In my opinion, the Marathon Majors are special. All marathons are special in their own way but there’s something about the Majors that I just love. The extra fan fare, the events in the lead up to race day, the ‘stash’. It’s the running equivalent the the Golf Majors or Tennis Majors. They are just bigger, there’s more excitement around them.

And this year’s Boston Marathon did not disappoint.

This was my second time running and third time in Boston for the marathon, and there seemed to be more shake outs, pop-up shops and events this year than in previous years. It was hard to keep track of it all and not overdo it before Marathon Monday.

I was kindly given my bib from TCS and so had a fun run with elite runner Reed Fischer along the Charles River alongside a film crew. Check out the Reel they made of us. As well as joining the Westin x Abbott World Marathon Majors shake out.

We stayed at the Westin Copley Place (not a sponsored stay – my friend Jenna books these nearly a year in advance!) I honestly think they are the best place to stay as they have a great set up for runners with breakfast from 5am, a Hyperice Recovery Zone, pre-race pasta dinner and easy walk to the buses and back from the finish line.

Pre Race Breakfast 

• Oat latte and Bagel with cream cheese at the hotel 
• Precision Fuel and Hydration carb and electrolyte drink on the bus 
• Another bagel, banana and Rice Krispie square plus 1/2 Gatorade while waiting for the start 

As part of the TCS Run Club entry we were given access to the VIP buses and hospitality at the start. My friends Robbie and Kyle were also on these buses/start which made the race morning as lot less nerve wracking even when the bus got lost! We spent the 3 hours while waiting for our 11.15am start loading up on carbs and electrolytes and using the loo multiple times.

Walking to the start line it was clear it was going to be a hot day. I had ditched my throwaways before even leaving the hospitality area and was nervous I hadn’t brought enough sodium with me.

Ash had suggested that given the race day temps starting to peak just as I started, to throw a cup of water over myself at every aid station to help cool down, and I decided to take a cup of Gatorade at every aid station to make sure I stayed hydrated. I honestly think both of these adjustments helped so much, although my hair was a total birds nest by the end of the race.

I think I was in sub 4 shape which is around a 9 min mile, but with the heat and hills (and downhill start) in Boston, I wanted to go out conservatively for the first 10K – aiming for 9.15 pace. I saw Mat Fraser on the course and wish I’d stopped to get a photo (for my fellow Crossfit doc nerds), then realised after looking through my phone vids that I was actually running next to his partner Sammy for a little bit of the race without realising!

How I Fuelled on the Run

• Precision Fuel and Hydration carb and electrolyte drink 
• Precision Fuel and Hydration gels every 30 minutes (caffeinated gels at 90 mins, 2 hours and 2hrs 30 mins) 
• Pack of SaltStick FastChews
• Cup of Gatorade at every water station 
• Cup of water at every water station after mile 6 (plus one on my head) 
• Ice pop from random spectator 

Around Mile 17 I saw a portaloo with no queues and decided to hop in for a wee. Despite how much I was sweating, I’d obviously drank quite a bit while waiting for the start and on course. That mile was my slowest of the day at 9.57 but so worth it to feel more comfortable when running. (When I ran Boston in 2017, I knew sub 4 would be really tight so I peed in my shorts!)

I’m so lucky that I’ve had my mum and Tom at so many of my marathons. I find it such a boost knowing that they’re on course and looking out for them. With most of my friends running the race on Monday, I knew I had to hold on to see Chris and Elle from Westin and the TCS team at mile 20.

One of the things I struggled with later on in the race was seeing a lot of people walking…and wanting to walk myself! The heat had caught up with a lot of runners and unfortunately I also saw a few that were getting medical attention. A lot of people were in survival mode at this point in the marathon, trying to stay on their feet and moving forwards. It can be tough to keep going in those last few miles when your body (my quads!) are screaming at you to stop, I also knew by then that my sub 4 time goal had gone so it was hard to keep running when so many others were walking. But I knew it would just take longer to finish and as you might have seen on my instagram, one of my main goals was not to miss my flight that evening!

What I wore

• Nike Alphafly 3
• Lululemon shorts
• Tracksmith Van Cortlandt Boston tank
• Triumph Triaction Bras

I made a game day decision to wear the Nike AlphaFly 3. I figured that since I wasn’t going for a PB and given that it was going to be a hot day, I didn’t have a lot to lose (except hobbling it in!). I thankfully didn’t have any issues with cramping. or blisters – full shoe review coming soon. The Lululemon shorts were an old version of the Fast and Free shorts because sadly the new iteration rode up at the front. And the Tracksmith tank was another last minute decision but I loved it. Tracksmith make such high quality pieces and their Marathon Major collections are always spot on design wise although they are pricey. We went straight to the Tracksmith store on Newbury St on Friday morning as it opened to get some of the Boston stash – some pieces had already sold out in the pre sale to members!

Post race I did discover some chafing from my bra, however considering I spent the entire race pouring water over my head, I got away with only minimal chafing!

Those last few miles my quads felt like the limiting factor, and I spent a lot of those miles promising myself I would be spending more time in the gym when training for the Berlin marathon this Summer.

That final stretch along Boylston is so special – I love that the crowds can get so close to the finish line at the Boston Marathon (they limit access far more in London). I tried to sprint that final stretch but turns out it was only marginally faster than my average pace and showed me that I had indeed given my all that day. I finished in 4.05. I burst into tears immediately after crossing the finish line only to spot the TCS photographers above me.

After finishing, I met up with the rest of the TCS team and was given my medal by Reed. I had stupidly forgotten my drop bag on race morning that had my sandals and post-race protein drink – so I hobbled around in my race shoes and tried to down another Gatorade for hydration purposes. We waited in the finish area for Robbie to finish and then I shuffled back to the hotel to get a full debrief from all the girls. Everyone had run slower than they had wanted to, such was the day.

My biggest mistake was not eating or hydrating. well post race (I didn’t eat more than a pack of crisps until I was at the airport) and impacted my recovery I think. My resting heart rate was high all the following week and it took a full 7 days for my legs to recover. A reminder not to forget about. your post-run fuel!

For me, this block of marathon training was all about base building, figuring out how to balance parenting/work/Tom being away with running, and kind of re-finding the fire to chase my running goals. Whilst the sub 4 goal didn’t happen, I’d call the whole build a real success. And now I’m focused on running strong in Berlin…

Huge thanks to TCS Global for the gifted bib – I had the best weekend!