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!

Boston Marathon 2024: I Beat The Heat!

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.  

Thursday
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.

The smaller size will be great for 5K and 10K races. But for a downhill marathon, I definitely needed the larger size. I had done plenty of long runs in the ASICS Super Blast, so I knew ASICS generally worked with my foot strike. 

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.

Saturday
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.

Sunday
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!"

Before the Race
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.

Greg had my trusty adidas Adios Pro shoes in his backpack. In case the new ASICS were killing me by mile 6.2 when I saw him, I would have the option to change shoes right then and there!

Greg and I chatted for a bit and then it was time for us to board the busses and for Greg to catch a train out to Framingham where he would see me at the 10K point. As soon as we left him, things started to feel real!

I enjoyed chatting with Ayrnne on the bus. We had met at the Harrisburg half marathon a few years back
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. 

When we arrived at Athlete's village we headed straight for the porta potty line. It was pretty long. It moved fast and I would guess we waited in it for about 15-20 minutes. We then applied sunscreen. I'm glad we did because there was no shade on the course and very little cloud dover. 

Then they called our white wave (wave 2) and we headed to the start line! I hit up the final set of porta potties right before the start. I also used that time to ensure that my shoes were tied exactly how I wanted them to be tied and to pour some water on myself from the water station near the porta potties. And I took my UCAN gel. I was also approached by some Instagram runners for a few photos. Having done all of that, I made it to the corral with just 3 minutes to spare and the corral was completely full. I was able to tuck in at the very back. Usually I feel like I am waiting in the corral forever, but I think I spent more time waiting in that final porta potty line than expected.

Miles 1-5 (Hopkinton, Ashland)

The race started and everyone flew across the start line and down the first steep hill. My approach to Boston is to have an awareness of the elevation changes but ultimately keep the effort nice and easy in the beginning, which could mean big swings in pace. I had the elevation markings on my arm so I knew what I would be getting into.

My first area of focus was to find a sign at mile 4 that one of my followers made for me. It was a family of
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. 

They sent me this photo of the sign beforehand so I knew exactly what to look for. I saw them before they saw me! I was so excited to see the sign! I pointed at it, smiled and waved to them. It was really thrilling. 

These miles were crowded. A lot of people were passing me and I was passing a few people too. I mostly ran by effort/feel (which can be dangerous in a race that's expected to heat up) but I kept myself honest and ran at a pace that truly felt easy-medium for the first five miles. 4 of these 5 are insanely downhill, so that is part of the reason for them being faster than I would have started on a flat course.

Mile 1: 7:35 (-117 ft)

Mile 2: 7:26 (-54 ft)

Mile 3: 7:26 (-54 ft)

Mile 4: 7:30 (-69 ft)

Mile 5: 7:40 (+12 ft)

Miles 6-10 (Framingham)
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.

I saw Greg at mile 6.2. I spotted him before he saw me. I knew exactly where to look for him and it was awesome to see him! He took some amazing photos (better than the official race photographers take) and some great video for me to post on Instagram. I knew this would be my only chance to change shoes if needed, so I asked myself if my feet were okay. The answer: yes they were! I was still not completely sold on them being superior to the adidas, but I knew my feet were happy so far.

By this point I was still running at what felt like an easy pace, so I wasn't able to truly test their responsiveness when it came to surging and going super fast. Running a 5K would be an entirely different experience for the shoes. 

These miles went by pretty quickly. I focused on the crowd support, chatted with some people who recognized me from Instagram, and enjoyed it. 

Mile 6: 7:31 (-14)
Mile 7: 7:26 (-18)

Mile 8: 7:32 (+5)

Mile 9: 7:35 (-9)
Mile 10: 7:37 ( +18)

Miles 11-15 (Natick and Wellesley)

Now it was really hot. The first 10 miles were warm. These miles were downright hot. No cloud cover and I think it was in the 66-70 degree range for this portion of the course. I finished my 24 ounce bottle by 1:45, which meant I drank faster than I did at Houston. I knew I needed to drink water at every station and also pour water over my head wherever possible. 

My legs started to get tired during the 11th mile. This was not a good sign. It was far too early for that. It must be the shoes! Yes, I would blame the shoes! Okay,  no. .  . let's be real. It's not the shoes, it's the heat and the hills. 

I started to think that this race had the potential to go south very quickly. I remembered Boston 2016 when it was 70 at the start line and I was slugging my way over the last six miles. All the way to the medical tent! I tried not to think about that and to focus on the mile I was in. I would deal with any potential issues when they arose. For now, everything was manageable. Everything was fine. I was going to keep on keeping on!

There would be no negativity. I would continue to take everything in, enjoy the moment and be present. 

I crossed the halfway point at 1:39:29, which put me on pace for 3:18:58. So I could afford to run the second half of the race a minute slower and still break 3:20. At that point I was feeling decent enough that it seemed like a real possibility to shoot for my Sunday evening goal. Miles 14-15 were 7:26 and 7:31 so I continued to hold that belief, despite the heat! 

Mile 11: 7:40 (+21)
Mile 12: 7:30 (-47)
Mile 13: 7:36 (+12)
Mile 14: 7:26 (-12) 
Mile 15: 7:31 (+29)

Miles 16-20 (Newton)
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. 

In 2022, my legs had plenty of pep, but my heart rate got too high. This year, my heart rate was nice and moderate, but my legs had no juice. Can I blame the new shoes!?  

My hydration and fueling were going according to plan. I was taking my gels on schedule. The caffeinated Maurten that I took at the 2:00 mark didn't sit well, but I felt fine after about 5 minutes. I was lucky to find a volunteer handing out bottles of water which allowed me to take a nice big gulp of water and poor the rest over my body. I am pretty sure it was around 69-70 degrees for this entire section. Many runners are reporting that the actual temperatures were higher than what was forecast.

The first hill was hard. I slowed down significantly (8:12) but that was somewhat intentional. I could have
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.

The next two hills were challenging but I stayed strong. I focused on having fun and taking in all the crowd support. There were many runners walking these hills. I was definitely not the fastest runner up the hills but I was also not the slowest. I would say I was somewhere in the middle. I was passing runners and runners were also passing me.

Mile 16: 7:30 (-103)
Mile 17: 8:12 (+70)
Mile 18: 7:55 (+45)
Mile 19: 7:39 (-35)
Mile 20: 8:03 (+16)

Miles 21-Finish (Brookline, Boston)
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.

Now I just had to get to Boston. All my gels were gone. I had digested them all with no problems so I took three honey stinger chews to get me through the final miles. Based on how my legs had felt during mile 11, I was really happy with how well they were holding up. They were definitely tired and hurting, but it could have been much worse. And with the heat - I couldn't believe how good I felt. How much energy I had. Usually I bake in the heat and I feel like it "zaps" me.  Yes, I was running slower than my potential in cooler weather, but I didn't feel "zapped" by the heat. 

At mile 22 I was looking for another sign from an Instagram follower. This one would say "4 More Clor" (for 4 more miles). I found the sign before she spotted me and I was able to get her attention. It was so cool to see another personalized sign! 

I was now at the point in the race where my pace as no longer under my control. I no longer had the option to speed up or push harder. I was an autopilot. I was doing fine and I could keep doing it. I just couldn't do any more. I had my happy pace and no amount of will could make it any faster. In my mind I knew I had a pretty big buffer to get a course PR so I was content to plug away at the course step by step.

I was passing a lot of runners during miles 22-24. It seemed like most runners were having a really hard time in the heat. A lot of them were walking. Thankfully it was a little bit cooler in Boston-- about 67 degrees as opposed to 70+ in Newton. I think that helped me.

Next up: Greg again! I started looking for him at mile marker 25. I looked and looked and I didn't see him. I was afraid I missed him. Finally he was there, and he got a killer video of me with the Citgo sign in the background! I was elated to see him! 

During the last mile of a marathon I usually can muster up some amount of extra strength to go a bit faster. But I didn't have anything left. I felt okay. Not great, not horrible. But my legs were like useless appendages that were on autopilot, totally separate from my mind. They did what they knew how to do from training and I didn't control their speed. Even once I made the final turn onto Boylston, there was no final kick. I even saw that I could get under 3:24:00 with just a little extra effort, but I had nothing more.

I let my legs carry me down Boylston as I took in the sights and sounds of cheering spectators and the announcer, feeling like an absolute rockstar. My final goal was to get an unobstructed finish line photo and that mission was accomplished. 

Mile 21: 8:23 (Heartbreak Hill)

Mile 22: 7:37 (-74)
Mile 23: 7:58 (-47)
Mile 24: 8:00 (-51)
Mile 25: 8:00 (-47)

Mile 26: 8:34 (+5)

Last 0.42: 8:02 pace

After the Race
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 walked slowly through the finish line chute. I couldn't believe how well my body held up in that heat! Amazing! Usually when it gets above 55 I totally melt, even when everyone else seems fine with the weather. I wasn't even acclimated coming off of a winter training cycle.  I continued walking to get my medal and my heat blanket. Yeah, I felt pretty decent for having run 26.2+ miles in the heat!

Before I knew it I had reached the end of the chute and was re-united with Greg. I even beat him to our meeting spot! From there we took a slow stroll through Boston Common up to our hotel. The good thing about the warm weather was that I was really comfortable post race and not too cold!

Back at the hotel, the staff of the Ritz Carlton welcomed me with cheers, a glass of champagne and a huge selection of Gatorades. In my room they left balloons and a plaque with my name and time on it. Finally it was time for my Epsom salt bath and a good look at my Garmin data!

Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways
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. 

I broke the rules with new 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. 

My Achilles were a little tender after the race and they are still tender today, but they were much worse after Houston in 2023. I think they will be fine again when I take a week off of running. I did use the little heel inserts to raise the drop and they stayed in place throughout the whole run. if you go to the Amazon link you will see they are adjustable and I used the bottom two layers. The top one was too big for the shoe.

I fell in love with Boston all over again!
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. 

It also has to do with the hype and the excitement of the city. That's always been there but I think I was more connected to it this year because of what I said above. I got to hear more stories, get a deeper sense from more people of how important this race was to them. 

As a content creator, I loved sharing the experience too. I created so many videos for my Instagram stories and was able to bring the Boston experience to people at home or at work! And I'm having a blast writing this novel-length blog post.

I also think I'm finally learning how to run this course properly. How to pace it. What to expect. I will probably continue to go into it with a carefree attitude given that the weather always throws curveballs, but that is the beauty of it.

Heat running didn't destroy 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. 

For years and years and years, I was always the one crashing in the heat-- FAR more than other runners. I constantly lamented about how the heat impacted me more than other people. I was more heat sensitive. I needed it to be 35. I would run races in 55 degree weather and complain that the heat did me in while other people set PRs. As I matured, I stopped complaining and lamenting, but I still believed it to be true that I was at more of a physical disadvantage in the heat than most runners. 

This race was the first time when I punched above my weight in the heat. Meaning- I finished 7,946 and my bib number was 12577. You can look at your bib number as your "ranking" when you enter the race. It's based on your qualifying time. So I might expect to finish in in 12,577th place. I passed approximately 4,600 runners. I literally "beat my heat" by placing in the 1st wave instead of the 2nd.

Why was this race different? I think it was a combination of a few things:

• 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. 

I ran my fastest Boston
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!

This was my 34th marathon and my 15th BQ.  I ran 25 minutes and 53 seconds under my BQ time. I placed in the top 6th percent of my age group (45-49). I'll say it was a very good day. 

Contrast this to 10 years ago when I was struggling to qualify, was completely demoralized by the heat, and took running way too seriously. This transformation is what Boston represents to me, and why I will continue to run it. 

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Boston Marathon Controversies Galore!

Last week the B.A.A. announced that 11,000 qualifiers would not be admitted into the Boston Marathon. The qualifier field was limited to just over 22,000 runners and the race had 33,058 applicants. Anyone who did not run at least 5 minutes and 29 seconds faster than their qualifying standard was denied entry.  A week later, Tracksmith announced that their BQ singlet would only be available to those runners who had been accepted (22,019 runners), not to all qualifiers. 

Everything in the above paragraph caused quite a bit of controversy. I'll provide an overview of the controversies along with my take on each.

Are the women's qualifying standards "softer" than the men's? I've heard this claim quite frequently: It's easier for women to gain entry into the Boston Marathon than it is for men. Support for this argument is that if you compare elite men to elite women, the top men are less than 20 minutes faster than the women. Instead of the women's qualifying standards being 30 minutes slower than the men's times, they should only be 20 minutes slower. 

There's no data to support the claim of the women's times being easier. Most notably, the Boston Marathon accepted 12,535 male qualifiers and 9,440 female qualifiers. If the B.A.A. made it harder for women to get in, there would be even fewer women in the race. 

Further, as the times get slower, the percentage of time difference shrinks. Here's an example. Let's say you have an elite male running a time of 2:05 and an elite female running a time of 2:25. That's a 20-minute difference, and 20 minutes is 16% of 2:05. So the elite female ran 16% slower than the male. Now let's look at an amateur male running a time of 3:10 vs. a woman running 20 minutes slower at 3:30. In this case, the woman has run only 10.5% slower than the man. The gap between a 2:05 and a 2:25 is therefore a larger gap than 3:10 and 3:30. If the percentage difference of 16 were to be maintained, the equivalent amateur woman's time would be. . . 30 minutes slower at 3:40.

So you cannot look at the elite field and say, "the men's and women's times are so much closer together than the 30-minute difference in BQ standards." It's true in terms of actual minutes on the clock. But not in terms of percentage difference. 

All that being said, it does "seem like" the women's times are easier. On a gut instinct level it just seems like it's harder for a man to run a 3:10 than it is for a woman to run a 3:40. And you could potentially say that there would be far more women qualifying for Boston if women trained as hard as men did. And that women, on average, do not train as hard because a certain percentage of them are pregnant or postpartum. But once again, all of this is based on gut feeling and I haven't seen any data to support this claim. 

To sum up, it may "feel like" the women's times are softer, but the data indicates that it is not easier for women to qualify for Boston than it is for men. And I believe the goal of the B.A.A. with their standards is to have a relatively equal number of runners from each group and not to make standards that are equally physically challenging. You'd almost never have an elite male beat the qualifying standard by over an hour, but there are older women who have beat their standards by over an hour.

Is the non-binary category fair?
44 non binary athletes were accepted into the Boston Marathon. I've heard all sorts of perspectives on this one. Before I get into it, the non-binary qualifying standards are the same as the women's standards. The B.A.A. says they do not yet have enough data to determine what the actual standard should be yet, so for 2024 they are going with the women's standards. 

At one extreme you have people saying that the non-binary category makes it easy for men to cheat their way in under the women's standards. And so the race is soon going to be full of men pretending to be non-binary. On the other extreme you have people saying that Boston is still not inclusive enough. I've also heard the argument "why do people care about the non-binary category-- it doesn't affect them." 

My thoughts on this issue are that it all goes back to the B.A.A. and their goals. If everything was 100% "fair" (which would be impossible anyway) then you probably wouldn't have a situation in which a woman in her 60s can beat her BQ time by over an hour but a young elite male cannot. With this non-binary category, their goal is to show inclusivity. The goal isn't necessarily to be fair, and that's their prerogative; it's their race. 

Remember the vaccine mandates from 2022? The goal was not to Covid-proof the race; that would be impossible. (There was no requirements for volunteers, etc.) The goals were to comply with local town ordinances and make runners feel safe. Many runners, myself included, didn't think the mandates were fair. But the B.A.A. is not obligated to be fair. 

To qualify as non-binary you must have qualified in another race in the non-binary category. Will there be runners who take advantage of this? Potentially, but that's really going to an extreme length to cheat your way into the race. What about the non-binary runners who have male genetics who can qualify under the same standards as the women? Yes, those runners have an advantage. The mere act of identifying as non-binary has not changed their physical abilities. 

The problem that the B.A.A. is running into is that they are trying to be as inclusive as possible while also being exclusive. And it's not possible to do both. And it's definitely not possible to do both 100% fairly. Someone is always going to have an unfair advantage.

The notion that they are going to look at non-binary data seems fruitless because identifying as non-binary has nothing to do with one's physical abilities as a runner. I am not sure what they are expecting to find. And even if they did end up making the non-binary standards the same as the men's standards, they would receive backlash for not being inclusive.

Finally, I'll address this position: "The non-binary category doesn't impact you - just focus on your own BQ." For the sake of one's own mental health, it's always best to focus primarily on the things you can control. But if everyone did that all the time on every issue, society would likely collapse. Healthy debate is good for all communities, including the running community. You don't want to be fully entrenched in social media debates about non-binary athletes running a marathon, but you also don't want to be completely blind and isolated from what is happening in the world around you. 

This debate should not be centered around the non-binary athletes themselves, but the policies of the B.A.A.

Should extreme downhill races be allowed as Boston Qualifiers?
Extreme downhill races like those found in the "Revel" series are often blamed for the increase in the number of Boston qualifiers. Are these courses fair?

Having never run one of these courses I am not in a position to weigh in authoritatively. But this is my blog so I will share my non-authoritative thoughts. 

The only marathon I ever ran that had a net downhill greater than Boston was Sugarloaf in 2019. That was not one of my faster marathons, but I was also suffering from hypothermia at the end. CIM might also fall into that camp, but CIM is nothing like the Revel races, which have thousands of feet of elevation loss.

I've heard that extreme downhill races come with their own challenges like beating up the quads. Aerobically it might be a walk in the park, but you still need your legs to carry you to the finish line. All of that being said, the data shows that these courses are notably faster than courses with a net-even elevation. Does that mean they should be excluded as qualifying races?

If it were up to me I would institute a limit on the amount of elevation loss permitted. It might be fair to say the Boston Qualifying race cannot have a net elevation loss that is greater than the Boston Marathon's own elevation loss. Not to discount the achievement of runners who participate in Revel, but to level the playing field for one particular race, which is Boston.

The reality is that these races would have far fewer participants if they were not eligible for Boston. If Boston axed them it would potentially put these races out of business. Are they going to do that? Unlikely. Plus, these races are open to all runners. Anyone who wants the advantage of the downhill can run a Revel race. 

What in the world is up with Tracksmith?
Less than one week after the B.A.A. announced that over 11,000 qualifiers did not gain entry into the Boston Marathon, Trackmith added insult to injury by releasing a BQ singlet only available to confirmed entrants. They would not sell the "BQ" singlet to runners who actually did the thing that the singlet says! 

Now, if the singlet said "BQ - 5:29" then, okay. Or if it said "I was accepted into Boston 2024" then, okay.  But that's not what the singlet says. If it's a BQ singlet it should be available to all qualifiers. I applaud Tracksmith for celebrating the accomplishment of a BQ, but they undermined their own celebration by talking down to those qualifiers that were not accepted into the marathon.

The backlash on Tracksmith was intense because their post on social media was about much more than the singlet. It began with the quote "This isn't a jogging race," as if the 11,000 non-accepted BQers jogged their way to the finish line. The tone of the post was elitist in several ways and Tracksmith finally took the post down and issued an apology post the following day. 

This social media post raised the following question by many - is Tracksmith an inclusive brand? What exactly does it mean to be "inclusive" anyway? I'd argue that it's an ideal which is impossible to attain in reality. Featuring runners of diverse ethnic backgrounds does not automatically make you inclusive. Especially not when you charge $48 for a pair of underwear. 

Putting on my marketing hat, this is a huge gaffe. You do not post something that feels elitist to a large percentage of your customer base. Especially after these runners worked hard to qualify for Boston, only to be turned away less than one week prior! Issuing the apology was definitely the right thing to do, but it will not be 100% damage control for the brand.

Will I still buy Tracksmith? I have a love/hate relationship with the brand. So sure, I will still buy their stuff from time to time. Thankfully they apologized, but I was never 100% sold on their messaging to begin with. Something about the brand has always rubbed me the wrong way in terms of being borderline pretentious.

I have noticed a decline in their service over the past year. They used to ship their items out immediately and for my last order it took them 5 days to ship the order, plus additional time for it to be delivered. Their prices have increased but their processing speed has decreased. I much prefer rabbit to Tracksmith; rabbit is a feel-good, happy brand with fun colors and styles. California-based rabbit has much better options for summer running, but Boston-based Tracksmith has better options for colder months.

Final Thoughts
The common theme with my take on these controversies is that you cannot be "inclusive" and "exclusive" at the same time; that's a losing battle. The notion of 100% fairness is unrealistic, especially when "fair" isn't necessarily the goal. It seems like the B.A.A. is opting for equal representation across ages and genders instead of making things equally physically challenging across the board. Tracksmith will continue to face backlash. Feel free to disagree. These are, after all, controversies. All I ask is that you keep it respectful!