Molly On the Run

Tag: fitness

  • Buffalo Marathon #8

    Let’s go Buff-a-lo! I am so excited to write this recap because Buffalo is one of the best races and that is a hill I will die on. I was born and raised in Buffalo before moving to Connecticut at the age of seven. Since my family still lives there, I’ve made many trips back and forth over the years. My first half marathon was in Buffalo, and it made such a lasting impression on me that I feel it’s truly where my running journey began. I ran the half marathon a second time in 2025, shaving 28 minutes off my time in just 2 years! After that, I immediately decided to sign up for the full.

    The Buffalo marathon always takes place on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. This is extra special to me because it always falls on my grandmother’s birthday, so I get to sneak in a visit with her in Buffalo and run in the best city. Marathon weekend consists of about 10,000 runners over the course of the events. They have the 5k and kid’s races on Saturday morning, and the half and full marathons on Sunday. I’d say the half marathon attracts significantly more runners than the full marathon. The race starts in downtown Buffalo, bringing you up along Delaware Ave through the historic mansion district. You continue along Lake Erie with views of the waterfront and Erie Basin Marina. You pass by Keybank Area, where the Buffalo Sabres play until the half marathon and full break apart at mile 13. After that you continue through the art district in Allentown and back up north into Delaware Park where the runners circle the park. There are a few more turns through the north end of Buffalo until the course brings you back towards the finish near Niagara Square.

    A few important things about this race that I love include: The energy. We all know Bills Mafia, they bring that same energy to the marathon. Crowd support is one of the biggest things that gets me through and this race is up there on the list. Also, race logistics. I have never been to a race where bib pick up, parking, and runner’s village is so quick, efficient and organized. There are also so many photographers on the course, I always get the best race photos here.

    Buffalo is about a 5.5 hour drive from my home in Connecticut. My sister and I packed up her two little ones and hit the road Friday evening and made the trek to our grandmother’s house in Buffalo in the dark, with plenty of road trip snacks. We would be staying with more family once we arrived.

    Expo: Saturday morning, my brother and I drove downtown to check out the expo and pick up my bib. This was when NYC was flooding, and we seemed to be getting all that rain Northwest because it was an absolute monsoon. I was praying that this weather would end before Sunday. I had all my rain gear packed just in case. The expo is held on the top floor of the Buffalo Convention Center. As I said previously, parking is so easy and bib pick up was so quick. We made our way to the second floor and checked out a few vendors. Buffalo Marathon always has so much nice swag and a variety of all sorts of vendors. I saw a “Buffalove” vendor and immediately had to grab some merch. I grabbed an American flag Buffalo sweatshirt for myself, a sticker and a “Buffalove” onesie for my sister’s little one she is expecting. After that I grabbed my bib and we headed back to the car. Our race swag included a really nice technical hoodie with a Bison on it, an electrolyte drink mix and a little snack. Buffalo always has had great swag in their bags.

    The rest of the day was spent hanging with family indoors, as I watched the rain come down in buckets. I really thought there was no way this rain would end. I tried my best to carb load throughout the day, but ultimately by the end of the night I still had not eaten enough, and I ended up sneaking a pizza into the house with my siblings at 9pm.

    Race morning: Another thing I love about this race is that you can easily pull up and park, quickly walk to Runner’s Village and use the porta potty all within an hour before race start. It also starts early at 6:30 which I love, because you still get your entire day after you are done running. The morning started with a 4am wakeup call but lying in bed until 4:30. The rain had finally stopped at 4am that morning. I got dressed, put on my glitter and had my usual pre-race breakfast of half a bagel and coffee. My mother and I headed out the door at 5:30 and made the 15-minute drive downtown where she dropped me off near the start. I headed towards the porta-potty lines which were moving super quickly and then made my way into my corral.

    I headed into this race aiming for a 3:50 finish. This would shave 5 minutes off my PR time. Buffalo is a flat course that allows for even splits without having to leave a cushion for hills. This meant keeping a steady 8:46 pace. I knew I was capable, but holding a pace for that distance was overwhelming to me and I was not sure I was confident in my training; I had just paced the Mystic Half Marathon that past weekend at a 10:15 pace and felt like my body was stuck there. I had a plan to stick with the 3:50 pacer, and I had also printed a pace band for myself that would bring me in at a 3:49 finish if I followed it. The morning was perfect at 60 degrees and pure overcast with a slight drizzle, but nothing uncomfortable. The gun went off and we crossed the start line. I followed with the pace group for about 2 miles. I started getting annoyed because everyone was running close together, swinging their elbows and almost hitting me in the eye. I sped up to pass the group and kept the pacer at a comfortable distance behind me.

    I felt really strong for the first few miles and tried not to let race energy take me too fast. I had a playlist going, but there is so much live music and energy on the course that I paused my music while running through those sections so I could take it all in and enjoy it. One of my favorite sections is the first 6 miles when you are running up the first section of Delaware Ave at the turn around. The crowd support is great and there are so many signs. At mile 13, we head back towards Niagara Square and the full and half marathons split ways to continue their race. The majority of runners are half marathoners, so this is where the group begins to thin quite a bit and the race gets a little quieter.

    There are so many water stops on this course, and I took advantage of every one and found myself having to use the porta potty at mile 16. I was just so thankful that my stomach was feeling good. When I stepped out, the 3:50 pacer was running past as I was taking in some salt. I shouted, “I’ll catch up!” as he spotted me and I raced ahead until I settled back in pace with them.

    I was starting to feel the usual aches and pains around miles 17 and 18 but I was relieved that I still had energy and was not starting to hit the wall. My brother, his wife and their 3 kids told me that they would be cheering me on around Mile 20 and I was holding on to that to get me through. I started searching for them around Mile 19 and saw nothing, so I waited for Mile 20. When I got to Mile 21 and still could not find them, I figured they either were at the finish line or couldn’t make it out of the house in time. As I crossed the corner at Mile 22, I immediately spotted them across the road and threw my hands up waving. They were standing there with a sign that said, “Go Auntie M, Go!” That was exactly what I needed to keep me going. I would find out after the race that my brother was at Mile 21 shouting at me, but I never saw him. Oops.

    Miles 23 and 24 I could feel myself starting to get into my own head. I wanted nothing more than to walk/run the last few miles. I knew I would be so disappointed if I didn’t reach my goal time though. I looked at my watch and knew I had a little bit of cushion with my pace, so I dropped back into the pace group and sort of floated with their pace until my heart rate went down, zoning out into my music. I reached Mile 25 and knew I had enough left in me, I said my usual mantra to myself: “You can do anything for one mile.” I took off from the pace group for my finish.

    The end of the marathon is at Niagara Square and you run back into all the energy. I crossed the finish line with a time of 3:47:40. I was in total shock. That was an entire 8 minutes off my PR time in just seven months! I have no idea how I did it, but I think this course just has some sort of magic to it. This won’t be my last Buffalo marathon.

    Fuel: Huma gel every 45 minutes

    Pre race dinner: Pizza and wings

    Pre race fuel: Coffee and half a bagel

    Favorite signs on course:

    “You should still go to therapy.”

    “Why?”

    “Hurry, your beer is getting cold.”

  • Hudson Valley Marathon #7

    Lucky #7! The Hudson Valley Marathon wasn’t originally on my list for the year, but I’ve had my eye on it for a while since it’s so close to home. With my 22-mile training run for Buffalo coming up, I figured a flat, fast course would be perfect to get the miles in while taking advantage of the bathrooms and water stops. My plan was to run the 22 miles at an easy pace and, if necessary, walk or run the last 4 miles.

    Originally, I was looking to sign up for Maine Coast Marathon. After procrastinating, I realized the race was sold out. Hudson Valley was the same weekend, so I quickly signed up without second thought.

    I’d been dealing with a slight pain in my left foot and hip for the past few weeks, so I was nervous about tackling 26 miles before Buffalo. I also had a 5k planned with my niece for her Girls on the Run program, plus pacing the 2:15 mark in the Mystic Half Marathon before Buffalo. Thankfully, after Cheshire, my foot felt good. My main goal for Hudson Valley was simply to log the miles and finish comfortably without injury.

    Hudson Valley is a small race. The course includes a 5k, half marathon, and full marathon. The majority of runners make up the half marathon group. The course runs over the Hudson Valley Walkway with beautiful scenic views of the Hudson River and Mid-Hudson Bridge. It continues onto the Dutchess Rail Trail where we turn around at the 13.1 mark, with the half marathoners turning around at the 6.55 mark. There is little crowd support and the majority of the race you are in the woods on a paved path. If you know me, then this is a course nightmare for me. In and out, bike path, and no crowd support. HA!

    Bib Pick Up: The race is hosted by Alpha Win. We had 2 options for bib pick up. We could pick up Saturday afternoon at the Vendor Expo, or as they strongly encouraged, we could pick up Friday afternoon at the Poughkeepsie Fleet Feet. I had a rare Saturday off from work and wanted to enjoy the day relaxing so I opted for the Friday bib pick up. I worked a half day and made the hour trek out to Fleet Feet. I figured I would run in, grab my bib, purchase some gels, head back and be home before 5pm. Wrong. The line for bib pick up was out the door and circled down the sidewalk. I waited in line for over an hour to get through the door. Halfway through my wait, I started chatting with the girl behind me. She was a new runner and running the 5k. She had just told me she finally reached 6 miles and wanted to keep pushing her distance. I recommended a few good half marathons for her to look into. I did not see her Sunday morning, but I hope she did well!

    I want to point out that Fleet Feet had no involvement with this race other than providing space for bib pick-up. I’ve never experienced such a long line for bib pick-up before, and when I finally reached the front, there was just one poor girl handling check-ins, t-shirts, and bags for everyone. Hopefully, they can recruit more volunteers in the future to make the process faster.

    Our swag included a nice race day t-shirt, a 26.2 sticker and an energy drink. I love my t-shirt! I grabbed my things, grabbed some fuel and headed back home in upstate traffic.

    Race Morning: The Hudson Valley Walkway is about an hour and 5 min from my house. I wanted to give myself plenty of time to find parking, use the restroom and drop off my gear bag. I woke up at 4am and did my normal race morning routine. The night before, we had an event catered at our local Fire Department. As soon as we got home, I had to use the bathroom and was nervous I would be in trouble for the race. However, everything seemed normal as the morning went on.

    I headed out the door just before 5am and made the drive out to Hudson by myself. As sad as it sounds, I chose not to have anyone come with me. I really wanted to run and take my time, especially at the finish and not worry about rushing to find family and friends. I wanted my free beer and to take my time. I put the walkway address into my GPS; they warned us that the parking lot is filled by 6:30 so I wanted to make sure I left plenty of time to get a space. Well, I think everyone else had the same thought because as soon I as approached the race traffic, they were directing everyone to turn back and park at the Tractor Supply. It was about a mile walk to the start and all I could think was that the big downhill I was walking was not going to be fun on the way back after 26 miles.

    The morning started off chilly at about 35 degrees. Luckily, I always keep a heat shield in my gear check bag, so I pulled that out and wrapped myself up for the walk. I walked into Runner’s Village and made my way to the porta-potties. Surprisingly there was no line, and the toilets were new and clean! I hung around and kept warm for a bit then made my way over to gear check. I thought I would quickly drop off my bag and get into my corral. Wrong again. I looked back and there is another line leading out the tent. It was 20 minutes to start, and the line did not seem to be moving. Other runners around me were getting nervous as well. I saw people stashing their bags in the woods and running to their corral. Soon enough, the line moved. I really don’t understand what the holdup was because I was out in 2 seconds. Again, hopefully they can recruit some more volunteers for next year.

    The start line is an open corral with options for different times ranging hour to hour. I stuck myself in the 4:00-5:00 corral knowing I was going to take it slow. I stood there shivering, while I look to my left and see a man next to me wearing a bib with the number “1111”. I had been seeing angel numbers all morning and knew that was a final sign that my dad was wishing me luck that morning. My race jitters instantly eased.

    The race starts at 7am with 1.28 miles over the Hudson Walkway. You get a beautiful view over the water and in the early morning you get to see the Mid-Hudson bridge lit up. After we crossed the walkway, I turned on my playlist and eased into my pace. It is so easy to get caught up in the race pace of others and I knew I did not want to go fast so I had to keep myself from feeding off the energy.

    I watched as the pacers sped past me, with others running by at a pace I knew I could match. It’s a strange feeling to hold yourself back, especially in race; but it made me realize that every runner is out there for their own reason, moving at a pace for reasons we can’t truly know.

    The miles went by slow and very boring. I am a runner that tends to need turns and views in my courses to keep my mind busy. This race was lots of woods for 13 straight miles. That also left little crowd support to get you through. I broke my distance into chunks of my fueling distance. I knew I was going to take a gel every 45-50 minutes, so I kept telling myself, “Just another 5 miles”. I also knew there was a water stop every 2 miles, so I used that as another trick to break the distance into chunks.

    I stopped twice to use the bathroom and luckily with there being so few marathoners, the bathrooms were pretty much clean and no lines at all which helped with my time.

    It felt like forever to get to the halfway mark but once we hit the turnaround, I took a short break to take some salt and stretch out my hips that were beginning to get tight. At this point I was starting to see others walking and starting to cramp up. I tried not to let my own thoughts get to me and took off.

    I counted down as my watch finally hit 22 miles. I knew at this point, my training miles were complete, and I could handle the last 4 however I chose. I started off walking the first 2 min and running the rest of the mile until around mile 24.5. A guy I had been pacing behind for quite some time turned to see me walking and fist bumped me and said “Less than 2 miles left, we got this! Let’s go!” I’m thinking to myself, I don’t need to do this but then said to myself, “You know what? Hell yeah.” So, I picked up the pace and ran towards the walkway.

    The race ends the same way it began, by crossing over the walkway to the finish line. The walkway at this point was opened to the public. There were multiple spectators left cheering on runners: “Just get over the walkway and you’re done!” I came up behind a girl with who I assume was her boyfriend/husband who ran beside her, holding a sign for her, right to the finish. This wasn’t my race, so I backed off my pace to make sure they got a good photo at the end.

    I crossed the finish line with a chip time of 4:13:26. The end of Runner’s Village was filled with free beers and vendors. I grabbed a free beer, bought a cozy Run Upstate sweatshirt and got my picture taken by someone standing by. I love my new sweatshirt!

    I made the mile trek back to the Tractor Supply parking lot. The walk back up the hill did indeed suck as much as I was anticipating.

    Would I run this race again? Maybe again for a training run or a qualifying time. I would be interested in the half marathon just for a fun race. Next up: Buffalove!

    Fuel: Huma Gel every 45-50 minutes

    Pre race dinner: Rice pilaf, prime rib, dinner roll catered event

    Pre race AM fuel: Coffee and half bagel with butter

    Favorite sign on course: “My mom’s not a regular mom, she’s a fast mom!”

  • Cheshire Half Marathon and other late races.

    It’s been a while since I last shared any running updates. The Marine Corps Marathon came and went, and I had my eyes set on a (literal) pie at the Turkey Trot this past November. I can confirm that I did indeed win that pie. It was not a PR for me, but I placed 3rd in my age group with a time of 48:17. 2025 also ended with a 5K PR of 23:21 at the Blue Back Mitten Run. A race I took off with the last words “I don’t have any interest in racing a 5K.” Oops.

    My 2026 running goals included the Big Sur Marathon, Mystic Half Marathon, Buffalo Marathon, and whatever else I felt like tackling in the fall. Unfortunately, my training and mental energy took a hit. After a harsh New England winter kept me on the treadmill all season, my love for running slowly faded. I found myself running less and less and ultimately decided to defer Big Sur to the following year. That left me able to ease back into training for Buffalo at a comfortable distance once the weather began to turn.

    In the end, I was fine with this decision and didn’t dwell on it too much. Letting go of some of the pressure to stick to my training was actually a bit of a relief.

    With marathon training for Buffalo back in full swing, I have been working with my unofficial coach Jeanne through the V.02 app. I signed up for the Cheshire Half Marathon this past April with the idea of running 19 miles and using the race towards 13 of my training miles. I had all intentions of just taking the race slow and easy. I started my watch for Jeanne’s workout she had planned for that Sunday and realized she had me running 10 of those miles at an 8:23 pace. Guess we were racing that day.

    I started my playlist, turned up the headphones and settled into my pace. I paid no attention to the mileage on the course and just ran. The Cheshire half marathon is a small-town race with only 2000 registered runners. The crowd support is little to be desired, but enough. One of my favorite signs on the course was at the halfway point. Someone had staked a sign: “Whoa, you’re halfway there (no, but really!)”. The last .25 miles of the race, you take a lap around the high school track and then you are done. I finished with a chip time of 1:53:30, grabbed a slice of post-race pizza and went off to finish my 19 miles. I also have to add in that every race I add up the numbers of my bib to see what they equal. This year my bib equaled 11 and I have to think that my dad was there giving me a sign that morning.

    This weekend I have a 22 miler for my Buffalo training. Being me, I casually signed up for the Hudson Valley Marathon to use that as training miles. Can I run a full marathon this weekend? I guess we will find out next blog.

    Jeanne, Peter, Diane, Me and Angie at the Goshen Turkey Trot.

    My pie that I finally got around to baking on Easter, 5.5 months later!

    My age placement!

    Cheshire Half Marathon finish.

  • Before the Finish Lines

    With Thanksgiving just around the corner, so comes the local legendary tradition: the Turkey Trot. The community gathers on Thanksgiving morning—some going out for their only run of the year, while others, the moms with their strollers in tow, the “we go for a run on thanksgiving morning” family, or the speedy cross-country boys, who show up in singlets despite the chilly 32-degree weather, get in line. Then there is me, the average runner who is determined to age place and earn that homemade pie this year.

    The Turkey Trot will always have a special place in my heart, as it was my very first race. So small town cliche, I know.

    Growing up, I was never an athletic person. I envied those who played sports throughout high school. I grew up as the youngest of four children. Like most parents, mine worked hard to provide and there was no time for school sports. I low key admired all the field hockey girls, the basketball team. I even tried track and field shortly, only to find myself without a ride home from practice. That was short lived. Running though? Step outside your front door and run down the street? Hell no. My only pair of sneakers was a pair of Chuck Taylors. Run the mile in gym class? No thanks, I can walk it in 12 minutes.

    As the years go on, your find yourself through many different phases of young adulthood. Maybe you chose the college route, the working route, the partying route. I can confirm that I chose a mashed-up mix of all of those routes. Then came the travel phase. A phase I still very much love and now get to incorporate my running into.

    I have hiked the 10 miles out to the village of Havasupai, I have made the climb to the top of Half Dome, I have reached mountain tops in Adirondacks, to name a few. Then came 2020 and any travel plans in the making, quickly came to a halt.

    The world had shut down; I was out of work for the time being. I worked in a busy, six chair salon. I spent 10-hour days on my feet, most days reaching my 10k step goal just at the salon. Schools and day cares had closed, but those deemed “essential” still had to continue to work. My siblings were left without childcare, and I was the one stepping up to the plate. As much as I enjoyed the time with my family, I also found myself snacking on their leftovers and the pounds started adding on.

    I was unhappy with my weight, I was lacking any sort of movement in my daily routine, and I knew I needed to make a change. With gyms closed, I turned the outdoors into my personal gym. I was walking 3 miles a day, getting in my steps any time my watch beeped at me. I focused on improving my eating habits and became more mindful. The pounds started dropping, and I was thrilled with this new version of myself.

    When the world reopened, I took to the gym and discovered that I very much looked forward to my daily exercise. I enjoyed strength training, found cardio came naturally to me, and gradually became a person I once thought could never exist.

    I wish I could say that I had some profound moment in my life that encouraged me to start running. I did not find myself in a quarter life crisis, I was not going through a breakup or let go from a job. In fact, it is as cliche as the line from Forrest Gump: “I just felt like running.” It wouldn’t even be until about a year later that I decided I would run a marathon; after saying numerous times I had no interest in that. Jumping ahead, I even trained for my first marathon and refused to register until two weeks prior to the event.

    It was late October, and I did however decide, that I would sign up for our county’s local Turkey Trot. Upon that decision, I headed down to my closest Fleet Feet store and was fitted for my very first pair of running shoes. Who would have thought those very first pair of shoes would open up an entirely new chapter in my life.

    Although I had the fitness part down, road running was an entirely new concept to me. I’m the kind of person who, once I start something, dives in completely to learn every detail and do it right. I taught myself how to run with proper form, studied pacing, heart rate, cadence, nutrition—everything I could to improve. I had 28 days to go from zero to a 10k.

    Race day had finally arrived. All the now familiar feelings had shown up. I laugh because in all reality, it was not that serious of a race. To me that day, it was though. The thoughts of “Can I finish this?” “What if I have to walk at the end?” “You better finish, so you don’t have to explain yourself at dinner” all went through my head. 6.2 miles felt like a marathon to me.

    I finished with a time of 1:01:52 and to this day I am still damn proud of myself. Anyone who finishes, no matter what distance or what time they finished should be proud of themselves. I crossed the finish line to my family and nieces holding signs: “Run, Molly, Run!”.

    A week later, I found myself at the start line of a local 5k. Soon after, I was signing up for every race in my community. It’s funny, because it took me even longer to consider that I was, in fact, a runner.

    I never miss a Turkey Trot these days. It has become my way of celebrating my race anniversary. In about 3 weeks, I will be toeing the start line. This year, I will still consider myself the average runner, but I am also in it for the pie. I would love to grab that age place. If I don’t, that’s okay as well. Running will always be a reminder of how I express gratitude. It’s something I am fortunate to be able to do.

    The point of this post is to encourage you to get out there. Maybe you think you’re not capable, or you’re too old to start. Maybe, like me, you’ve never considered yourself the athletic type. I promise, taking that first step will change your life. Whether it’s a mile, a 5k, or a marathon, every achievement is worth celebrating. Let’s meet at the start line, because every runner starts somewhere.

  • Post Marathon Blues

    Post Marathon Blues

    It is the Sunday after your race. There is no alarm set from the night before. Your running clothes are tucked away in their drawer instead of laid out the night before. There is no long run planned for that day. Suddenly, the adrenaline and excitement from your race have fizzled out as you realize you do not actually have to go on a run. This is a feeling I have experienced a time too many.

    You spent the last 16 weeks training, prepping, pushing yourself. Race day arrived and you crossed that finish line, you officially became part of the 1%. Maybe you cried, maybe you felt an entire mix of emotions, and you rode that wave for days after. Even if this is your 2nd or 10th marathon, you could find yourself wondering what to do next.

    If you’re anything like me, you might be experiencing a lingering sense of aimlessness or even going through your own version of an existential crisis. This is normal. Here are a few things that have helped me navigate it.

    1.) Allow your body ample time to rest and recover. Congratulations! You did it! You just completed a marathon! That is no small feat. Give yourself some grace. Your body is a powerful machine, and it is important to return the favor and allow your body to recover properly. Personally, my body is happier when I incorporate movement. This could mean short walks, stretching, yoga or recovery runs. I also recover well when I allow plenty of time for restful sleep the week following a race.

    2.) Cross train. Just because your race is over does not mean that you should stop training altogether. I like to consider the off season as “training for life”. This is where I hit the gym and focus on rebuilding muscle strength or discovering new forms of exercise that I enjoy as well. Motivation and discipline might not come easily at first, so take it slow and focus on what aligns best with your highest purpose.

    3.) Maintain a base training. Maybe you ran a marathon and considered it a one and done experience. For those that are here to continue your running journey, it is important to maintain a base during the off season, so you are ready to pick it back up when the next training block arrives. I am lucky enough that my Fleet Feet store hosts Sunday long runs during the winter and spring months. We have the option to run 2 six-mile loops or however many miles we are feeling that day. Running with a friend helps the miles go by, I suggest looking into finding a run club to join.

    4.) Spectate a race. If you are feeling unmotivated, there is nothing like spectating a marathon to get you excited for the next. My marathon was this past weekend, and I am heading into New York City on Sunday to cheer on the runners in the TCS NYC Marathon. Spectators are one of the main things that drives me through a race. Imagine being that person for someone?

    5.) Sign up for a race. Set your goals and enjoy the process. Having an event to anticipate can help alleviate the feeling of being stuck in limbo. You’ll have a clear timeline, knowing exactly when your training needs to begin.

    Remember, every runner’s experience is going to be unique. What works for some, may not work for others. Your race may be over, but your journey is far from finished.

  • Marine Corps Marathon #6

    Marine Corps Marathon 50th Anniversary. My slowest marathon to date. I remember hearing on a training run in Fleet Feet about the Marine Corps Marathon for the first time. It was described to me in actual words “You run up a hill the last .20 miles with a bunch of marines yelling at you.” That was my initial inclination to sign up eventually.

    Being the 50th anniversary of the race, there was no better year to sign up. Also, running through your nation’s capital is such an experience that I could not pass up.

    Before my race date approached, I was filled with anxiety over the logistics of the race which almost caused me to back out. The race this year was maxed out at almost 40,000 people as opposed to the normal 16-18,000. It starts and ends in Arlington VA and this year the finish line was closed off to spectators. I knew I was going to have to take the metro in at some point to reach the start. Being a country girl, city public transportation by myself was incredibly overwhelming. I had done it in Chicago, but I was with my husband. The thought of also trying to find my family after the race in a crowd of 40,000+ was haunting me as well. Finally, I pulled up my big girl pants and told myself that if 40,000 other runners were all navigating the city and finish area, there was no reason why I could not do it as well. After finally convincing myself I was capable of public transport, there was also the threat of the event being cancelled due to the government shutdown. However, the organization finally gave us the official go two weeks before.

    With two marathons back-to-back in the same month, I wanted to make this trip as inexpensive as possible. With that in mind, I made the decision to drive and stay with my aunt in Virginia. I invited my mother, my sister and 2- and 4-year-old nieces along, making this a girl’s weekend!

    We packed up the car Friday morning and hit the road at 5:30 AM. Our plan was to head straight to the expo, grab my bib and head out to my aunt’s.

    Expo: The expo was located in the National Harbor at Gaylord Convention in Maryland. There was little traffic getting there, we pulled in and self-parked in the parking lot and headed towards the convention center. If you did not drive, there was also the option of taking a free shuttle. Walking towards the convention center and throughout the building, I have to say there was little direction and few signs as to where runners were supposed to go. When we finally figured out where we were supposed to be, I headed in by myself.

    Bib pick up was super quick and efficient. I grabbed my bib, grabbed my shirt (which were so nice, I love mine!) and headed through security to check out the merchandise. This is where the expo became extremely chaotic. There was no rhyme or reason to lines, and all the merchandise was picked over and bare. I overheard someone saying that the line to check out was an hour wait. It sure looked like it. I texted my mom and sister to let them know I was ready to go and did not want anything. That was when we realized we had to walk through the entire expo to exit. We quickly got out and hit the road.

    After weeks of stressing out over navigating the metro and finally gaining my confidence, my mother and aunt insisted that they drive me into Arlington and drop me off at the Kiss and Run. I agreed and started to plan my navigation to Runner’s Village in the North Pentagon Lot. That was when Jeanne, a Fleet Feet coach and friend texted me telling me to get dropped off at her hotel and we would take the 10-minute metro ride together and walk to Runner’s Village.

    Race Day: Sunday morning came with a 3:30 AM wake up call. I woke up with instant stomach cramping. I tried to brush it off to being just nerves but as the morning went on, I knew what kind of race this was going to be.

    We headed off at 5AM as my aunt navigated the roads to Arlington. After some slight confusion as to which hotel I was going to, I found my way and met Jeanne and her husband Kim, another Fleet Feet coach. It was a short walk and a short metro ride to Pentagon station. We followed the crowd to Runner’s Village in the dark, and I said to Jeanne, “I’m glad someone knows which way we are going because I sure don’t.”

    We got to Runner’s Village around 6:30 and waited in line for the porta johns. Rookie me, threw a roll of toilet paper in my gear check but never put any in my pockets for the race. A lesson I soon learned I will never make again. We dropped off our bags and headed towards the start line with only minutes to spare.

    The race started at 7:20 AM and I quickly found myself crossing the start line at 7:30. I said goodbye to Jeanne and Kim as they took off and I hung back. After running Cape Cod 2 weeks prior, I was not out for any time in this race. I knew I wanted to take it slow and enjoy the experience. I was also dealing with a slight pain in my left leg from the hip flexor down to the knee. I did not want to risk hurting it even more by pushing myself.

    The first 2 miles of hills flew by. The crowds were an absolute vibe and so easy to get caught up into. I saw someone with their 2 golden retrievers with a sign asking for pets. Of course, I did not hesitate to stop and sneak in pet! I soon realized that the roads on the course were very narrow and spent a lot of my time bobbing and weaving other runners to find a good pace for myself.

    Around mile 8.5 I could feel my stomach starting to turn on me. I stopped at the first bathroom I saw, to be safe. After waiting about 5 minutes for my turn, I saw there was already no toilet paper. No way was I going this early in the race not wiping. I kept going. Mile 12 I stopped again. I texted my mom and sister to let them know I felt fine, but my body was slow, and I was going to finish later than I thought. I told them I was having stomach issues and waiting in line. When I opened the door and saw the mess inside, I said absolutely not and kept going. I finally stopped for the final time and found a porta-potty that looked clean and had TP in stock. I parked myself in that line and waited 15 minutes. My stomach was finally feeling better.

    Mile 13 is called the blue mile. This is where they have photos of fallen soldiers lined up along the entire mile with their ranking, date of death and age. There is no crowd, and the entire mile is silent. It is hard not to get emotional when you see how young the majority of the soldiers were. MCMO will match you up with a hero match so you can wear a fallen soldier’s name on your back to honor them through this race. My hero was Marine Lance Cpl. Carlos A. Aragon. He was 19 years old; he died from injuries sustained during combat action in Afghanistan.

    Mile 14 is what we will call ‘The Sticky Mile’. The aid stations were handing out maple syrup gels that everyone had thrown onto the ground. The only sound you could hear was everyone’s running sneakers sticking to the pavement as they ran.

    Mile 18 was when my playlist worked in my favor. This is usually when runner’s start hitting what they call “the wall”. As I started coming up around The Capitol building, The Rocky theme song came on. What a better time and a better sight. I felt so strong. This is also when I heard someone calling my name. I looked back and saw Kim waving to me. I ran back so I could talk to him quick. This was his redemption race, after having to DNF the previous year due to an injury. I was so happy to see he had made it past the gauntlets and was going to finish. I saw in my photos, there was a shot of us walking together and we both had smiles on our faces. We chatted for a minute and then both took back off.

    After reading all the Facebook posts for weeks about this race, I knew there was no water stations from miles 18-22. There were however refill stations for people with handheld hydration. I hung onto my cup until mile 20. I don’t know if the set-up of these hydration stations are a joke from the marines or just the logistics of the course, but you literally have to climb over a concrete barrier to get to the water. Talk about hip cramping.

    Mile 23, people were handing out shots of some alcohol. I grabbed one and threw it back. It was sweet and went down easy. As mile 24 approached, I knew I was feeling good still (maybe it was the shot!) and knew I was going to finish this. Again, my playlist came in handy and ‘Break My Stride’ by Matthew Wilder came on. I bopped along with a smile on my face.

    I reached mile 26 and the famous hill appeared at the last .20 miles. There were marines on either side encouraging all the runners right to the finish line. You make your way to the famous Marine Corps War Memorial, and a marine is there telling you “Thank you” and putting a medal around your neck. In that moment, nothing could top that experience.

    After getting my picture taken in front of Iwo Jima, I made my way to Runner’s Village to find Jeanne at the baggage trucks. We hugged and this woman who has run 100+ marathons back-to-back told me I was her hero. Are you kidding me Jeanne? You are literal wonder woman. We watched Kim finish his race on the tracking app and I left to go find my family in the crowd.

    After a frantic 45 minute search in Rosslyn, we finally reunited and we made our 1.5 mile climb to the metro to head home. I ended this race with an official time of 4:40. My slowest time, but I will always be grateful that I get to do this. This sport is a privilege and I will never forget that.

    This was the Marine Corps Marathon first year hosting this many runners. My overall opinion is that the city and infrastructure is not equipped to handle that many spectators and runners. I found the course to be narrow to allow so many runners. Hopefully going forward if they choose to host that many people again, they can work with the city to allow a smoother process. However, at the initial risk of not even being able to host this event, this race was a success. I will absolutely run this event again. Thank you to all the marines and all the volunteers and spectators who made this possible. Next up, Big Sur 2026.

    Some of my favorite signs from spectators included:

    “I don’t do marathons, I do a marathon runner.”

    “Only 26,7 more miles.”

    “Run if you’re in Epstein’s files.”

    “Is that a gel in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?”

    Pre-race dinner: Creamy chicken alfredo & pasta made by my aunt!

    Pre-race breakfast: Whole bagel with cream cheese & coffee.

    Course nutrition: Huma gel every 4 miles alternating caffeine and non-caffeine. SaltStick tablets every hour.

    Official time: 4:40 flat.

    The hydration station and barrier at Mile 20! (I found this picture from someone that had posted it in the Marine Corps Marathon 2025 Facebook group.)

  • Marathon Checklist

    Packing for a marathon can feel extremely overwhelming. Whether it is your first marathon or your 10th, there is always that looming feeling that you will forget something. In my experience, every race is also a lesson for me. There is always something I walk away with, remembering to bring with me for the next time.

    I compiled a list of essentials and ‘optionals’ that include everything you will need for pre race, during your race and post race! Remember, not all these items are necessary. Hopefully you will find something on this list that you makes race day a little less overwhelming for you.

    Race Day:

    • Race outfit. Lay this out the night before so you are ready to go in the morning. This includes, shorts, top, sports bra, socks, underwear, hat.
    • Race shoes. Remember, nothing new on race day. If you have trained in the same shoes all season you can wear the new ones right out of the box. However, if its a new type of shoe I generally recommend a few miles to break them in and get your feet used to them.
    • Race bib. Lay this out with your outfit the night before.
    • Safety pins. You will probably get safety pins at bib pick up but it never hurts to have extra.
    • Watch. Make sure your watch is charged the night before.
    • Headphones. If your race permits headphones, make sure they are charged the night before. Some people prefer not to use headphones during their race. Personally I like to go through phases of my race listening to music and listening to the crowds.
    • Chargers for watch & headphones. If you are traveling, do not forget these.
    • Pre race nutrition. Whatever you ate during your training before your long runs, stick to this on race morning. Nothing new on race day. I usually prefer half a bagel and coffee before I start my routine and give myself plenty of time to use the bathroom.
    • Nutrition for course. Again, nothing new on race day. Whatever you trained with, use for your race. Remember to also bring extra even if you do not think you will need it. There is always the chance of losing or dropping a gel. I also enjoy having extra just in case some one else on the course needs some.
    • Electrolytes. This is purely optional. If you carried electroyles in a water flask during your training then feel free to carry it if your race permits. There is usually always a choice of water and some sort of electrolyte drink on course.
    • Salt tablets.
    • Hydration vest/handheld bottle. This is also purely optional. I train with a handheld water bottle but I prefer to utilize the water stations on course. Make sure to check if your race permits hydration vests on course.
    • Running belt/phone carrier.
    • Knee brace or KT tape.
    • Sunscreen.
    • Glide.
    • Nipple covers/band aids for men.
    • Gear check bag. Usually your race will provide you with one but if not, make sure to have a clear plastic bag with your bib number clearly labeled if you plan to utilize gear check.
    • Toilet paper. The porta-potties always run out and you can never be too safe.

    Optional items for Pre/Post race:

    • Garbage bag. I bring one to sit on if the ground is wet and also to throw any wet clothes in afterwards.
    • Poncho. Obviously, weather permitting but I always keep one in my gear check bag just in case.
    • Rain Jacket.
    • Emergency blanket. I cannot tell you how many times a thermal blanket has come in handy when I am waiting in my corral. You can order a multi pack cheap on amazon and throw one in your bag on race day. Better to have and not need than to need and not have.
    • Plastic shower caps. If it is raining and you are trying to keep your sneakers dry before start time, these are the perfect thing to protect your shoes.
    • Chap stick.
    • Recovery shoes.
    • Throwaway warm clothes. To keep warm before race start, you can pick up some clothes for cheap at Goodwill to keep you warm. Usually all races have donation bins that you can throw them into before you start. Remember to be courteous and use the donation bins instead of leaving discarded clothes on the ground for others to pick up.
    • Throwaway gloves and/or arm sleeves. Instead of purchasing the expensive arm sleeves and having to ditch them on the course, you can take long socks and cut the ends off to keep your arms warm.
    • Hand warmers.
    • Portable charger. Not a necessity but I like to have in case my phone dies from cold or over use. No one wants to try to find their friends and family in a crowded finish festival with a dead cellphone. You can find a cheap portable charger on Amazon for around $25.
    • Extra hair ties. Just in case yours breaks before race start, keep one on you.
    • Imodium.
    • Ibuprofen.
    • Wet Wipes.
    • Deodorant.
    • Sunglasses.
    • Warm clothes for post race.

    As stated earlier, this is essentially a guide and checklist for you to look through and decide what you might want to add to your race bag. Not all items are necessary. Hopefully you found one or two items on my list that will come in handy for your next race! We will see you out there!

  • Cape Cod Marathon #5

    Marathon #5. I chose Cape Cod for a number of reasons. My number one being my love for the Cape. The Cape has always been a magical place for me. I grew up vacationing on the beaches, a tradition that carried into my adulthood. There are so many memories that my husband and I have created and shared together. Another reason for choosing this race was its proximity to home. It was within a four-hour driving range and something I could keep relatively affordable.

    The race is located in Falmouth Mass. and is approximately about 1200 runners. It is a very small-town race with a homey feeling. It has beautiful views of the shoreline including Woods Hole and Nobska Lighthouse. The course is about 500 feet of elevation gain with rolling hills throughout the course. It very much reminded me of the HMF half marathon course in Mystic.

    My training block started out in end of June. I made the decision to train at home this year to cut back on miles on my car and allow myself to sleep in a little bit, thinking I’d relieve myself from some mental stress. I quickly became very lonely though. Training for a marathon by yourself is not for the weak. I struggled with a lot of burn out and found myself not excited for any of my upcoming races. I made the decision to run with the Fleet Feet training group on their last long run and quickly found myself getting excited again.

    The week leading up to race weekend, I should have known better to take it easy. Instead, I overbooked myself at work. I worked multiple 11-hour days on my feet in a row, working until 9pm at night. It also forced me to push my workouts and runs closer to the end of the week and skip meals throughout the day. Naturally, I found myself run down and feeling the start of cold coming on Thursday night. All day Friday I tried to hydrate, eat and change my vibe to shake this bug off.

    Saturday morning we headed out early to the Cape to hit the expo and bib pick up first thing. The entire drive I was experiencing body aches (the kind that makes your hair hurt) and could not get warm. Pete had his window open the whole drive because I was sweating him out so bad with the heat cranked. At this point I was super nervous I wasn’t going to be able to run.

    The expo: The expo was located in the middle school gym at the Mullen-Hall School which is also where the start and finish lines are (super cute, small town ish!). There is no parking at the middle school, so we parked a little under a half mile away and made the easy walk over. The expo was very small and bib pick up was quick. We were out of there in about 10 minutes. I hesitated to buy any apparel because I didn’t want to jinx finishing the race. I got my bib, and we headed out for a drive.

    Falmouth is so small that we basically drove the entire course just from sightseeing! For dinner, we grabbed a pizza from a local pizza place. We brought it back to our room and I was super excited to carb load without guilt only to find our pizza tasted like someone dumped an entire saltshaker on it. I ate a few slices just to make sure I had some carbohydrate stores and went to bed at 7pm.

    The best part about this race? It starts at 8am and is such a small town, you can sleep in and literally get there 30 min prior and make the porta potty and bag check with time to spare.

    Race Day: I set my alarm for 5am, laid in bed until 5:30 and finally got up and got ready. We left our hotel at 6:40, grabbed some Starbucks and headed to drop off. The entire weekend was calling for a coastal storm of a N’oreaster. The Weather Channel predicted 35mph winds and heavy rain. Luckily I packed plenty of clothes (a whole suitcase) for all weather conditions.

    Race morning, I checked my weather app and luckily saw that the rain was going to hold off till about 10:30. Great, I would be more than halfway done at that point and I could deal with the wind.

    As we approached the drop off area, I sat in the car with Pete and we just watched the wind blowing everything around. Pete turned and said “I really don’t like that you’re gonna be out running in this.” Oh well, I paid for it. I looked around and saw everyone else enduring it. Around 7:20, after keeping warm in the car I said goodbye and headed out to the porta potty line. Luckily, it moved super quick and I was waiting to enter the corral by 7:40. Thank god I threw an emergency blanket in my bag check because I wrapped myself up until about 5 min before start and kept warm.

    There were no pace leaders in this race and amateur me, I forgot to print a pace band (they had none at the expo) I was left to pace this with just my watch. Ok I can do that. Cue the race start, the first mile was spent trying to get around other runners until it spaced out to reach my pace.

    Now after all my years visiting the Cape and running through it, contrary to belief – the Cape is not flat like many people think. It’s filled with many rolling hills. I was very shocked by the amount of hills this course actually had. I initially started out too fast. I wanted to keep a pace of 8:50 but found myself at an 8:30 pace. I knew I was moving too fast but my body wasn’t allowing myself to slow down. Around mile 3, both of my hip flexors started hurting. A pain I had not experienced my entire training. I started lining up the 26 miles with the 26 letters of the alphabet and thinking of words for each letter and mile to keep my mind occupied. After that got old (about letter E) I turned my headphones on and zoned out.

    Mile 13 was when it really hit me how this race was not going how I wanted it to. So many times I honestly thought I was going to DNF, especially with the head winds and not feeling well. I even said to Pete before he dropped me off I wasn’t sure I would make it. He told me, “Don’t worry, just call me and I’ll find you.” Then I started thinking of him getting frustrated trying to find my location 13 miles out.

    By mile 17, I was really just hoping I could quit and I gave up all hopes of reaching my PR of 3:55. I started walking the first minute of every mile at that point just to ease the pain on my hip flexors. My watch was 1/10 of a mile off each mile marker and my mind was so confused on my splits. I started tearing up at one point because I felt so failed by my training and my body. I was expecting a 4:30 finish.

    Finally at mile marker 23 I looked at my watch and saw that I was at 3:25. The rain was starting at this point but I knew if I just pushed myself I could still make my PR. I ended up finding a group of runners at a pace I could push till the end and ran with them until about mile 25.5 and then dropped them. At that point my ego was so much stronger than my willingness to quit and I hit the gas. Usually, I like to come across the finish with a big smile but I was so over this race I didn’t even care at that point. Last minute, I threw the horns up 🤘🏼

    I got my PR with 29 seconds to spare! The finish area was super easy to navigate and I found Pete within 5 minutes. At this point the rain was heavy and I was so over it, I grabbed my gear check and we headed back to the hotel. None of the restaurants in Falmouth were doing it for me so we headed an hour to the outer Cape to have lunch at my favorite place in Orleans. We ate at the Lost Dog Pub and hit up the Ice Cream Cafe and I got to enjoy my favorite part of the Cape for a brief moment.

    All said and done, unless they create a marathon going from Orleans to Ptown, I think I’ll stick to running the Cape on vacation! I’m happy with my PR and so grateful that my body allows me to do this sport. I’m so grateful to be able to consistently chase goals and do hard things! Next up, Marine Corps Marathon.

    Pre-race dinner: The saltiest pizza ever from Timber Axe Bar & Bowl.

    Pre-race breakfast: Half a bagel with cream cheese & Starbucks latte.

    Course nutrition: One Huma gel every 4 miles, alternating with a caffeinated. SaltStick tablets every hour.

    Official time: 3:55:36 *PR*

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