BOSTON Marathon TIPS + Meet-Up Info + A Deal!

Today’s post is sponsored by fairlife, makers of Core Power®!  Thanks for reading, and I hope I get to meet many of you in BOSTON soon–> MEET-UP INFO: 4/15 @ 9:30 am @ Boston Commons Carousel!  We will do a short shakeout run (2ish miles), stretch, and hang out with Core Power for everyone (I’ll have coupons for you to take home and swag).  Please let me know if you are coming; I’m trying to put together an RSVP list. 

This year will be my 4th time running Boston.  I love this course.  I need to try out a flat course someday, but I am drawn to courses that constantly change and use different muscle groups over the miles.  I love this about Boston and the ups and downs are long enough to let you find the gear you need for it, and then just when your legs need a change, it does.

My Boston recaps are HERE, HERE, and HERE!

I thought I would share my splits from 2022 because I felt like I ran a solid race that day, and maybe my splits/paces can show where the hardest and easiest parts of the course are:

Here is my elevation chart while we are at it… I LOVE RUNNING STATS!

Let’s dive into my tips for the day:

*MOST IMPORTANTLY, refuel with Core Power after your race:)  I’ll have one for you to have at the end of your race if you come to the meet-up!  Nothing will taste more delicious than this when you finish.  I want to be on the road to recovery as soon as possible, and Core Power is my favorite way to get started with recovery.  After a marathon, I am so fatigued, and it’s harder than ever to get fuel in, but this drink (that tastes just like a milkshake) makes it so easy to get in either 26 or 42 grams of protein as soon as I finish.  

You’ve worked so hard out there on the course, make sure to give your body what it needs to repair itself when you finish!

Don’t forget, Core Power is not just for runners, it is for everyone who sweats.  My dad has been drinking them daily now after his morning walks too!

*If you have a specific time goal, PLAN around running 26.4ish (not .2)… each time, my watch has hit 26.4 miles on this course (probably because of weaving and not hitting the tangents perfectly), but that will probably adjust your goal marathon pace!  IE I want in the 2:4X, which I could do with a 6:28 pace normally, but I’m planning on at least a 6:24 average pace because it is always longer for me.

*DO NOT.  Do not.  Do not kill yourself on heartbreak hill.  You get a wonderful and steady downhill that you can make up time on after that hill, and you want to have the energy to take advantage of that downhill.

*Take ten quick steps at the top of each hill.  Lauren told me this last year (I think she learned it from Ryan Hall), but when you get to the top of each hill, take ten quick steps to reset your form and get you back to your pace and ready to fly on the downhills.

*A gel every four miles is what I try to do for every marathon, but my first time doing that was in Boston last year, and it was incredible.  You can read my full fueling post HERE.

This passage below is from my first Boston experience…. The night and day difference that proper fueling does for us during a marathon is unreal.  TWO IS NOT ENOUGH, and that is why I hit the wall and died with each mile like I did my first time there:

*Soak in Boylston Street.  Everyone says it is such a long stretch, but thank goodness it is because it is incredible to see the finish line, hear the fans, and see so many people fulfilling their goals.

*It is so tempting to go and see everything the day before the race, but I like to hang out in my hotel bed that day.

*Pack a few different options to wear because you never know with the weather.   Also, pack some good throwaways to wear the morning of the race… You don’t want to waste energy keeping yourself warm, dry, or comfortable. 

*Bring a poncho just in case there is any rain.  You are in the Athlete’s Village for a while, and if there is any chance of rain, you’ll want to keep your clothes dry. 

*Write your name on your arm if you want extra cheers!

*I’m pretty serious (my race face scares most of my family and friends) in most marathons, but Boston brings the fun out.  So many kids to high-five, signs to laugh at, houses to drool over, runners to chat with… it’s a 26.2-mile party.  So get ready for your cheek muscles to be exhausted.

*I get a little carsick on the busses, so if you are the same and easily carsick, try to sit up towards the front of the bus.

*I’ll be starting with two of these little bottles.  They make it easy to get in a lot of liquids in the beginning, and then I can toss them when they are empty.  I can’t get enough fluids from paper cups while running, and these fit so easily in my spandex pockets.

*Wear sunscreen!  Boston starts later in the day than many of us are used to running, and if the sun is out, you can get sunburned.  If it is sunny, wear some sunglasses or a hat/visor!  

*Because it starts later in the day, don’t forget to plan your fuel accordingly.  I eat much more that morning than at normal marathons because it is hours later than normal race starts.  I plan on having two breakfasts leading up to the race.

*Let the crowds pull you but not too much.  It’s so easy to bolt out and follow everyone, which is amazing in the second half when you need people pulling you but don’t let it make you go out too fast in the beginning.

*Watch out for the tracks at mile 22!  From last year–> Those tracks in the road at around mile 22 almost tripped me, I forgot about those.  They are so tricky when you are exhausted, but I probably wouldn’t have noticed them if they were in the beginning.

*Watch the course… it will make you so excited.

*Bring your racing shoes in a bag, and don’t put them on until you go to your corral.  Sometimes the grass is wet in Athletes Village, and you will walk more than expected… Save your racing shoes for the race.  (These were my shoes in 2019 from Athlete’s Village)

*Andrew has found that using Uber is the best way to see me as much as possible.  It’s expensive but much easier to get around than the trains, in his opinion.

*Try to wait to listen to music if you can or take it out of your ears in crowded areas.  There is nothing like hearing the screams from the Wellesley girls a mile before you get to them.  Take the energy from the crowds and turn that into leg power.

*This post gives a great summary of the different miles at Boston.  I feel like the only flat mile of the whole race is mile 26 ha.

*Listen to this episode from Ali about all things Boston related.  It is 3 hours long and packed with information.

*Come up with a meeting spot for your people before the race.  It always feels a little hectic afterward, and my phone never works well, so establish a meeting spot beforehand.

*Let’s pray for that southwest breeze!

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Use my code 15HRGIRL to get 15% off selected varieties of Core Power HERE. This code is active until 4/10, so stock up now. I challenge you to grab your first case and document your experience of having them after 12 workouts. I notice I feel so much better and recharged when I drink Core Power after every race, and I think you will too!

Any tips to add for Boston?

Who is going to be there?

Favorite city you have ever visited?

How would you describe the runner’s high?  How often do you feel it?