The Boston Marathon. The pinnacle of marathon running held each year on the third Monday in April. There is simply nothing else quite like it. I had the incredible opportunity to return and experience this iconic race for the second time earlier this week. Back in 2022, I was the new kid on the block, taking in the sights as my friend Mark showed me ropes. This year, I was thrilled to take on the tour guide role for my younger brother Korry, who was making his Boston Marathon debut. Both races were epic adventures and have left me with lifelong memories to treasure.
Boston Marathon Training
This year’s Boston Marathon marked my 10th full marathon I have completed and each one has presented its own challenges and adversities. The build up to this year’s race was no different. My training started strong in mid-December, coming off one of the best fitness bases I have had in recent years. Extreme cold and large amounts of snow presented the first obstacles in January, forcing me to resort to the treadmill for several runs (I hope to never again experience a 2-hour treadmill long run).
Sickness struck our family in the middle of February, just as training was really starting to ramp up. I ended up missing over a week straight of training and lost a lot of fitness. Even after getting back to training it took a couple weeks to get back to where I was prior to being sick. Training continued on through March and into early April. A highlight was putting in 18 quick miles with Korry the day before his wedding! Things were finally back on track and I was feeling good about race day.
However, a couple weeks later after my final 20-miler (just 3 weeks from race day), I had some peroneal tendonitis in my right foot flare up. I knew it needed rest to heal, but being only 3 weeks out, I didn’t quite have that luxuary. I switched to an indoor bike to replace my 2-weeks-out long run and worked hard on rehabbing it. It was an uneasy couple of weeks working on healing it and wondering if it would hold up on race day.
By the time I reached 1-week to go, I had managed to get the tendonitis under control and was able complete my last few runs. I was starting to feel confident again! However, a new issue popped up following my final long run the weekend before the race. After finishing my 12 miles, I felt some lingering calf tightness. It felt different than a normal soreness after running and I again had to modify some training in the final week. I was able to rehab it to the point where it felt normal during early parts of runs, but would start to worsen towards the end. I was left with no clue how it would hold up over 26 miles on race day.
Overall, it was decent training block but lacked consistency throughout. I followed my typical marathon training plan and finished the 18-week block at 781 miles. That put me just ahead of my 2022 Boston Marathon training, but well below a few of my more recent marathons. I was prepared for the race, but knew it would likely be a difficult finish.
| Marathon Name | Total Training Mileage | Total Training Time |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Boston | 781 miles | 96 hrs, 33 minutes |
| 2024 Paris | 802 miles | 100 hrs, 2 minutes |
| 2023 Indy Monumental | 898 miles | 111 hrs, 35 minutes |
| 2023 Flying Pig | 893 miles | 109 hrs, 51 minutes |
| 2022 Boston | 779 miles | 94 hrs, 50 minutes |
| 2021 Chicago | 775 miles | 96 hrs, 25 minutes |
| 2019 Indy Monumental | 808 miles | 102 hrs, 16 minutes |
| 2019 Carmel | 649 miles | 81 hrs, 31 minutes |
| 2018 Indy Monumental | 550 miles | 71 hrs, 1 minute |
| 2018 Flying Pig | 346 miles | 44 hrs, 49 minutes |
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Heading to Boston
We flew to Boston on Friday afternoon and spent the next couple of days exploring the city, hitting up the expo, and enjoying some family time. A highlight was that it was my son’s first time flying and the pilot was kind enough to offer him a quick peek around the cockpit after the flight. Like any 2-year old he wanted to push all of the buttons! Pax also greatly enjoyed riding the subway around town, always asking us to get on the train. Time passed quickly and soon it was Monday morning and ready for the race!
The morning began with a 5:30 alarm and two cups of Kodiak Protein Oatmeal and some Liquid IV. Korry and I left our hotel in Cleveland Circle around 6:30 and hopped on the T to ride to Boston Common to catch the buses to the start in Hopkington. It was a beautiful crisp morning, 40 degrees & sunny – perfect running weather. Our arrival to the buses was perfectly timed, arriving just a few minutes before the next wave was released. We waited in line for a few minutes before boarding our bus and were on our way by around 7:45.
Around 8:00, I began to snack on my typical pre-race breakfast of 3 pieces of toast with honey and a banana. With the Boston Marathon’s later start time (10am), I had added the oatmeal to help sustain me through the early afternoon. Typically I would not have gotten up early enough on a normal race (start times 7-8am) to digest the oatmeal. This plan worked perfectly for me in 2022, so I didn’t deviate this time.
We arrived to the Athlete’s Village at Hopkington Middle School after about an hour bus ride (no wrong turns this year!). Korry and I hit up the bathrooms before they got crowded and found a spot to sit. At 9:15 they released our wave to start the roughly 1 mile walk to the start line. I made use of the sunscreen dispensers halfway on the walk after learning my lesson in 2022. Before we knew it, we were lined up in the corral and ready to go!
Race Recap
The opening miles felt relaxed and easy. It felt good to finally be running after the long morning of traveling to the start. The weather was perfect with a crisp cool breeze lightly cutting through the bright blue skies. The first few miles were very packed in with narrow roads and the large race field. We hummed along with the flow of the runners around us, taking in the scenery and enjoying the crowd support. While many runners around us bobbed and weaved for position, we kept our course and ran with the flow to not waste any extra energy. Everything felt great, the calf and foot that had bothered me were both pain free. The low humidity, coolness, and opening downhill miles helped keep my heart rate lower than I expected. Mid-6:30s pace felt easier than it had felt at any point in the buildup.
As the miles ticked by we continued with our steady rythmn, churning out consistent upper 6:30s that felt comfortable and relaxed. We soaked up the energy of the crowds as we passed and chuckled at the many creative signs we saw. As we cross the halfway mark, we checked the time and noted 1:27:20. I later discovered was my fastest first half split of any of my marathons. Still, it felt relatively comfortable and I felt confident heading into the more difficult back half of the race. I did note some small discomfort growing in my calf, but it was very minor and was not bothering me.
By mile 15, things began to feel a little more difficult. While weather conditions were still favorable, the temperature had began to rise into the upper 50s and I could feel the heat the of sun. Some shaded sections of the course provided some relief but I could feel my heart rate beginning to rise. Our pace started to feel more challenging, but I still felt ok at that point. As we neared the hills, I did my best to really relax and mentally prepare for the challenge awaiting us.
As we made the right hand turn at the Newton Fire House, the crowds were massive and energized. The Boston Marathon really is unrivaled in crowd support. It felt like a Tour de France climb as we hit the first of the 3 hills. Almost immediately as we started climbing I could feel my calf really start to worsen. I felt my mechanics worsen as I naturally began to compensate for it. I couldn’t drive up the hills like I did 3 years ago and was forced to slow a bit. Korry began to pull away from me some heading up the hill. I worked my way to the top and got some relief as the course flattened out. I gradually caught back up to Korry and knocked out my third round of GU chews as I prepared for the final 2 hills.
With 8 miles still to go I knew it was going to be a long grind to the finish. I wanted to push harder to keep up with Korry, but knew my calf was in danger if I did so. I did my best to stay relaxed and focus on good form as we hit the second hill. It was the easiest climb of the 3, but still felt more difficult than it should have. My calf really began to ache as we reached the base of Heartbreak Hill. Korry shot up it like a cannon, reminding me of how I felt 3 years prior when the hills seemed much easier. The roaring crowd support was enough to push me to the top, but I paid the price. My heart rate was very high and I was worn out and feeling a little discouraged.
Korry was nice to slow a little for me as we regrouped for the downhill through Boston College. I had been looking forward to the downhill but quickly changed my mind as the force of gravity pounded my calves and quads. I could tell Korry was still feeling good, so I made sure to tell him that he didn’t need to stay with me. He decided to stay with me until we passed our family waiting to cheer us on up ahead in Cleveland Circle (mile 22.5).
It was a joy to seeing Hannah and Pax, Taylor, and my parents there to cheer us on. Korry enthustically ran over to give some high fives while I continued down the hill on my straight path, conserving my energy and agility. At the bottom of the hill, Korry gave me a fist bump and took off ahead and I watched him quickly disappear into the crowd of runners ahead. I smiled as I reflected on 3 years ago when I similarly pulled away from Mark in the closing miles.
The final 4 miles of the race were a test of mental fortitude. I checked my watch as we made the turn with a little under 4 to go and quickly realized I was still tracking very close to my sub-3 hour goal. I had figured that was a lost cause after the slowdown through the hills, but we had banked just enough time in the opening miles that it was still a possibility. My calf had stabalized some, but was still painful with each step. Luckily, the great weather really brought out the crowd support and helped me drive to the finish.
I tried not to check my watch very often, instead trying to focus on what I could see ahead. My pace slipped a little as I navigated the rolling terrain of Beacon Street. 7:15 pace felt like 6 flat as I pushed my body onward. My final round of GU finally kicked in and gave me a much needed boost. Soon, I could see the Citgo sign up ahead knowing I would get a final time check on my goal. I finally hit the one-mile-to-go mark just outside Fenway and looked down at my watch: 2:52:16. I had been holding around 7:15 pace the past few miles so I knew it would be close, but was encouraged that it was still atainable. Soon I was making the famous right turn onto Hereford and left onto Boylston.
In the final stretch to the finish, my face turned to a smile. I knew I had sub-3 at that point and I soaked in the incredible atmostsphere of Boylston Street. I was proud of my perseverance, not just during the race, but throughout the entire training block. It was a culmination of lots of hard work, sacrifice, and determination. My calf held up just enough to get me to the finish line. I crossed the line in 2:59:20 with my arms raised in celebration, only about 30 seconds off of my 2022 time. There’s really no experience like the Boston Marathon and I am incredibly grateful to now have experienced it twice. Now time to rest and recover!
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