I was walking south on Michigan Ave, wet, cold, smiling, happy, blasting Kids in America on my phone. I just finished my first marathon. I was waiting for this moment for 2 years, I trained for so long, I ran the race, it was hard, it was so effing hard. I crossed the finish line and I cried, I knew I did well, I didn’t know how well. I didn’t look at my finish time for 30 minutes. My friend June was the one who told me my time, then the Production crew I was filming with held up the phone and let me see. I cried. I couldn’t believe what I just did, in the heat, in the humidity. I BQ’d on my first try 3:23:22 – my goal for the race was 3:30, my age group cut off for Boston – 3:35.
I couldn’t have pulled it off without so many people. My running group - South Loop Runners, my coach Denise, and most importantly, my husband, Sam. As much of an emotional roller coaster as I am still on right now, here is what I learned training and running my first marathon.
Thank you to everyone who donated to my Anti-Cruelty Fundraiser, to those of you who shopped my Poshmark closet in July when I was able to donate all my profits to the charity to make this race possible.
Please take as much as you want and reach out if you have any more questions. I will try to make this as informative and concise as I can.
Training: I started with a 20-week plan + 4 bonus weeks between Chicago (10/10/21) and LA (11/7/21) marathons that my coach Denise put together. The training included 4 runs: 2 short runs, 1 speed/track workout and a long run. I had one 20-mile day in my plan, I ran two 20 milers as a part of my training(one 20 miler and one 21.3 miler) . I had Covid in August and missed about a week of training. I didn’t start track/speed workouts until August, even though they were a part of my plan from the start. Don’t skip speed and track workouts! They are key to getting faster. My speed significantly improved thanks to those. Stick to your plan. Marathon training is a time commitment, you will be gone a lot, you will need to wake up early, you will be tired. Trust your training.
Nutrition and Hydration: This is the part where every single runner, coach, trainer will tell you the exact same thing - Listen to your body, try different things, figure out what works for you, and that is 100% true. Is your stomach lining weak or tough? Can you drink the night before and run an 8-minute mile for 15 miles the next morning? Do you prefer gels, chews, honey, GU? There are so many things to try! Don’t do something just because it is working for someone else. I run on empty, a lot! I would drink the night before my long runs, a lot. Fast forward to Pre-race week, I try and stop drinking altogether, I carb load, I eat so much rice, chicken and cheerios it’s obscene. I love rye bread from Trader Joe’s, I eat fruit, I don’t eat dairy. I also don’t like pasta as much, I will have it in a form of pasta salad with veggies and olives. I love eggs and fish and eat a lot of that during the training period.
Chicago Lakefront has hydration stations throughout the training season, I trained with Gatorade and water, took Clif Gel + Caffeine a handful of times. I ordered a box of Clif before the training season started, that box is 90% left unused.
I ate a bowl of cheerios with almond milk before I left for the marathon that morning, drank a bottle with Pedialyte mix and then ate 2 chews along the course.
I knew it was going to be hot and humid on race day, I was hydrating weeks in advance, also running the Chicago Half at the end of September helped (it was my little prep before the marathon)! I drank everything with electrolytes I could get my hands on, Essentia water, Path water, Liquid IV, Adapted Nutrition Hi Trace, Hi Lyte and Hi Mag. I got a few samples of Pedialyte powder at the expo and drank those as well! I believe hydration, especially minerals are crucial to help prevent cramping.
Cross Training: Yoga after every run, HIIT, strength, walking, barre on other days. I maybe had 1 or 2 rest days a week. Cross training, especially yoga was key to my training. I do a 30–40-minute flow after every run. I don’t skip yoga, ever. I workout at home with SWEAT and FitOn Apps, it’s the easiest way for me to get my cross-training in. I have been working from home for the past year and a half and working out in my living room has been great. I miss the gym sometimes, but I’ve always been a huge fan of at home video workouts, does anyone remember FitTV? Lol, no? Just me?
Recovery: My main recovery method is post run yoga as I’ve already mentioned. The second favorite method is my Hypervolt massage gun, I had a very tight IT band when I first started training for long races a couple years ago and the fork attachment has been key for me. And last, but definitely not least, and definitely non-traditional recovery method is Acupuncture. I cannot emphasize it enough. Try it and if you are in Chicago check out Acupuncture Healing Center in Chinatown! I don’t roll, it doesn’t work as well for me as all of the above. I am not flexible but any type of activity that will open your body and move your body in new and different ways as opposed to running is suggested.
Medication: Imodium before the race, Aspirin/Ibuprofen before and during the race, CBD and melatonin for sleep. Biofreeze, or any menthol/camphor ointment/lotion before and during the race if you can.
Apparel: Light colors, less layers (remember the 20-degree rule: check the temp on the day of the run and add 20 degrees, dress for that temp!), less fabric overall. I prefer sunglasses to a hat, unless it’s raining. Compression socks and compression tights for recovery (I just bought 3 pairs of 2XU tights for $45 on ThredUP, one new with tags and 2 in excellent condition) Check out resell sites like ThredUp, Poshmark and eBay for all your activewear needs! Inserts in shoes, my arches need extra support so I get the stiff inserts for my Hokas.
Race Day: When it comes to race day, it’s all in your head, it is a mental game. My first 8 miles, up to the turn on Sheridan, I kept running and repeating to myself “Trust your Training”. I also studied the course and knew where all the turns were coming. Having been living and training in Chicago it is mentally easier for me to run towards the skyline, so seeing it would give me extra boosts. I also went and checked out the finish line on Friday morning, and as I was running that last mile, through my neighborhood (South Loop), I kept envisioning myself crossing it.
The support is important: my husband met me on the course 4 times and gave me my frozen 8 oz water bottles with Liquid IV, and that is what really helped me survive the heat and humidity.
My friend Kari jumped in at mile 14 and ran with me. Meant the world!
Seeing people from my running group along the course was the best. It is so incredibly hard to keep scanning the crowds looking for familiar faces, but I kept seeing my friends and that’s what made the race day so unbelievably memorable.
I spent the majority of pre-race week filming for ESPN Latin America, once the episode is available I will share the link!
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