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Marathon #1 : Rock ‘n’ Roll DC [3:35:50] March 2015
I signed up for this marathon on a whim. I was a junior in
college and set a goal to run a marathon before I turned 21. Since my birthday
is in May, this race fell during my spring break in March, so the timing was
perfect. What was not perfect was my training cycle, or lack thereof. In the
summer of 2015 I began running more, just for fun and to stay in shape. I ran
10 miles with my mom one summer morning and didn’t stop talking about it for
weeks. In October my mom signed me up for an 18 mile race. I reluctantly agreed
but ended up doing very well. That race is where I fell in love with long
distance running. A month later I ran my first half marathon at the
Philadelphia Marathon. I was so envious of all the people running the full
marathon, and couldn’t wait to experience it myself.
Flash forward to March. It was finally my time to tackle
26.2 for the first time. My training consisted of sprints on the
treadmill, stair master, kickboxing, and maybe a 30 minute runs 1-2 times a
week. I was in shape and worked out twice a day, but I was nowhere near ready
to run a marathon. However, I set this goal and I was going to do whatever it
took to cross the finish line. At the time I had no idea you needed to fuel
during long runs and didn’t even own a GPS watch; luckily my mom was running
the race too so I relied heavily on her marathon experience.
Even though my first marathon was pouring rain and windy, it
was still such an incredible experience. Regardless of the weather, this event solidified
my love for running. It was amazing to see all the other runners work so hard
in a marathon even when the weather conditions were awful. Looking back, I
realize how freeing it was to not have a watch. I didn’t worry about my pace
and just ran what felt natural. I remember manually counting the minutes per
mile in my head as I hit each mile marker. I never hit the wall, because as I
approached each mile I grew so excited of entering new territory by running
farther than I ever have before. I finished in 3:35 and couldn’t have been
happier. I had no idea what the Boston Qualifying times were prior, but was so proud
to find out that I had almost qualified without any training and little running experience.
I cried for hours after the race. I was so happy, yet in so much pain. I
couldn’t walk normally for over a week!
Marathon #2: Philadelphia Marathon [3:30:05] November 2015
After I ran Rock ‘n’ Roll DC and had such success, I thought
to myself, “I wonder what I can do if I actually trained”. I knew I had some
innate running talents and wanted to see how much faster I could run if I
actually dedicated time to training. However, I was a senior in college at the
time, was in the midst of applying for full-time jobs, and trying to stay on
top of my school work. Therefore, running was put on the back burner. As
mentioned before, I worked out a ton, so I was still in very good shape. That
summer I was introduced to Orange Theory Fitness. Each class I pushed myself on
the treadmill to hit faster paces and definitely felt that these workouts
helped improve my speed immensely. Yet, I still didn’t follow a marathon
training plan or complete any long runs.
Then the marathon rolled around. I still had no GPS watch,
but I felt strong and confident I could run this race faster than my last. This
race was hard, not going to sugar coat it. Mile 20 came around, but this time
it wasn’t as glamorous or exciting as my first race. I finally learned what
hitting the wall felt like. Philadelphia has an out and back course, so when
you still have around 10 miles to go you get to see the faster runners almost
done. I remember feeling so tired and jealous of all the runners with only 2
miles left to go. At the same time, it gave me the kick I needed to keep going.
This race taught me something very important that I still remind myself to this
day: the marathon is a humbling distance. No matter how fit or trained
(untrained in my case) you are, 26.2 miles is freaking hard. You will face a
lot of mental and physical battles during the span of those miles, but do
whatever it takes to keep yourself going. This is the race where I developed my
favorite running mantras. “Pain is temporary, pride is forever”. I literally was
saying this out loud at one point. Another mental trick I learned from this
race was to talk to your legs. This may sound crazy, but it really worked! I
continuously thanked my legs for being so strong and allowing me to run. I told
them to keep moving fast and ignore the pain. These mental tactics are what got
me to that finish line. I ended up with a 5 minute PR, and my first Boston Qualifying
time (BQ). Even though I had set a new personal best and was beyond satisfied
with my time, I was disappointed in myself for neglecting training since I knew
could do better.
Marathon #3: Chicago Marathon [3:18:50] October 2016
This was my first race after college graduation. This time I
was serious about training. I wanted to prove to myself that I could have potential
in this sport. I didn’t follow any structured training plan, but I was
consistent with my runs. I ran about 45-55 miles a week, with my long runs
ranging from 13-20 miles. I’m not sure why, but I got the idea of a 3:20
marathon in my head. Luckily there was a 3:20 pace group, so I didn’t have to
worry about pacing myself. However, the 3:20 pace group was a corral ahead of
me. I made a huge rookie mistake and decided to all out sprint the first .75
mile to catch up to the pacer. My first mile was around 6:20 pace, which was
something I definitely paid for later. Flash forward to mile 21. Probably the
most pain I’ve felt during a marathon. My legs were on fire and the nausea hit
hard. One of the most defeating moments was when the 3:20 pace group passed me
at mile 25. I tried my best to keep up, but I had absolutely nothing left to
give. Although the last 5 miles were basically a death march to the finish, I
still PR’d by 12 minutes. I was extremely happy with my time, but was let down
by my performance the last 10k of the race. I hit the wall hard and I was not
mentally strong enough to fight those negative thoughts. Overall this race was
an amazing experience. I had moved to Chicago 2 months prior, and it was such an
unreal experience to run through the city I got to call my new home.
Marathon #4: Philadelphia Marathon [3:14:45] November 2016
After Chicago, I was experiencing my typical post-marathon
blues. I was getting very anxious from the down time from running, instead of
embracing the recovery period. This is something I definitely need to work on
still to this day. I had the crazy idea
of signing up for another marathon to try to combat that post marathon anxiety.
I was going home to New Jersey for Thanksgiving and decided it would be
logistically perfect for me to run Philly, as my family lives nearby. My mom
was also running it for the 16th time, and I love getting to experience race
weekends with her. I knew that I was taking a risk running another marathon 6
weeks after a huge PR in Chicago. But, I felt ready to once again tackle those
26.2 miles.
This race once again affirmed my love for marathoning.
Unlike Chicago, I came into this race with no nerves. Despite the looming
weather forecast I got to the starting line calm yet excited to race. I had set
my sights on running a 3:15, but there was no pressure or expectations this
time around. I surprised myself with executing one of my best races to date. I
fueled perfectly, ran consistent splits, and never hit that dreaded “wall”. I
was shocked seeing the clock at 3:14 when I crossed the finish line. I had run
4 minutes faster than I did 6 weeks prior at Chicago on a hillier course and in
less than ideal weather conditions. I
consider this a breakthrough race for me. 1 year prior I had struggled to run a
3:30, and there I was running 15 minutes faster feeling stronger than ever.
After this race I secretly told my mom that I wanted to run a sub 3 hour
marathon. The fire inside me was lit.
Marathon #5: Boston Marathon [3:09:03] April 2017
Surreal. That is the only word I can use to describe this
race. The whole race weekend was unlike any other. On an incredibly hot day on
a tough course I accomplished yet another personal best. The course, the crowd,
the spirit of the Boston community stole my heart. Prior to Boston I was having
an amazing training cycle. It was the first time I actually followed a structured
plan. I also started
working with my coach about a month before the race. My training was consistent
and I was running higher mileage than ever. Based on my training I believed I was in shape
to run a 3:05. Although I was about 4 minutes off my goal, I regret nothing about
my performance at the race. Of course I could have blamed the weather and the
severe dehydration I experienced, as to why I didn’t hit my goal time. However
I now realize that it wasn’t the heat that didn’t allow me to run faster. That
is what my body was capable of on that day, and for that I am proud to say I ran
a 3:09. So many other people who had ran
Boston told me not to even to go out for a PR, as Boston was not the place to
do it. Those statements only motivated me to prove them wrong (which I did).
The Boston Marathon course is definitely a “monster” of its
own. Yet, there is nothing more special than turning left onto Hereford and
right onto Boylston to get those negative feelings out of your head that you might be experiencing during that final stretch. I’ve never
felt as overcome with emotions as I did running the final stretch to the finish
line. I cried remembering the tragic events that took place there 4 year prior
and then cried some more remembering Meb’s inspiring finish the year after. I
left Boston feeling so fulfilled, yet wanting more and knowing I had more to
give. I will run Boston every single year I can. The course is humbling, but I
can’t wait to get back in 2018 and hopefully have another amazing race.
Marathon #6: Chicago Marathon [2:59:12] October 2017
I think my blog post recapping this race speaks for itself.
Finally accomplishing my sub 3 goal was the breakthrough moment I had been
dreaming about. Although I finished this race with a 10 minute PR, this race
was far from perfect. I now realize that I have soooo much to learn. Things
such as: 1. How to negative split a marathon, 2. Find a fuel source that does
not upset my stomach, 3. Properly hydrate and carb load during the days leading
up to a race. Breaking 3 hours in the marathon is a huge barrier that I am very
proud of accomplishing. Now, I look forward to breaking even bigger barriers,
whatever those may be.
I know there will be a race where I won’t set a personal
best, even though I am definitely loving this PR streak. However, when that day
comes I will have to accept it and move on. There are so many lessons to take
away from running a marathon. I love that no matter how fast I run, there will
always be more room to grow. Whether the California International Marathon goes
as planned or not, I know that I will take every lesson learned with me
throughout this crazy running journey.
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