This is going to be long. I debated writing multiple blog posts to cover all the different aspects of this race, but ultimately decided to put it all in one place so that this post will be as epic as the race itself.
To summarize the next 5,900 words into one sentence:
TL/DR Version:
I ran well in the heat for the first time in my life and enjoyed meeting so many runners from Instagram, all while wearing a brand new pair of shoes (thus breaking out of my conservative approach to racing) thereby reigniting my previously fading love of the Boston Marathon.
For my last run before heading to Boston, I decided to test out some shoes, just for the fun of it. My training was complete so whatever I did now was just for fun. Why not have a run where I stop a bunch of times to test shoes?
I had already decided on my race day shoe (the adidas Adios Pro 2) but I had a few different super shoes in the closet that I thought would be fun to test on an easy run.
First came the Saucony Endorphin Pro. I didn’t make it very far in these shoes (maybe half a mile) before I decided they weren’t for me. Too firm for my liking and they didn’t feel as streamlined or as fast as my beloved Adios Pro.
Next came the ASICS Metaspeed Sky Paris. I had received these shoes from Road Runner Sports a few weeks ago, pre-release, for me to share on Instagram. At the time, I ran just a few minutes in them to share my first impressions of them. I had liked them, but with a 5mm drop, I couldn’t imagine running far in them. With my history of Achilles tendinopathy, I need a higher drop (at least 8mm) and even at that I often put heel inserts into my shoes to raise the drop even more.
Despite the 5mm drop, my feet “connected” with these shoes on Thursday's run. It was love at first run. They were fun, bouncy, and had plenty of cushion. I weighed them on a kitchen scale and they were an ounce and a half lighter than my adidas Adios Pro shoes! And then I had the crazy idea of running Boston in them, even though I had never run more than 1 mile in them.
From that point forward, the ASICS Metaspeed Sky shoes came to symbolize the fun, reckless, risk-taking part of me that has started to emerge with my mid-life crisis! “Nothing new on race day” is a motto that I truly believe in and I would advise anyone else to abide by. But for some reason, I have been feeling risky and adventurous lately, so I decided I would go for it. Some people buy new convertible sports cars during a mid-life crisis. I race marathons in shoes I've never run in before.
I was worried about the 5mm drop, but I had some very small inserts that made the shoe more like an 8mm drop and they felt secure as I ran.
One small problem - the shoes were too small! I had requested my normal ASICS size from Road Runner Sports (size 6.5), but my toes were hitting the edge of the Metaspeed Sky. So I contacted my ASICS rep and asked if I could grab a size 7 at their pop-up store in Boston. He did me one better and had them shipped to my hotel! In exchange, I offered to talk about the shoes and the pop-up store on Instagram.
Friday
I packed my trusty adidas Adios Pro 2 shoes in case I changed my mind about the ASICS, or if the larger size didn’t work for me. Greg and I flew out and everything went smoothly.
We checked into the hotel, and my ASCIS package was waiting for me. We had lunch, and then made our way to the expo. I picked up my bib, got another Spike the Unicorn (by far the best expo purchase) and got a 2024 hat. I didn’t buy anything else because I had purchased the jacket ahead of time along with some other official gear on the adidas website.
It was then time for dinner with our friend Jonathan, and I got a Samuel Adams 26.2 Brew! One of the coolest things about the Boston Marathon is that all the local bars and restaurants offer 26.2 brew in a special marathon themed pint glass. I typically wouldn’t have a beer a few nights before a marathon, but my entire attitude for the weekend was to have fun! I was far less concerned about my performance than I was soaking up the whole experience. And 26.2 Brew is part of the experience.
On Saturday morning we went shopping on Newbury Street. Because the Boston Marathon expo doesn’t allow vendors that compete with the sponsors, many running brands set up “pop up" stores to sell their Boston gear. As promised, I visited the ASICS store and chatted with the rep there for awhile.
Then we headed to the finish line for some photos. I absolutely love the vibe of the city on marathon weekend. All the runners are so excited to be there. The locals really embrace the race. The energy is unlike any other marathon, or really anything else I’ve ever experienced.
For dinner, we met up with two of my friends who I had met in Boston 2022, and who I regularly interact with on Instagram. Both of them talked some sense into me about my shoe choice. They reminded me that testing them out for a few miles is totally different than a marathon and what if something started to hurt and I’m stuck with the shoes? They encouraged me to play it safe and use the shoes that I know work for my feet and my stride. They told me that the ASICS would still be around for future races. They made compelling arguments and they definitely had me leaning towards tried-and-true adidas.
On Sunday morning, I did a shakeout run with many of my Instagram friends. It was so fun meeting some of them in person for the first time. Having everyone all in one place was beyond cool. I spent the entire run chatting with someone who I had known on Instagram for awhile but had never met in person.
We ran around Boston Common and there were loads of runners out. Throughout the entire weekend, I was often recognized as “Elizabeth from Instagram”. I have amassed over 100,000 followers so quite a few runners approached me to get a photo or tell me they appreciated my content. One person said she had read my book and kept it on her nightstand!
When I am home creating content, I often don’t stop and think about how many people I am reaching. So it was surreal to be approached by so many runners. It was wonderful to chat with so many new people and hear a little bit about their journeys. If I ever questioned if it was really worth my while to share so much on Instagram, this weekend taught me that it was definitely worthwhile. I received loads of positive feedback and runners telling me that my posts have helped them in some way or another.
I wore the brand new ASICS Metaspeed Sky size 7 on the shakeout run and they felt great. Really comfortable, no problems, and they felt fast when I did some quicker strides. But I was still not 100% convinced that my “mid life crisis shoes” were the right decision. It would be a risk if my feet hurt or they made my calves hurt or my Achilles started screaming. I tried on my adidas Adios after the shakeout run and determined that I liked them too! Decisions, decisions!
The shoe decision became a representation of two sides of myself, both battling for dominance. On the one hand, there is the sensible, conservative person I have always been who always plays it safe and likes to control as much as possible. On the other hand there is the adventurous, carefree person that is starting to emerge in my mid 40s who wants to let go of control and live life by gut instinct and venture into the unknown. I went back and forth a hundred times between which shoe I would wear.
I spent the rest of the day relaxing in the hotel room. We had walked around so much on Saturday (15,000+ steps, and none of them running!) and I wanted to stay off of my feet the day before the race. I used this time to develop my race plan and write the elevation profile on my arm. On my arm, I put up and down arrows to note which miles had a net gain, and which miles had a net loss. A double up arrow was a large gain (heartbreak hill), a single up arrow was a slight gain. A double arrow down was a large loss (miles 1-4), a single arrow down was a small loss. Keeping in mind that the whole course is rolling hills, it was just about the net elevation for each mile, so I knew what to expect pace-wise.
I decided my goal would be sub-3:20. Based on my half marathon, I was in shape for around 3:08-3:10, but with the more challenging course and the weather, I decided to add 10 minutes onto that. In order to hit it, I would need to average a pace of 7:32 on my Garmin for 26.4 miles. (My Garmin always measures 26.4 on the Boston course, so that is what I pace for). Had the weather been cooler, I would have gone for an overall distance PR of sub 3:15. How amazing would it have been to set a marathon PR on the Boston course! But the weather would not cooperate.
As for the shoes, I went to bed confident in my decision to stick with tried-and-true adidas Adios Pro. It was fun to think about a snazzy new pair, but it wasn’t worth the risk. I knew I liked the adidas, so why mess with a good thing?
Hydration + carb loading
All day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I made sure to prioritize hydration. It would be a warm race and I didn’t want to end up dehydrated like I did in Houston in 2023 or in Boston 2016.
I drank about 80 ounces of fluid each day. I combined my water with Uppermost hydration, which is my favorite pre-race hydration. I love the taste and it has added vitamins! In the past, I would only have one packet of electrolytes per day, but this weekend, I had two packets per day. I also supplemented it with Gatorade from the goodie back I got from the expo.
As for carb loading, I loaded up on all different kinds of bread throughout the weekend. I devoured every bread basket that was offered at dinners. The night before the race I had my standard chicken parm without the cheese with pasta and bread.
I slept really well the night before the race. Better than I ever have before at a Boston Marathon. I wasn’t nervous or anxious or worried. I was chill and I was able to sleep soundly.
Race Weather
When I woke up, my first order of business was to check the forecast. It had risen a few degrees. And I didn’t know it at the time, but it would actually be even warmer than the updated forecast during the race. Previously, the start temps had been forecast at 58 and finishing at 63. The updated forecast had a start temp of 61 and a finish temp of 67. In actuality it was 62 at the start in Hopkinton rising to 70 by the halfway point, and eventually cooling to 67 as we entered Boston for the last 3-4 miles.
There was very little cloud cover, but the humidity was thankfully low. On my personal weather scale, I give this a 4 out of 10. A “4” means that a PR is not possible, I need to adjust my time goal substantially and focus on finishing strong. If it had been humid then I would have rated it a 3 or even a 2. If the temps had been 70 at the start (like Boston 2016) , then the score would also be lowered to a 3 or a 2. But a low 60s start and very low humidity makes this race somewhat salvageable.
I determined that these conditions were just slightly more favorable than those in Houston 2023 due to lack of humidity in Boston. I ran a 3:26 there, so I figured I could run a few minutes faster here, even with a more challenging course. I had given the Houston weather a 3 out of 10, so 4 out of 10 for this race feels right. My previous goal of sub-3:20 was likely no longer in reach, but I decided I would go out at a pace that would allow for it, and back of it needed. I figured I would realistically be in the 3:21-3:22 range.
As soon as I saw that the forecast had trended warmer (It went from a 5 to a 4) I immediately changed my mind on the shoes. With such crappy weather, the focus would 100% be on having fun, so it was time to throw caution to the wind and wear the fun shoes. In other words "Oh so it's going to be really warm?! Screw it! I'm wearing the fun shoes!"
After checking the weather, I started hydrating. I had a 24 ounce bottle that I would drink before the race and another 24 ounce bottle that I would carry during the race. I filled both with electrolytes. During a race, I like to use Skratch Labs hydration because it also has carbs. So my race bottle ended up having about 100 calories in it, in addition to electrolytes.
I felt calm and not at all nervous. I had no idea how it would go, and I wasn't worried about it not going well. I knew I was well trained and well hydrated, I just had to go and enjoy myself.
I put four gels in my shorts pockets: 3 regular Maurten gels and 1 caffeinated Maurten gel. I also put 6 honey stinger chews in my pockets. Greg wrote my name on my back so that runners behind me would know it was me and say hi as they passed. It totally worked! I heard "Elizabeth I follow you on Instagram!" so many times during the race!
We left the hotel and met my friend Arynne at 7:00 near the bus loading area. Here's everything I had on me:
- 4 Maurten gels
- 1 UCAN gel
- 2 24-ounce bottles of water + electrolytes
- 6 Honey Stinger chews
- A bag of almond butter pretzels
- A banana
- Sunscreen
- Name written on my back, elevation notes written on my arm
- Sunglasses, Garmin, Bib, shoes, socks, etc.
and had stayed in touch ever since. Our bus stopped at a gas station because someone urgently had to use the bathroom but otherwise it was smooth sailing! I ate my almond butter pretzels on the bus and drank one of my water bottles.
six (three generations) and they made me a sign that said "Boston Bound" in the same font as the cover of my book surrounded by zebra stripes.
When I ran the Houston Marathon in 2023 in warm, humid weather, I gradually drank from my handheld and was done with it by 2:00. I knew I needed to drink at a faster rate to avoid dehydration so I drank more frequently from my bottle than I did in Houston. As I ran through the water stations, I poured water all over my head and neck. It felt amazing for a few seconds and then I got hot again.
Mile 7: 7:26 (-18)
Mile 10: 7:37 ( +18)
Mile 12: 7:30 (-47)
Mile 13: 7:36 (+12)
Mile 14: 7:26 (-12)
Mile 15: 7:31 (+29)
At last I came to the Newton Hills. Where the course can break you! I took some deep breaths and prepared myself mentally for some hard times ahead. My legs were starting to feel really tired. Surprisingly, the rest of me felt great. I had plenty of energy. From a cardiovascular standpoint, I wasn't struggling at all. Looking back on my heart rate data I can see I was in the 163-167 range for the entire race! (I don't see my heart rate while I run). What a huge change from Boston 2022 when I was recovering from Covid and my heart rate spiked into the 180s.
pushed it harder but I knew I had three more big ones ahead and I didn't want to use all my juice on the first hill. I definitely knew my sub-3:20 goal was out the window at this point, but the good news was that I could slow down A LOT and still get a course PR! My newly revised goal was a course PR of sub 3:26.
Mile 17: 8:12 (+70)
Mile 18: 7:55 (+45)
Mile 19: 7:39 (-35)
Mile 20: 8:03 (+16)
Heartbreak Hill felt extra long. I felt like I was slogging up it at a pace of 10:00 but according to the official tracking my pace was 8:26.
Mile 23: 7:58 (-47)
Mile 24: 8:00 (-51)
Mile 25: 8:00 (-47)
When I stopped running I felt pretty bad for the next few minutes. I wanted to vomit but I couldn't induce vomiting and I didn't even dry heave like usual. I guess that's a good thing! I felt a bit nauseous, as if vomiting would help, but that feeling passed after about 5-10 minutes. Someone collapsed immediately behind me after I finished, and thankfully a medical person was there to help her.
I have so much to say about this race. If you thought I've said it all by this point, you're wrong! I'll start at the bottom with my shoes.
As I said earlier, the new shoes came to symbolize following my gut, letting go of control, and doing the fun but potentially irresponsible thing. I enjoyed running in them. I think my adidas Adios Pro 2 shoes would have done an equally fine job, they just have a different feel. While the ASICS Metaspeed Sky shoes are lighter and bouncier, I can't say for sure if they are faster because I wasn't exactly going for speed in this race. I plan to wear the smaller pair at my next 5K and see how they do. But I'll probably run at least one workout in them first.
I wasn't feeling super excited about this year's race. Part of me was ready to move on from Boston, maybe run it once every four years instead of every two years. Well, now I am thinking of running it again next year and doubling down on it instead of moving away from it! I think a lot of it has to do with having such a large Instagram presence and getting to meet so many people in person. I honestly loved being "recognized" and having people take photos with me.
I was able to apply what I learned in Houston to this race and it paid off. I ran a strong race in Houston with a negative split and it showed me that if I slow down enough, I can run well in the heat. I also ended up dehydrated at that race, so I learned that I need to focus on that even more.
- Hydration, Hydration, Hydration. With electrolytes! I think I used to drink plenty of water but perhaps I wasn't getting enough electrolytes during my pre-hydration
- Respect for the heat = conservative pacing. I was in shape to run a marathon pace of 7:10 but I backed that down to 7:30 for the first half. That's a huge adjustment and I think many runners aren't willing to back off their goals by that much.
This was my 5th Boston Marathon and my fastest. Previous times:
- 2016: 3:48:16 - Hot! 70 degrees and sunny at the start
- 2018: 3:26:54 - Heavy downpours with 20-40 mph headwind
- 2020: 3:40:02 - Virtual
- 2022: 3:33:04 - Recovering from Covid
- 2024: 3:24:07 - Hot!
