Category: The Boston Marathon

Running On Your Period? 3 Takeaways for Balancing Your Menstrual Cycle with Your Marathon Preparation

On By idratherbestrongthanskinnyIn fitness trends, marathon training, running, The Boston Marathon, The New York City MarathonLeave a comment

The other day I got a panicked text from one of my athletes. Her period tracking app had just informed her that her period was set to begin on the DAY of her first marathon. As someone who experiences cramps, bloating and gastrointestinal distress leading up to and during the first 48 hours of her period, she was worried about how it would impact her first-ever marathon. 

“What advice do you have for running on your period?” she asked. 

While I’ve spent time figuring out how to navigate my own menstrual cycle and distance running, I know that everyone who menstruates experiences their own signs and symptoms that may not be applicable to the next person. So I decided to look into the research available on menstruation and marathon performance, as well as poll my trusted running community via Twitter and Instagram. 


When it comes to running on your period, here are the three biggest takeaways I discovered throughout my search. 

1. Getting Your Period During A Marathon Might Actually Help You Perform Better

There’s limited research surrounding the topic of female marathon performance and menstruation. However, there is evidence to suggest that running on your period may actually improve your performance. 

A 2021 study published in the International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance administered a survey questionnaire to recreational, non-elite runners who had completed multiple marathons within the past 18 months. Of the 185 women found eligible for the study, a total of 106 had their best marathon performance in the luteal phase of their menstrual cycle, when female sex steroid hormones estrogen and progestin are high. Seventy-nine had their best performance during the follicular phase, when estrogen and progestin are low. 

For those unfamiliar, the luteal phase begins right after ovulation and lasts about 14 days, ending just before a menstrual period occurs. The follicular phase, or the phase in which your body prepares to release an egg, begins after the luteal phase (days 14 through 21) and starts on the first day of menstruation. Therefore, the study’s results found that women are more likely to perform better either just before, or actually during, their period.

Why does this happen? Well, research shows that female sex steroid hormones (SSH) are more than just reproductive hormones. They also affect metabolism, bone health, respiration, muscle function, thermoregulation, and fluid balance. Compared to exercise, elevations in the SSH during the menstrual cycle at ovulation and during the luteal phase cause lower blood lactate responses, increased fat oxidation, and reduced glycogen utilization during exercises. All of these physiological effects can potentially be advantageous for exercise performance — particularly for endurance activities, like running a marathon.

While it’s important to recognize that this is an observational study — AKA it is based on reports from individuals themselves and not performed inside a lab — other research and anecdotal evidence confirms this phenomenon. Stacy Sim’s book ROAR, includes both anecdotal and research-backed evidence of athletes experiencing peak performance during their cycle.

2. You Can Incorporate Your Menstrual Cycle Into Training

Just because research suggests you may perform better when on your period, doesn’t mean your cramps, gastrointestinal issues, bloat and other symptoms associated with your period won’t get in the way of, or affect, your goal race. While research suggests exercise during your period may actually reduce symptoms like cramps, that may not hold true for everyone. Additionally, heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) during your period can potentially put you at risk for low iron levels, which can cause fatigue, anxiety, reduced mood and energy levels, certainly affecting your ability to perform. 

That’s why it’s important to incorporate your menstrual cycle into your training. Log the start and end of your period into your training log, as well as any associated symptoms that accompany it. This way, you can track what helps relieve your symptoms (Midol, increased hydration, iron supplements, specialized nutrition) and have a better knowledge of what to expect if, in fact, your period does arrive the week of your race.

It’s also important to log a long run and a hard tempo interval (or speedwork) while on your period. Knowing how your body reacts to stress from your period can help you adequately prepare and push through difficult moments during the race.

3. There Are Other Ways to Prepare

Just about every runner who menstruates has experienced their period on a run, so fortunately there is a lot of anecdotal evidence about what works for different runners. Suggestions include taking Midol, investing in period panties (Thinx even makes a special ‘sporty’ period panty) or a diva cup, opting for a dark-colored race day bottom in case of leaking, waking up early enough to allow for period-related digestive issues to unfold naturally, keeping some toilet paper with your GUs in case the Port-A-Potty runs out, and if you’re on birth control, skipping an off week to move things up a week and avoid getting your period on race day altogether. However, this last suggestion could backfire due to stress, so I don’t personally recommend it. 

You can also look for information on your marathon’s official website to see if their med tents will offer sanitary supplies like tampons or pads. If unavailable, email the official race contact to ask.

***

While you can prepare for your period, the truth is, there’s still much to be learned about how they affect our performance. Additional research performed on how the menstrual cycle affects marathon performance has found that even elite athletes and their coaches understand very little about the menstrual cycle.

While we wait for more research to become available, the best thing you can do is track how your period affects your running performance to gain valuable information to help you ace your next race.

Image by Daniel Reche via Pexels

Is Running Bad for Your Knees?

On By idratherbestrongthanskinnyIn marathon training, running, The Boston Marathon, The New York City MarathonLeave a comment

Originally published at https://finishlinept.com/team-finish-line/runningmyth-knees/

Whether you’ve been running for 10 years or 10 days, you’ve likely gotten this question when disclosing your healthy habit: “But isn’t running BAD for your knees?” It can be hard to argue with individuals who’ve been listening to anti-running propaganda for their entire lives, but fortunately there’s plenty of research to disprove this myth.

Although running certainly puts stress on your joints — it’s a single limb hopping activity, after all — multiple studies have found that recreational running is not associated with an increased risk of knee osteoarthritis. In fact, multiple studies, including a 2021 systematic review and meta-analysis (AKA, a study that synthesizes data from a wide variety of other studies) found that running can actually be advantageous for your knees. By loading the knee joint during running, researchers believe you’re actually helping to facilitate nutrition penetrating into the cartilage of your knees while simultaneously squeezing out metabolic substances, like water. Since cartilage assists the movement between your bones, as well as absorbs shock and transfers load through your bones to reduce friction, this is an act of service for your joints that can actually help protect them. 

While this particular review did find that running has a short-term adverse effect on cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), a biomarker (or indicator) of osteoarthritis, this increase was only temporary, with levels returning to normal within 1 hour. No adverse effects were found on knee cartilage volume or thickness, which are both often affected by OA.

Although the 2021 systematic review was pretty conclusive (researchers combined and synthesized results from two randomized controlled trials and 13 cohort studies), other research exists to back up its results. A 2017 cross-sectional study taking into account 2637 community adults found no increased risk of knee osteoarthritis among self-selected runners compared to non-runners. Other studies have found that not only is running not harmful for individuals with osteoarthritis, but it can even be beneficial: A 2019 cohort study from the Osteoarthritis Initiative that analyzed over 1,000 adults over 50 with knee osteoarthritis found that not only was running not associated with longitudinal worsening of knee pain or structure degradation, but running also helped reduce pain in individuals with knee osteoarthritis. 

Of course, some individuals will experience knee pain throughout the course of their running career, as the knee is the most commonly injured body part in runners. But these injuries — including patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), iliotibial band friction syndrome (ITBFS), and patellar tendinopathy (PT) — are often due to overuse, muscular imbalances and weaknesses, and faulty biomechanics. Not only can these injuries typically be treated in an outpatient orthopedic physical therapy setting, but they’re also reversible. 

This evidence may seem confusing, and it’s normal to wonder how exactly a runner’s knees can withstand so much loading, so often. Some researchers think that in addition to providing nutrition to your joints and keeping cartilage healthy, your cartilage also goes through changes to keep up with your running habit. A study from 2020 suggests that medial knee cartilage likely adapts in runners as they age in order to withstand a lifetime of running — proving that runner’s knees aren’t “bad,” they’re just resilient. 

How Long Should You Taper Before A Marathon? Here’s What the Research Says

On By idratherbestrongthanskinnyIn fitness trends, marathon training, The Boston Marathon, The New York City MarathonLeave a comment

After months of intense marathon training, it can feel counterintuitive to slow your roll in the last few weeks before your race. But that’s exactly what a taper is: An opportunity to tone down your training, reduce your mileage and intensity, and let your body really absorb the months of hard work you’ve put in — while simultaneously resting in order to regroup your full strength and energy by race day.

For some runners, the taper is a dream. A chance to rest after a physically and mentally demanding couple of months?! Bring it on! 

However, a lot of the runners I coach absolutely HATE the taper. Even though it’s designed with optimal race performance in mind, it disrupts the routine they’ve so diligently followed for the past several months, and can even make them feel lazy. Many of my runners report feeling sluggish rather than rested. And for some of my female athletes especially, this less intense volume of mileage worries them that if they don’t pay close attention to their nutrition, they’ll have a few extra pounds to cart around with them on race day.

This leads to a lot of athletes “kind of” (but not really) tapering, or asking me to keep their taper short and sweet (just two weeks).

Despite the apprehension about the taper, research shows that a longer, more disciplined taper may improve marathon performance.

A study published in Frontiers in Sport and Active Living analyzed the training activities of more than 158,000 recreational marathon runners to define tapers based on a decrease in training volume (or weekly mileage). 

Researchers found that strict tapers were associated with better mathon performance compared to relaxed tapers, and that longer tapers (up to three weeks) were associated with better performance when compared to shorter tapers. In fact, a strict three-week taper was associated with a median finish-time saving of 5 minutes and 30s, or 2.6%, when compared to a shorter taper.

These study results are similar to previous research on the subject, and suggest that recreational runners can improve their marathon performance by adopting a longer, more regimented taper.


The bottom line? The dreaded taper might just be your ticket to a new PR. Embrace it!


Smyth B, Lawlor A. Longer Disciplined Tapers Improve Marathon Performance for Recreational Runners. Front Sports Act Living. 2021;3:735220. Published 2021 Sep 28. doi:10.3389/fspor.2021.735220

Does weather really dictate running performance?

On By idratherbestrongthanskinnyIn cold weather running, marathon training, running, The Boston Marathon, The New York City Marathon, travelLeave a comment

It’s marathon season! Which means everyone with a race on the calendar is fixated on one thing, and one thing only: The weather.

That’s right. Out of all the things you can and can’t control on race day, obsessively checking and rechecking the weather seems to be a runner’s favorite past-time. As a running coach, I’ve heard all sorts of theories on “the best weather for running,” ranging from cold-weather enthusiasts to those who thrive off sunny skies. But it made me wonder: what’s actually the best weather for running a marathon?

A 2020 study published in Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise analyzed meteorological data for 1258 races — from the marathon, to the 50k, to the 5k and the 3000m steeplechase — held between 1936 and 2019 across 42 countries, enabling analysis of 7867 athletes. Through machine learning, it concludes that a Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature of between 10 and 17.5 degrees Celicus — or 50-63.5 degrees Fahrenheit — increased the likelihood for peak performance. For every degree outside these optimum conditions, performance declined by 0.3-0.4 percent.

A different study published more recently in Frontiers of Physiology analyzed data from the Berlin Marathon results over the last 45 years, and found that temperatures greater than 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit) and higher precipitation levels impaired performance of master marathoners.


So, what’s the moral of the story? While you can’t guarantee a perfect weather day, if your heart is set on a PR, you can schedule your next race strategically. Pick a marathon in a specific location and at a specific time of year to increase your chances of waking up to good weather. While you’ll probably still obsess over your weather app in the weeks before the big day, at least now you can do so with a little more science on your side.

Life Lessons From My First Almost-DNF

On By idratherbestrongthanskinnyIn marathon training, race recap, running, The Boston MarathonLeave a comment

I was running around mile 16 of the 2018 New Jersey Marathon when I pulled over to the side of the road, slowed to a walk, and started unpinning my race bib.

I didn’t want to be running this race anymore; I wanted nothing to do with it. I had been gunning for a sub 3:15 marathon time, and after a very on-track first half marathon, my mile splits were getting longer and longer, and my legs were feeling heavier and heavier. My goal time had slipped beyond my reach, and my determination to run had slipped away.

I had no positive thoughts in my brain — which isn’t that rare. But usually during a marathon, I can will myself to keep going. Today felt different, though.

I couldn’t quite put my finger on why. I’d been in this position before… In fact, I’d been at this exact point of this very race several times before: The New Jersey marathon was my second full marathon and my first Boston-qualifying race back in 2013. It was the marathon I ran in a downpour in 2016 after the person I loved broke up with me outside of my apartment after I had rushed home from a long bike ride to be with him. On top of all that, I had just run the Boston marathon a few weeks earlier. I knew I was very capable of finishing. But at that moment, I felt I had nothing left to give.

I pulled out my phone from my race belt to text my coach, Chris Baker, who was waiting for me at mile 20. 

“I’m not finishing this race,” I told him. “I just took off my bib.”

Continue reading “Life Lessons From My First Almost-DNF” →

Pushing for a PR Sabotaged Me. Here’s How Embracing Failure Led to Better Results

On By idratherbestrongthanskinnyIn fitness trends, Inspiration, marathon training, running, The Boston MarathonLeave a comment

My friend Erin and I have a set of rituals for our weekly early morning runs.

It involves multiple 5 a.m. alarms, a quick accountability text, a subway commute that always seems to get delayed, and sometimes, a twinge of regret (why do we torture ourselves so early?!).

Once we’re finally ready to run, the excuses begin: “Don’t hate me if I’m slow,” I’ll plead. “I was up until midnight finishing an assignment.”

Erin almost always rolls her eyes, citing a different reason for why she’s not feeling 100 percent. And usually, I breathe a sigh of relief. Whew. No pressure if I’m dragging ass today.

But lately, I’ve been second-guessing this lackadaisical approach to our training. We’re both naturally competitive, career-driven, accomplished women. We work full-time, take on side gigs, have thriving social lives, and in our spare time, we run marathons (and qualify for Boston). What about that says, “Let’s take it easy today, shall we?” And yet, this excuse-riddled scenario continues to repeat itself.

After some reflection, I realized that this hedging behavior doesn’t just apply to running—it also overflows to my career and personal relationships. I routinely preface my participation in group brainstorms with, “I don’t know if this is a good idea, but…” to soften the blow if my suggestion is rejected. I find myself telling friends that I’m “cautiously optimistic” about a new guy I’m dating to buffer my real feelings, just in case it doesn’t work out.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized I was holding back in just about every aspect of my life. It was unsettling, to say the least. And I’m not alone: I hear similar caveats all the time, often from other runners: I’d love to run with you, but I’m not that fast. I would train for that race, but I have a lot going on right now. I missed a PR, but I wasn’t really going for it on this hilly course.

Looking for some kind of explanation for this behavior, I called up Ben Oliva, a sport psychologist and mental performance coach for SportStrata.

Read the full article on Runner’s World.

Photo by Ian Tuttle

No, Running Isn’t Always the Best Therapy

On By idratherbestrongthanskinnyIn Inspiration, running, The Boston Marathon1 Comment

When my boyfriend broke up with me unexpectedly in the spring of 2016, I needed to do something drastic to deal with my emotions. So I signed up to run the New Jersey Marathon a week before the race in an attempt to qualify for Boston. I believed that the validation of a BQ would help me feel better about the whole ordeal, and maybe even help him realize what he was giving up. But instead of feeling amazing, I crossed the finish line with more than 10 minutes to spare, only to feel emptier and lonelier than ever before, enlightened by a depressing realization: Running—fast or slow — wouldn’t make anyone love me.

Running has been my go-to way to deal with my emotions—happy or sad, good or bad, positive or dark—since training for my first marathon in college helped me cope with the unfortunate combination of heartbreak and general life ambiguity. Phrases like “Running is cheaper than therapy!” and “I run because punching people is frowned upon,” are routinely splashed on running-themed bumper stickers, social memes, and apparel, and reinforce the idea that running offers a healthy mental outlet. Most major fitness publications—Runner’s Worldincluded—have publicly celebrated the sport’s proven advantages as a unique form of therapy.

I’m not here to discredit running’s ability to help improve mental health. Studies show that running can boost your mood, reduce stress levels, help manage anxiety, and be as effective as taking antidepressants. I am skeptical, however, about the degree to which we’re praising the connection between our weekly mileage and our emotional wellbeing. And that’s probably because I’m a runner whose mental health requires more than miles can provide: I also routinely see a licensed therapist.

Read the full article on Runner’s World.

Desiree Linden Didn’t Just Win The Boston Marathon — She Reminded Me Of The REAL Reason I Run

On By idratherbestrongthanskinnyIn Inspiration, race recap, running, The Boston Marathon, travelLeave a comment

About two weeks ago, I saw something on my Facebook newsfeed that stopped me mid-scroll: the weather report for the upcoming Monday showed a light monsoon with teeth-chattering temperatures. On any other Monday, this type of disheartening weather would be, well, just another Monday. But it just so happened that this Monday was also the day that roughly 30,000 runners were planning to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton, Massachusetts, to Boston, an event formally known as the Boston Marathon.

As a registered runner who’d been training for the race for almost five months, I began to feel my excitement for the race turn into unease. Maybe it won’t be so bad, I thought. Maybe it will be like one of those snowstorms they make a huge deal about, and it doesn’t even flurry!

It ended up being a historic race for many reasons. Not only were the wet, cold, and windy conditions some of the worst many of the runners had ever seen, but Olympian Desiree Linden became the first American woman in 33 years to win the marathon. But more on that, later.

This was my thirteenth marathon, so perhaps I should have had an inkling that something would happen to throw it out of whack. I left for the race wearing multiple layers, a hooded poncho, and plastic bags secured with rubber bands around my sneakers. “It looks like you’re heading off to a day at a chemical plant,” my friend Laura joked as I geared up to face the elements. When I got there, the Athlete’s Village (where runners congregate before entering their starting corals) was worse than anyone anticipated: mud everywhere, puddles 10 Porta Potties wide, runners in rain getups even more ridiculous than mine. We laughed at the absurdity of it all — what else could we do?

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Nevertheless, I had trained hard for this race and was determined not to let bad weather stop me from reaching my race goal — a marathon PR, or a personal record. But even the most elite runners had eschewed their runderwear for full rain jackets, which is pretty much unheard of in the professional running world. Despite the universal setback, there was only one real solution: continue to move forward, towards Boston.

I’d love to tell you that despite the conditions, I crushed the race. That I didn’t let it phase me. That, gosh, I thrived in the harsh conditions, just like the men’s winner, “citizen runner” Yuki Kawauchi, who blew everyone away by besting the pros to become the first Japanese man to win the Boston Marathon since 1987. But alas, I did not (thrive, that is). I kept up with my goal pace until about mile 13, when I started feeling an extra tightness in my quads, and, was I just imagining it, or was the headwind more powerful now?

I had trained hard for this race and was determined not to let bad weather stop me from reaching my race goal

Read the full story on Bustle.

6 Boston Marathon Charity Runners Who Could Use Your Help Right Now

On By idratherbestrongthanskinnyIn cold weather running, Inspiration, marathon training, running, The Boston Marathon1 Comment

The Boston Marathon is an amazing event for so many reasons. Not only is it an opportunity for athletes to showcase their strength and resilience, but it’s also a chance for the people of Boston and spectators from out of town to show their utter and complete love for the city, and its runners.

In addition to being a showcase of some of the world’s most powerful athletes, the Boston Marathon is also an incredible opportunity to raise awareness and money for life-changing causes, charities, and organizations. From research institutes that fund important cancer research and treatment initiatives, to hospitals with a mission of transforming outcomes for individuals who have suffered from traumatic injuries, many runners are out there not only chasing PRs, but their own personal finish line — like a world without cancer, or a better life for trauma survivors.

To learn more about some of the amazing charities and programs aligned with The Boston Marathon, I found six runners ready to toe the line in Hopkinton on Monday who are running for so much more than themselves. Check out their stories below to get inspired — and consider making a donation to their preferred charity or organization.

Kevin Walther: Stepping Strong, Brigham & Women’s Hospital
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“I was inspired to run my first Boston Marathon in 2016 after witnessing year over year the spirit and determination of countless runners with medical challenges. Following the marathon bombing, I wanted to give back in some way and found Brigham & Women’s Hospital. The Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation does incredible work to fuel trauma and care research that is truly saving lives. Can’t wait for another 26.2 in Boston!

Fundraising page here 

Andrew Gorman: Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge

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This is my third year running for Boston for DFMC. I’ve raised ~$40k for cancer research in the past, and the team consistently raises $5+ million. I run and fundraise in memory of my mother-in-law Maryellen, my grandfather William, and in honor of several of my friends who have battled cancer. One hundred percent of every dollar raised goes to cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, one of the top cancer centers in the country.

Fundraising page here (~$300 short of $13,100 goal)

Amanda Ordway: Boston Medical Care

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Running the Boston Marathon has been at the TOP of my bucket list for over 13 years.  I honestly envied all the runners when I saw them walking around the weekend before with their Marathon jackets, or even when they are bundled up in those aluminum foil blankets after crossing the finish line.  Seeing someone complete something that takes so much time, dedication, hard work, and perseverance, it’s just incredible.  I wanted to be one of those people that I’ve looked up to.  I wanted to push myself and see myself accomplish something so big! This year, I’m running on behalf of Boston Medical Centre. BMC is a truly remarkable hospital, and your support goes directly towards helping them continue to provide exceptional care, without exception to anyone who walks through their doors. For the past 15 years, Boston Medical Center has proudly participated in Boston’s historic marathon, raising more than $4.7 million for the hospital. 

Fundraising page here ($3,029 short of $10,000 goal)| @Arordway
*Amanda will be getting a custom race kit from adidas and The Woolmark company. The Woolmark Company contributed $5,000 to this runners’ charity program.

Joe Dusseldorp, Mass Eye and Ear

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My name is Joe Dusseldorp, I am a plastic and reconstructive surgeon from Sydney, Australia, working at the Mass Eye and Ear in Boston. I have been inspired by the life-changing research taking place here. Much of this is possible due to generous donations given to the Mass Eye and Ear marathon team. 

I am a first-time marathon runner, and training for a marathon in Boston has been cold! So I am hoping to find supporters to help me fundraise to help Mass Eye and Ear reach its goals. One of my personal goals is to help to find a cure for children born without one or both ears. This condition known as microtia has no known cures and treatments vary around the world.

A Swiss company, Auregen Biotherapeutics, headquartered in Boston, is developing the ability to 3D print a patient’s missing ear using their own cartilage cells. Auregen has kindly offered to match any donations so that any donations I receive can go twice as far.

Fundraising page here
*Joe will be getting a custom race kit from adidas and The Woolmark company. The Woolmark Company contributed $5,000 to this runners’ charity program.

Danielle Maccini, Boston Medical Center

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If you had asked me a year ago if I could run the Boston Marathon, I  would have laughed it off! Never in a million years would I think I’d be ready to take off in single digit days to run my first marathon, let alone the coveted Boston Marathon. But here I am!

My journey began a little over a year ago: I had the chance to work on a local film surrounding the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings. I was hired as an actor, but the company also made a point to bring in real marathon runners as well as people who were there in 2013! Of course I knew what happened, but to hear these first-hand accounts truly opened my eyes! It blew my mind! The way these people described the running community and Marathon Monday was like nothing I had heard of before. I knew I needed to experience this for myself.

Fast forward to the 2017 Boston marathon, where I spent my first time actually watching and being a part of the crowd, and it was truly remarkable. That day I made a promise to myself that I  needed to run this race.

I committed to two things:

1. To raise some money and awareness for an amazing charity,

and,

2. To cross that finish line! I’ve always been really active but never a runner, so to pull his off I knew I  would have to work really hard. Through my journey I’ve not only grown stronger but I’ve met some incredible people, inspired others, and truly made a difference for my charity Boston Medical Center. Now all that’s left is race day, and with so many people backing me I’m ready to take it on! 

Fundraising page here | $719 short of $10,000 goal| @heyitsd123
*Danielle will be getting a custom race kit from adidas and The Woolmark company. The Woolmark Company contributed $5,000 to this runners’ charity program.

Malinda Ann Hill, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer

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My twin Leah and I deemed ourselves Twins Run in Our Family so we could share our experiences running together to raise awareness and funds for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer. I am running Boston in memory of Leah’s brother-in-law and our grandmother, both of whom died of cancer. Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation was started by 4-year-old Alexandra “Alex” Scott who died of neuroblastoma in 2004. Alex’s Lemonade Stand is very close to my heart since I’m the bereavement coordinator at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where Alex was treated. By age eight, Alex had raised $1 million for cancer research. As of today, the foundation has raised $150 million for cancer research. I am motivated by how Alex achieved so much in her short life. Her legacy lives on and continues to inspire others to make a difference in the lives of children with cancer.

Fundraising page here | $395 short of $1,000 goal 

20 Boston Marathon Finishers Share The One Thing They Wish They Knew Before The Race

On By idratherbestrongthanskinnyIn Inspiration, marathon training, running, The Boston Marathon, travelLeave a comment

I remember my first Boston Marathon. I trekked out to Coolidge Corner with some of my friends, armed with sunscreen and Nalgene bottles filled with vodka. What I witnessed was terrifying: There were faces pitted with pure exhaustion, individuals limping along the course defeatedly, and way more bloody nipples than I ever thought I’d see in one day. At one point, a group of drunk college kids tried to cross over the route and knocked over some helpless runners along the way. Later, a runner pulled over in front of our group and tried to take a gulp from my friend Eric’s boozy hydration pack as he embarrassedly stammered, “Sir, it’s alcohol.”

Pure shock and limited knowledge about endurance races aside, I felt so inspired by all of the runners making the journey from Hopkinton to Boston that after I returned to campus, I ran on a treadmill in an empty Northeastern Marino Center, watching (mostly inebriated) college kids return from their cheering posts along the course in droves outside the window.

Several years, one graduation, and two of my own marathons later, I would get my own chance to make the epic right onto Hereford Street and left on Boylston that so many runners dream of. Though I’d watched the showdown happen live for five consecutive years and knew certain things — like if I took a drink from a college kid on the course, there was an 80 percent chance it would be beer — there was still a lot I didn’t know about how the race is organized, and what exactly this complicated course entails.

To help those running the course for the first time this year, I asked finishers of varying years past: What’s the one thing you wish you knew before running the Boston Marathon?

Before the Race: What You Need To Know

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Write Your Name On Your T-Shirt
“I’ll never forget how badly I was feeling during the 2016 marathon when I heard a random guy yell my name, and then meet my gaze to tell me that I was looking great. The realization that he had picked me out from the crowd of runners propelled me forward. Hearing any spectator shout your name because you have it on your shirt — or maybe even written vertically in Sharpie on your biceps — will at the very least make you smile, and at most give you a much-needed energy boost!” —Michele Gorman

The Expo Will Be Crowded
“The day before the marathon is the worst day to go to the expo. Everyone assumes it’s like other races where you can get in no problem. The line to get into the expo snakes around the building and then snakes all around the inside as well. Go on Friday!” —Brad Castillo Continue reading “20 Boston Marathon Finishers Share The One Thing They Wish They Knew Before The Race” →