Ahhhh, it’s that time of year again, when people enjoy a uniquely Massachusetts (and Maine!) holiday off of work, and either run 26.2 miles through the suburbs of Boston or drink an unreasonable amount of beer while cheering on the former group from the sidelines. Myself, I’m aiming to be a satellite member of the latter group, watching the runners and the drinkers from the comfort of the sidewalk in Brookline’s Washington Square. This will be the fourth year of watching the Marathon for me; three years ago, I happened to be here scouting out places to live on Marathon Monday and watched the runners as they made their final turn onto Boylston Street, and for the past two years I’ve retired to the much less crowded spot in Washington Square. It’s always a bit inspiring to see people twice my age jaunt by with a smile on their faces and energy left for the last three miles (but let’s be clear, I’ve never been so inspired as to feel that a 26.2 mile jog would be anything but sheer torture for me!). I’d love to be able to cheer on a few runners I know (or, since I’ll be at mile 23, I’d love to help resuscitate them when they collapse on the pavement after having recently crested the famous Heartbreak Hill!), but the official Boston Marathon site — the only place to find out bib numbers and keep track of a runner’s progress — has been horked all morning. Hopefully, it’ll come back up in time for me to get the info I need and wander up to Washington Square in time to see the elite runners come through!