Tag Archives: Marathon

Jul3

Guest Post: Inspired to run (a marathon)!

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While I’m in Maine relaxing in the sun, golfing, enjoying the ocean, sightseeing and more I’m leaving you all in the hands of some of my favorite bloggers.  Jess from EatDrinkBreathSweat is today’s guest blogger! She shares her experiences  with running and barre n9ne on her blog and inspires me to run, sweat and live in the moment.  She always seems to be writing what I’m thinking!  The best part is Jess live *this close* to me and will soon be a blogger turned real life friend!  Hopefully you’ll enjoy her writing as much as I do and take a minute to check out her blog! 

One of the things that I love about blogging is the people. In fact, it’s the MAIN reason I blog to begin with. I’ve met some really incredible people through blogging – some that I now call my lifelong friends IRL, even.

So when I decided (along with  my husband) to run a marathon this year, it wasn’t just because it was on my fitness bucket list. But it was also because I was finding myself surrounded by some incredibly badass and TOTALLY inspirational runners everywhere I looked (read?). One of those runners is Whitney. I followed her most recent marathoning journey and was constantly impressed by her enthusiasm and sheer joy over the entire process that is marathon training. She immersed herself in the process, she bonded with her Team in Training friends and she ran the toughest marathon ever – Boston.  On one of the hottest days on record for the marathon.

I remember watching that marathon (it was my first time actually seeing the Boston Marathon which is a total SHAME since I’ve lived in Boston my entire life!) and thinking about how incredibly mental running is. Not just racing, but running in general. And my mind popped around to the various people I knew that were running that day along with Whitney. And I was inspired more and more by the minute. Watching the runners pass by me at mile 26 and seeing sheer determination and the WILL to keep going. It was unreal.

So for me – this is sort of becoming a blogging breakthrough for me. To push myself to new heights (all 26.2 new heights) because I’ve seen the transformation it evokes in the bloggers around me who have conquered 26.2 before. Blogging is not just something I do, it’s a part of who I am today and it’s part of what’s shaped me as the person I’m becoming today. The very person that will stare down 26.2 this fall even if it STILL scares the pants off me. Maybe Whitney can talk me off the ledge…I think she knows a thing or two about these things. ;-)

So the moral of this story – if you’re a blogger (or not), stop and look around you once in a while. Celebrate the bloggers (and the people) around you that inspire you, lift you up, and challenge you. Take a page from their book now and then. I think we could all stand to do a lot more “group hugs” up in here, don’t you?

…and if you’d like to stop on by my blog now and then, I’ll try to keep you entertained with plenty of stories along my own journey towards 26.2 this fall. I can’t promise it’ll be pretty though. ;-)

Apr19

The Boston Marathon Expo!

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Hey Guys!  Thank you all so much for your support and wonderful comments over the weekend and on my Boston Marathon Race Recap.  They all mean a lot and you all made the experience that much more special!  It was certainly quite the race and honestly, I don’t think that post even does it justice.  The heat was definitely a major challenge and I think I did as best I could in the conditions.  There is a line between pushing it and pushing it to hard and ending up in trouble…I definitely walked the line.  Tuesday I tried to go to work but just wasn’t feeling well at all.  I spent most the day with an unhappy stomach and a horrible headache.  I wrapped up the whole weekend with a final victory party with all of my teammates from Team in Training.  It was fantastic to hear everyone’s race stories and say goodbye one final time!  I’ve been trying to play catch up here on the blog, at work, at home and with all of your blogs! 4 days away from my normal routine definitely has me a bit behind!

Marathon weekend was filled with so many amazing events and opportunities! I kicked off my weekend with a relaxing morning at home.  I slept in, ate a delicious breakfast, foam rolled, stretched and got a manicure.  A little me time felt so good!  I met my friend and running partner Lauren for lunch before meeting up with Bridget and heading to the expo.  I was so excited for the expo! And justifiably so, it was awesome. I really find that going to the expo on the first day makes for a much more fun and relaxing experience! 

The first order of business?  Picking up our bibs!  I was so excited!

Bib Pick Up at the Expo!

Afterwards we headed out to check out all the gear!  Since we are local and Marathon Sports carried all the official gear most of us had bought our race gear before hand so we were there more for the experience.  The first booth we visited was with Gatorade, they had a fun white board for us all to write messages on!

Gatorade Booth!

We wandered the expo and checked out all the gear.  We stopped for quite a while at The Stick to massage our legs and try out the different products.  I didn’t know there were so many styles and strengths of The Stick.  I have one of the thinner core ones which gives more of a surface massage.  I tried two with thicker cores and definitely got more of a deep tissue massage.  I may have to invest in a stronger one soon!  I also found this tee which is so close to my blog name!

Live Run Marathons!

I was surprised and beyond excited to see Lululemon at the expo! This was the first expo I’ve seen them at and was thrilled.  They had posted photos of the containers on Facebook so I wondered if they might be there.  They didn’t have any Lulu gear specifically for the marathon which was a little disappointing, I’d love to see them do tees or something for the big marathons.  We definitely checked out the lounge and I may or may not have struck a pose or two!

Tree Pose at the Lulu Booth!

The girls laughed pretty hard at my excitement over the Lululemon booth and then again when we hit the Nike booth and I found out they had limited edition Boston Marathon Lunar Glides. Michael bought the Chicago Marathon ones in the fall and I passed because I felt they looked too masculine.  Every time he wears them part of me wishes I had gotten them.  The Boston ones are blue and purple and so very me.  It was meant to be and I was psyched!

Boston Marathon Lunar Glides!

We also had to stop at the Saucony booth!  The new campaign was out in full force! Saucony had really cute marathon tees.  I ended up getting one and my friend Lauren also got one.  We were definitely fans!

Find Your Strong at the Boston Marathon Expo!

We visited the Sparkly Soul booth and I was able to meet Pam! They helped me out with my fundraising and I was so happy to say thank you in person!  The Puma Running booth had some cool gear and one of the local running stores was helping to run it so it was nice to see them as well!  I wrapped up the day by having a Nutrition Feedback Session with one of the scientists at the Gatorade booth.  More on that in another post with a little treat for you too!  Next up was the Saucony Find Your Strong Event….

Did you head to the Boston Marathon Expo? Did you enjoy it?  Do you like going to the expos early like I do? What are your favorite brands to see at the marathon expos?

Apr18

The Boston Marathon Mile by Mile

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The day started bright and early with the sound of my alarm at 5:45AM.  Actually it started long before that with my tossing and turning thanks to the warm temperatures making my apartment hotter than normal and my fear of sleeping through my alarm and a text around 5:15 from my friend Bridget.  I rolled out of bed after my alarm went off and started to get ready.  I made sure to wear extra sunblock, and lots of Body Glide, checked my bag to be sure I had all my race day necessities and made a bowl of oatmeal and applesauce to take with me.  The thought of hot oatmeal was not appealing, it was already hot and it was barely 6:40AM.  I said goodbye to Michael who gave me an extra long, and tight hug and I couldn’t help but wonder if he was worried about the challenge ahead of me.  A few kisses and I love you’s later I was out the door and walking to Boston Common to meet Lauren and the rest of the girls from Team in Training.

We met up at the Common and got settled on the bus.  Our excitement seemed to quite and we settled in for the hour-long bus ride to Hopkinton.  I tried to relax and think calm thoughts while sipping my Gatorade.  I listened to Bridget (a local news anchor) call into a few radio stations and thought about all the people celebrating the day.  I had my second breakfast, a cinnamon raisin bagel and was happy that my nervous stomach hadn’t kicked in.

All Smiles before the Start!

The rest of the morning was spent getting through Athlete’s Village, relaxing and getting ready at the Team in Training house.  At 10AM our coaches from Team in Training got us all together and left us with a few wise words.  The most memorable line was, “When your turn on Boylston,  you pull your shit together!”.  Then we made the long walk from Athlete’s Village to  the Start Line. It was a long walk, longer than I anticipated.  I realized I hadn’t even started running and already had sweat through my sport bra.  Lauren, my running partner and friend, and I crossed the start line and were so excited.

Mile 1 was slow and relaxed.  I remember looking at the stream of people in front of me and thinking “this is it!”

At Mile 2 we hit the water stop and there was no water or Gatorade left, part of me wondered what the remaining 24 miles would hold.  We told ourselves to stay around a 9 minute mile and we’d be OK.

Mile 3, it was hot and I couldn’t cool my body down.  We hit the water stop and I took one Gatorade to drink and a water to dump on me.

Miles 4 and 5 were just hot.  I tried to tell myself relax, but it wasn’t working.  I think we walked a hill or two.

At Mile 6 Lo and I walked the water stop.  It was hot and we had to cool ourselves down.  I remember looking at her and being full on scared.  Mile 6 felt like  a wall…what would 26 be like?! Lo looked scared too but we were determined to finish the race.  I remember thinking about all the people I’ve seen cramping on the side of the road during races and just thought, please don’t let that be me today.

Mile 7 we saw the misting tunnel at the fire station! I was SO happy! It felt awesome and finally my body started to feel a normal temperature.

Mile 8 our coach Sarad ran along side of us.  He told us to walk the water stops and hills and take it slow.  He gave us salt packets and water and my legs stopped cramping for a while.  We walked a few hills and really started to settle in.

At Mile 10 we were thrilled to have hit double-digit miles and both Lo and I felt good.  The heat wasn’t so bad as long as we ran through all the hoses and walked the water stops.  We found our rhythm and started to cruise. And the course looked more familiar, we felt at home.  We started to wonder how our friends were doing.

Mile 12 was Wellesley College.  We were appreciative of the distractions and slapping all of their hands was a welcome charge of energy. The road was slightly shaded and we were thrilled for a break from the sun.  Definitely a good mile.

13.2 miles! We passed the half way mark and I could hardly believe it! The crowds were loud and cheering and it definitely helped to motivate us.  We kept up with our routine of walking the water stops and running the rest of the mile.  In 2 miles we knew we’d hit our home base!

Mile 14 was long.  The sun was blazing down on us and it was so hot.  We had to walk for a minute and I could feel myself getting light-headed.  I knew we just had to push through to Mile 15.

Mile 15 I saw Michael’s parents.  Lauren saw her family and our coaches were there.  Jillian, one of the coaches gave me a huge hug and I was so grateful.  I needed that.  A few salt packets and some ice-cold sponges and we were off.

Mile 16 was downhill for the first part and it felt amazing.  Then we started on the hills and crossed the 1-95 overpass.  It was hot and we were forced to walk.  There weren’t any hoses there and I wished there was.  At the top of the hill we were able to run through a cracked fire hydrant and cool off.  Then we saw my parents, brother and Michael! Lo stopped and switched her socks thanks to the spare Michael had for me.  I was so happy to see them.

Lo and I at Mile 17 All Smiles!

Mile 17 was the start of the hills.  I took a few Shot Bloks and some more Gatorade. I knew I’d need the fuel.  We went through one of the misting tunnels again and it felt amazing but then the hills started….

We ran the first hill and my heart rate shot up.  I felt horrible, even walking felt hard.  Lo and I walked and just did our best.  We’d walk the water stops, run the downhills and flats, walk the uphills, run a little more, walk a little more.  It was tough.  I don’t even remember miles 18 and 19.  It was a blur.  I had hit the wall…again.  And it was too early for a wall.

At mile 20, I was just happy to know I had 6 more miles to go.  And then I wondered how would I ever get up Heartbreak Hill?  We walked it.  There was no running.  Walking hurt.  My head hurt.  Everything hurt. I was mad about being soaking wet. I was mad I was chaffing in places I didn’t know could chaffe. I was ready to be done.  I thought about my friends from Team in Training and wondered where they were on the course.

At mile 21, the top of Heartbreak Hill there was another coach.  I got more salt packs and water and my aching and cramping legs started to feel better thanks to the salt. A spectator yelled to us that it was all downhill from here!  I hoped it was.

Mile 22, I wish I remembered it.  I know we saw some Team in Training volunteers and just seeing their faces was amazing!

At Mile 23, I thought to myself 2 more mental miles.  That’s it.  2 more miles, I can get through this.  I just willed myself to keep running, I willed one foot to go in front of the other.  Miraculously it did.  Lo and I stopped talking as much.  We just ran until we slowed to a walk and then one of us would start running again.  We rounded a bend and I saw Michael’s friend Robby.  I was so happy.  I squeezed his hands and tried to take comfort from a friendly face.

Mile 24 was hard and hot.  We kept trying to run through the hoses and take ice and stuff it in our sports bras.  Lo and I just kept running and walking.  We wanted to be done.  I was thinking that this is what hell must feel like and held back tears.

Mile 25, it was hard to be psyched to see this…all we could see was the small hill over the 1-90 overpass.  We told each other we’d run the base of the hill and walk up it.  I remember a spectator yelled “Whitney, You Got This Hill!”  I looked at Lo and said “I do not have this hill. I do not want this hill!” And before I knew it we were running down the backside.

Lo and I decided to run to Mass Ave.  I was just thinking how am I ever going to make it this far.  I told myself to look around and get outside my body.  The crowds were loud and large and somehow it helped to propel me.  We hit the Mass Ave underpass and walked.

When we came out of the underpass we were going to run the rest of the way.  I remember thinking “Please body let me be able to run this, please”.  I saw my parents again before turning on to Hereford and my cousin Sara was there.  It was an extra bolt of energy that I desperately needed.

All smiles and waves at Mile 26!

A right on to Hereford and there was Lo’s friends…jumping up and down and screaming.  We knew we had this.

A left on to Boylston and there it was.  The long-awaited finish line.  I’m not sure how we did it but we ran that last mile at an 8 minute pace.  We just kept running faster, and harder and counting down the blocks.  We came to the finish and Lo and I grabbed hands before throwing them in the air! We finished!

We crossed the finish line and gave each other a huge hug.  Both of us knew neither of us could have finished that marathon and survived the challenge without each other (Lo, I’m tearing up as I write this.) I was so happy.

We funneled through the finish chute and got our medals.   We earned those medals, with every step.   I was holding back tears and so happy!

I finished with a 4:35! I am proud of that time and honestly think it was the fastest time I possibly could have done given the day.  I was a Boston Marathon finisher and was so proud of myself!

All of the Team in Training volunteers and coaches were amazing.  The extra support from them made the day just a little bit easier.  I also have to say thank you to every one of the spectators out there.  From those with the hoses and sprinklers set up over the course, to those with bags of ice, and wet rags and bottles of water and fresh-cut oranges it all made a hot day seem that much more manageable.  The cheering and words of encouragement always seem to come right when I needed it and I swear, it got me to the finish line that much faster.  Boston, your amazing! From the people, to the runners, to the BAA.  There is a reason why the Boston Marathon is what it is!

Apr17

I Finished!

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Hey Guys!  Just popping to say hi and tell you I finished!  It was hot and probably the hardest marathon I’ve ever ran.  But I managed to smile for most of it, have some fun and I finished with a time I’m proud of considering the conditions!  Post race was a whirlwind of after parties, dinner with my family and lots of celebrating and today I’m back at work with a final celebration party with Team in Training tonight!  I’m dying to upload my photos and write my recap.  I’m still getting my thoughts together from the day but hopefully my post will be up sometime tomorrow!

Here’s a quick look at my splits:

Boston Marathon Times!

And a photo before the start:

All Smiles before the Start!

I can’t wait to share the experience with you all! And many many thanks to everyone for all of their well wishes and tweets before the big day!   This tweet in particular was one that stuck with me the entire race!

Much love!

Whitney

Apr13

Boston Marathon Weekend!

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Happy Friday! 3 days to go!!! Today is a vacation day for me and I’m so happy to be sleeping in and having a relaxing morning.  My relaxing morning definitely entails eating carbs and foam rolling.  I’m beyond excited that this weekend is finally here!  Here’s what my weekend will entail…

Friday. 

  • I’m starting my day with what I’m calling a “Marathon Manicure”.  Yes, I’m thinking purple and sparkles for Team in Training.  I am a girly girl even when I am out sweating it up when running or on my yoga mat.
  • Expo Day! I’m heading to the expo with two of my girlfriends from Team in Training.  I’m so excited to get my number, finishers shirt and check out the vendors.  I definitely want to stop by the Sparkly Soul booth.  Those ladies were so wonderful and helped me with my fundraising efforts by donating to my raffle and providing me with a discount code and donating a portion of the proceeds, I owe them a big thank you! Also on my list, the Saucony booth! I love the t-shirts they’ve designed this year.  I’ll also be stopping by the Gatorade booth!  I have a Nutrition Feedback Session scheduled with them which may just happen to have a little perk for all of you associated with it!
  • Saucony Party! Michael and I will be attending Saucony Presents: An Evening of Running Inspiration with an All-Star Panel.  Bill Rodgers, Mark Herzlich and Karen Smyers will all be presenting and there will be a special tribute to Caballo Blanco.  I’m looking forward to meeting some fellow bloggers and FitFluential Ambassadors including Dorothy Thorn Beal from Mile Posts!

Saturday. 

  • Team in Training Inspiration Luncheon! I’m excited to carb-load with all my teammates and reflect back on the last 4 months of training and build excitement for Monday!

Sunday. 

  • My parents arrive!  It will be a low-key day for sure.  Hanging out, socializing and then heading out for an Italian dinner!

Can't Wait To See Them!

Monday

  • I board the buses for Hopkinton at 7am!
  • Race starts at 10:40am….I can’t wait!
  • Afterwards, meet up with Team in Training, Re-unite with my Family, Stop by the Lululemon After-Party and then Dinner to Celebrate!

I hope to get some down time Saturday afternoon to share with you the highlights from the expo and the Saucony party but I firmly believe in soaking in this experience and living life before blogging so you may just have to wait until after Monday…the suspense!

I know a ton of runners come into Boston for the marathon.  Undoubtedly you’ll want to check out the sites so here’s just a few of my favorite things I’ve done in the city over the years…

  • The Duck Tour!  It’s really fun, you can sit the whole time and you’ll learn a ton about Boston.  You’ll see Paul Revere’s house, go through the North End, learn about the Back Bay, take a spin out on the Charles River, and head through Cambridge a bit too.  It’s definitely worth it! Sign up online a head of time though as the tours sell out quickly!

Boston Duck Tours!

  • The Museum of Fine Arts! I’ve been a few times and always have a good time.  It’s a large museum with plenty to see and lots of different galleries.  The building itself is beautiful and they just opened a new wing.  It’s in the South End of Boston which is an adorable neighborhood filled with tons of cute brownstones!
  • The North End! This is always a favorite of mine.  If you’re looking for a delicious Italian meal before the marathon head down to this neighborhood, you won’t be disappointed!  I also loved the little Italian shops with fresh bread and pastries, and fresh meat.  Modern Pastry is also in this neighborhood.  Their sweets are delicious.  Take my advice and skip the line to Mike’s Pastry and head there.  It’s much better.  In fact Michael (whose family is Italian and had a shop in the North End) told me when we started dating that it would be a deal breaker if I liked Mike’s Pastry over Modern Pastry! Also in this neighborhood is Paul Revere’s House, and the Old North Church.  It’s usually very busy but the neighborhood is like going to Italy!
  • The Boutiques on Beacon Hill! If you are in the mood to do a bit of shopping but aren’t in the mood for the more famous stores like Lord and Taylor, Crate and Barrel, etc (All of which are in Back Bay on Boylston St.) head to Charles St. in Beacon Hill.  The boutiques are adorable and carry tons of stylish dresses, handbags and jewelry.  There are also a few antique shops there too!

Beacon Hill

  • The Top of the Hub! I wouldn’t recommend eating there but it is really nice to go have a drink at the top of the Prudential building.  The views of Boston and the ocean are awesome.  If you are like me, and not from Boston you will definitely appreciate it.
  • Back Bay!  This is the neighborhood I call home and if you’e running the race you’ll cross the finish line here.  It’s a cute neighborhood with lots of shopping and tons of good restaurants.  Newbury St. has plenty of boutiques and there are even more shops on Boylston Street and in the Prudential Center.  Some of my favorite restaurants and bars include the Pour House on Boylston Street, Casa Romero (authentic Mexican) on Gloucester Street, Bar Lola (tapas) on Commonwealth Avenue to just name a few.
  • Run on the Esplanade!  My last suggestion is if you have to do an easy shake out run and are staying in or near the Back Bay head to the Esplanade.  The paths are beautiful, the river is right there and no matter where you are there are views of the city.  It’s relaxing and definitely worth checking out especially if the sailboats are out!

Run the Esplanade!

Ok! I’m off to have some fun and enjoy this weekend! I hope all of you who are visiting and in town for the marathon have safe travels and lots of fun!

What are your Boston Marathon weekend plans?  Are you heading to the expo?  Will I see you at the Saucony party?  What are your favorite Boston sights?