to believe in that moment the final victory was not a dream. Therefore this event is so important in the history of the States. I stopped running, and I was reading brief historical reports for a while. I remembered when I did the visit accompanied of my wife. We walked the whole Freedom Trail. It had to be attractive, otherwise she wouldn’t come.

I left Monument Square towards south crossing High St., and I found the line which marks the Freedom Trail on the sidewalk. I decided to follow it to Winthrop Park, where the Soldiers Monument is, Winthrop St. down, Main St. and City Park. From there inbound, I ran along North Washington St. to pass over Charlestown Bridge. Many cars were being driven across the bridge, and the contact between their tires and the metal of the bridge surface produced a very peculiar sound. I would like to say something about my left leg, but I promised it not to talk about its situation. It told me, “Have I complained about my pain?” and continued, “Have you had to stop running?” It was right, no doubt. So I accepted not to say anything about.

At the end of the bridge, I turned right on the Causeway St., and I was be able to see the TD Garden on the right, the multi-purpose arena that is shared by the mythical basketball team Boston Celtics and the ice hockey team Bruins. When I was a child, I was supporter of the Lakers. It was a trend in my country. Afterwards, I discovered that I had so much to learn! I had left the Freedom Trail line some minutes ago, and I looked now for the Boston Common from Staniford St. I ran through Temple St., Derne St. and Bowdoin St. When I arrived at Beacon St., I was already in the top of the hill with the State House at my back and the Boston Common in front of me. I crossed the Park and the Public Garden as well, and I passed by front of Cheers’, the pub where was inspired the world-known television series. I went along Commonwealth Avenue until Clarendon St., where I turned left and ran through Copley Square to Huntington Av. The Boston Public Library ─which we are going to visit in a couple of hours─ was on the right. I’ve talked about this library in the other articles of this series. In two minutes, I got home.

The training was almost 7 miles in about 50 minutes. That is 7’19” per mile. I achieved a good pace following the Freedom Trail. I love doing running sightseeing.