Boston Marathon 2025: Smiling all the way

I just completed my 5th Boston Marathon in Boston! (I have to say "in Boston" because I also ran the virtual marathon in 2020 which was not physically in Boston). Previous races were 2016, 2018, 2022, and 2024. 

I started a tradition of doing the even years even though I have qualified every year since 2018. But last year's race was so exhilarating that I didn't want to skip a year before returning. One of the reasons why I initially didn't want to run Boston every year was to have the opportunity to experience other spring marathons. So I ran the One City Marathon in early March for a PR, and Boston for fun. 

Background
Two weeks after One City, I ran the NYC Half marathon. This was also "for fun" and not for time because I knew I wasn't fully recovered from One City. I'm glad I did it, but running 13.1 miles on hills so soon after a PR marathon meant a prolonged recovery.  It took me two additional weeks to feel like I was back to 100% - which is four weeks total.

That left me with only 3 weeks left until Boston. My original plan had me running 16-18 miles three weeks out and 18-19 miles two weeks out. But neither of those runs happened. I maxed out at 13.1. Both weekends were warm, humid, and windy, and I felt zonked. Plus my hamstring was flaring up. I briefly considered not running Boston given my lack of preparation and hamstring, but ultimately I decided to go for it and hope for the best. 

My original goal had been to set a course PR (sub 3:24), but based on how the seven weeks between the two marathons went, I thought that would be a real stretch. The day before the race I settled on sub-3:30 as a realistic time goal, but the priority was still to have fun and finish healthy. 

Race Weekend
We arrived on Saturday morning , met up with friends for lunch, and then went to the expo to pick up my bib. We normally fly in on Friday afternoon, but this year with the house move we planned for only three nights. As a result, packet pickup was much more crowded than normal, and I didn't even attempt to shop at the expo. Then we went to the finish line where we met up with more friends. 

One of the things that makes Boston so special is not the race itself, but the weekend leading up to the race. I have so many friends that run this race and it's a great opportunity to see everyone and soak in all the hype. 

On Sunday morning I did a 2.5-mile shakeout run with some friends I know from Instagram and also a young woman named Cera, who I had met in 2017 on an Alaskan running cruise. After the shakeout run, I hung out with my friends for a bit, showered and then met up with another Instagram friend for lunch. I had started interacting with her on Instagram in 2017 and this was my first time meeting her in person. 

To get to our dinner restaurant, we walked through the convention center. It was 5:00 on Sunday evening and the expo hall was still open and not crowded. Because we didn't walk around the expo on Saturday, we stopped in to see if there was any gear left in my size. And there was! I bought a pair of leggings and a long-sleeved t-shirt with a unicorn on it. 

For dinner it was just Greg and me, and I had the same meal from the same restaurant that I ate at in 2024. My standard pre-race dinner is chicken parm, no cheese. After that, it was time to head back to the hotel and get some sleep. 

Throughout the weekend I made sure to hydrate, knowing that it would be a sunny day and warmer than ideal. I also did way more walking than I should have for the days before a marathon, but I didn't go to Boston to hang out in my hotel room so it was worth it. 

We stayed at the Colonnade Hotel, which is very close to the finish line and expo. I slept better than I usually do in hotel rooms and I found the bed + pillows to be quite comfortable. 

Before the Race
I woke up naturally at around 4:15 and hung out in bed until around 5:15. I am normally never hungry until around 8:00, so I didn't eat very much. I had half of a banana and about 4 almond butter pretzels at around 6:00. I got dressed, and Greg wrote "Elizabeth Clor" on my back so that people running behind me would know it was me, from Instagram! The night before I had written an elevation "cheat sheet" on my arm so I would know when to expect hills. 

Normally when I race, no matter if it's a 5K, 10K, or marathon, I wake up with nervous jitters that make me need to go to the bathroom. But because I had such a casual attitude about this race, I didn't have to use the bathroom immediately. After I ate my small snack, that got things going somewhat, but I was worried that I didn't have my normal "intestinal cleanse". I tried thinking about my pacing strategy and visualizing myself in the race to induce that kind of nervousness, but it didn't come. 

As I said above, so much of Boston is about the weekend itself and everything that happens before you even line up at the start. I almost felt like I had come for the party, and the race was just the thing everyone did on Monday as the final celebratory step. So I wasn't nervous or anxious at all, and in retrospect, some pre-race jitters would have served me well!

We left our hotel at 6:40 and met up with my friend Cera at 7:00. Our bus would begin loading at 7:30, so we wanted to be there in plenty of time. Cera and I met up with my friend Caroline and her friend Danielle + a woman named Sarah. We now had five people in our group. Then, a young woman approached Cera saying "hey - I ran with you at Erie" and both of them were so excited. Now we had a group of six. Then another woman named Morgan asked if she could join our group and of course we said yes. From there, we were a solid group of seven and we would spend the next two hours together. 

I said goodbye to Greg and he headed towards the commuter train which would bring him all the way out to the 10K point in Framingham. 

Bus + Athlete's Village
The bus ride was epic. The seven of us gathered in the back of the bus and the bus took off. Our driver had NPR news blaring and we wanted music. So we all started singing and finally the bus driver got the message that we wanted music and not political radio. This is really the essence of the Boston Marathon - you meet so many amazing people and form instant friendships. During the bus ride I had a mini bagel and a good amount of almond butter filled pretzels - I would say around 20. I also sipped my water + Skratch Labs hydration. 

We got off the bus and headed into Athlete's village, straight towards the porta potty lines. I was really hoping that I would be able to use the bathroom significantly, but I had no luck. The seven of us then found a spot to sit down. It was so much fun being part of such a lively group of women, many of whom were running their first Boston. I applied sunscreen and did some light hamstring stretches. I fiddled with my shoelaces until I found the perfect amount of tightness. I tried going to the bathroom again right before our wave was called but no luck. I didn't feel like I had to use the bathroom, but usually I have a much more significant clean-out pre-race.

Our group finally split up as our wave was called to the starting corrals. We walked about 3/4 of a mile and the vibe was so strong! I stayed with Cera who was the only one in our group who was in corral 5. It was sunny and around 55 degrees. According the forecast it wasn't supposed to rise above 60, but I am pretty sure it did. 

There was not a cloud in the sky, the temperature ranged from 55-62, and we had some light winds as we headed into Boston. I give this a 6 out of 10 on my personal race weather scale. I'm thankful that it wasn't humid and that it wasn't quite as hot as last year. I'm also thankful that it wasn't raining because that makes Athlete's village miserable. But, the sun got me quite a bit. I felt hot throughout most of the race and despite my best sunscreening efforts, my neck and right arm still burned. This was excellent spectating weather!

As we approached the corrals, I knew there was one final chance to use the bathroom. I didn't take it because I didn't feel like I needed to go. But once we passed the porta potties, I started feeling like maybe I should have tried. About 20 minutes before the race started I had a UCAN gel. I like having a UCAN gel before I start running because it's a slow-release, long lasting steady energy supply.

Miles 1-6
Cera had expressed a desire to run with me, but I knew she would be faster than me. We stayed together for the first mile and then I hung back. My mantra for these miles was "just chill". I decided that my goal would be to run at what felt like easy-medium effort with the goal of feeling better than ever during that last 10K. I was going to be super conservative. With a marathon pace of 7:22 just seven weeks ago on a flat course, I felt like I was really holding back running around 7:45-8:00 downhill. 

Lots of runners passed me and I was totally fine with that. I had my plan. I wasn't going to try and hit any particular paces, I was just going to chill out and relax. I focused on everything that was happening around me, not the pace on my watch. I carried a bottle of water mixed with Skratch labs hydration mix. I used this same mixture for my last Boston on a hot day and it worked really well. I still stopped at the water stations to pour water over my head and on my chest. I felt hot right from the start, and I hoped it wouldn't continue to get warmer. 

Having my name on my back was awesome. So many of the passing runners told me that they followed me on Instagram and that they loved my content. It was so amazing and so rewarding. I work hard every day to post something on Instagram that I think will be encouraging, informative, or entertaining. Even though my posts receive a large amount of comments and likes, it's not the same as having people in "real life" approach me and tell me that my content has made a difference in their lives, or that they appreciate what I do. 

One of my followers even made a sign for me at mile four. They sent me DM and told me to be on the lookout and I was!

I had my first Maurten gel 40 minutes into the race. It went down easily and I was feeling good. I experienced little hints of hamstring tightness here and there but for the most part, it was fine.

Mile 1: 7:50
Mile 2: 7:44
Mile 3: 7:46
Mile 4: 7:54

Mile 5: 8:02

Mile 6: 7:50

These first six miles were executed exactly to plan. They were mostly downhill miles so they had a "real feel" of around 8:10-8:20, which is within my easy range. I didn't display heart rate on my watch during the run, but looking back at it now, it was about 10 BPM higher than normal for these paces on downhills. I attribute that to the heat and to the fact that I was running later in the day than normal. 

Miles 7-11
I knew exactly where to look for Greg. He would be right around the 10K mark in Framingham. Last year he got an epic photo of me from that location and we tried to recreate it. I spotted him in his bright jacket before he spotted me. Even though I tried to perfectly position myself for the photo and not have anyone
directly in front of me, it didn't work out. There were too many people between his camera and me and only two seconds of an un-obstructed view. It's unfortunate because the MarathonFoto pictures lately have

used some weird filters and do not look natural. Regardless, seeing Greg out there supporting me was still the main highlight of the day!

I found myself naturally slowing down a bit over the next few miles. These miles featured rolling hills and there wasn't as much downhill as the first 10K, so I figured everything was fine. Until - it wasn't. Suddenly during the 11th mile I started feeling really bad. My legs were okay but I felt tired and generally not good. Then came the stomach cramp and then I realized that I needed a bathroom ASAP! I had almost no warning.

Thankfully the Boston course has frequent porta potties, so I stopped at my next opportunity which was a few minutes later. Unfortunately, someone was already waiting in line. UGH. I briefly considered running to the next porta potty to avoid having to wait, but the situation was too dire. Finally it was my turn and it was a huge relief. I lost even more time because I couldn't get the toilet paper off the roll. I had to open the second roll, and then find where to tear it. This whole episode cost me a little over 3 minutes. Not the end of the world, but also not great. 

When I exited the porta potty, the course was mostly empty. It was like being in the twilight zone. Where had all the runners gone? I realized that the rest of wave 2 must have pulled ahead and this was the empty space between waves 2 and 3. It was cool to have so much space, but it didn't feel like the Boston

Wellesley: few runners around!

Marathon at that moment! I ended up spending the next 10 miles in the most un-crowded Boston I have ever experienced. 

Mile 12 was the famous Wellesley scream tunnel. According to tradition, you are supposed to kiss a Wellesley girl. I did not do that, but I kept blowing kisses all the way through. Plus, I was the only person they had to cheer for because the course was so empty! I felt like such an elite!!! This was definitely one of my favorite moments- having all of those people screaming and cheering and me being one of the only runners. 

Mile 7: 7:44
Mile 8: 8:08
Mile 9: 8:00 
Mile 10: 8:10
Mile 11: 8:23 

Mile 12: 11:24 (OUCH)

As you can see from these splits, everything was fine until mile 11 when I started cramping, and then I had to stop during mile 12. 

Miles 13-19
I was optimistic that my bathroom stop would mean a fresh re-boot for me. I could continue on at my 8:00 pace and potentially run around 3:30. I did feel much better and I made sure to drink plenty of Gatorade on course to replenish my electrolytes. I had already finished my own bottle by that point. I crossed the halfway mark just before 1:48:55, which put me on track for just under 3:38. Not the time I had been hoping for - but hey- maybe I could negative split by avoiding the bathroom in the second half!

The next few miles were encouraging. My spirits were high and I remained relaxed, reminding myself that I needed to save some energy for the hills. Miles 13 and 14 were 8:09 and 7:56 so I had every reason to believe that I could finish strong. My hamstring was holding up and I was feeling good. 

I continued happily along, smiling all the way. Runners continued to come up from behind me and tell me that they followed me on Instagram. Even spectators cheered for me by name and yelled out that they liked my Instagram! Wow- what an incredible feeling. I continued running strong for miles 15 and 16 (8:12 and 7:55). But then the Newton hills came. The real work of Boston. 

I felt like I had plenty of pep and energy. All of my gels had gone down well, so it seemed like my digestive distress was behind me. Fueling can be challenging for me during a marathon, so the fact that I didn't feel nauseous was a good sign. It also meant that I wasn't racing at full effort, because it's that all-out effort which creates the urge to vomit. 

About those hills. . . they were hard. I slowed down on them but not to a huge extent. I increased my effort level and managed to get up the first two in good shape. Miles 17 and 18 were 8:27 and 8:23. If all went well I could still actually negative split! I was somewhat encouraged, but then the hills just kept coming. 

I saw my friend Shana cheering for me during mile 18, which was a huge pick me up (she was the person I had lunch with on Saturday). I was running strong and I felt good so I wanted to show that. I think I had caught up to some of the wave 2 people by this point but the road was still relatively empty compared to what it normally is. 

Mile 13: 8:09
Mile 14: 7:56
Mile 15: 8:12
Mile 16: 7:55
Mile 17: 8:27
Mile 18: 8:23

Mile 19: 8:33

Miles 20-23
Mile 19 looks fine at 8:33, but this mile was mostly downhill. So yep, my legs were starting to fail me. They failed fast. I had been hoping to avoid this with my conservative start but nope. By the time heartbreak hill rolled around running felt almost impossible. There was also what I call the "fake Heartbreak Hill" which is a smaller hill before the real hill. It makes you think you are starting heartbreak hill, only to be confronted with a much bigger hill a bit later. They really need a sign that says "Heartbreak Hill Starts Here". They have a sign at the top of the hill, but it's kind of nice to know when it starts!

I managed to get up the hill without walking. I did a very slow jog but it was a jog and not a walk. I was proud of that. Mile 20 was 9:50 and Mile 21 was 11:01. Ouch. I took an entire bathroom stop during mile 12 and that mile was just slightly slower than this heartbreak hill mile! As I climbed the hill, I focused on all the spectators and on all the runners around me. Some people were walking, some people were running pretty fast, and some people were going at my pace. It was a very "inclusive" hill- for runners of all paces! The hill welcomes all runners, but not all runners welcome it. 

Once I got to the top I felt so proud of myself for powering through. 

Next up was a long downhill which also felt nice and cool. I think the temperature started to drop the closer we got to Boston. There was also a slight breeze. I didn't have the benefit of being in a pack of runners so the wind was more noticeable than it otherwise would have been. 

My relief was short lived. With zero warning at all, I suddenly had to use the bathroom again. I stopped and asked a police officer if there was one at the gas station I could use (he was standing in front of one). He said no, but he pointed me down the street to more porta potties up ahead. Thankfully there was no line and the toilet paper was much more accessible. When I finished I walked to the Gatorade stop that was close by and stopped to drink the full cup. I knew I needed those electrolytes. Hopefully I would get another clean slate and feel good for the rest of the race. The course was quite crowded again, so I guess wave three finally caught up!

Mile 20: 9:50
Mile 21: 11:01
Mile 22: 9:48
Mile 23: 11:27

Miles 24-Finish
At this point all time goals were off the table. I decided to just do the best I could, focus on the cheering crowds and the other runners, and enjoy the moment. Not once did I get discouraged or upset or feel sorry for myself. Instead, I was filled with gratitude that my body allowed me to get as far as it did. There had been times earlier in the race when I wondered if I would even make it to the finish. Nothing would stop me now though. Thankfully, my legs allowed me to keep running and I didn't have to walk. 

Final turn on Boylston

I saw Greg right after the mile 25 marker. I had been thinking about him tracking me through much of the race and I wondered what he thought of the inconsistencies in my splits. I wanted to show him that I was ok and that I was in good spirits. 

According to Strava, I ran my fastest ever "Climb To Zion" segment. This is a 0.12 mile segment around mile 24 with 18 feet of elevation gain and for some reason, it was my fastest ever! I have always struggled at the very end of Boston, but it was good to know that even though this was my slowest Boston, I was able to be strong for that one section. 

As I approached the finish I told myself to really give it everything I had- to dig deep and try to squeeze every last second I could. I was super proud of my final kick - much stronger than it was last year when I ran a course PR. This year's race was full of ups and downs, whereas last year I stayed strong until about mile 23. I managed to run the last half mile at a pace of 8:23!

Mile 24: 9:06 (not bad!!!!)
Mile 25: 9:08 (pretty darn good)
Mile 26: 9:25
Last 0.5: 8:23

I crossed with an official time of 3:50:38.

After the Race
After crossing the finish line, I slowly made my way to get my medal, post-race food bag and heat sheet. It felt so amazing to finally be done! I reunited with Greg near our hotel and I was so happy to see him! He took a few photos and videos and then it was time to relax in the hotel room. There's nothing like getting
back to the hotel room and finally being able to rest after a marathon. It always feels so good!

I checked to see how all of my friends' races went and most people seemed to have a better day than I did out there! But that's okay - this was not my goal race and I did what I could with what I was given. I was happy for all of my friends who crushed it, especially the "Spectacular Seven" group from the bus! 

Later that evening Greg and I met up with a large group of friends for dinner at the Capital Grille. We stayed up until 11:00 which is WAY past my bedtime but it was worth it. Once again, I felt like I came for the party and the race was just something we all did. 

Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways
If you just look at my time, you might think I was disappointed by this race. But I'm really not. I knew going into it that it wasn't my goal race, I hadn't really trained since I ran my marathon seven weeks ago, the weather was warm, and I had digestive problems. I did the best I could with the cards I was dealt and I enjoyed every minute of that race. I don't think I ever smiled so much during a marathon. 

My Instagram Friends and me post race

The last time I ran slower than 3:50 was in 2013 at the New York City marathon, where I was also plagued with digestive distress and bathroom stops. That race was just three weeks after Chicago, it wasn't a goal race, and I hadn't been able to empty my digestive system beforehand for similar reasons - I didn't have pre-race jitters. If I had to guess why I had digestive problems I am 95% sure that is the reason. I didn't eat anything different and the timing of my food was the same as it was for my previous Bostons. I know I need some level of anxiousness to kick my digestive system into gear before the race. 

This was my slowest Boston Marathon and my slowest marathon in over 10 years, but it says nothing about my fitness. I just ran a time of 3:14 seven weeks ago! It does, however, motivate me to properly train for Boston next year and race it at full effort.

I am kind of bummed that I didn't "beat my bib" - which means placing higher than my bib number in the field. I've always beaten my bib and this is the first time I have not.  

There's not a ton to analyze here. I wish I had felt better on the course and that my legs had held up longer, but I am not entirely surprised. The digestive issues were a surprise and a good reminder that pre-race jitters serve a purpose.

I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for this weekend filled with so many incredible people and an unforgettable experience. 

Boston Marathon Packing List

I'm flying out tomorrow to run my 6th Boston Marathon!  Here's what I'm bringing:

A Cranky Hamstring
I ran the One City Marathon 7 weeks ago. That was my goal race for the spring and I ran a PR of 3:14:42.
I am running Boston for fun and because I love connecting with all of my runner friends from around the country. The original plan was to run an 18 miler and a 20 miler in the middle of this seven week period, but that never happened. 

Two weeks after the marathon, I ran the NYC Half Marathon. Even though I ran that race "easy" it set me back because I never recovered fully from One City. I was sore for days afterward so I took about three days off. When I resumed running, my right hamstring, which was nagging me in between the two races, started acting up. 

It turns out I have some mild tendonitis in my lower hamstring as well as my upper hamstring. I have been going to physical therapy weekly and doing all the recovery things, but the hamstring has been up and down. Sometimes I feel like it's 100% better. But other times, it really speaks to me. 

I have run two really encouraging track workouts since the NYC Half. Both of these workouts confirmed that I have not lost any speed and in fact, my speed is as fast as it's ever been! Both workouts were 100% free of any hamstring pain! But the long runs have really irritated the hamstring. I have run 13.1 miles twice, including the NYC Half. My third longest run was 11 miles. So I feel quite unprepared from an endurance perspective. It could be that my hamstring really loves the flat surface of the track but doesn't like anything remotely hilly. That would be problematic for Boston.

As much as I would love to leave this cranky hamstring at home - it's coming with me. For better or for worse!

adidas Adios Pro 2 Shoes
Last year I took a gamble and ran Boston in a brand new pair of shoes-- the ASICS Metaspeed Sky Paris. I had never run more than three miles in them prior to the race. They ended up working out well, but I decided against wearing them again because they only have a 5mm drop, which irritates my Achilles. 

Over the past several weeks I have tried numerous carbon fiber plated shoes. My favorite was the Nike Alphafly 3, but I didn't have the opportunity to run long enough in them to want to wear them on race day. I also liked the Brooks Hyperion Elite PB, but they started to feel firmer than I would have liked towards the end of a 13-miler. In order to want to wear them in a marathon, I would like to test them out for 18-20 miles.

As a contrast to last year's risky shoe choice, I am playing it safe this year with the Adios Pro 2. The only remaining pair I have boasts my half marathon PR and my full marathon PR from December-- before I ran One City. Ideally my marathon shoes would have fewer miles on them, but I think the Adios Pro 2 is a true workhorse that will still perform well with 50+ miles. I did try the Adios Pro 4 and that was a nightmare. My big toe was hitting the top of the shoe in my normal size, so I sized up and that was a mistake. The fit was sloppy, my feet were sliding all over the place, I got a blister, and my Achilles hurt from the 6mm drop. Adidas ruined their best shoe, in my honest opinion. 

One of the reasons I am playing it safe with my shoe choice is that there is so much uncertainty in other areas of my life-- I don't need shoe uncertainty on top of that.

Tifosi Sunglasses and Light Horse Track Club Gear
The weather is looking pretty good! It might rival the 2022 weather for my best Boston weather. The current forecast shows that it will start in the low 50s and rise to the upper 50s by the end, with sunny skies. Sunscreen and sunglasses will be a must!

I'll be racing in my Light Horse Track Club crop top and rabbit shorts - which have so many pockets for my gels. This will be my first time racing Boston in a "club" outfit, unless you consider my McMillan shirt from 2018 to be a club. 

What I'm NOT taking with me
Now we get to the heart of the blog. There's something I am trying very hard to NOT bring with me this weekend: the emotional state that I've been in for the past four weeks. The past four weeks have been plagued with frustration, anxiety, and anger. I am working very hard to shake these emotions, but I haven't done a good job of it.

We put our house on the market on February 28 because the builder of our new home told us that we were obligated to close on the new house on March 31. We were in no hurry to sell our home. No hurry to move. We timed the sale of our house to correspond with the purchase of the new one.

As expected, we had a contract on our house the first weekend we listed it, with a close date that coincided with the purchase of the new house.  The contract allowed for a short rent-back so we would have two weeks to move. Everything was going exactly as planned.

11 days before we were scheduled to close on our new home, our builder informed us that they didn't get the Certificate of Occupancy, which is a permit needed for us to occupy the house. The reason they provided was that they failed to get a VDOT permit for the work they did to construct our driveway, and they didn't give us a new settlement date. They estimated 4-8 weeks, but no guarantees. They told us that the house itself was built and inspected and fully approved, the only issue was a driveway permit.

Surely it couldn't take 4-8 weeks to get a driveway permit, and if so, surely that couldn't prevent us from moving in! Because the builder didn't give us any details, I contacted the government myself and they told me that the driveway permit was just one issue. The builder received a notice of violation a week earlier which included many more issues aside from the driveway. The notice stated that they violated the original site plan by disturbing land in the "tree protection" area. As a result, all five trees on our property (which are over 50 feet tall) would need to be removed and new trees planted. But none of this work could be done until they first provided a new site plan that complied with forest conservation standards.

We went back to our builder and asked them why they didn't mention the tree situation to us, and they said that they had no idea about the trees. It was unclear if they were lying to us to cover up the fact that they violated the site plan, or if they were just incompetent and didn't read the entire violation notice.

Since that date, the builder has sent us mixed messages about the process to get the certificate of occupancy (do the trees need to be planted or not?) and they revealed themselves to be completely incompetent, or inefficient at best. They received their violation over a month ago and as of today, we still haven't seen any tree work. 

The builder is being extremely vague with their communication. When we ask for an update we are told "we are working on a VDOT permit and we will update you when we have it." They don't even have a phone number where we can call them - they rely on WhatsApp messaging. Even more sketchy - they have forbidden us to contact VDOT or the county. They told us that we would be in breach of contract because it's considered "interference". 

The contract we signed with them protects them in every way, and is silent about protecting us. This delay has financial implications for us, and we could end up with no home if we can't close before our rent-back ends. We are literally living on borrowed time! We are forever grateful to our buyers for allowing us to rent back the house, but the end date is fast approaching. 

Where we are right now: the builder is not communicating anything to us aside from "they are working on it," we are in breach of contract if we contact the government, and there is absolutely nothing we can do about the situation. On the plus side, we did have a walk-through and ordered an independent home inspection. The house itself is in excellent shape, and is move-in ready. We are satisfied with the overall quality of the build. But we cannot purchase it and move in until the builder gets a VDOT permit (timeline unknown) and they remove trees/plant new ones.

This has led me to experience:

Anxiety: I have very little visibility into the situation and there are so many unknowns. I honestly feel like I am going to have all of my belongings in a dark, dusty storage area somewhere, including my piano while I live in limbo for God knows how long. The lack of control is very difficult for me.

Frustration: I had to un-schedule everything I had planned for the move (utilities, movers, address change, furniture deliveries, blinds installation, etc) and put it on pause and will now have to re-do it all. We're incurring lender fees (the builder agreed to pay half of them) - and they are steep. 

Anger: The builder messed up and they are completely unapologetic about this and do not seem to care or acknowledge that this is more than an "inconvenience" for us. When they first communicated the delay to us it was over WhatsApp and the message said "sorry for the inconvenience". They aren't transparent, they have forbidden us to contact the government, they are moving very slowly, and they don't care. We hate them. 

So............ where do we go from here? Greg and I have agreed that we need to make a conscious effort to NOT let this impact our mental health and our Boston Marathon weekend. We don't want to carry it with us. I have now unloaded it onto this blog and hopefully that's where it will stay. 

This situation is testing me and I am learning a lot. I am learning that I hold onto anger and anxiety because if I "let it go," it would invalidate my feelings. Like if I can just go about my life and be happy and shove this to the side, maybe it's not such a big deal. And I have this need to prove to myself and the world that it IS a big deal. So I grasp onto it tightly. 

This mindset is similar to how I used to approach marathons in my early 30s. If I didn't get REALLY UPSET about missing a time goal, then it would be like I didn't care. I had to get very upset to prove to myself and to those around me that a BQ mattered. The "oh well, I'll try again next time" attitude, to me, meant that I wasn't serious about qualifying for Boston. I was very serious, and my way of showing it was to get depressed and upset when I missed my goal. 

I have no control over the housing situation. I have very limited visibility into what is really going on. There's no resolution date in sight. I have to accept these facts, and realize that no amount of worrying and marinating in it will change that. I need to trust and remember that:

• The builder is financially motivated to move quickly because they want their money.
• If we are displaced from our current house, we can handle it. It won't be pretty, but we can get through it. 
• The builder is legally obligated to sell us that house - so we will get it at some point.
• Even though this has financial implications for us, it's not financial hardship or ruin.
• The best thing for me is to enjoy Boston - I shouldn't let the builder take that away from me too.

Right now it feels like we are not getting that house, but we will. We definitely will get that house.

What's on my packing list? Confidence. Positivity. Mental strength. Self-awareness. Self-care.

Track me on Monday with bib number 13694.

NYC Half Marathon: Racing for the joy

Last fall I registered for the NYC Half marathon as a time qualifier. This race has been on my bucket list for years, but the registration window is so narrow that I usually miss it and I don't think about my spring half marathon so far in advance. 

Plans changed when I decided to run the One City Marathon. After all, it wouldn't make sense to race a half marathon just two weeks after a marathon. But then, plans changed again when my friend Laura told me that she would be driving up to NYC alone to run it. I figured I could come along for the ride and run it myself as an easy run. Greg would be out of town for a work event anyway so it was a win-win all around. 

Backing up 18 years, I sort of ran this race in 2007. I say "sort of" because I did not finish and the 2007 race bears no resemblance to the 2025 event. I barely remember running the 2007 event, but thanks to my blog, I do have a record of it! One of my favorite all-time race shirts is from the 2007 race. And yes, I wear it even though I DNF'ed the race. It is a Nike shirt with a flattering fit and is a combination of dry-fit and normal t-shirt material. I wear it as an everyday t-shirt and it's so comfy. Plus, now it's super retro! As for why I DNF'ed, I thought I had a stress fracture in my foot so I made a compromise with myself that I would only run until we got to Times Square and then I would stop so as to not injure my foot further. Oh, the logic that I used back in the day!

In 2007, the race was held in August. It was relatively new so there was no lottery and anyone could register. The course started in Central Park, ran around the park for 10K and then finished downtown. Now the race is a March event and starts in Brooklyn, ending in Central Park. Entry is primarily done through lottery and charities, but there are some qualifier spots reserved. My 1:29:50 half marathon time was good enough for me to gain entry for my age group.

Saturday
Laura and I left my house around 6:15 and the ride went smoothly. It was really fun to have such a long time to chat and we talked about everything under the sun!

Our first stop was Brooklyn to check out the Bandit store and the Tracksmith store. Tracksmith had launched their first racing shoe, the Elliot Racer, the day before so we had the opportunity to try those on. In fact, they aren't even released on the website yet - you can only get them in store. But instead of taking advantage of the exclusive opportunity to be among the first to own them, neither of us could justify the hefty price tag of $280. (I think that was the price - it was around that). I am on on the hunt for a new racing shoe, but I think that shoe could be the Brooks Hyperion PB Elite. If not, then I will definitely try the Elliott Racer. The shoe was really soft and had a nice pop to it. With a 7.5mm drop, it was mostly Achilles-friendly, too.

Then we made our way into Manhattan, found parking near the expo, and got our bibs. The expo was well organized and we got through it fairly quickly. 

After that, Laura drove me to my uncle's apartment on the upper east side and she proceeded to her friend's apartment where she would be staying. I got settled into my uncle's place and then we went out to dinner. I hadn't seen my uncle since my last trip to NYC in 2019 so it was really good to catch up with him. The food in NYC is so wonderful. I had homemade pasta with chicken. Delicious! Then it was off to sleep.

Before the Race
Getting to the start was an adventure. According to the race instructions, runners in my wave needed to clear security by 6:45am. My plan was to get there at 6:15 so I would have 30 minutes to get through security. That should have been more than enough time. Working backwards from 6:15, it would take about 30 minutes to get from the upper east side to Prospect Park in Brooklyn. I planned for 45 minutes because I knew there would be road closures. 

I was fully dressed and ready to go by 5:30 when my car service showed up. I know it sounds super fancy to take a car service, but it was about the same price as an Uber: $80 to go 8 miles. Plus tip. 

The race instructions had provided an exact location for runner drop off and that is the location I gave to the car service. As we approached it, all the roads kept being closed off so the driver couldn't get to that spot. We drove around for 20 minutes trying to get to the drop off point. I had my phone with me, and my Google Maps kept saying we were 1.8 miles away. That was definitely run-able, but if I could get closer, that would be better. 

Finally, at 6:20, I told him to just let me out of the car. Google Maps was saying 1.8 miles and I figured I could run there in 20 minutes and get to security with 5 minutes to spare. Provided that I didn't get lost.

I got out of the car and there I was, all alone in Brooklyn in the dark, with only my phone to guide me to the start. I immediately came across two runners who were running towards the start as well. They said they knew how to get there so I followed them. Well, 3-4 minutes later and I found myself at the security checkpoint for the start line! Wow! What great luck. Apparently I got dropped off in an ideal location, and Google Maps was giving me the driving directions which avoided the blocked off roads. Phew.

I had plenty of time! What a huge relief. 

The security was pretty intense and unlike anything I'd ever experienced at a race, including Chicago and Boston. I was thankful for it, though. I had to remove my Garmin, take all of my food out of my clothes, and I still had to be individually searched. I didn't mind because I had plenty of time and I knew they were just doing their job. My car driver said he would never participate in a large event like this in NYC because he was afraid that someone would set off a bomb or something. That didn't give me the warm fuzzies about running over a bridge with 20,000 runners, but I quickly put that thought out of my mind.

After security, I waited for about 15 minutes for the corrals to open. Once they did, there was a mad dash for the porta potty lines. While waiting for the race to start, I was "recognized" by a few people who follow me on Instagram. I love meeting other runners because there is instantly so much to talk about. She even offered to take a video of me that I could post to my Instagram! 

I almost never run with my phone (I use an Apple Watch for long runs in case I need to call Greg) but I wanted to have it with me for safety reasons. It also gave me access to my credit cards, would connect me with Laura post-race, and I would be able to take some photos before and after. Without Greg as a spectator, I had to be my own photographer!

I wore a Brooks Sports bra that had a pocket for the phone in the back of it. I had worn this bra before with the phone and it was comfortable. That's also where I stashed my Maurten gel as well as three 10-dollar bills in case I needed cash. The only challenge was that it was hard to get the phone to go into its back pocket.

I wore the New Balance Super Comp Trainer V1. These shoes are not meant for racing-- they are meant for long runs. They do have a carbon fiber plate, but they are bulky and are considered "super trainers". I wore them because that's the pair I would have worn if I had been doing an easy 13 miles, and bonus: they were green to match my St. Patrick's day theme.

With 10 minutes to go, I had my caffeinated UCAN gel (mocha flavor) and removed my outer layers.

It was 55 degrees and completely overcast, which meant it was cold just standing around. Winds were 10-12 mph. The dew point was around 51-52 which made things humid. The road was wet because there was an occasional light mist. It was also quite foggy. A sticky, humid, foggy, overcast, grey ugly day! At least it wasn't raining. I give this weather a 5 out of 10 on my personal race weather scale. Could have been worse, but definitely could have been better.

Strategy and Goals
I had not run much at all since my marathon two weeks prior. My right hamstring and calf were tight and irritated, so I went to physical therapy to get that worked out. My longest run since the marathon had been 4.3 miles, so I was a bit unsure of how things would go. If I had been recovering as normal without this half marathon, I think I would have run about 8-9 miles as my long run, not 13.

My plan was to simply run this as an easy run. However, I knew I would get caught up in the excitement of the race, so I figured I would run it on the faster end of my easy range, so somewhere around 8:00/mile. But I would mostly just run by feel and focus on my surroundings and soaking up the experience. My main goal was simply to finish without over-taxing my body too much, while having an absolute blast.

I didn't study the elevation profile too much - but I knew to expect hills, and lots of them.

Miles 1-4

I was in Wave 1, corral B, which was based on my qualifying time of 1:29. I fully expected everyone to blaze past me, but that didn't really happen. This isn't to say that I started fast, but that it was quite crowded so everyone was running around an 8:00 pace for the first mile. 

The first mile was an out-and-back with a hairpin turn. It was cool to see the lead pack on the other side of the course. The second mile was a pretty massive hill through Prospect Park. I was feeling really good because it was only mile 2, so I probably ran that hill faster than I should have. I didn't carry my own water bottle so I made sure to stop at the water stations and drink. With the humidity I knew that hydration would be really important, even at my easy pace.

It was hard not to get carried away in mile 3. The elevation loss there was 121 feet so I flew down it at a pace of 7:53. And then I maintained that pace for mile 4. 

Mile 1: 8:09
Mile 2: 8:07
Mile 3: 7:53
Mile 4: 7:51

Miles 5-8
Next up: the Brooklyn Bridge! This was the first year that the course went over the Brooklyn Bridge and it's pretty cool to say I ran over it. There wasn't much of a view due to the high walls and also the fog, but
it was certainly a cool experience. I figured this would be a good time to take out my phone and record a video. Typically taking photos is a big no-no for me in races. I don't run with my phone and I rely on Greg to capture the photos and the videos. But I did record a video for about 10 seconds. The real challenge was getting the phone to go back into its pocket. I tried and tired and tried, and no luck. There was even a finger loop to help with placement, but I couldn't get it to go in.

Finally someone from behind helped me. He must have seen my massive struggle and was so nice to slip the phone right into place. That was so nice of him. I might have never gotten it back in! 

I did this all while running up a massive hill (or should I say, bridge) and the elevation gain in mile 5 was 106 feet. WOW. Mile 6 felt amazing as we ran down 106 feet. 

On the other side of the bridge we ran along the river and there surprisingly wasn't much crowd support. I was excited to get to midtown and it felt like miles 7 and 8 just went on and on with little variation in scenery. 

Mile 5: 8:23
Mile 6: 7:50
Mile 7: 7:54
Mile 8: 7:55

Love this pic- too bad about my head!

Miles 9-12
So far I was still feeling good. I was making sure to drink water at the water stations and I took my Maurten gel at the 8 mile mark. They were handing out Maurten gels shortly after that point, so I took one and stashed it in my sports bra. I'm not one to turn away a free Maurten gel. I was on track to average a pace of around 8:00 which was what I expected, but I didn't care too much about my pace-- I was literally just "rolling" with it. 

I was surprised when someone touched me from behind and then I realized it was Laura! She started further back in the corrals and I knew she would pass me because she would be running at race pace. It was a huge pick-me-up to see her. I briefly contemplated trying to stick with her, but that's when I realized my legs weren't up for that. They were starting to feel sore and achy. 

By mile 10 I realized that my legs were not happy with my decision to run this hilly course so soon after a marathon. I knew I'd be able to make it to the finish, but it wasn't going to be comfortable. 

Now that we were in Manhattan and in the middle of the city the crowd support really picked up. I fed off of the energy of the supporters and it was cool to have people cheering for me by name. My name was not on my bib, so they must have been people from Instagram. I think I was "recognized" at least 10 times during the race and multiple times at the start and finish! My favorite comment was when told me "wow, you're actually a real person!" Yes, I am real!

Times Square was so cool. I loved all the lights. What a thrill to run through it!

After mile marker 10 I knew there would be a right turn onto 7th avenue and then my uncle would be waiting for me around 48th Street. As I approached, I slowed down and looked and looked, but I didn't see him. Finally I heard someone call out my name and I found him on the left side. He thought he would be on my right but with the way the cab driver had to go, he ended up being on my left. I almost ran right by without even seeing him. 

I stopped for over a minute to get a photo with him and have a brief chat. It was a welcome stop with how my legs were feeling. He had made friends with the spectators next to him and they took a photo of us together, and also put my phone back in its pocket- which I was clearly incapable of doing. Seeing my uncle come out to support me was definitely the highlight of the race! 

I felt rejuvenated after my stop and was seemingly able to run faster. But that was short lived because there would be some challenging hills in the last mile.

Mile 9: 8:26
Mile 10: 8:37
Mile 11: 8:21
Mile 12: 10:12 (uncle stop!)

Mile 13- Finish
I looked down at my watch and I figured I could run under 1:50 if I picked up the pace and ran around 8:00 or just under for the final stretch. That shouldn't be too hard, right? WRONG. I am so glad this was a half marathon and not a 14-miler because I was truly starting to lose my ability to run. Whenever I run in Central Park for training the hills feel totally manageable. But whenever I race there the hills feel like mountains. My legs were toast and I was starting to feel the impact of the humidity because I was getting tired. 

My watch beeped 8:23 for mile 13, which was surprising because it felt much slower. There was a sign that said "400m" and I thought to myself, "that's just one lap of the track, super easy!" But that's when I felt like my legs were worthless appendages and totally dead. My pace for the last 0.31 according to my Garmin was 8:56. That's really all I had left! So maybe in a sense I did "race" it if that's all I had to give at the very end. It was so hard just to move at that point.

Needless to say I did not get my sub 1:50, but I didn't care. I was mostly just using that as a motivator to get to the finish line. My official time was 1:50:53.

As I finished, I was recognized by another Instagram runner. I was happy she was there because it was fun to walk though the long finish line chute with someone else. Like me, she had run a marathon two weeks prior. And like me, she said her legs were not happy later in the race. It was about a 10-minute walk to get out of the park and the conversation made it go by much quicker.

After the Race
I called Laura and we met up in the Starbucks just outside the finish line chute. It was jam packed so we walked a few blocks to a place that was less crowded. She had set a PR and I was so happy for her! I decided it was best not to linger for too long because I didn't want to get cold. I hadn't checked a bag so I only had my shorts, sports bra, and the heat sheet they gave us. 

I used Google Maps to find my way back to uncle's apartment. It was about 1.5 miles away and I figured I could walk that. The app guided me through Central Park and almost everyone I passed congratulated me. (These weren't people who recognized me from Instagram --  just general NYC people who saw me with a medal). That made it a really fun walk. 

The idea that I took a car from my uncle's apartment all the way to Brooklyn and then ran back was definitely cool. Plus, at $100 a ride, running back was definitely the best financial option!

I made it back to my uncle's place where he had a protein shake waiting for me. We had authentic NY bagels for lunch and I bought even more to take home and freeze. After that I flew home (Laura was staying an extra day) and was back at my house just in time to Door Dash myself dinner. I was exhausted but happy to have had such a wonderful experience.

Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways
This was a fun weekend in so many ways. It was great to spend time with Laura and my uncle and to meet so many other runners. Running over the Brooklyn Bridge was iconic, Times Square was incredible and Central Park was challenging but still fun. I am glad I can cross this race off of my bucket list, and that I focused on savoring the experience. 

This was good validation that I did, in fact, run that marathon very hard. If I recover too quickly from a marathon it makes me second-guess if I gave it my all. I plan to take two days off running - maybe three, to ensure that my legs are ready to go again. Boston is up next, so I want to be careful to not overdo it before then. 

One City Marathon: The Planets Aligned!

"The stars need to align" is an often (and perhaps overused) phrase in running. It means that for a runner to maximize performance, everything needs to go well: weather, fueling, sleep, having a good day, and more. But the planets literally aligned on the Friday before my marathon in Newport News, VA. Along with it came ideal racing weather.

Race Week
Race week arrived and it was without a doubt the most eventful race week of my life. Our house would go on the market on Friday so that meant staging it for photos on Monday, having cleaners come Wednesday, and being out of the house all day Friday while potential buyers came to visit. On top of that, we had some things with the new home to manage, and work was also very eventful. 

I couldn't help but wonder if all of this stress would weigh me down and impact my race, leaving me feeling stale. In fact, I DNF'ed the Shamrock marathon back in 2019 because of all the "life stress" leading up to that race.

I refused to let it be a self-fulfilling prophecy. I told myself that the 2019 DNF might not have been stress related and I could have been overtrained (I ran an 81- mile week just three weeks out). And there was actually nothing to stress over anyway. We got the house where it needed to be for putting it on the market, and the rest we would leave up to our realtor. We decided that we wouldn't interact with her until after the marathon, so we could spend the weekend focused on the race and not thinking about offers. 

I slept relatively well all week. The previous week I had been waking up at 1:00 in the morning consistently with anxiety, but that abated the week before the race, thankfully. I'm proud of myself for not letting everything going on in my life impact my ability to focus on having an excellent race. And the last thing I wanted would be to use it as an excuse to not push hard in the later miles. 

After the cleaners came on Wednesday, we didn't want to cook anything messy in our kitchen, which made it challenging to eat heathy meals. On Thursday night we opted for sushi. On Friday we got a buffet of cold appetizer-style foods from the grocery store and had them for dinner: smoked salmon, fresh bread, stuffed grape leaves, fresh mozzarella, hummus, etc. We really wanted to start eating early, like at 5:00, but the showings lasted all the way until 6:15. 

Shoe Choice
I am down to my last pair of my all-time favorite adidas Adios Pro 2, and they have a half marathon and full marathon on them (both PRs). I could have worn them again for this race, but I felt like perhaps they had lost some pop after two hard races. In the weeks leading up to the race I sought an alternative. The adidas Adios Pro 4 unfortunately didn't fit me - I was between sizes. In my normal size my toe was hitting the tip of the shoe and when I sized up by half a size the shoe was too roomy overall and not locked in. I was bummed because the Adios Pro 4 is supposedly a great shoe. 

Then I tried the Saucony Endorphin Pro 4. I loved version 2 of this shoe, and with an 8mm drop I thought it could be the answer. But I did an 18-mile run with 11 miles at marathon pace and I didn't love them. I thought they were fast, but towards the end I think my forefoot was getting sore, which means they were likely too firm for a marathon. I also felt like they were too much "shoe" - the stack height felt too high. 

I then tried the ASICS Metaspeed Edge. I had worn their counterpart (the Sky) in Boston last year and liked those. But I didn't find the Sky to be particularly fast. They were too bouncy with not enough ground feel. The Edge felt faster, but I noticed my forefeet were getting a bit sore towards the end of my run so those were a no-go. Probably good for shorter races. 

I tried out the Brooks Hyperion Elite PB on the Tuesday before the marathon. I loved everything about them. The fit, the ride, the feel. But I didn't want to take chances. If I had another week to train and ensure they felt good during a long run, then I would have used them.

That left me with one option: The New Balance Fuel Cell Elite V2. I wore these shoes for Richmond back in 2023, so they only had one marathon on them and I figured they would be good for another one. These shoes don't feel fast when running but I think they do their job "behind the scenes". They are super comfortable and they save your legs. During Richmond, my legs didn't get tired until very late in that race and I attribute it to the shoes. My theory is that they allow you to run at your marathon pace for longer without straining your legs, as opposed to propelling you forward with an aggressive carbon fiber plate. They have a carbon plate, but it's not as propulsive as most other shoes. Unfortunately, the new version of this shoe is totally re-done with a 4mm drop that would never work for me. And bonus: my running club is sponsored by New Balance and they like us to wear that brand when we race. 

Saturday
On Saturday morning, I ran a 2.62 mile shakeout run. I felt energized and strong and ready to go! Then it was time to shower and ensure the house was perfectly staged for the open house that would occur later that day. I had a banana at the house and then we went to a local bagel place where I stocked up on bagels. The drive down to Newport News took about three hours and I slept for about 30 minutes so it seemed to go even faster. 

We got to the hotel and I laid out all of my gear to ensure I hadn't forgotten anything. Usually I have all my race gear laid out on my bedroom floor during race week and I keep adding to it. But this time I had to keep everything inside the bag so I was out of my natural packing routine.

Next up, lunch! We went to a local deli and I ordered the world's most bland sandwich: turkey on white bread with lettuce and tomato. No cheese or anything else. 

We then proceeded to pick up my bib. I was part of the elite masters field for this race, which meant I was able to have bottles placed at three locations along the course: miles 7, 13, and 21. When I picked up my bib, I handed them my three bottles, each of which contained about 12 ounces of water mixed with Skratch Labs hydration + energy. It would be nice not to have to carry my own bottle for very long or have to stop at the water stations. This benefit was part of the "planets aligning"! 

We then met up with Mike Wardian for a game of chess. Greg and I each played against him. I had a strong attack but he made one brilliant move that thwarted me and he was able to checkmate me. Greg also seemed to have an advantage against him, but as the clock started ticking down, Mike came back strong and Greg lost on time. Mike's goal for the marathon was to set a world record for the fastest marathon while wearing a Forrest Gump costume!

Throughout all of this I made sure I drank plenty of water+ electrolytes throughout the day. I estimate that I probably consumed about 80 ounces of fluids. I also snacked on my bagels and almond-butter filled pretzels. When I carb load, I don't count carbs. I just eat whatever feels comfortable. I don't want to overload my digestive system with an unusually high amount of food that it's not used to.

After chess with Mike, we went back to our hotel and figured out where Greg would go to cheer for me and take photos. He would drop me off at the start and then take photos at four different locations. Greg had run this race back in 2019, so I also spent some time analyzing his data to get a sense of where the hills were. I had run the half marathon here twice (2020 & 2024), which is the second half of the full marathon. I was very familiar with the second half, but not the first. I noticed that Greg's Garmin had him at 26.37 miles. Yikes. Other runners seemed to log similar mileage - around 26.4. The course is curvy in places and has a good number of turns, so I would have thought 26.3 would be reasonable, but 26.4 meant I would have to run faster than I did at my recent Tidewater marathon (26.25) just to get the same time. 

Once we had figured out Greg's spectating plan, we made our way to dinner. We ate at the same restaurant that we did last year, the night before my 1:29:50 half marathon. I ordered the same meal: chicken parmesan with no cheese. We got to the restaurant at 5:00 and we were back to our hotel by 6:00. Nice and quick! 

Throughout the day, we often checked our home security app to see how many times the doors opened and closed. We wanted to get a sense for how many people were coming in and out. But we didn't stress over it. 

We went to bed early at around 8:00. I brought my Lagoon pillow because hotel pillows are notorious for being the wrong height. One pillow is never enough, but two is too high. With Lagoon, you can adjust the height of the pillow and customize it to how you sleep! (Use discount code ELIZABETHCLOR if you want to try it and save 15%!). I slept relatively well and surprisingly had zero anxiety dreams about the race. Usually I dream about missing the start, showing up without my shoes, showing up without gels, or being unprepared in some way. 

Before the Race
I woke up naturally at around 4:00. I laid in bed for a bit just trying to relax and get myself in the right headspace without psyching myself out. Because I was overwhelmed all week with the house and with work, I hadn't given as much thought to the marathon. To perform well, you really have to want it. If you are too relaxed or focused on other things, then it's easier to give yourself permission to not push as hard. The goal was to be excited and focused enough to really push, while remaining relaxed. Today I would run the race of my life. I visualized it. I visualized myself pushing really hard at the end to make it happen.

I got out of bed and had breakfast: one banana and a handful of almond butter pretzels. I tend to keep my pre-race breakfasts on the smaller side, only eating what feels comfortable. I had eaten plenty of carbs the day before and I would be fueling throughout the race.

I got dressed in all of my gear and went to the bathroom a million times. My CW-X tights unfortunately only have one small pocket that barely holds a key. That's why I didn't wear them for my December marathon - I had wanted pockets in my tights. During training, I wanted to wear them for my long runs and workouts because they are my fastest tights. So I trained with sticking gels in the waistband and that worked beautifully. Because they are so tight and compressive, the gels stay locked in between the waistband and my hips and don't bother me at all. I also stashed two gels in my sports bra, which was a first. I used the small pocket to hold some Honey Stinger chews. I wish I had thought to do this in December because the gels are much easier to grab at the waist with numb hands than to fish out of a deep pocket. 

Having missed the start of my previous marathon because I got the start time wrong, I wanted to get to the start extra early. We left the hotel at 6:00am and arrived to the race just before 6:15. We waited in the car until around 6:30, at which point I said goodbye to Greg. 

I headed over to the Elite tent where we had our own porta potty. It was thankfully empty and I got to use it right away. Then I hung out with Mike Wardian in the tent while I untied and re-tied my shoes a dozen times. I had my UCAN gel 15 minutes before the race start at 6:45.

Weather
It was very cold at the start line. Not as cold as the 18 degrees from my marathon in December, but still cold. It was 27 degrees with 10-15 mph sustained winds. The windchill made it feel closer to that 18 degree mark! Greg said he was colder spectating this marathon than the one in December because of the wind. At least we had no wind at the other marathon. It was sunny without a cloud in the sky. Start temp was 27 degrees, finish temp was 33 degrees. Sustained wind of 10-15 mph, which was mostly a tailwind. I give this a 10 out of 10 on my race weather scale. That said, if the course were a loop or an out-and-back, I'd have to downgrade to an 8. Not only is a headwind challenging, but when the temps are in the 20s it feels brutally cold. So generally this is "8" weather that I upgraded to a "10" due to the direction of the course. 

Strategy and Goal
Everything pointed to a sub-7:20 marathon pace being perfectly attainable for me. My two longer marathon pace runs (11 miles inside of 19 miles) averaged 7:15 and 7:13 respectively. And I felt great during those. Taking the longer course into consideration, this would yield a time of around 3:13. My "A" goal was to run a time of 3:12-3:13. My "B" goal was to PR with sub 3:15:11. My C goal was to finish healthy and strong. Ultimately breaking the 3:15 was really the most important. I had run 3:15:34 and 3:15:11 but never under. And I was so close last December!

My strategy was to to run the first 10 miles at pace of 7:20-7:25. After that, I wanted all of my miles to be faster than 7:20. 

Race Start
I didn't really warm up aside from doing a few strides around the park for 20 seconds at a time. I did some dynamic stretching and I had used a lacrosse ball in the hotel to loosen my glutes. The race had two pacers for 3:15. I had not been expecting that, which meant I had to decide if I was going to run with them, purposely avoid them, or just ignore them altogether. If I could stick with them the whole time, then I would get my sub-3:15 goal because pacers notoriously run faster than their goal pace. But pacers often go out too fast. I decided I would not try to stay with them but if I happened to be near them I would feed off of their energy. The ideal situation would be to run slightly behind them for the first 10K and then catch up or pass them. But once again, I had no idea how fast they would go out. 

When I ran the One City Half Marathon exactly five years ago in 2020, I decided to stick with the 1:30 pace group. That ended up being a mistake. They went out too fast and I lost them at the 8th mile, coming in at 1:31:xx. I think if I had a more conservative start I would have been closer to my sub 1:30 back then. Lessons learned - pacers usually go out faster than I would. 

Anyway, a few different people approached me at the start line and told me that they followed me on Instagram. I took photos with them and wished them good luck in their races. I love meeting Instagram runners in real life!

The national anthem was sung, and it was almost go-time! I tossed my jacket off (they donate them) and waited patiently to start. It was so cold! The sun hadn't fully risen and with bare shoulders I was quite uncomfortable. 

Mile 7

Miles 1-6
Alright, time to run the fastest marathon of my life! But to do that, I had to take it easy and chill in the beginning. Be patient. Enjoy the ride. I decided to focus on other runners and their outfits. Some runners were wearing tank tops and shorts. Others had long tights and multiple layers. I was running near someone in a sweatshirt that she kept on for the whole race. Quite the variety! 

I ended up being tucked behind the 3:15 pace group for these miles. I counted about 20 people in front of
me who all seemed to be part of the pace group. I was able to run my target 7:20-7:25 without having to weave or pass people. There was a turnaround at one point when you could see the runners coming in the other direction. I noticed that the pace groups really formed packs in this race. Most people seemed to be running totally alone or with just one other person. I was grateful for my pack because there was some headwind here and I was shielded nicely. 

I had the luxury of only needing to carry my water bottle for the first three miles because I knew I would get another at mile 7. I had been unable to drink enough fluids during my December marathon because my hands were too numb to hold a bottle or even take water from volunteers. I did not want that happening again. I planned to take my first gel at 40:00, but in the spirit of trying get more fuel in early, I took it a little early at 37:00. I knew that meant I would have to take my next one early, too, to maintain the 40 minute gap. It's better to fuel early when your stomach can properly digest it.

I was happy with how these miles felt. Controlled and easy. My gels were staying put in my waistband and in my sports bra. I was happy to discover a new way to hold gels because that opened up more options for me in future races. 

Mile 1: 7:24
Mile 2: 7:22
Mile 3: 7:24
Mile 4: 7:23
Mile 5: 7:17
Mile 6: 7:22

Miles 7-13
I saw Greg at mile marker 7 and broke away from the pace group to get closer to him. Shortly after that I grabbed my bottle from the elite table. My bottle was identifiable because I had put zebra duct tape around it. I held onto this bottle for a few miles. At mile 8 I saw something almost as good as Greg: a Zebra U-
Haul! I first noticed that U-Haul had a zebra on some of its trucks maybe 10 years ago. Now, whenever I see a U-Haul, I have to check to see if it has a zebra on it. Usually it doesn't. I ran a 4-mile race eight years ago and a Zebra U-Haul was parked at the race holding all of the water and supplies for the race!

Zebra U-Haul from a previous race

It was a sign that this was my day! A Zebra U-haul! I will also note that during the Myrtle Beach marathon there is a zebra statue on the course at around mile 20. 

I had another Maurten gel at around 1:12. The original timing of this was 1:20, but since I had taken my other gel a little early and I wanted to err on the side of more fuel earlier. I had five Maurten gels with me plus honey stinger chews. (And I had consumed the UCAN gel right before the race).  The plan was to take 4 Maurten gels + chews during the marathon. But I was worried that the chews would be hard to access because they were tightly wedged in a small pocket and my hands weren't fully functional. 

I saw Greg again at 11.5. This part of the course was very narrow and I was stuck in the middle of the 3:15 pace group. There would be no breaking free to get a good photo but that was fine. At least he would know that I was on track for a time of 3:15, if not faster. 

Things were going along really well and I still felt like I was having exactly the race I wanted. At around mile 12 I started chatting with another runner. He said his PR was 3:14 and he was hoping to break that. I also learned where he was from, that he likes to ski, and so on!

Mile 11.5

I learned from the Richmond marathon back in 2023 that it's good to have little conversations early in the marathon. It gets me out of my head and reminds me that I'm still running at a conversational pace, which builds confidence. He was perhaps more chatty than me, but that's fine. We stopped running together when I had to get my bottle from the elite table at mile 13.

These seven miles were the fastest of the race. They were all sub 7:20 except for mile 9. I am pretty sure I was ahead of the 3:15 group for much of this stretch. I was executing almost exactly as planned. I hit the halfway point at 1:36:55 on my watch (I don't have the official split yet) so I was on track to run just under 3:14.

Mile 7: 7:17
Mile 8: 7:16
Mile 9: 7:24
Mile 10: 7:18
Mile 11: 7:17
Mile 12: 7:16
Mile 13: 7:19

Miles 14-20
Mile 14 was my first hard mile. It was directly into the headwind, which was a rude awakening after so much tailwind. I knew it was just temporary and I allowed myself to slow down and go by effort. I was able to draft off of the guy I had been chatting with previously and that helped somewhat. But then I lost him and was on my own. The 3:15 group was behind me. I logged a 7:29 mile which was disheartening but I told myself things would improve when I reached the Promised Land.

What is the Promised Land? I had run the half marathon twice, so I was fairly familiar with the second half of this course. The Promised Land was a long, straight stretch of road that had a slight downhill profile and tailwind. Once I got there I would cruise all the way to the finish. I pictured this as the last 6 miles of the race but that was not reality. . . 

Mile 16.2

Once I got out of the headwind, I was prepared for things to get easier. But they didn't. Mile 15 had a slight elevation gain and the wind was now at my side. I started to think "things shouldn't feel this hard at this pace at mile 15." I started to wonder what I would feel like during that last 10K, but then I quickly stopped. It would be best to focus on the mile that I was in. Part of me felt like this could mean disaster and a huge bonk. But I reminded myself that I have had rough patches in races before, and I could recover. The 3:15 pace group passed me and that helped because I was motivated to stay with them and not be left in the dust. Mile 15 was 7:28 and things were going in the wrong direction.

I saw Greg at mile 16.2 and I wanted him to know that I was strong and running well. So I perked up and it really helped energize me. 

Up next were the miles that Greg remembered being the hardest - the park near Christopher Newport University. I remembered the park being annoying, too. I was prepared for a rough patch, but then. . . the Promised Land would show up and I would glide my way to a PR!

It was hard to stick to the tangents during this part because the road was curvy. I tried my best though. The next gel would be my only Maurten caffeinated gel. I only like to take one caffeinated gel when I race because I typically avoid caffeine altogether and too much is a shock to my system. I had originally planned to take this gel at 2:00 but I took it ten minutes early at 1:50. The caffeinated gels never go down as easy as the regular gels, but I managed to consume the entire thing without any gag reflex.

Unfortunately the 3:15 pace group was getting farther and farther ahead. Every now and then I would get a burst of motivation and try to close the gap and that helped me keep them in my sights. But I never caught up fully. I didn't care that much because I knew that by my calculation I was still on track for a PR. Pacers are notorious for getting people to the finish line early. I wasn't going to let that pace group make me think I wasn't still in this. I kept thinking "this is your day, make yourself PR" and "there's no reason you can't PR - you have the fitness for it and the weather is perfect."

I logged a 7:21 for both miles 16-17 and that pepped me up and rebuilt my confidence. I had imagined things deteriorating after mile 15, but instead they were improving. 

Mile 14: 7:29
Mile 15: 7:28
Mile 16: 7:21
Mile 17: 7:21
Mile 18: 7:23
Mile 19: 7:28
Mile 20: 7:22

Miles 21-Finish
I told myself this was it. Now was the time to PR. I kept telling myself I needed to make it hurt. I remembered back to my December marathon and how I felt like I just accepted the fade at the end until I realized a PR was within reach. "DON'T ACCEPT THE FADE" I kept telling myself over and over again. Don't accept it. Keep pushing the pace. You know you can be right around 7:20. If you want this you will need to make it happen. You will have to push for it. Do not accept the fade.

I grabbed my final water bottle from the elite table at mile 21 and took a few big swigs before tossing it. I reminded myself that I was in a much better spot fueling wise than I was last December. I was fitter. There was no reason not to be faster! I had to work. 

The 3:15 pace group was fading into the distance and I kept waiting for the Promised Land. The stretch where I made 1:29 happen last year at this race. But the course kept turning more than I remembered. I just wanted to put on cruise control and go. Mile 21 was 7:29 and once again I was dangerously close to the land of 7:30s and I did not want to be there for the rest of the race. I got a stomach cramp. I told myself to ignore it and that it would pass. It was pretty bad for about half a mile but then it went away entirely. Phew. I perked up a bit during mile 22 knowing that I was so close to the end and ran a 7:27 mile. 

This was truly a test of mental grit. Dare I risk fueling again knowing that my stomach was potentially having issues? I figured I would try to take a 5th gel during the 23rd mile. I wanted all the help I could get on the way to the finish line. 

It didn't go well. As soon as the gel was in my mouth, the gag reflex was triggered and I knew I had to spit it out. I slowed down a bit, turned my head to the side to spit, but I ended up vomiting instead. Not a ton, but just enough to be taken aback by it. I needed a mental reset. I stopped and walked about 4-5 steps. Oh no. I felt like crap. This was bad. Really bad. I would be walking to the finish. But within seconds I started running again and realized that vomiting was just what I needed! I suddenly felt so much better and could run faster than before I threw up! And where was that Promised Land with its straight road with a net downhill tailwind?

I came across one of the two 3:15 pacers. The pacing group was far ahead, maybe about 30-45 seconds up the road at this point. I said "Oh you're the 3:15 pacer!" He said "Yes, but the rest of the group is up ahead. But actually, he's planning on running 3:14 so you are still on track." And then he said "I'm running catch up pace right now so you need to keep running this pace to get it." That really helped me so I kicked it into high gear and I tried my best to catch the group. And I actually ran faster than the pacer who had talked to me!

Mile 24 was therefore the fastest mile of the race in 7:15. I was so excited about that. Yes, it was part of the Promised Land. But no, it was not downhill - actually a slight net gain if you consult Strava! Suddenly I felt amazing. The vomiting must have really helped and also knowing that I was closing the gap on the pace group up ahead. 

I remembered last year when I worked so hard to push my pace to a sub 1:30 in this exact spot so I channeled all of that.

I started checking the time on my watch during the last mile. I saw 3:08. Okay, I could rally. Just six more minutes and the PR would be mine. Just like last December, I had no idea if I would be able to PR or squeak under 3:15 but I was going to give it everything I had. 

I ended up running the last 0.39 at a pace of 6:50 and my last full mile was a pace of 7:06 according to Strava. The mind is so amazing. When you believe that your race could be over it's so easy to fall into the trap of believing it and to stop trying. When you think there's a chance you could get your goal and it's all come down to this one moment, the motivation allows you to do things you thought would be impossible. The last mile (from 25.4 to 26.4) was 7:06 and it was not downhill, it was flat! 

Mile 21: 7:29
Mile 22: 7:27
Mile 23: 7:44
Mile 24: 7:15
Mile 25: 7:27
Mile 26: 7:18
Final 0.39: 6:50 pace

I was brimming with joy as I crossed the finish line and saw 3:14:xx on the clock. My official time was 3:14:42, which is a PR by 29 seconds!

After the Race
Shortly after I crossed the finish line I threw up. I typically throw up after marathons and half marathons so this was nothing new and it made me feel so much better. It was all liquid. I think I drank too many fluids. Because I kept getting new bottles it was easy to just keep hydrating like I was running in 50 or 60 degree weather.

But when it's only 30 degrees, your hydration needs are different and it's easy to over drink. I think that's why I got the stomach cramp and why I threw up during and after. Nutrition will forever be a formula that needs to be fine-tuned. 

I re-united with Greg and I was so happy! I was on cloud nine seeing that I had gone under 3:15. It wasn't my "A" goal, but it was the main goal. 

They handed me a lightweight jacket at the finish line to help me stay warm but I got cold very quickly. I think it was only 33 degrees at the finish and still windy. Brrrr. We didn't linger around the finish line because I was very cold. We headed straight to the car and then to grab lunch. While waiting for our lunch I started shivering really badly. I needed to get warm. We took the food back to the hotel and unfortunately there was no bath tub, which is the fastest way to warm up. Instead I took a lukewarm shower with the world's lowest water pressure. It was like torture. I ended up wrapping myself in the bed blankets and drinking hot tea to finally stop shivering. Once I felt like myself again I was able to truly bask in the joy of a new marathon PR!

Stats
This was my 36th marathon.

I ran a PR by 29 seconds and a BQ by 30:18. I ran the men's BQ time for my age!

I don't have my official half marathon split, but I think I can approximate 1:36:55 and 1:37:47. Slightly positive splits. I think that final mile really helped bridged the gap. 

According to Strava I ran a marathon time of 3:13:25, at an average pace of 7:22. Yipee!

I placed second in my age group (45-49). Interestingly, the top three finishers in this age group were all faster than the 40-44 age group. The top three in 40-44 were 3:29, 3:30, and 3:37. 

The woman who won my age group ran a time of 3:14:05 and likely kept up with that 3:15 pacer, who clocked in a 3:13:56. The pacer who I passed ran a time of 3:17. 

The Newport News One City event now holds my half marathon PR (1:29:50) and my full marathon PR (3:14:42).

Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways

I am really proud of this race! It was a lot harder than I anticipated given the ideal weather and the tailwind. I thought my fitness supported a sub 7:20 pace for the entirety of the race when in reality I had to fight hard to run a 7:22 pace. My heart rate data supports me running a faster time because my heart rate was relatively low. 

I think I need to work on:

• Not being afraid to push to my goal pace around the mile 18-20 mark even if it's getting hard. 
• Getting the right balance of water/electrolytes/fuel (I probably could have had plain water without electrolyte mix in each bottle at these low temps)
• Not worrying about how it will feel later in the race if I push hard now. I am getting better at this but I think I could still improve.

I am most proud of:

• My mantra - Don't accept the fade
• Rallying hard after I vomited
• Running a 7:06 final mile (from 25.39 to 26.39)
• Not letting the stress of my house being on the market impact my running
• Staying relaxed the whole race
• Believing that I can still PR at age 46, given that I started running marathons at age 27
• Actually getting my goal!

Of course I am wondering if I could have just willed myself to keep up with that pace group. I think my training supports a time of 3:13:56 even on a "long" course. But I think I am always going to be second-guessing if I could have pushed harder, no matter what the race. That's part of being an athlete. Always trying to determine where you could have improved.

Pace groups can be a mind f**k though. It's easy to see a pacer and believe that they are perfectly pacing to the goal time and then freak out if they pass you. Most runners have experienced being demoralized when a pace group blazes past them. But pacing is a strategy and different strategies work for different runners. A pacer is just one runner approaching a goal time in one particular way and encouraging others along the way. I don't think the 3:15 pace group helped me or hurt me, but it just gave me something else to think about as I was running. 

I had the advantage of the tailwind during this race. Yes, it was a headwind and a sidewind during portions, but it was a tailwind for about 70% of the course. I did finally enter the Promised Land! But I think the fact that the tangents were hard to hit, making me run 26.39 miles was a disadvantage for sure. So maybe the two counteract each other and 3:14:42 is a fair & square time! 

Do I think I will ever get dramatically faster and run under 3:10? That's still TBD. I am not sure how many fast years I have left at this point. I certainly want to try. I have chipped away at this PR from 3:15:34 in 2018 to 3:15:11 in 2024 to 3:14:42 in 2025. I'd love to see a big dip but to do that I think I will need to re-examine my training and figure out what I need to get there. 

I was very fortunate to have Greg cheering for me in multiple places during this race. Of course I totally missed him at the end as I was laser focused on breaking 3:15. He did an excellent job with the photos and the videos, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. I don't know where I would be without his support.

We didn't make PR cake last night because we were so tired and we have to keep the kitchen clean with our house still on the market. But we have an offer in hand, so it won't be long before our kitchen is back in action. And I think it will be the last PR cake I make in it. Very sad. We are absolutely looking forward to our new kitchen for future PR cakes. 

Next up, Boston!