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.