Ahhhhh! It’s finally here. Everyone keeps asking me if I am ready and well, is anyone ever ready to run 26.2 miles? I’m ready to get it over with and experience the glory of crossing the finish line on Boylston Street.
The weather has been nothing short of brutal during training. Even I have had to find new motivation the past few weeks. The race is supposed to be the victory lap. The training is the hard part but Monday is panning out as if God is just laughing in our faces. Not only is it going to rain most of the marathon, it’s also going to be about 45F and have a head wind of 15-30 mph.
You are supposed to dress for 20 degrees warmer weather when running but I think we can all agree, clothing for 45 and 65 are drastically different. Now, I’m stressed out about what the heck I should wear. If it wasn’t going to rain, I would wear a tank top and shorts. But now that it is, I’m second guessing my outfit strategy including my shoes.
I did most of my training runs in waterproof warm sneaks that are not meant for the marathon distance. The shoes I want to wear, the adidas Ultra Boost however are very breathable and will probably get soaked in the first half of the course. Do I really want to run a marathon with plastic baggies around my feet!? I need your advice so please leave your best down below.
I am incredibly grateful to Adidas for my bib and I am very excited to run. It is such an overwhelming honor to be able to get a number for this race. When (not if) I cross the finish line, I’m pretty sure it will be one of the greatest feelings of accomplishment I will ever experience. I’ve never put so much dedication towards a goal in my life. The race got real especially on the 15th, the 2 year anniversary of the bombings. My heart breaks when I think of the pain the Richard family went and goes through. If I run Boston again, the MR8 charity will be my first choice.
To kick off the marathon weekend, I attended the grand opening of the adidas RunBase store on Boylston. It is such an amazing concept, I wish it existed all over the country. Not only does it sell adidas gear, but it also has a locker room with showers for runners to use after jogging around the city. They also have a treadmill that allows you to visualize the marathon course with incline and visuals.
One of the shocking displays to me was the Boston Marathon topography display. I did not realize how much of a downhill the first 6-10 miles really were! I only trained on the back 10-20.
On Friday, I went to pick up my bib at the convention center which is about a half mile from home. Everything was organized and easy to navigate. The BAA warned against posting pictures of your bib to avoid fraudulent copies. Someone last year noticed four other people ran wearing her exact bib number after browsing through marathon photos online.
The expo was busy. I was obsessed with all the gear adidas had on display and clearly everyone was too considering how long the lines were.
I bumped into a few friends, tried some samples and found out sadly that the Heartbreak Hill Half Marathon is not happening in June. I left to go to the worst yoga class of my life at Exhale with lady who said we would do hamstring openers but then only did one move to open any part of the lower body!?… good thing it was more to calm my nerves but if anything it just made me annoyed.
Today was a fun day! I met up with friends Rachel and Lucie at Sweetgreen to take some fun pictures. Sweetgreen is at the finish line essentially so during my long runs, I would always envision what I would have when I crossed it. The line was always super long but worth it. To support the local runners, we took pics for the SG social media. While sitting outside for thirty minutes, I was recognized by 4 readers!? This never happens but I guess the biggest running event in my hometown outside a salad place is where I should expect to be recognized if at all…
We also spotted Shalene Flanagan walking in for lunch! She got a salad with salmon but I’m not sure what else was in it. She is our token homegirl that we hope wins on Monday for the women.
I also had a meet up at the SMS Audio booth with Intel USA and Runkeeper. Some of my readers and friends stopped by. I’m giving away a pair of the BioSport headphones on Tuesday so be sure to check out my YouTube video when it comes out! The headphones are ridiculously awesome, winning an innovation award at CES for their accurate ability to monitor your heart rate through your ear. They plug into your phone andare recorded using RunKeeper’s free app. I compared the numbers with my other heart rate monitors and the accuracy was spot on!
Already, I can feel the adrenaline building. I’m in a fast wave so my goal is to keep my excitement muted in the beginning so that I do not go out too fast. I also have to figure out my clothing options. Any suggestions are welcome! It looks like it may be similar to the weather during the 2014 NYC marathon.
Don’t stress too much about the rain -- the forecast is fleeting. Right now it’s predicted to start in the late afternoon so fingers crossed. Good luck and have fun!
What a fabulous expo! And I wish you the best of luck on your marathon!
Good luck girl! I hope the weather holds and you are able to enjoy the moment. Regardless, you have trained SO SO well and will have a great race!
it was so nice meeting you yesterday afternoon (outside sweetgreens) and chat a little bit! I run in the energy boosts and tried out the ultra boosts at the expo yesterday and I definitely think you should still wear them if it’s raining tomorrow! The breathability will help them drain and your feet will generally stay pretty dry- no plastic bags needed!! 😀 good luck!!!
Good luck tomorrow! Enjoy every second of the race. Those middle 15-20 miles were the worst to me but seem like a complete blur looking back. Depending on the forecast when you wake tomorrow I would go with the waterproof shoes, shorts, tank and a throwaway jacket.
Hey Sarah i ran NYC in November. I would recommend shorts, tank and a long sleeve top (I wore a half zip top from lulu that was breathable) If you get too warm on the course you can throw away the long sleeve if needed but I kept mine on for the whole race. good luck tomorrow much, sending lots of good vibes your way!
Thanks Catherine! Much appreciated!!!
Hi Sarah-just ran the DC Rock n Roll Marathon last month when it was 45 and raining the entire course. It was projected to be 65 but didn’t pan out ! I wore quick dry shorts, quick dry tee, quick dry long sleeve, and a hat. Hopefully I can offer some tips from my cold and wet experience…
I don’t normally chafe with shorts but the rain made it brutal because of bunching; if I did it again I would wear calf length running tights.
I thought I would still get hot but actually needed the long sleeve the entire race, even at 45 I felt freezing especially by the end of the course when I was soaked
I normally don’t wear a hat during races but it was a savior in keeping the rain out of my eyes.
Best of luck and I hope you stay dry !
Thanks Jenna! I was leaning towards capris and this helped solidy my decision. I’m planning to butter up my entire body in bodyglide as well.
Sarah
Don’t go out too fast on the 1st downhill 10, monitor your pace with a Garmin, you don’t know how you feel until 13.2, that’s when the race starts. It’s a Great advantage you know what the back end looks like. Don’t let the bands/music accelerate your tempo (stick to your pace). Don’t change shoes, run in what you trained. Sockless is best; but if you didn’t train that way, don’t try it. Use socks that will not collect h2o. Wear longer shorts due to chaffing in rain, like spin shorts; but still use vaseline in THOSE spots.
Use a light weight poncho for rain, clear is best, only weighs a few ounces, easy to unbutton to aerate; it is my standard most highly rated and critical piece of gear in rain. If you can find it, mine only cost $4.95 and it can wad up in your hand, so is VERY light (mine has a hood, keeps your head nice and toasty, if clear you have sight). The poncho also keeps rain off your feet. Don’t wear baggies around your feel, great way to wipe out, it will change your stride, just two among so many other reasons.
Be sure not to follow gobs of runners who may lead you into a puddle, keep a clear view of the terrain for 15-20 yards ahead. Run on the periphery, everyone collects in the middle, especially at the beginning. Don’t get hemmed in by crowds, especially at aid stations where it is best to slow down and take good liquids vs spill it over you. Walking is not unheard of and may be a better choice, just 5 secs to get it in you and back up to speed.
Not sure about the Bodyglide comment to Jenna, but any oil/slick stuff on your skin will inhibit the pores and reduce thermal exchange.
Hope this helps, this is the most important stuff of an exhaustive list. Have a great race:)
Goodluck tomorrow! I live in Boston and know just how hard this winter has been for training! I ran in the nyc marathon this last year and had a tough time deciding on an outfit too. I ended up wearing a tank with arm sleeves, shorts, and compression socks. If I did it again I would wear capris, tank, and a long sleeve shirt I didn’t mind throwing away if I was too hot. I ended up being pretty cold the majority of the race and wished I had another layer until about mile 18/19 when I finally warmed up. Hope you have a blast tomorrow regardless of the weather, training is the hardest part and the race is the victory lap( especially after this winter)! I plan on watching the race around mile 23, I will definitely be cheering you on!
Best of luck today! Have a fantastic race!!!!