Boston Marathon: My 40th Marathon!

Yesterday I ran my 7th Boston Marathon and my 40th lifetime marathon. It was the 10-year anniversary of my first Boston Marathon. Lots of milestones!

Recent Marathons and Training
In the past six months, I haven't had the best marathon mojo. I ran Indianapolis Monumental in November (3:32) and Houston in January (3:24). I was hoping to run under 3:15 for each, but in both cases, my legs seized up early on with cramps. Both races had great weather and both courses were fast and flat. After Houston, I realized that the Nike Alphafly shoes were a poor match for my running style and were likely the reason for the cramping. 

Given these two disappointments, I was determined to have a strong finish in Boston. And the best way to do that was to run conservatively for the first half. My Boston course PR was 3:24:07 (from 2024) and it was warm that day, with temps rising into the high 60s. I set myself a "soft" goal of a course PR where all I had to do was run similarly to 2024, and the weather advantage would make me faster at the end. Physically I believed myself to be capable of sub 3:20, but I wasn't bold enough to pace for that time. 

My only tune-up race (Charlottesville 10-miler) was more of a learning experience than a true test of my fitness, because it was incredibly hilly and I had never run it before. I had also missed a 20-mile run due to a situation with my eye. I had logged a few impressive workouts (like 15 miles with 10 non-stop at 7:11 pace), but I had also fallen flat on many runs. So my mindset was all about playing it safe and being guarded for most of the race, until I got to the Newton Hills. 

Coach Greg McMillan, whose guidance I trust more than any other coach, advises athletes to run the first 16 miles at goal pace, push hard on the Newton hills, and then run faster than goal pace for the last five miles. This sounded like the perfect plan for me. 

If you are unfamiliar with the Boston course, it's mostly downhill for 16 miles, then you run through a very hilly section until mile 21, and then the last 5 miles are also net downhill. This is challenging because all of that downhill running can trash your quads so by the time you get to the hills, your legs are dead, even if you have plenty of energy. I definitely experienced this in 2016! My legs were bricks by mile 16. There are different schools of philosophy on how to best pace it, but most agree that you don't want to bank too much time on the downhills because it will tear up your quads. 

Logically I knew I should be confident heading into the race, and Greg (husband Greg- not coach Greg!) encouraged me to be confident. But at the same time, I didn't have a ton of evidence to support confidence and I didn't want a repeat of Indianapolis and Houston where I was 10+ minutes shy of my goal. 

Race Weekend
We arrived in Boston on Friday afternoon after a two-hour flight delay. We checked into the hotel and then went straight to the expo. I didn't buy too much at the expo because I had purchased most of my gear online beforehand. I did get Spike the unicorn to add to my collection and a hat. 

On Saturday I did a shakeout run with Tracksmith Stamata, which is a team of elite women runners who are training to qualify for the Olympic trials. I started chatting with one of the women, and we discovered that we went to the same elementary school and high school. We grew up just 1 mile away from each other, although she was 18 years younger than me!

We spent the rest of the day meeting up with friends and walking around Newbury and Boylston, hitting up the pop-up stores. It was a lot of steps, so I decided I would stay off of my feet on Sunday as much as possible. 

On Sunday I did not do a shakeout run, I just rested. I met up with a few friends at my hotel, including an athlete that I have been coaching online for over two years. I coached her to her first BQ and now here she was at Boston with her entire family. It was a special moment to finally meet her in person. 

Shakeout run with very fast women!

One of the best parts about race weekend was being recognized by so many people who knew me from
social media. I'm active on social media because I enjoy sharing my journey and helping others. It's a lot of work to create content on a daily basis, and sometimes I wonder if it's resonating. But so many people told me that they found my tips valuable, they learned a lot from my content, and they were inspired by my posts. It's also easy for me to focus on the 1% of negative comments I receive, but when I am getting so much positive feedback in real life, I realize how foolish it is to waste energy on trolls and negative comments.

A few funny comments: "Are you TrackClubBabe?" (confusing me with another content creator) and "I love your YouTube!" (My YouTube only has about 4 videos on it). I also got a lot of "I feel like I know you from somewhere!" 

Shoes

As I mentioned above, I attributed my leg cramps in my last two marathons to the Nike Alphafly 3. Since Houston, I have been on a quest to find the perfect marathon shoe for my running style: high cadence, very light on my feet. Because my feet are only in contact with the ground for a very short amount of time, the “squishy” shoes don’t work for me. I am not landing for long enough to get the benefit of the foam. Instead, I need a shoe that helps propel me forwards - not upwards. Here are the shoes I considered: 

Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 4: I loved how light and fast the shoe felt, but the fit was not as locked in as I would have liked and they felt a little too flimsy for a full marathon. A solid choice for a half marathon or shorter.

ASICS Metaspeed Edge Tokyo: This was a top contender, but I wasn’t confident I had the right size. I had sized up like I did in the Edge Paris, but this felt big, so I felt like it wasn’t going to work. But I will “explore” it more for the next marathon.

Mizuno Hyperwarp Elite: I absolutely love everything about this shoe. It fits my foot perfectly, has the perfect balance of bounce and ground feel, and is super lightweight. The only problem is that it only has a 3.5mm drop. I have sensitive Achilles tendons, and I could get away with that for one race, but I didn’t want to test it on a 20 miler and risk irritating my Achilles. I did run 15 miles in them, including 10 at marathon pace, and I just worried that they didn’t have the cushion I would want for 26.2 miles.

Tracksmith Elliot Racer: Super comfortable, but didn’t have the “pep” of some of the other shoes and they were a bit heavier. Definitely could handle marathon pace, but I am not sure how much of an advantage they would give me.

So, I settled on the Saucony Endorphin Pro 4. I had worn them for 16 miles included 4 x 2 at marathon pace and they felt super natural and smooth. I had also worn them in a bunch of marathon pace long runs last fall. Very comfortable and very capable of running a touch faster than marathon pace. I also wore them for an 8K tempo and they felt smooth and flowy. I bought a new pair and broke them in, but the new pair never seemed to fit as well as the first pair, and the ride felt different. The tongue was also weird in the newer pair. Apparently Saucony shoes come from different factories, so that could account for the difference.

Ultimately I settled on my original pair which had 89 miles on them because they were trustworthy! I had considered wearing them for Indianapolis and Houston, but thought that the Alphafly felt faster. In hindsight, I totally should have worn the Saucony.

Fueling
Before I move on to race day, I am going to outline my fueling strategy because it's a common question.
***Disclaimer: what works for me might not work for you! I am always tweaking my fueling. 

In the three days leading up to the race I focused on hydration with electrolytes. I use Liquid IV because I

like the taste so it encourages me to drink more. As for carbs, I don't count them, but I try to eat as many stomach-friendly carbs as is comfortable without feeling over stuffed. My favorite things to carb load with are bagels, pretzels, and pasta.

On Sunday (the day before the race) I had:

• A bagel and a banana for breakfast with a hot apple cider
• a Maurten Solid and pretzels as a snack 
• A beet salad and a turkey sandwich for lunch, with cold apple cider
• Small jelly-filled donuts as a snack (from my hotel lounge)
• Pasta with chicken for dinner. 

Race morning I had:

• A banana and pretzels at 6:00am (4.5 hours before race start) + electrolyte drink
• Half a bagel and a UCAN gel on the bus (2.5 hours before race start)
• Another UCAN gel 20 minutes before the start

During the race I had:

• Maurten gels at 0:40, 1:20, 1:50 (this one was caffeinated), 2:30, 3:00
• 3 Honey Stinger chews early on
• One packet of Skratch labs hydration + energy in my handheld bottle
• I carried a 24 ounce bottle of water and ditched it at around mile 11
• After that I drank water from 3-4 water stations 

When I posted a photo of all my fuel beforehand, people were asking why I mixed Maurten and UCAN. UCAN I take to keep the blood sugar steady, Maurten is for ongoing boosts of energy. The chews are usually easy to digest so I take them when I can early in the race. My digestive system behaved for the most part. No bathroom stops like in Boston 2025, but my body was starting to reject fuel by mile 20 and it was hard to get stuff down. At the finish line I vomited quite a bit of liquid. But that is typical for me, and I haven't figured out how to avoid that. The good thing about vomiting at the end is that I feel much better afterwards. I think my body isn't very quick at absorbing the fluids, which is why I try to drink a lot in the beginning. After about 2 hours, my stomach isn't doing much with the fluids I give it.

Energy wise, I felt great. I also had plenty of energy in Indianapolis and Houston, and I used a similar fueling strategy. The problem in those races was leg cramps, not energy. And that was somewhat heartbreaking because I felt like I had so much to give but my legs weren't cooperating.

Before the Race
I slept about as well as could be expected the night before a marathon. I had been having horrible sleep issues for the second half of March due to an adjustment in my thyroid medication, but thankfully my levels had stabilized in time to feel good sleeping for the past two weeks. I woke up naturally at around 5:30 and started getting ready for the race.

I drank water and ate food (see above) and put on my race gear. I wrote the course elevation profile on my arm so I would know when to expect the net uphill vs. net downhill miles along the way.

Before bus loading

I met my friends Cera and Stephanie in the hotel lobby. The hotel was just steps away from the bus loading so it worked perfectly. Greg, Stephanie, Stephanie’s and husband, Cera, and I made our way to the security checkpoint and we said goodbye to our husbands. At security, they would not let Stephanie through because she was in wave 4, and they were only loading waves 1-3. We thought this might happen, but we wanted to at least try! Security also made me throw away my “space blanket” or “heat sheet” that I was planning to sit on once I got to Athlete’s Village. I had no idea why they made me throw it away, especially since other people had heat sheets. I guess I should have folded it up more and stuffed it in my pocket, or had it wrapped around me. It was definitely weird that they made me throw it away for no apparent reason. You aren’t allowed to carry anything that’s over 15 inches long, but I could have folded this down to make it smaller.

The bus loading was a disaster. They instituted a new system where you don’t automatically load the buses after security. Instead you wait in line to step into a yellow square. Once you are on a yellow square, they tell you which bus to go to. I guess they thought this system would be more efficient, but it was not. Cera and I waited for about 25 minutes, and apparently runners in wave 4 had to wait for over an hour. I heard stories from runners in wave 4 who missed or nearly missed their start because they couldn’t load a bus. And it wasn’t a comfortable wait standing on your feet for over an hour. Apparently they realized this was causing a huge delay, so I think they ditched this system for waves 5 and 6.

Athlete's Village with Cera

Our bus ride took about 75 minutes because our driver took a wrong turn or exit. I didn’t mind it so much because it gave me the opportunity to chat with Cera, who I hadn’t seen since last year’s Boston. Once we got off the bus, we only had about 20 minutes until our wave was called to the starting area. I used the time to go to the bathroom and apply sunscreen. We then walked to the corral, and I used the bathroom for the final time before entering my corral. I took my UCAN gel and shed my throwaway jacket and pants. 

Once in the corral, I started chatting with the other runners, and some of them recognized me from social media. My shoes had been loosely tied this entire time because I didn’t want my feet to get uncomfortable before the start, but I should have tied them how I wanted them in Athlete’s Village. I always tie and re-tie my shoes several times before I determine they are correct. I thought I had them where I wanted them 10 minutes before race start, but as we approached the start line, one of them felt too loose. I pulled off to the side to re-tie my shoe a final time. I think this led to me starting with corral 8 (I was originally in corral 7) but I was fine with that. It was important to get my shoe tied appropriately.

The weather was perfect. By far the best weather I’ve ever experienced at the Boston Marathon. It was in the upper 40s for the entire race with the first half being sunny, and the second half being cloudy. A tailwind of about 8mph. I give it a 9 out of 10 on my personal weather scale. The only reason it’s not a 10 out of 10 is because I was getting warm during the first half when it was sunny, given that the course is not shaded. The second half weather was 10 out of 10. 

Miles 1-6

Once I was confident that my shoe tying was correct, I proceeded to the start line. The plan was to run a pace of 7:35-7:40 for the first half of the race. The first mile is perhaps the steepest downhill of the entire race. My goal was not to get swept out too fast. I had read many articles about how to save your legs and everything said high cadence, don’t lean back, let gravity do its thing. I was so paranoid of going out too fast that I went out too slow. Normally I consider the first mile to be a warmup or throwaway, but I could have used some extra seconds in the bank. I ran this mile in 8:00, which wasn’t disastrous, but a missed opportunity. In my race plan, I wanted to run a 7:40 first mile, so I didn’t execute. But not to worry, I had 25 miles to run fast! My average cadence for the first mile was 204 steps per minute, so I succeeded at taking quick steps to preserve the quads.

Around mile 3

The crowd thinned out quicker than expected, which is probably because I started towards the back of the
wave due to my last minute shoe tying. My focus was on relaxing, engaging my core, focusing on my cadence and posture. The goal was to save my legs for the Newton hills in miles 17-21. I knew I was running slightly slower than I had in 2024, but I was afraid to go any faster.

The sun was out in full force and I was getting warm and it didn’t feel as easy as I had expected. I executed my nutrition plan as outlined above, carrying the water bottle and taking my Honey Stinger chews at 20 minutes and my first Maurten at 40 minutes. I sipped from the bottle every 15 minutes. During these early miles I had a few mini conversations with people who recognized me from social media. I had my name written on my back, so people would come up from behind me and say things like “I follow you!” or “I love your content!”. Surprisingly, many of the spectators also recognized me and cheered for me by name.

I felt pretty good. Not as amazing as I did in 2024, but decent. One thing I noticed was that having crowds cheering so loudly early in the race wasn't ideal for me. When I am trying to relax into a rhythm and be zen-like, I think I would have preferred less spectator hype. It's awesome having the support once you get to the Newton hills and afterwards, but I realized that my personal preference for early in the race is to have it be more quiet. Boston is NOT the race to run if you prefer a quiet, low-key race! And I love the hype of Boston generally. This was just an observation from someone who was trying to go out conservatively and establish a cruise feel!  

With the exception of miles 1 and 5, I ran all of these miles in my target range of 7:35-7:40

At the 10K point

Mile 1: 8:01
Mile 2: 7:34
Mile 3: 7:38
Mile 4: 7:35
Mile 5: 7:48
Mile 6: 7:34

Miles 7-13.1
After crossing the 10K, I knew to start looking for Greg, who was waiting and spectating with Stephanie's husband. I was excited to see him so I sped up a little and tried to look good for the camera! Greg took pictures of other runners as well, so if you ran the Boston Marathon, maybe he photographed you! You can view his gallery and download photos. 

We ran through the Wellesley scream tunnel and boy was it loud! I do enjoy that part because it is a key part of the Boston experience. The sun was still making things warm and I was tempted to toss water over my head, but I didn't. I continued to drink from my water bottle every 15 minutes and I think I finally tossed it at a water station around 1:15. It felt amazing to be hands-free, and that's when I started to feel more energized and more pumped up. 

The miles kept coming and I was executing mostly to plan. I was pretty much staying with the same group of runners. Some runners passed me and I passed others. It was about equal parts being the passer and the passee! 

My official half marathon split was 1:41:21, which is on target for a time of 3:22:42. I had planned to be at 1:40:xx to give myself more buffer, but I remained confident in my ability to turn on the gas once I hit the hills and beyond. Generally these miles were paced according to plan, but that super slow first mile is what had me a bit off my target.

Mile 7: 7:31

Mile 8: 7:46

Mile 9: 7:42

Mile 10: 7:46

At the half marathon point

Mile 11: 7:36

Mile 12: 7:36

Mile 13: 7:39

Miles 14-21

Thankfully the clouds started to roll in, and at some point, I shifted my sunglasses from my eyes to my head. I started to feel more energized and I'm pretty sure it was due to the cloud cover. The fuel was also kicking in. Per Greg McMillan's advice, I needed to make a mental shift as I approached the Newton hills. I had been in "cruise mode" up until this point, and now I needed to go into "power mode". This doesn't mean go all-out on the hills, but it does mean that the effort level needs to increase so as not to lose too much time on the hills. Some of that time is baked into the plan, but the plan assumes running strong over the hills with legs that haven't been over cooked.

My legs felt the best they have ever felt as I approached the first Newton hill. I feel like the first Newton hill is the longest. Potentially not as steep as heartbreak, but it seems to go on forever. My right quad was beginning to feel sore from the impact of the hills, but my left one was still 100% fine. I really focused on using my glutes to power up the hill. My mental approach was to focus on a spot about 10-15 seconds up the road and just get to that point, and then find another spot. I like to imagine these anchor points pulling me up the hill as I focus on them. I pumped my arms, engaged my glutes and increased my cadence. My cadence had not stayed at 204, but had gradually decreased to 195 steps per minute. 

At this point, I was passing a greater number of people than were passing me, and that felt awesome. There were a few times when I was passed by someone who saw my name on my back and said something like "you inspire me!" as they passed me. How ironic that they were passing me and I was the supposedly inspirational one. I would yell back "no- you inspire me!" 

One of my goals for this race was to run my fastest ever Heartbreak Hill. I had been doing Pilates religiously and training on more hills than ever, so this would be my year. And sure enough, I set a PR on Heartbreak Hill according to Strava. The official segment is 0.54 miles long and my pace was 8:31, which Strava says is a "Grade Adjusted Pace" or GAP of 7:35. I was very pleased with it, given that this was my 6th time running up Heartbreak. 

The Newton hills were hard, but they didn't destroy me, and when I was done, I felt confident that I could make up some of my lost time back. The question was - how much?

Mile 14: 7:38

Mile 15: 7:45

Mile 16: 7:35

Mile 17: 8:04 (first Newton Hill)

Mile 18: 7:56

Mile 19: 7:44

Mile 20: 8:04

Mile 21: 8:08 (Heartbreak Hill)

Miles 22- Finish
I enjoyed the massive downhill that was mile 22, but my legs were by no means fresh. They felt the effects of the hills and I could only get them to move so quickly. I knew I would have to run with my heart, push through the discomfort, and trust that my body could continue on for another five miles at a fast pace. I knew that if I let myself wimp out, I would never make up the time I needed for my course PR. 

The course started becoming narrow and thus getting more crowded again. I was passing a ton of people and weaving through runners like crazy. This felt great, but I had to be careful because the pavement was a bit beat up and there seemed to be sewer covers and train tracks in a lot of places. I navigated through it nicely and fed off of the energy of the crowd. I knew I was in the home stretch and I just had to stay strong for a little bit longer. I reminded myself that this is what I trained for and this was my favorite moment in running. 

Mile 25.6

I was elated to have the Citgo sign in my sights and that pumped me up even more. There's a hill at the beginning of the final mile that felt like a mountain. It's not very long, but it's poorly placed. Right before the Citgo sign. I felt myself slow down a lot there, but then once I got to the top I hit the gas again. My legs didn't have much left in them. I knew I was running this section of the course faster than ever before. 

I saw Greg about three minutes before the turn on Hereford street. It was so packed, but he was easy to spot in his fluorescent yellow jacket. I glanced down at my watch and realized that I would not be getting my course PR of sub 3:24, but that I could run 3:24:xx if I ran really fast. 

From that point onwards I pushed SO HARD. If I wasn't going to set a course PR, I at least was going to tie the 3:24:xx. According to my Garmin, I ran the last 0.46 mile at a pace of 7:17. I wanted it so badly. 

I crossed with an official time of 3:24:52.

Mile 22: 7:40
Mile 23: 7:46
Mile 24: 7:40
Mile 25: 7:36
Mile 26: 8:03

Last 0.46: 7:17 pace

Gunning for the finish line

After the Race
I crossed the finish line, took about 15 steps, pulled off to the side, and vomited. Greenish yellow liquid. This happens almost every time I race a marathon or half marathon at full effort. My digestive system shuts down and my stomach stops emptying whatever I give it. On the plus side, vomiting makes me feel a million times better. 

One of the race officials recognized me, called me by name and handed me a medal. I proceeded through the finish line chute, which was moving slowly because everyone was taking selfie photos and videos. I did not even have my phone with me. I'll also mention that in all of my years running Boston, I had never noticed as many people taking selfies on the course. Usually this doesn't bother me, but this time it was so many people, most of whom seemed unaware of their surroundings. 

I chatted with lots of other runners at the finish line, and I didn't know it at the time, but Bill and Hilary Clinton were there, giving Chelsea her medal. Chelsea started in Wave 1 and ran a time of 3:40:52, so she crossed about 8 minutes before me. It would have been so cool to see the Clintons, and they were probably still there, but I didn't notice them. 

And totally off topic, but when I looked her up in the results and saw that she was 46, I thought to myself "no way, she's not 46 - she's like 15". I guess in my mind she never aged and was still the same age as when her dad was president! Hahaha. So that means she is in my age group.

Anyway, I knew none of this at the time, and proceeded to have my photo taken and then meet up with Greg. We recorded a quick video for Instagram and then went inside the hotel because I was getting cold. I took a very long shower and then relaxed while posting about my race on Instagram and Facebook.

Stats:

I placed 298 out of 1,786 in my age group (46-49 Female)

Marathonfoto low-res finish line pic

I placed 13,332 out of 29,020 runners, which means I beat my bib number. Bib numbers are generally assigned by qualifying time, and mine was 15140. 

First half: 1:41:21, Second half: 1:43:31. This is a positive split by 2:02.

I ran my fastest ever second half of Boston, which was most notable during the final 5 miles. 

According to Greg's analysis, I was rapidly closing the gap on my 2024 self, and if the course had been a mile longer, I would have run faster this year. 

My official finish time was 45 seconds slower than my course PR from 2024, which means I missed my time goal by 45 seconds. I did not leave myself much margin for error, and that's kind of where I am kicking myself. 

My finish time was only 9 seconds slower than Houston in January, but Houston is fast and flat, so a 3:24 in Boston is much more difficult to attain than a 3:24 in Houston. 

I ran this race 24 minutes faster than my first Boston Marathon in 2016.

I qualified for Boston 2027 with a buffer of 20 minutes and 8 seconds.

Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways
There's so much to say about this one! I've already hinted at a lot of the key takeaways but I'll be more explicit about them here.

Overall, this race was a success, and a necessary step forward in regaining my marathon confidence after two disappointing performances. I nailed my fueling, felt energized throughout and ran a consistent race. Hardly anyone negative splits at Boston because the elevation profile is not set up that way, so a two-minute positive split is really good, especially since I have come nowhere near that in the past. 

As far as pacing, I generally agree that Greg McMillan's approach worked for me, but it does assume you can really gun it at the end and make up the time you lost on the hills. If I had to do it over again I would have run the first mile 20-25 seconds faster and then shaved maybe 3-4 seconds off of some of the other early miles. But then again, it's impossible to know if that would have been the tipping point for what my legs would have tolerated. 

The shoes worked well! They were comfortable for the entire race. My feet never hurt and I didn't get any blisters. When compared to the ASICS Metaspeed Sky that I wore in 2024 they were not as propulsive or bouncy, but they got the job done reliably. If I had to choose a shoe, I would likely pick the ASICS Metaspeed Sky simply because they worked well and they were faster. The ASICS didn't feel particularly fast because they were so squishy and not as responsive as the Saucony, but the data suggests otherwise. Both are great options, and it's good to know that I have two options that won't cause leg cramping early in the race. They say that the ASICS Sky is for runners with a long stride and the Edge is for runners with high cadence (me), but I dunno - the Sky worked well and I guess I need to spend more time in the Edge to really test it out.

Zooming out - my biggest takeaway is that I did almost exactly what I set out to do from an execution standpoint. I wanted to feel strong at the end. I wanted to run my fastest Heartbreak Hill ever. I wanted to walk away feeling like I could execute a strong marathon without leg cramping. I wanted to nail my nutrition, fueling and hydration. I wanted to confirm my theory that it was the Alphafly that caused cramping issues in Indianapolis and Houston. Most importantly, I wanted to enjoy the experience and soak in the positive Boston vibes! I ran with gratitude and positivity throughout.

As competitive runners, we have a tendency to be critical of our races and wonder what we could have done differently to squeeze a few extra seconds off of our time. That's true for almost every race I run. That doesn't change the fact that I had a really strong race and I am proud of completing Boston number 6 (or 7 if you include the virtual) and marathon number 40.

Should Influencers Get Free Marathon Bibs?

With the World Marathon Majors becoming increasingly harder to get into, the influencer bib debate seems to have escalated. There aren't a ton of controversial topics in the amateur running world, but when they arise, I like to address them.

I'll provide an overview of why this is so controversial and then break down the three different parties responsible for these influencer bibs: the marathon itself, the sponsor, and the influencer.

The Debate
Social media content creators, more commonly called "influencers," are running the World Marathon Majors with bibs obtained from sponsors. Instead of entering these races through the lottery, charity, a tour group, or qualifying times (which is how most people gain entry), some influencers run these marathons

with "gifted" bibs from the race sponsors. I put "gifted" in quotes because even though the influencer doesn't pay money for the bib, he or she is responsible for creating content to promote the race and the sponsor. 

Runners try for years to gain entry into the NYC marathon lottery, which has hundreds of thousands of runners seeking only 50,000 spots. Likewise, many runners try for years and years to qualify for Boston by improving their race times. Others spend large amounts of time and effort raising money for charity. The demand for these marathons is rapidly increasing, but supply is staying about the same. Therefore, when these runners browse social media and see that an influencer got a "free" bib without having to fundraise, qualify, or win a competitive lottery, they get irritated. Or angry. Or jealous. Or a mix of all of these. 

The Marathon
To understand how this works, let's start with the marathon: Boston, New York, Chicago, London, Tokyo, Berlin. These marathons have two main sources of income: 1) registration fees 2) sponsorships. In order to pay for the extraordinary expenses of hosting these events, the income needs to be significant. A sponsorship package may look something like this: large booth at the race expo, logo on all race materials, advertisements in the race packet/program, and a certain number of race bibs. Do these bibs have to be part of the sponsorship package? Not necessarily. But if you are Bank of America and are paying hundreds of thousands of dollars (more likely millions of dollars) to sponsor the Boston Marathon and you don't even get any race entries? That feels wrong. "Thank you for this enormous amount of money to fund our marathon, but no - we will not be letting you have any bibs."

The reality of the situation is that large marathons need big-ticket sponsors. And when they are taking that kind of money from a sponsor, it seems like they should give the sponsor a few race entries as part of the package.

The Sponsors
Bibs in hand, the sponsors can do whatever they choose with them. They can give them to employees, executives, customers, nonprofits, partners - whatever they want. Do the sponsors have to give the bibs to influencers? No. So maybe you should direct your anger towards them. It's fine to give the bibs to your employees but don't give them to influencers who will shove it into our faces that they got in for free!!! 

That logic falls apart quickly. The sponsors are businesses, too, and they want the most mileage out of their sponsorship (pun intended).

Blame the sponsors all you want, but the reality is that they want maximum exposure, and they should want maximum exposure for the price they pay to sponsor the marathon. That said, another option for the sponsors is to give them to customers through a sweepstakes or contest. "Buy a pair of our shoes in the month of August and you'll be entered to win a free bib to the NYC Marathon". That's probably what many sponsors did before the rise of social media, but I'm guessing they've done the math and found the social media exposure to be more valuable. So can we get mad at the sponsors? Largely no, but maybe a little bit annoyed that they don't go the sweepstakes route.

NYC Marathon 2013

The Influencers
Imagine if you received an email offering you a bib to one of the World Marathon Majors, and all you would have to do in return is what you normally do every day? Would you take it? Yes. Kind of a no-brainer. 

This exact thing happened to me in 2013. I gained entry into the NYC Marathon through a sweepstakes bib from ASICS. I had already run NYC and hadn't planned on doing it again, but I could not turn down a free entry into a race that was so hard to get into, and expensive too!

The reality is that sponsors are going to offer bibs to influencers and of course that's going to be appealing to the influencers! Can you get mad at the influencers for accepting a bib from a sponsor? No! Because if someone offered it to you, you would probably accept it.

It's not unfair. It's not unearned. Sponsored entries are a legitimate way to gain entry into a marathon. The influencer has earned it by building a social media audience and working hard day after day to create content that resonates with the running community. If this bothers you, then you are free to start your own Instagram or TikTok or YouTube, build a following, and then get a sponsored bib. Nobody is stopping you. 

But here's where things get tricky, and here's where I think the heart of the debate really lies. Once the influencer has accepted the sponsor bib, how do they talk about it on social media? What is their message? Is it positive? Entitled? Inspiring? Informative? What does it offer the running community? Are they genuine? Do they acknowledge the fact that hundreds of thousands of runners want their bib, but couldn't get it?

So while you can't really fault the influencer for accepting the bib, you can be annoyed by how they promote it on social media. Be annoyed at their content, yes, but the mere fact that they are part of a marketing opportunity is simply how business works. 

What Would Elizabeth Do?
I have never run a World Marathon Major with a sponsored bib. I've had offers in the past, but turned them down because I didn't want to travel to Berlin and Tokyo at those times. If I had wanted to run those marathons, I would have accepted the sponsor bibs. But as with any brand partnership I take on, I only partner with a brand when I actually WANT their product. I'd love to run Berlin and Tokyo someday, but the timing needs to be right. 

Boston Marathon 2022

In 2022, Amazon sponsored me to run the Boston Marathon, but I did not accept their bib because I already had one that I had gained through qualification. I received some other perks from Amazon, but the bib was not one of them. At the time I asked myself, "If I hadn't qualified yet, would I accept this sponsored bib?" My answer was no. And that's not because I am selfless! It's because qualifying is what makes Boston special to me.

Other people may see Boston as special for other reasons, which are just as valid as mine, but given my 7-year struggle, to me it's all about earning the spot through time qualification. I wouldn't genuinely be excited about Boston if I hadn't qualified, because to me, that's the main reason to run Boston! It's why I have run Boston six times but Chicago only once. London only once. New York twice (but one was the sweepstakes)! 

So yes, I would have earned the sponsor bib because of my social media presence. Yes, it would be a legitimate entry. But it wouldn't be the Boston I know and love. 

As for the other world majors, I would accept a sponsored bib if I was interested in that marathon at that time. I would create content that expressed gratitude for the opportunity, and show the day-to-day of how I was preparing for the event. It wouldn't necessarily have to be my goal race, but I would have goals for it, because that's how I roll!

TLDR
You can't be mad at the marathons for giving bibs to sponsors. You can't really get mad at sponsors for giving the bibs to influencers (though you might be a little annoyed). You can't get mad at the influencer for accepting the bib, and you can't claim that it's not fair. Every step of the process is a business transaction. You CAN be angry, annoyed, jealous, judgmental-- whatever you want-- if the influencer creates content that you think disrespects the opportunity that has become more and more elusive. If the influencer is me, at least you now know my position. 

Boston Marathon 2025: Smiling all the way

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mile 5: 8:02

Mile 6: 7:50

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wellesley: few runners around!

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

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

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

Mile 12: 11:24 (OUCH)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mile 19: 8:33

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Final turn on Boylston

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My Instagram Friends and me post race

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

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

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

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

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

Boston Marathon Packing List

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This has led me to experience:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Track me on Monday with bib number 13694.