Boston Marathon

It’s me, hi! (Boston Marathon 2026 recap)

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Does anyone even read blogs anymore? If you do — hey!

It’s been a minute since I last posted, when I shared about the disaster that was the Atlantic City Marathon. Don’t worry, I didn’t give up on running after that.

In December, I ran two half marathons– Rehoboth (1:39) and Naptown (1:36). And then it was time to train for my 6th Boston Marathon! I had also signed up for the Algonquin 50K, which took place the first weekend of February, but I bailed at the last minute when I heard the trails were coated in snow and ice and that wearing YakTrax was recommended. Plus, the real feel was like negative 7 or something stupid. That was a hard no for me, especially with a goal marathon not far behind. Sadly for me, this was the last year of Alq, so it looks like my 2023 race was my one and only experience.

I actually ran several races in March, but most were as marathon pace workouts. The only one I went full send on was the Annapolis Running Festival half, where I ran a slightly disappointing 1:38 (was shooting for 1:35 or faster.) But training for Boston went well, despite how cold this winter was. And I like running in the cold! But like, I like running in the cold when it’s 35 degrees. Not when it’s 15 degrees. It was definitely an unusually cold winter in Maryland, and I vowed not to complain about the heat this summer (yeah right.)

So– onto the Boston recap!

I woke up on Marathon Monday feeling super pumped for the race. The weather forecast had pretty much everyone excited— 40s, no rain, and a tailwind? F yeah. Unfortunately, the day got off to a messy start, with bus loading at the Common the most chaotic I’ve ever seen it. I was supposed to get on the bus to Hopkinton at 8 and didn’t board until close to 9. Once I got there, I had very little time in Athletes Village before my wave was called. By the time I walked through Hopkinton and hit a porta potty, it was almost go time and I ended up running to get into my corral on time. Not ideal! However, I perked up when I heard the Doobie Bros.’ Taking It to the Streets playing (much better choice than What a Fool Believes for right before a marathon)

My big goal for Boston this year was to run a consistent race. I felt like I was in shape for mid-3:20s, faster if I had a perfect day (my course PR is 3:19 from 2023.) The big challenge with Boston is that the course can easily trick you into going out too fast. There’s a ton of downhill (but also some uphill!) in the first half, really the first 16 miles, and of course your adrenaline is pumping and you wanna go. But then you hit Newton at mile 16 and your quads are shot. I kept telling myself, run by effort. Don’t weave around other people. Let others pass you if they want! Focus on your own race. I was keeping a close eye on my splits, and they were pretty consistently in the 7:40s, with a few dipping into the 7:30s. But I felt strong! I took in the sights and funny signs— there was a man standing in a speedo around mile 4 with a sign that said “Run Faster or I’ll Drop the Sign” LOL! I split the first 10 miles in around 1:17, which felt right pacing wise, and I was looking forward to my very favorite part of the course, the Wellesley Scream Tunnel. That’s right before the halfway point and you can hear the Wellesley students cheering at least a half mile before you get there. It’s so fun and always gives me a massive boost!

I heard the women in the Wellesley Scream Tunnel about a half mile before I got there, and as always running through it is my favorite part of the course! I gave out so many high fives!

Heading into Newton, I was still maintaining a consistent pace and again reminded myself to run by effort. The hills were hard. They always are. Part of that is where they fall on the course; any incline after 16 miles of running is going to feel hard! And part of that is I’m not a super strong uphill or downhill runner, tbh. My goal was to keep it steady up the four hills and then recover/pick up some more speed on the way back down. It was still such a relief to get to the top of Heartbreak and know then it would be mostly downhill into Boston (though of course, after 20+ miles of ups and downs, I felt every bit of the downhill in my quads!)

From mile 21 on, the crowds were just insane— there wasn’t one part of the course that wasn’t packed with screaming spectators. I looked at my watch and saw if I kept up the pace I’d be well under 3:30 (a loose goal I had for the race). Saw the Citgo sign and then there was just a mile left. Really noticed the tailwind here and felt like it was my reward for suffering through that awful headwind at Atlantic City last fall. My husband and sister were planning to be about a half mile from the finish, so I was looking for them, but never saw them. They actually got a spot to watch on Boylston and saw the winners and other elites — so cool!

The turn onto Hereford and then Boylston was electric. Saw the photog at the corner and hammed it up and got some of my favorite race photos ever! Then gunned it to the finish line, which is further away than it seems once you’re on Boylston.

Official time was 3:26:36, my third fastest Boston out of six.

And yes, I’ll be back next year!

So, what’s next? Well, last Sunday I ran the Pittsburgh Half on the 11th anniversary of running the Pittsburgh Marathon, which was my first marathon! I had no idea how I would feel less than two weeks after Boston, but I ran a 1:36 and felt strong.

And believe it or not– it’s almost time to start another marathon training block! I am running my first international marathon, the Reykjavik Marathon, on August 22. I have wanted to go to Iceland for at least 15 years and I am so stoked for this trip. Training starts on Monday and I am really hoping to crush this flat, fast course!

Summer 2025 running: A mud run, a mile PR, and more marathon training!

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Does anyone even still read running blogs anymore? I have to wonder, ha! I started this blog in 2017 (which was probably way past peak blogger era anyway) when I was trying to qualify for Boston for the first time. 

Here we are 8 years, 12 BQs, and 5 Boston Marathons later. I’m still blogging, just much less often, though I am very active over on Instagram. 

I figured it was time to give a brief update on what I’ve been up to since I ran Boston in April! 

I Did a Mud Run

To be honest, I’ve never had any interest in doing anything like a Tough Mudder or a Spartan race. The risk of injury always seemed far too great. But when my friend Staci asked me last Christmas if I wanted to run the Mud Girl women’s race in the Poconos at the end of May, I said why not. They let kids as young as 7 participate, and the obstacles didn’t look too scary (plus, you could skip any you weren’t comfortable with.) It’s not a timed event, so it was purely for fun. 

And we did have a lot of fun, despite dealing with some pretty awful weather. Even though it was the last day of May, the weather didn’t get above 50 degrees and there was a steady cold rain for most of the run, which took place at the Pocono Raceway. But honestly, that kind of added to the experience. There were 17 total obstacles where we did things like carry weighted bags through mud, climb up mud piles, and swim through muddy pools of water underneath netting. I don’t love being in cold water at all, so that was a challenge for me, but both Staci and I got through. Total distance was about 5K, but we mostly ran/walked it, so it wasn’t like a 5K race. We both laughed a lot throughout the race and said afterwards that we would do it again!

I PR’d My Mile Time at the John Wall Memorial Mile

I’ve said it before, the mile scares the shit out of me. I am a long distance girlie for life. But the Annapolis Striders host a track mile race every summer, and I have always been intrigued by it. However, I am usually on vacation when it happens. Not this year, though– so I decided to really push myself and sign up, with the goal of finishing in under 6 minutes and hopefully even breaking my previous mile PR of 5:56. 

I trained for the race for about 6 weeks, doing mile-specific workouts on the track once a week. And oh my GOD, they were hard! Think 10 x 400 at goal mile pace with brief recoveries in between. Made me long for marathon training. I also participated in an informal track meet held by the Striders earlier in June, racing in the 800 meter (finishing in 2:49) and the 400 meter (76 seconds). 

The race was held at Severna Park High School and I was way more nervous and scared beforehand than I ever am before a marathon! I had a lot of friends there, some who were running and some who just came to watch, so that helped take the edge off. 

We were segmented into heats, with the last heat for anyone who was going to try to run 6 minutes or faster. I ran in that heat and was honestly just hoping I wasn’t the last one to finish. The whole thing was kind of a blur, as racing the mile is. The first lap felt hard, the second lap felt harder, I felt like I wanted to die during the third lap and then just tried to hang on for dear life for lap 4. When I turned the final corner on lap 4, I saw 5:3x on the clock up ahead and I knew I had sub 6. My official time was 5:51 and I was so happy with that! I was the top female Master and second female overall. Maybe I’m a miler after all! (I still prefer marathons, haha!)

I’m Running a Marathon in September…..

I said after Boston that I was going to take the fall off from marathons and focus once again on running a fast half, like I did in 2023. But what do I do? Sign up for the Jack and Jill Poconos Marathon on September 13. 

Why? A few reasons. One, well…. I like marathons. Two, the race is in Jim Thorpe, one of my favorite small towns in PA, and it’s 15 minutes away from Staci’s house. Three, it’s a downhill marathon, dropping 800 feet from start to finish. I know downhill marathons are controversial, but I’ve always wanted to try one and there are very few on the East Coast. This isn’t even that downhill and still falls within the Boston Athletic Association’s new standards for downhill races. Who knows how much of an advantage I will even have. But I am excited to run it! I am actually working with a coach for the first time ever. I got a very part-time job (like 5 hours a week) at my favorite local running store, and with that comes some cool perks– like half off coaching. So I decided to take advantage. So far it is going great, but this summer humidity is kicking my butt. Is it just me, or is it worse than usual lately? 

I’m shooting for around a 3:25 finish. A year ago, I had my heart set on a 3:15, and maybe I can get there, but– I am getting older and the amount of training I would have to do to beat my 3:18 PR from three years ago is daunting. If I can still keep qualifying for Boston with a comfortable cushion, that may be good enough for me.   

…..And Maybe One in October?

I am signed up for the Atlantic City Half on October 19, and now I am thinking of bumping up to the full marathon there, too! I ran the Chicago and Philly marathons, which are 6 weeks apart, in 2022 and both races went awesome (Chicago holds my PR.) Jack and Jill and AC are 5 weeks apart; maybe I can make magic happen again?  

Regardless of what distance I ultimately choose, BibRave is kindly sponsoring me, so I have a comped entry, plus a discount code to share: 15% off your registration with the code BIBRAVE25! Price goes up the first of August, so don’t hesitate to sign up! https://www.acraceseries.com/

How is your summer running going? Any big races you are training for?

Long overdue 2025 Boston Marathon recap

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Boston was more than a month ago at this point, and I am just getting around to updating my blog! If you follow me on social media, you have already heard most of this, so feel free to skip this entry, LOL. For the rest of you– I hope you enjoy it!

I’m beginning to think it wouldn’t be a true trip to Boston without some dumb drama. Last year, Micah forgot his C-PAP cord and I had to book him his own room so I could sleep the night before the marathon. The year before, I lost my gels somewhere between leaving my hotel room and mile 4 of the race. This year, Micah wasn’t able to travel with me because of his new job, but that was OK– my sister Catherine came with me. I decided to fly this year since I was traveling solo. However, when Micah dropped me off at BWI Saturday morning, I reached into the back of the car and realized I had forgotten my backpack with all my essential race gear at our house, 40 minutes away! I panicked and asked/told/begged Micah to drive back to the house and get it for me. I frantically re-booked my flight and got on one at 10:30 am that morning. He drove off and arrived back at our house, only to realize the damn backpack WAS in the car the whole time. How did we miss it? I have no clue.

But, I got the backpack, got on my rescheduled flight and landed in Boston with EVERYTHING I needed. Catherine was already there and we spent the day hitting the expo, enjoying a day at Fenway watching the Red Sox play the White Sox, and stuffing our faces with Italian food. I figured if that mishap was the worst thing that could happen all weekend, it was all good! And it was!

The day before the marathon was Easter Sunday, the second time I have run Boston where it’s fallen on Easter weekend. After I completed my shakeout run, we spent the day doing more shopping and eating delicious food! I usually stay in a hotel out in Bunker Hill/Somerville for the marathon, but the hotel had a fire in February and Marathon Tours gave us the choice of three other hotels. So this year, we were at a Fairfield Inn in Chelsea. It was fine, but I thought the location was kind of inconvenient. Next year, I will probably stay out in Bunker Hill again. It is so easy to get around on the T from there, and it’s really affordable.

Marathon Monday!

Since I was staying in a new hotel this year, I was nervous about transportation to the Boston Common. I was in wave 3 this year and ended giving myself a ton of extra time and got down there an hour and a half before my wave’s buses boarded. Which in the end might have been a good thing; I got on one of the first buses in line for Hopkinton and was on the road pretty quickly. But the drive there took over an hour due to construction! I know some people who boarded later buses missed their wave start!

As a result, once I got to Athletes Village, I didn’t have much time to chill! I got in a porta potty line and then met Instagram friend Bethany, who walked to the corrals with me. It was her first Boston Marathon! Before I knew it, I was in my corral and the announcer said we had 30 seconds to go.

There is a lot of downhill in the first few miles, and it is crowded. I went out around 7:45 pace and it felt comfortable.  Saw KJ, another IG friend, with her amazing colorful ponytails at mile 3 or 4! The early miles seemed to fly by and before I knew it, we were around the 15K mark. I think it was right around then that yet another IG buddy Carissa tapped me on the shoulder to say hi and I crashed into a runner in front of me 😂 I was happy to see her!

I always look forward to the Wellesley Scream Tunnel, just before the halfway point, every year and they did not disappoint! I high fived so many Wellesley ladies and was smiling so hard the whole time. By the end, my watch told me I was running 6:45 pace. Whoops. Usually I get some good photos in the Scream Tunnel, but not this year.

After the halfway mark, I started to hear the faint call of nature. I’d felt a mild stomach cramp earlier on in the race, but wasn’t too worried about it and it went away by mile 8 or 9. However, by the time we approached the Newton hills, nature’s call got louder and I started hunting for a porta potty. Luckily, there are tons on the course and I darted into one around mile 17.

I definitely felt better after that, but lost some momentum and I swear there felt like an extra Newton hill this year 😂 I started to slow down after that poo break and never really picked the pace back up. I can’t blame the weather, as it was pretty darn good, though definitely sunny and I heard other runners say it was too warm. But it was nothing like last year! My feet started to hurt a bit — I wore my Alpha Fly 3s and they busted up my toes, much like the Alpha Fly 2s did last year. What I wouldn’t give for a pair of OG Alpha Flys 😭 They didn’t feel terrible, but they didn’t feel great. Maybe the newer versions just aren’t for me. 😢 I even felt a blister pop on my right foot just after summiting Heartbreak Hill, and that was annoying, but I was able to run through it without too much discomfort.

All that to say, I was still enjoying myself out there, waving at spectators who called out my name (thanks to my friend Pat who made me a personalized shirt!) or yelled go Maryland! when they saw my shorts!

I knew Catherine was going to be in Brookline around mile 23-24 so I was excited to see her with her cowbell! At this point in the race, the cheers were just deafening. I think the boisterous crowds are what keep me coming back for more of this roller coaster of a race!

The last 3 miles of the marathon hurt, as they always do even when you are having an awesome race, which I really wasn’t. The temperature seemed to drop as we got into Boston, and we had a slight headwind that actually felt refreshing. The crowds got heavier and heavier as we approached Hereford and I continued to hear lots of people cheering for me by name or by state 😀 Then it was time to turn right on Hereford and left on Boylston and I was reminded once again how far away the finish line feels when you make that final left! But I just tried to soak in that last part of the race because it really is so special.

I finished in 3:30:09, my second slowest Boston, but not by much. The bathroom break cost me a solid minute or two, but it is what it is. This shit ain’t easy (no pun intended!)

Though I thought I could be a bit faster, overall I’m happy. 5 years ago, all I wanted was to run a 3:30 marathon. This year, I banged out a 3:30 on an off day in my 5th Boston Marathon. That’s something to be grateful for!

And because I turn 45 this summer, this gives me a BQ with nearly 15 minutes of cushion for the 2026 race (the standard for women ages 45-49 is 3:45.) Aging is a privilege in so many ways!

I already can’t wait to go back.

Oh! And the local news interviewed me at the race after party. You can read the article here. My mother is mortified that I told the reporter I wanted to party with my favorite patriot Sam Adams, but as a former reporter, I know how to give a good quote!

In my racing era: Boston Marathon 2025 training

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How is the 2025 Boston Marathon only 28 days away? 

I train in 12-week blocks, and it always seems to go really fast. This cycle has proven to be no exception. Though it’s not necessarily been the easiest training cycle. This winter was pretty much the worst winter I’ve trained through since I started running marathons a decade ago. There wasn’t quite as much snow and ice as there was during the winter of 2015, thank goodness, but it’s been really cold. I don’t even mind the cold, and it was still too much for me. Thankfully we are coming out of it now and it’s actually expected to be close to 80 this weekend– so I might start complaining about the heat soon! 

I’ve incorporated a bunch of races into my training this past winter, so here’s a quick recap of what I’ve been up to! 

Road Runners Club of America 10 Mile Challenge

This 10-mile race happens every February in Columbia, and it is known for being very competitive – I think the top 50 runners all finish in under an hour– and challenging. My friend Daniel was running with team Bullseye Running, and they were looking for another female in the 40-49 age group, so he asked me to run. I had a planned weekend long run of 16 miles with 10 at goal marathon pace, so I said sure, why not. It was cold, it was windy, and the course was hilly, but nowhere near as hard as the Lewis 10 Miler that I’d run a few weeks prior. I ran a 1:14:50/7:30 pace, which seems wildly optimistic for Boston Marathon pace, but hey. That time would typically earn me at least an age group award in a local race. Not at this race! I was 20th in my age group! Like I said, it is a very fast crowd! I also ran 4 miles before the race and 2 miles after it to get to 16 for the day. 

Spring Ahead Half Marathon 

Signing up for this half, held a little more than two hours away in the small town of Douglassville, PA, was a last minute decision. But I had 15 miles to run with 12 at marathon pace, and what I won’t do to avoid doing that alone in a training run. When I saw this half marathon wasn’t happening until 10 in the morning, meaning I wouldn’t even have to leave the house all that early, I decided to sign up. I’m glad I did! The trail it was on, mostly the Schuylkill River Greenway, was beautiful, as well as flat and fast. My only complaint was a really annoying headwind on the way back to the finish line and my Garmin didn’t seem to want to function with the trees lining the trail. At one point late in the race, it told me I was running a 9:30 pace and I knew damn well that wasn’t the case, that I was probably running around 7:30 or faster. Trust me, I’ve been running long enough that I know what 7:30 pace feels like vs. 9:30! I finished in 1:37:52/7:29 average pace, again overshooting what my marathon pace is likely going to be. (I’m thinking 7:40-7:45 is more realistic for my current fitness.) I was 6th overall female and first in my age group. My husband and I got brunch at the Fork and Ale a few steps from the trail and it was awesome! All the runners got one free beer, which of course I was happy about! 

Shamrock Shuffle 10 Miler

Aside from Boston, this race in Cape Henlopen State Park in Rehoboth Beach and Lewes, DE was the one on my calendar that I was most excited about this spring. I’d been looking forward to our little St. Patrick’s Day weekend getaway since Christmas. I love the beach any time of year, but I really appreciate it in the off season. My plan was also to race this 10 miler, rather than stick to marathon pace, and I thought I could finish somewhere around 1:10-1:11. I ran the Annapolis 10 Mile Run, which is a much harder course, in 1:11 last August! 

So I was somewhat disappointed to finish in 1:13:23/7:20 average pace. I think there were probably a few reasons why I was slower than expected. This race came at the tail end of a 61-mile peak week of training. I also ran a strong 20 miler Friday morning before we left for the beach, and my legs probably weren’t recovered. I got up Saturday morning and ran a 4-mile shakeout around Rehoboth, and my legs definitely felt tired. That said, I set my 10-mile PR of 1:08:03 the day after running a 16-mile long run, so. Sometimes you get lucky. Despite the Shamrock Shuffle being the day before St. Paddy’s Day, that didn’t happen this time. 

All that said, I won the race! So it’s hard to be too bummed, ha! And I had fun. I might make it an annual St. Patrick’s Day tradition! 

I had a lead bike to chase!

Piece of Cake 10K       

Big fat DNS (Did Not Start) for this race! 

My plan called for me to race a 10K this past weekend, and normally I would have signed up for the 10K at the Annapolis Running Festival, which I have run twice before. But Christ, it’s expensive – $85 when I went to sign up in December, which is awfully steep for a 10K in my opinion, especially one that I have already run. So I found another one in Montgomery County that was only $17, happening the same weekend. It was on a Sunday, so I planned to run my long run of 17 miles on Saturday. 

As mentioned above, I’ve run really strong races the day after knocking out a long run. Well, I knew after I finished my 17 miles that I was not running a fast 10K on Sunday. The cumulative fatigue had really caught up with me. I think a lot of that was due to a particularly hard kickboxing class on Thursday night, which involved a ton of weighted squats. I got through the 17 miles fine, though the last 5 miles were a real slog, but I was soooo sore afterwards. At first I thought, well, I’ll go and just run the 10K at marathon pace. Then as the day wore on, I knew I wasn’t up even to that. So I bagged it and ran an easy 6 miles around my neighborhood. I have no regrets! 

The plan calls for me to race another 10K in two weeks/just before my taper starts, but it looks like my only option is the Sole of the City 10K in Baltimore. Which looks great, but also expensive– currently right around $100! Yikes! So I will probably chuck it in the f*ck it bucket, as my friend Chris likes to say.

I’ve always heard it’s better to get to the start line of a marathon slightly undercooked than overcooked anyway. We’ll see what my 5th Marathon Monday holds!

Running up that hill: Recap of the Lewis Memorial 10 Miler

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A staple of the marathon training plans in Pete Pfitzinger’s Advanced Marathoning book are his long runs with marathon pace work. These runs, to me, are some of the most challenging in the plan. Even though I know I can run the marathon pace, and I have many times before, it is HARD to do it all alone in a training run. 

So, whenever I can, I try to find a race that fits in with the schedule that will allow me to practice the pace in a race environment. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t! 

The long run for the first week of Pfitz’s 12/55 plan that I am following for Boston was 13 miles with 8 at goal marathon pace. I am still not sure what my goal marathon pace is going to be – I’m not chasing a PR in Boston, just hoping to run a strong race – but I feel like somewhere in the 7:40-7:50 range is reasonable. 

When I saw the Lewis Memorial 10 Miler was happening on Feb. 1 near Frederick, I thought that might be a good opportunity to practice marathon pace. 

But this wasn’t your typical 10 mile race.  

For starters, it was straight up a mountain for the first 5 miles, then straight down it. (So, you were pretty much guaranteed to run negative splits!)

But the real catch is that it was a prediction style race, meaning you had to guess your predicted finish time before the race started and prizes were given out based on who came the closest to their prediction. No watches allowed! 

My last 10 miler was the A10 last August, which I ran in 1:11. However, with this elevation profile, I had zero clue what to expect. I predicted I would run a 1:18:30 (which was more or less in line with my goal marathon pace anyway.) 

The race started and ended at Mount St. Mary’s college in Emmitsburg, and I got there early enough to do a 2-mile warm up. When I checked in, the volunteers with Frederick Steeplechasers, who organize the race, asked me if I was OK with my predicted time. Sure, why not, I said. 

The first three-quarters of a mile or so of the race was mostly flat, with a few little rollers– but then the climbing began almost immediately. There was a pretty steep hill in the second mile – at least I think it was in the second mile, because not only were we not allowed to wear watches, there were also no mile markers! I was actually glad I didn’t have my Garmin on here, because I think my pace would have depressed me, ha! 

There were a few downhills during that first half, but it was mostly a climb. It was really tough! It sort of reminded me of Riley’s Rumble, except in that race, I felt like there was a lot of downhill in the first part and then some mean uphills in the second half. 

At one point during the first half, I ran past a water stop and asked the volunteers what mile we were at. “Mile 3!” they said. (Seriously? Only mile 3?)  

After lots more climbing, we finally reached what seemed to be the top of the mountain and then, thank goodness, we got to run down! So much downhill! I actually don’t consider myself to be a particularly strong downhill runner– for one, I am clumsy and always afraid I am going to trip and eat shit – but this felt so fun after the long uphills. Did my quads ache for two days afterwards? For sure! Again, no idea what my pace was, but I felt like I was flying! 

At one point, we ran past another water stop and the volunteers told us we had a little less than 3 miles left. The course flattened out a bit, then we got some more downhill, and then in the last mile leading back to Mount St. Mary’s– we had another long-ish uphill! It was all I could do not to walk at that point, but I knew I was so close. 

When I crossed the finish line, the clock said 1:18:00. So, I was exactly 30 seconds faster than my predicted finish! I was really happy with that! 

I thought I might get a prize based on how close my prediction was, but the top 3 closest guesses were within 10 seconds of their finish time. The funny thing is, I almost chose 1:18:00 as my prediction. Oh well! 

After the race, I ran a 1-mile cooldown to get to 13 miles for the day. My average pace for the race was 7:48/mile, so pretty in line with goal marathon pace (and I guess I did a little extra as far as the workout goes since my plan only prescribed 8 miles at goal pace.) 

I was also the fourth female finisher, so I was happy about that! 

This weekend, Pfitz has me running 16 miles with 10 at goal marathon pace and once again, I am running a 10 mile race: The Road Runners Club of America Club Challenge in Columbia, after a friend recruited me to run on the Bullseye Running team. The course has a reputation for being challenging and the race itself is very competitive, so even if I was planning to race it all out, which I am not, I have zero chance of placing! 

That said, I did practice the course with some friends over the weekend and it was hilly, but nothing like the Lewis 10 Miler! I’d compare it more to the A10. I am looking forward to it!

Recap of the Great Allegheny Ohiopyle Marathon

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Last Christmas, I decided it would be fun to run a “bonus” spring marathon after Boston and before Memorial Day. I asked my husband to pick it out and surprise me with it, and he chose the tiny Ohiopyle Marathon in Pennsylvania on May 4, 2024, not quite three weeks after Boston.

Going into the marathon, I didn’t feel super confident, nor did I feel terrible. We had a tough day in Boston. I missed my goal of 3:15 and to be honest, even though I knew Ohiopyle was going to be a much flatter course with better weather, I still felt 3:15 was kind of a pie in the sky goal at this point. I just didn’t feel fully recovered. But hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

Here’s how it went!

Before the Race: A Shoe Dilemma

I wore my Alpha Fly 2s in Boston this year and they beat the hell out of my toes. To be honest, I have not liked the 2s as much as I liked the OG Alpha Flys and I am nervous to try the 3s now. When I saw the Saucony Endorphin Pro 3s were on sale for about $120, I snapped them up, knowing they are popular with a lot of runners. I got them in the mail probably a week before Ohiopyle and tried them out a few times and they felt fast and comfy– but then I noticed a chunk of foam was missing from the outside of the right shoe! WTF? I still have no idea how that happened, maybe one of my cats started chomping on it in the middle of the night? Or it came like that and I didn’t notice? I was 95 percent sure this was a cosmetic issue, but still didn’t want to risk it during a marathon. So I decided to race in my Hoka Mach 6s. They are not carbon plated super shoes, but I still think they are light and fast. This was my first time NOT racing in super shoes since 2021. (Spoiler alert: This was also my slowest marathon in 3 years, but I think that was more due to not being recovered from Boston!)

We’re Not In Boston Any More

When I say this marathon was the opposite of Boston in every way, I mean it. Ohiopyle is a tiny mountain town in western PA known for white water kayaking and rafting. There is also a lovely rail to trail bike path that runs from Pittsburgh to DC, which is where the race was held. We stayed in a little place called the Ohiopyle Suites, literally 100 feet from the start line. How convenient was that? The race, as I mentioned before, was very small, though in addition to a marathon there was also a half, 10K, and 5K. There were only 44 finishers in the marathon! It was also VERY casual. The official race start for the marathon and half marathon was at 7:30, but the race director let people start any time they wanted that morning, Covid style, in case they knew they’d be on the trail for 6+ hours or maybe they just wanted to start early. I would say a lot of people opted for the early start, and it was hard for me to tell during the race who was doing what distance!

But I chose to start right at 7:30. The weather was pretty good, in my opinion — 50s and light drizzle. I’ll take that over what we had in Boston. That being said, I could tell from the first few miles this wasn’t going to be a PR day. I was running around 7:40-7:45 pace, and it felt decent, but like I wasn’t going to be able to go any faster, either. Oh well. Again, I knew that would be a tall order after having just raced a tough marathon. I ran a good portion of the first half with a young guy named Ryan, who was running his first marathon, and enjoyed the peaceful path through the woods. There were no spectators, but the path was open to the public so there were people out walking and cycling who cheered us on. I also got to “meet” Instagram friend Leigha out on the course and was so excited when she called my name!

This course was a double out and back for the marathon, which to me is the most mentally challenging course you can run. I was still feeling really good at the beginning of my second lap, and holding onto my pace pretty easily, but I knew the race was going to get a lot harder! And it did!

As I headed back out onto the trail for my second loop, my pace started to dip into the 7:50s. One mistake I probably made: Not taking in enough fluids. The race only had two stations with volunteers handing out cups of water and Gatorade. Since it was a double out and back, I passed them eight times and took hydration each time, but that wasn’t enough. The race director did put packs of bottled water at certain other points during the race to grab and go (again, Covid style!) but I hate running while clutching a bottle of water. I should have done it anyway! I also forgot to take a gel at the start, but did take 5 during the race.

I still felt relatively strong through mile 20, and then it was time to turn around and head to the finish. I started to slow down significantly around 21. In fact, I don’t think I’ve bonked like that since the Tidewater Striders marathon in March 2021 (also a double out and back!) Pace was now in the 8s and I really didn’t want to walk, but I did walk a bit each time I hit a mile marker. I also started doing runner math. “Once you’re at mile 22, you just have to run 3 miles and you’ll be at mile 25! Then you’re practically done!” At this point, I had no idea what my finish time was going to be, and didn’t want to look at my elapsed time, but I was guessing around 3:34. Still felt pretty confident I could finish with a BQ time and keep my streak alive, but I knew I wasn’t beating my Boston time.

By the time I hit the high bridge going over the rapids around mile 25.5 or so (what a view, by the way!) I felt like I was practically crawling! But before I knew it, I was passing the former train station at the end and saw my husband and my dad, and then my mom right at the finish line. Crossed the finish, stopped my watch and was shocked and elated to see 3:29:40 (official time was 3:29:39.)

I sat down for a minute, then asked about the results and the race director told me I was first overall female and gave me a plaque!

Again, small marathon, but I was still very proud! This was my 16th marathon and 10th BQ.

It might have been my slowest marathon in 3 years, but 3 years ago, I would have cried tears of joy if I’d broken 3:30. So — I’d say this was a win, in more ways than one!

What’s Next?

After running two marathons in three weeks, I am ready for some down time this summer. I am not even signed up for anything until the Annapolis Ten Mile Run in August, and I won’t start training for the Ocean City Marathon on Nov. 2 until early August. (P.S. I have a discount code for that race! Use RUNOCRAVE for 10 percent off when you register.) Currently I am focused on running easy and maintaining my base mileage of 30-35 miles per week. I am actually kind of missing following a training plan, but know that it’s good to take a break now and then. So that’s what I am going to do!

That Was Hot: Recap of the 2024 Boston Marathon

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Two weeks ago, I finished the Boston Marathon for the 4th time!

It was a tough one. Even Accuweather, in the days leading up to the race, said in its forecast “great day for baseball. Warm for the marathon.” Um…. yes. At 73 degrees and sunny, it was the hottest Boston I have run, including in 2019 when the weather got a lot warmer than originally expected. Reports of a tailwind were also greatly exaggerated, in my opinion!

But I finished and while I didn’t hit my goal time, I did BQ by a pretty significant margin and ran my 2nd fastest Boston time!

Here is my recap of the 2024 Boston Marathon.

My Boston weekend actually started off pretty shitty. We drove up from Maryland (yes, we drive because my husband and I both hate the ordeal of flying and we have more control over our schedule this way) the Saturday before the race. Before we left, I asked him if he had everything he needed for his C-PAP, as he’s an awful snorer and has forgotten it before. He insisted he did. Guess what? We got to our hotel and he’d forgotten the power cord, and it’s a very specific one that you can’t just pick up anywhere. To say I was angry was an understatement. Almost immediately I booked him his own room for Sunday night, because how tf was I supposed to sleep with him snoring like a freight train the night before a marathon? No regrets. Yeah, it was extra money, but a good night’s sleep is priceless!

Sunday was a nicer day. We saw the Red Sox game and I got to reconnect with one of my old editors from my Capital days. I felt a lot more relaxed.

Woke up on Marathon Monday feeling well-rested and ready! Got to Boston Common and on my bus to Hopkinton with no drama, though the bus driver messed up and just dropped us off right at the start rather than in Athlete’s Village. It was just as well — I love the walk from the Village to the start, but I was also psyched to not have to walk that 3/4 of a mile before a marathon! I saw my friend Kurt from Instagram and he told me he was happy about the warm sunny weather as a Southern Californian (famous last words!) I was also pumped to see Carissa walking to our corrals and Jess in my corral! Seeing familiar faces definitely helped me chill out.

Although Highway to Hell was playing as I walked to my corral, which I thought was quite the choice right before a marathon. Turns out it was very appropriate!

My goal going into the race was a 3:15, though my recent 1:29 half indicated I could be a few minutes faster. Still, I knew that would be tough with the warm weather. I was trying not to push the pace too much in the first few miles, which are mostly downhill. Was mostly between 7:35-7:40 pace for the first 6 miles, then dropped down to 7:30ish through mile 10. The sun was out and I felt a slight breeze here and there, but not much of one! Again, did anyone feel the tailwind we were maybe supposed to get? The crowds through Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham and Natick seemed bigger and louder than last year, probably because of the great spectating (not running 😆) weather. I was grabbing Gatorade from every aid station, but the heat didn’t feel too bad quite yet.

Heading into Wellesley, my favorite part of the race, I felt strong and continued to run in the 7:30s. I thought if I kept that up (big if) I could at least squeak out a course PR (sub-3:19:53.)

I heard the screams from the Wellesley Scream Tunnel at least 3/4 of a mile away. The Wellesley College women were on fire this year with their “Kiss Me” signs, and I high-fived so many of them and saw some dudes kiss a lot of them, too! This section of the race really pumped me up and had me smiling for the next mile.

At this point, the race was halfway over and the hardest part was still to come.

After passing through the Scream Tunnel and the town of Wellesley, which was lined with spectators, we headed toward the infamous Newton Hills. I was definitely starting to get pretty hot so I was grabbing either Gatorade or water to drink and then dumping water on my head. Some spectators were passing out popsicles and I wanted one so badly, but didn’t know what my stomach would do. I was successfully getting down my gels — and I didn’t lose any this year!! — so I was happy about that.

Mile 14: 7:37
Mile 15: 7:46
Mile 16: 7:28 (mostly downhill)

Around mile 17, when the uphills really begin, the race started to get harder especially with the blazing sun. My pace dropped into the 7:50s for the next few miles until I reached Heartbreak Hill, which broke my heart this year! I clocked an 8:35 mile for mile 21, my slowest of the race. But seeing another Instagram friend, Jude, on the side of the road cheering was definitely a bright spot! By the time we got to the top, the crowds were extremely enthusiastic and I wanted to high five some drunk college kids, but didn’t have the energy!

The rest of the marathon after Heartbreak is relatively flat, but of course after 21 miles of downhills and uphills, your quads are pretty trashed. Mine certainly were!

After you summit Heartbreak Hill, you’re in the home stretch — just about 5 miles to go! To be honest, this section of the race was a bit of a blur for me. It was hot. I was really thirsty. I started walking through the aid stations and drinking two cups of water or Gatorade, plus pouring water on my head. (An aside, the volunteers at Boston are the absolute best of the best!!!) I felt like I was slowing to a crawl, but I ran mile 22 in 7:45. Mile 22 is also where I tripped and fell and skinned my knee two years ago, so I’m always careful on that stretch of road!

The crowds got thicker and louder as I ran through Brookline and they truly carried me through those later miles.

Mile 23 — 8:14
Mile 24 — 7:57
Mile 25 — 8:01

At mile 25, you run past Fenway Park and the infamous Citgo sign. I’ve NEVER gotten a photo of myself with the Citgo sign and was really hoping this would be the year! Sadly, it was not. I ran on the right side of the road and everything, but the Marathon Foto photog wasn’t even looking up when I ran past 😭 One of these years!

With about a half mile to go, I saw my husband! He later said I looked really strong, but I certainly didn’t feel that way! Then it was time to go right on Hereford, left on Boylston. (Mile 26: 8:08)

Once you turn onto Boylston, you can see the finish line, but it always feels so far away. I was torn between wanting to soak it all in and also just wanting to finish. I had no idea what my finish time was going to be; in fact, I wasn’t even looking at my watch the last few miles. I knew I wasn’t getting a PR or even a course PR, but thought I’d squeak in under 3:25.

And I did: My official time was 3:24:26. It wasn’t as fast as I’d hoped for, but it was the absolute best I had to give and I was happy. I also BQ’d for 2025 by more than 15 minutes. It honestly took me years to break 3:30 in the marathon, so I really can’t be upset about 3:24 on a hot day and a hard course.

See you next year, Boston!

What’s Next?

Um…. let’s run another marathon? Like, this weekend?

Some of you may remember that for Christmas, my husband signed me up for a “bonus” spring marathon in a surprise location. It is this Saturday in Ohiopyle, PA! It is a marathon that will basically be the opposite of Boston. Just a few hundred finishers (and that actually includes a half marathon, 10K, and 5K), double out and back, I get to stay basically 100 feet from the start/finish for not that much money. But I am really excited! I have pretty much no clue how it’s going to go. I could be faster than I was in Boston. I could run a 3:15! Or…. it could be a total dumpster fire. Who the hell knows!

But that’s kind of the fun of the marathon, right?

My running goals for 2024!

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Here we are already in the 2nd week of February, and this is my first blog post of the year! 

I guess I haven’t had that much to say. I haven’t had any races recently and I don’t have any planned for February. My first race of the year will be the 10K at the Annapolis Running Festival in March. I came in 3rd place female last year and would love to place again, but as always, you never know how you’ll actually perform or who else will show up who’s a lot faster!

I did want to take a quick moment to jot down my running goals for 2024! Here we go! 

Boston Marathon in 3:15 or faster! 

I think I have it in me to run a 3:15 marathon, possibly faster than that if I have a great day in Boston. My recent 1:31 half indicates a marathon finish time of 3:12-3:15. Is Boston a hard course? Yes, it certainly can be if you go out way too fast and get crushed on the Newton Hills. It can also be a relatively fast course if you play your cards right, i.e., start conservatively and then crush the later miles. I blew up in the final 10K in 2019, my first year running the race. But then in both 2022 and 2023, I came within about a minute of my then-PR both times. I don’t think PRing in Boston is impossible by any means. I’m going to go for it! I am currently following a modified version of Pfitzinger’s 12/70 plan, turning it into 12/65. Peaking at 70 miles per week is just a little too much for me. I’ve only done it once, when prepping for the 2022 Chicago Marathon. It did get me a 3:18 PR, but then for Boston last year, I peaked at 62 miles per week and ran a 3:19. So, mileage-wise I want to shoot for something in between that. Plus, running 15 miles on a random Wednesday before work is overkill to me and takes away from my enjoyment of marathon training. 12 miles is kind of my limit for a weekday run.  

Run the Ohiopyle Marathon for fun

Or maybe for a PR if Boston is a Dumpster fire. 😉 

If you’re a regular reader, you might remember that I asked my husband to sign me up for a bonus marathon this spring as part of my Christmas present. He picked a tiny marathon in western PA, about an hour from where I grew up, called the Great Allegheny Ohiopyle Marathon Race Festival. I was sure he would pick either Buffalo or Gettysburg, so I was very surprised and excited! Ohiopyle is really a pretty area – I have been there, but it’s probably been 25 years or so. My plan is to race Boston and run Ohiopyle for fun, kind of like I did when I ran Chicago and Philly in 2022. But again, if my race in Boston goes to hell, I’ll have this one to fall back on! 

Sub-90 Half! 

Still chasing that dream! I actually had no plans to run another half any time soon, but then I decided to sign up for the Rock ‘N Roll D.C. Half Marathon on March 16, mainly as a way to test my fitness a month before Boston. But let’s be real, I’ve been open about my goal to break 90 minutes in the half and I absolutely am going to try to do that again at this race. I ran this half marathon once before, in 2015, finishing in 1:46 – a PR at the time! I’ve obviously gotten a lot faster since then, so I know I can at least count on a nice course PR unless things go horribly off the rails. I also ran the marathon in 2016! 

So, that’s this spring. I haven’t thought much beyond that. I am most likely going to try to run the New York City Marathon in the fall. I did meet their qualifying standards, but that’s no guarantee I’ll get into the race – the race accepts qualifiers from New York Road Runners races first, and I have never run any of those races. If I can’t do NYC, I might sign up for Richmond. We’ll see! 

What are your goals for 2024?

Running a sub 3:20 marathon in Boston: My experience at the 2023 Boston Marathon

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Last week, I ran my 3rd Boston Marathon on a rainy, chilly Patriots Day. It ended up being my 2nd fastest marathon ever, and I broke 3:20 for the 2nd time. I couldn’t be happier, and am already looking forward to next year.

Here is my recap of one of the most magical days of the year!

I had probably the best night of sleep I’ve ever had before a marathon. My alarm woke me up at 5 (well, alarms — I’m paranoid and I set an alarm on my phone, made my husband set an alarm, and I got a wake up call from the hotel.) I felt so rested and made my coffee and had a Cliff bar, then packed up my bagel with peanut butter to eat on the bus. Left the hotel at 6 with another runner, Diane, whom I had met the night before, and we hopped on the T. I was at Boston Common an hour before I was supposed to board the bus at 7:30, and killed time in the same McDonald’s I’ve hung out at in previous years.

I made the mistake of looking at my Whoop and it told me my recovery was in the red and that I should consider taking a rest day 😬 That worried me a bit, but I tried not to get too in my head about it. I didn’t feel tired or sluggish!

The bus ride to Hopkinton seemed to fly by and I chatted with another runner who was doing her first Boston. She qualified in Pittsburgh during her first marathon ever — amazing!! That was my first marathon too and it’s a tough course.

It was chilly and misty in Athlete’s Village, but the rain mostly held off until it was time for wave 2 to walk to the start corrals. Then it started to come down — not an all out downpour, but I was definitely getting wet. I kept my throwaway jacket on as long as I could. I got to see one of my Instagram friends, Katy, while waiting in line for the porta potties right before the start, and then I walked over to my corral and finally ditched the jacket. The rain was coming down and I was shivering in my singlet and shorts, but I knew it was going to be in the 50s and I’d be fine once I started running.

I was nervous, but excited and ready to run.

Miles 1-13

Before I knew it, we were off and I quickly started to warm up! I had forgotten how crowded the first few miles are. The spectators were already out in full force despite the less-than-ideal weather! The first few miles felt easy enough— splits were 7:52, 7:49, 7:39, 7:35, which seemed fast but sustainable.

Once I hit mile 4, though, I reached into my flip belt to pull out my first Maurten gel. And!! All my gels were GONE! Somehow they’d fallen out and I have no idea where or how. My phone was in there, but no gels. I used the belt to hold my phone and gels in Philly with zero problem, and I have used the belt plenty of times since then as well. WTF!!

I panicked at the thought of running a marathon without gels, then remembered volunteers would be handing out Maurten gels on the course. I just couldn’t remember when. I tried to stay calm even though my fueling plan had just gone to hell.

I ran mile 5 in 7:42, then started to speed up, running 7:26 for the next 2 miles. That did seem a little *too* fast early in the race, so I tried to dial it back and ran mile 8 in 7:34, mile 9 in 7:33 and mile 10 in 7:31. I was feeling strong, even though by that point in the race, I should have already had 2 gels in me.

I zipped through mile 11 in 7:25, then saw a sign that Maurten gels were at the next aid station. I asked for 3 gels, explaining I’d lost all mine, and they gave them to me. Thank you volunteers!! You are the best!

Miles 12 and 13 were speedy — 7:21 and 7:15. This is when the race goes through the Wellesley Scream Tunnel and the energy is like none other. You can hear the screams a mile away. I high-fived so many Wellesley women and saw some men kiss a few of them, too.

Giving out high fives in Wellseley!

Miles 14-25

I took my first gel at mile 13 (should have been my third gel!) and was still feeling good. There was a mild headwind, but certainly nothing like the Philly Marathon or anything I faced in training, for that matter. My next few miles were spicy. I ran 14 and 15 in 7:13 and 7:18 and then mile 16 in 7 flat. Whoa. But that did give me a nice cushion leading into the toughest part of the race, the Newton Hills. Which seemed much bigger than I remembered 😅 I hung on pretty well, though, running 7:24 for mile 17, 7:29 for mile 18, 7:25 for mile 19, and 7:36 for mile 20. I took my second gel at mile 18.

As I approached Heartbreak Hill (around mile 20.5), the rain started to come down. I knew another IG friend, Jude, was going to be on my left side cheering on the runners, and I was excited to see her! Mile 21 was my slowest so far at 7:56, but the B.A.A. tracker clocked me at over 8 minutes for that split, so I obviously did a crap job of running the tangents.

After summiting Heartbreak, it was onward to Brookline and Boston. My quads were starting to yell at me at this point and I knew I was coming up on the point in the race where I fell last year. The road was slippery and uneven and I was determined not to bite it AGAIN. I took my third and final gel at mile 22, which I ran in 7:22. I knew then I only had 30ish minutes left to go and reminded myself to soak it all in.

I got through mile 23 in 7:33 and then I could feel myself hitting a wall. It’s actually been a while since that happened to me in a marathon. Was I too aggressive with my pacing? Feeling the effects of not having enough gels? Maybe both?

My husband was right there before the mile 24 mark, and I ran over to the side and kissed him. My watch clocked me at 8:03 for mile 24. I was hurting, but I knew I was almost there!

I knew a photographer would be at mile 25 waiting to snap runners’ photos with the iconic Citgo sign in the background. Even though I was feeling like hot garbage, I hammed it up for the camera! I still don’t see any pictures with the sign, though! Mile 25: 8:09

The finish

At this point in the race, the crowds were absolutely deafening. I was both so ready for the race to be over and not wanting it to end! Usually making the right on Hereford and left on Boylston makes me tear up, but I was too zapped at this point to cry. You can see the finish line when you turn onto Boylston and as I was running toward it all I could think was, “Jesus, it is so much further away than I remember!” 😂

Mile 26: 8:25 (B.A.A. app has me slower because tangents).

Finally I crossed the finish and stopped my watch. I didn’t have it set to elapsed time and figured I’d be around 3:2x when all was said and done (forget trying to do math in a marathon.) When I saw 3:19, I was shocked. Two years ago, I was struggling to break 3:30. Now I’d run my 2nd fastest marathon time ever in Boston, on a tough AF course.

A bunch of people asked me ahead of time what my goal was and I kept saying around 3:25ish. I promise I wasn’t sandbagging. I truly didn’t see myself going under 3:20 and being that close to my PR from Chicago 2022.

One of the wonderful volunteers put a medal around my neck, another wrapped me in a heat blanket, and I hobbled toward the warming buses to wait for my husband to meet me at the family meeting area. The T was an absolute shit show, but that’s another story.

I was so cold and tired and happy. I can’t wait for 2024.

Shippin’ up to Boston for the 3rd time: Getting ready for the 2023 Boston Marathon

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I’m less than a week out from running my 3rd Boston Marathon! 

How am I feeling? Excited. Like I’m surprised how excited I am. It’s my third time, after all. I figured the novelty would have worn off by now – but it hasn’t. I just feel so lucky that I get to do this! 

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged, but I had a busy March in terms of racing. Here’s a brief recap of what I’ve been up to! 

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup “4 Miler” 

3rd overall female, 24:20/6:40 pace

Why the quotes? Because a bunch of us at the front of the pack missed a turnoff after the wind blew over a directional sign and accidentally cut the course. 

This race in PA was more than 2 hours from my house, but it sounded fun – grilled cheese and tomato soup after, hello! – and the race director Pat is great. He’s the one who organized the Chasing the Unicorn marathon in 2020 and did everything in his power to make that a safe and fun event at the height of the pandemic. So I signed up, hoping to be able to run 4 miles in 26 minutes or so to test my speed.

The race was held in a municipal park and it was windy AF, a common theme of pretty much all of my runs this training cycle. In fact, it was windy enough that one of the directional signs after the mile 3 mark blew over, and so a bunch of us missed a turn and accidentally ran 3.65 miles! Pat didn’t DQ us, I guess because so many people effed it up, and I was awarded the 3rd overall female prize – a nice blanket! I had fun and pushed hard.

Annapolis Running Festival 10K

3rd overall female, 42:44/6:53 pace

I said to friends a few times I wasn’t planning on the Annapolis Running Festival – I’ve done so many races on that course over the last decade that I just wasn’t excited about it. But then I saw I had 10Kish worth of speedwork on my plan the week of the race and I’d rather do that in a race than on my own! Plus, my friend Shannon was running it, too. 

The weather pretty much sucked – it was once again super windy and I tried my best to draft off other, taller runners! My shoelace also came untied right before mile 3, costing me precious time. I didn’t really have a time goal, but I thought 41-42 miles was doable. I also had no expectations of placing and it was really hard to gauge where I was in the race since there was also a 5K and a half marathon and we were all mixed together at various parts of the race. So I was pleasantly surprised when I crossed the finish line and the volunteer handed me a card that said I was 3rd female. 

I’m glad I ended up doing it – just wish we’d had better weather! The after party was a lot of fun, and the band playing was awesome, but it was just so cold and windy. That’s March in Maryland for you – you could get 20 degrees or 80 degrees. 

Barlowe Bolt 5K

1st overall female, 21:28/6:42 pace  

Well, this one was a cluster. 

A little background about me and the Bolt – I am not new to this race. In fact, this was the fifth time I’d run it – I ran in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022. I even won it in 2020 and 2022 and was hoping to win it again this year. (It’s a pretty small race.)

But!! Even though I had run it multiple times in the past, I couldn’t remember the course, so I made a wrong turn about three-tenths of a mile into the race. I was running up at the front with two teenage boys, so I led them astray – sorry! When I realized my mistake after we literally ran into a dead end, I was so annoyed with myself. 

We turned around and I hauled ass to get back in first place, which I paid for dearly with a huge positive split in the end. I did manage to still win and in the end I added about a tenth of a mile onto my race, so it could have been worse. I mean, I ….could have cut the course again.

My mileage hasn’t been as high as it was last fall when training for Chicago, but I’ve averaged between 55-60 miles per week, peaking at 62 miles. Basically, I took Pfitzinger’s 12/55 plan from Advanced Marathoning and modified it to add a few more miles each week. Thinking about doing 12/70 this fall again for Richmond, but that is a heavy training load and I don’t think I can mentally (or physically) handle it every marathon training cycle.

The plan included two 20-milers, the second of which I ran during the B&A Marathon last month. I didn’t register for the race, but the trail was open to the public and I knew so many people running either the half or the full that I thought it would be fun to run alongside them. I ended up running mostly with a fast friend of mine and averaged 7:29 pace for 20 miles. That is obviously WAY faster than I would normally ever do a 20 miler, but I also ran the Charm City Run 20 Miler three weeks before Chicago last fall at a 7:25 pace and it didn’t hurt me in the marathon.

When your training run coincides with a race, you show up in the pictures!

Goals/plans for Boston

I don’t know! LOL. Enjoy myself and get another BQ.

My Garmin thinks I’m running a 3:03, but it’s clearly full of crap. That would be a 15-minute PR and I do not think I am in PR shape – that 3:18 I ran last fall is really solid, plus I ran it on a flat course in damn near perfect weather. The Boston Marathon is a tough course and the weather is looking warm and wet. Not the worst, but not the best either. I do think a 3:2x is doable and I should be able to BQ (3:40:00 or faster) unless things really go to hell. 

Other than that, no major goals. Sometimes it’s more fun that way anyway!