Boston

My 2014 Boston Marathon Experience in Photos

April 19, 2015 by Asia

Hello Friends! Soooo I haven’t posted on here in a year. 1 year! Crazy. My life went in another direction and I unintentionally gave my blog some rest. With the 2015 Boston Marathon underway tomorrow, I thought it would be the perfect time to start up again and finish my 2014 Boston Marathon recap – in photos. Few things inspire me more than the Boston Marathon! (You can read about my race weekend leading up to the start of the Boston Marathon here.) April 21, 2014 was a day I will always remember, and my journey leading up to Boston also will not be forgotten. Getting a sub 3:35 marathon wasn’t easy, and I often look back at that accomplishment in awe and wonder when I’ll be ready to go for it again.

Boston ended up being my slowest yet most gratifying marathon, and I truly hope I will have the honor (and speed!) to return another year to run the world’s greatest road race. I went into my race with mixed goals of requalifying for Boston 2015 and simply soaking it all in and enjoying every moment. I ended up going with the latter and have no regrets.

Photo credit boston.com

(Yes, I even kissed a couple of girls in the famous Wellesley screaming tunnel! On the cheek if you must ask.)

Photo credit YouTube 2012 Boston Marathon – Wellesley College Scream Tunnel

To everyone out there running Boston tomorrow, ENJOY!! You are part of a small and fortunate community of runners with so much heart and passion for the sport. The energy out there will be contagious, and I will be cheering you on remotely from San Diego!

The bus ride to Hopkinton was effortless and so much fun!

Welcome to Athletes’ Village!!

Moments after entering Athletes’ Village. Rocking my throwaway track suit.

So. Many. People.

Pretending to be relaxed. Everyone else was doing it.

Making new friends on my way to the starting line

Making new friends IRL on my way to the starting line

The pros get to start first.

And we’re off! I did a lot of arm raising this race.

Let the 15k photo opp series begin

Woo I’m running the Boston Marathon!

Cheese!

iPhone photo of Team Hoyt! This is when I really started to slow down and take it all in.

A slightly flawed iPhone selfie while running!

Focus. This was probably on one of the many hills.

Clearly feeling tired at this moment

Just keep running. Just keep running.

Somewhere towards the end. Clearly tired, but ready to give out high-fives.

Ready to give out more high-fives. I did a LOT of smiling, cheering, arm raising, (kissing), and high-fiving that day

The many faces of Boston Marathon, somewhere around mile 24-25 I imagine…

I think all 3 of us are ready to be done right about now. Approaching mile 26!

Home stretch! Mile 26 waving to my family, ready to finish the race!

Home stretch! At mile 26 waving to my family, ready to finish the race! Definitely the highlight of my day!

I’m a Boston Marathon finisher!! (4:09 was my actual time)

Check it.

Cool poncho.

Some of my family that was there to support me!

Events that night included beer in Fenway Park…

…and pizza at Regina’s, of course!

Give me all the carbs!

That’s a wrap! Until next time, Boston! You will always be in my heart.

Highlights from Boston Marathon Race Weekend

May 5, 2014 by Asia

My bib!

It’s been 2 weeks since I ran my first Boston Marathon (sorry for the posting delay), and I’m still sooo sad it’s over! Boston was the most incredible race I’ve ever had the privilege to be a part of, and everything leading up to Boston felt really special. (The memory is right up there with finishing my first Ironman – both amazing events for different reasons!) I have so much I want to share, including things I learned completing my first Boston, so I’m going to break this up into a couple posts. First up, my race weekend recap with highlights and pics from the expo.

Boston marathon expo, looking official with my Runner Passport. (Apparently wearing it around your neck is the thing to do on race weekend.)

The Travel

Jeremy (fiance!) & I landed in Boston late Thursday night, met his mom at the airport, and took a taxi to my Nana’s house where we’d stay through the weekend. Each day, more people filled the house until it was my parents, his mom, my grandma, 2 of my aunts, 2 of my uncles, 5 of my cousins, Jeremy, and me. Full house! I had a tough time staying relaxed with all the company, but I was happy to have them there for support. Normally, we only have this kind of turnout at Christmas, and there’s usually even more of us! (No this is not a mansion…I enjoyed the mattress in the basement.) 🙂

I enjoyed homemade Italian meals all weekend long!

Friday we went to Market Basket for the essential supplies (coffee, oatmeal, bananas, coconut water.) Then, Jeremy accompanied me on my 45 min easy run with pickups to race pace along the Mystic River. It was cold!

A chilly run

Friday night, I did not sleep. I was up and down. Up and down. I seriously could NOT sleep. I think it was a combination of my nerves and the 3 hour time change…but mostly my nerves. I’m notorious for getting pre-race anxiety.

Tip #1: Get into Boston at least 3 days early to get settled, and West Coasters, make sure you give yourself plenty of time to adjust to the time difference!

I tried to follow my own advice from tip #1, but never felt “rested” going into Monday’s race. Saturday I woke up with intense back and shoulder pain. I thought I had a pinched nerve and started crying/freaking out. It hurt to sit, and it hurt to stand. I was terrified for the race. I didn’t want to start my 26.2 mile journey already in pain! My family came to my rescue with massage and icey hot, but we couldn’t get it to loosen up. Very nervous, I put on a smile and headed out to the expo. (P.S. I STILL have this pain when in a seated position, so I guess it’s time for a professional massage. I have no idea what I did to myself, but it doesn’t feel good.)

The Expo

Going to get my bib!

The Boston Marathon expo is 3 days (Friday-Sunday). I decided to sleep in on Friday and take care of shopping, running, relaxing and therefore hit up the expo on Saturday. In hindsight, I would have gone on Friday to get first dibs on the merch.

Jeremy, my Dad, my mom, Jeremy’s mom. Aka my Boston Marathon support crew!

Tip #2: Get to the expo as early as humanly possible. Go Friday if you want everything to be available in your size. Maybe even order the apparel early online, like the official jacket.

With 36,000 runners, I heard it was extremely crowded every day, and waiting until day 2 resulted in sold out merchandise. My official long-sleeved participant tech tee, for example, was no longer available in an XS when I arrived on Saturday. 🙁 I registered for an XS when I signed up, but apparently they were running big so everyone who registered for a Small decided to swap theirs for an XS at the “t-shirt exchange.” I’m not sure this is the right approach…you should know your size and stick to it. Going forward, I’m going to start getting to expos on day 1 because of this thing called a t-shirt exchange.

What do you mean they are out of XS?! Do I look like a Small to you??

Otherwise, the expo went off without a hitch, and there was some pretty cool stuff there. The race bag came with a 118th Boston Marathon bottle opener and a bracelet made of banners from the 2013 Boston Marathon! Everything was quite efficient, lines were short, and the volunteers were very friendly.

No line to pick up my bib!

Tip #3: The bib & t-shirt pickup is upstairs, completely separated from the rest of the expo, so you can get in and out easily. You don’t have to spend hours in expo merchandise land with swarms of people if that’s not your thing.

Once the packet pickup was done, we went downstairs to hoard the official Adidas race merchandise! But first, I needed to sign a wall. There were a lot of things to sign that weekend to document the 118th Boston Marathon.

Do you want my autograph?

Tip #4: Pick up a FREE poster as you enter the first floor of the expo. (It’s kind of hidden.) These are available in limited quantities, and they have every runner’s full name on them! Luckily someone else clued me in to this tip, so I got one!

Sadly, the XS Boston Marathon jacket was sold out. Why are runners so tiny?! Luckily, the Small fit just fine so I immediately snagged one. Once we realized that all the tiny people sizes were getting taken, we went on a mission to find anything in a XS or S. Grab now, decide later. Needless to say I found some great stuff, and my bank called me immediately after this transaction to verify my purchases. OOPS. Boston Marathon shopping spree accomplished! (Thanks Mom, Dad, Terri, and Jeremy for buying me things too!!)

Shopping Spree chaos

Shopping spreeeeee. Very short line to buy stuff.

I only had a couple of vendors I wanted to hit up (Vega and Oiselle) and was hoping we didn’t have to spend too much time in the expo madness so I could stay rested. I was wrong. The expo was big and crowded with narrow walkways. It’s in a huge convention center but didn’t feel spacious at all. How could it with 36,000 runners + vendors + families + friends?

Tip #5: If you’re staying outside the city, take the train in. It’s much quicker! Do not drive and then try to find $38 parking inside the convention center. We got very lucky to snag a spot after 15 minutes of bumper to bumper traffic in the parking garage.

I attempted to stay hydrated and took walking breaks whenever possible. I got a massage from the Stick guys and bought a targeted massage tool. (More expo money spent!) Next up was the Vega booth! I’m a Team Vega Community Ambassador, so I was verrrrry happy to find them there. I introduced myself and filled up on plant-based goodness. I completed my expo tour at the City Sports Center where Oiselle had merchandise. Unfortunately, I missed the autograph signing and I didn’t recognize anyone from Twitter verse by the time I got there. Moral of the story – get there early!

Hey I found Vega, and I really like making this face!

Hydrating.

Meeting Vega peeps

The most fun part of the day was taking pictures on Boylston Street at the finish line. I met “Captain Challenge”, a TCSD member from San Diego ironically enough, who was there on behalf of the Challenged Athletes Foundation. I tried to take sine mental snapshots of the area so I’d have something to visualize for 26 miles until I made the turn on Boylston for the final stretch. I also wanted to take more pictures!

The Boston Marathon finish line!

Yes!

My people

Captain Challenge

We went to Uno Pizza (for carbs) and Starbucks (for calming tea) and took a few more pics on our way home from the expo. There was Boston pride EVERYWHERE you looked. Seriously. Everywhere. Boston went all out for this race, and I couldn’t get enough of the blue and yellow (and orange for this year’s race jacket of course). This was unlike any other pre-race experience I’ve had, and it was very awesome having my family there by my side.

Starbucks on Boylston Street. Signing my bib #. Recognize any of these bib numbers of people you tracked?

Strike a pose

#LoveBoston

I slept much better Saturday night but still woke-up in pain on Sunday. I knew the ultimate test would be on my 30 minute shakeout run. Jeremy went with me (so glad to have him there!) and guess what? My back didn’t hurt while running! I was sooo happy. One of my race day worries out the window. I spent the rest of the day off my feet, preparing for Marathon Monday. Oh, and it was also Easter. Happy Easter! I wanted to have dinner with my family so I skipped the pasta party downtown and stayed in. The last thing I did before bed was try to channel some positive energy from my Eugene Marathon race recap (aka my best race of all time. I didn’t sleep a wink that night, so I jumped out of bed at 5am, not even needing all 3 iPhone alarms.

My iphone alarm clock. (It looks like I’m up past my bedtime…)

Race day ready!

Next up, my journey from Hopkinton to Boston!!

Does anyone else have problems with pre-race anxiety? Or an expo shopping problem? 😉

My next marathon is…

October 1, 2013 by Asia

…Boston 2014!! I am so incredibly happy and grateful that my qualifying time made the cut!

As a “squeaker” (an endearing term coined by Boston Qualifiers that beat their qualifying time by 5 minutes or less), I wasn’t sure I would make the cut this year since there was such high interest in the race after the bombings. (Boston Strong!) I was glued to the Facebook message boards for support and encouragement from fellow squeakers.

After months of patiently waiting, Boston Marathon announced on 9/25 that anyone who beat their qualifying time by 1:38 or more could run Boston 2014. I had to read that statement over and over again multiple times before celebrating. I beat my qualifying time by 2:37. It felt so surreal. Literally every second of my Eugene marathon race counted towards my entry. I didn’t realize that at the time. All along I trained to break the 3:35:00 official qualifying standard which was my #1 goal. Luckily, I had a great race and finished with a 3:32:23.

Finishing strong

In adding 9,000 additional spots for the 2014 Boston Marathon and expanding the field size to 36,000 runners, organizers had to draw a line in the sand somewhere, but my heart breaks for those that qualified for Boston and were unable to get in; I could have been one of them. I know so many awesome athletes worked their butts off to qualify by 1 second or more and didn’t get in. My only words of encouragement are to keep training, stay positive, and get to the starting line in 2015! Hopefully I’ll see you there as well…Why stop at 1 Boston?

That being said, it’s time to identify my goals and lay it all out there so I can start preparing mentally and physically. Trust me when I say that the last 5 months of “training” have been lackluster at best. I took a very necessary break, enjoying leisurely 3-5 miles runs with Nicole, weightlifting, and allowing my body to heal from 2 years of back to back Ironman and marathon training. I also gave my mind a break. I just lost some running fitness and speed on the way. In other words, I know marathon training is going to HURT!

Apparently this was developing while I was running...sorry I just had to share.

Blisters! Gross!

Ice baths, buckets, and kiddie pools are not out of the question.

That being said, my 2 goals for Boston 2014 are:

Break 3:30 (for a PR & a 2015 qualifying time)
Enjoy every moment of the race

It’s going to be tricky to find a way for those 2 goals to work together (pleasure & pain), but I believe I can achieve it. It will take disciplined training, peak fitness, a positive mindset, and a great race to get there.

I’ve heard different approaches on running your first Boston. Some have said to just go run it, take it all in, and enjoy the awe-inspiring experience. In other words, do not race it. Trevor, who coached me to an Ironman and a BQ, had a different point of view. He asked me if I really think I’ll be able to run “just to finish” with no goal time in mind….yeah, probably not. I’ve tried “running for fun” before, and it didn’t work out so well for me. What I really want deep down inside is to strive to achieve my personal best. That’s what makes me feel alive. I also want to make Boston proud and treat the race with the respect it deserves. So many incredible athletes have hit that pavement and run the legendary Heartbreak Hill, past the girls of Wellesley, and I am honored to be just one among them. I have family in Boston and surrounding areas, and I cannot wait to run where my dad grew up. So many things to train hard for and look forward to!

After that, I want to be able to race Boston again, the next time with Nicole by my side. I do not want to stop at 3:32:23. Who’s to say I can’t make that time a sub 3:25, or better? I am hardwired to think this way, and I am really curious to know what my limit is because I haven’t found it yet. 4:02, 3:49, 3:32, X:XX. What time does marathon #4 have in store for me? I am so ready to find out! Bring on the pain cave!

Eugene Marathon 2013

Surf City Marathon 2012

Rock n Roll Marathon 2011

Next up, to train with or without a coach? That is the looming question on my mind.

Whether you are running, spectating, or watching from afar, thank you for your support, and I will see you in Boston!!

How the heck did I get that BQ?

May 11, 2013 by Asia

Race eve at Hayward Field

As my performance at Eugene marathon continues to sink in, I have thought long and hard about how I qualified for Boston Marathon. While I’m very happy with my performance & kinda amazed by it all, I also want to reflect on what I’ve learned about myself as a runner so I can continue to grow in the sport.

I keep asking myself the same question. What was it that made me cross the finish line that fast? Was it my training? My tolerance for pain? My experience with failure? My <3 for running? A combination of all those things with a lil fairy dust sprinkled in there? I don’t think there is a perfect formula to qualify for the much sought after Boston Marathon. If there was, everyone would be doing it! I do think there are a few things I learned along the way that helped set me up for a solid PR, and the rest of it, well, it just happened, and I will be forever grateful.

Steps from the finish line.

Things that helped me:

– 2 years of nonstop endurance work

In 2008 I ran my first half marathon and HATED IT and thought people who did full marathons were stupid/insane. Then, something inside me shifted, and I started training with Nicole for our first full marathon in 2011. Then it was triathlons all the way to an Ironman distance with Team WODS in 2012. The past 2+ years my life have basically been a nonstop aerobic, endurance-building, training fest, and I’ve been lucky enough to have great training buddies by my side the entire way.

– Training that emphasized recovery

In my early training days, I trained long and hard and didn’t take time off when my body needed it. I thought I needed to follow my training plans to a T. Then I learned about the concept of recovery. Ahhhhhh. I had rest days. When I felt like crap, I didn’t run. When I was falling behind on sleep, I didn’t run so I could get enough rest. I incorporated swimming and mobility sessions for active recovery. I also learned to love ice, epsom salt baths, compression socks, stretching, foam rolling, and massages/ART sessions. I didn’t overtrain. Sometimes less is more.

– Experience with failure

I trained for 1 year before I toed the start line at Ironman Coeur d’Alene. 9 painful hours later, I was pulled off my bike and told I had missed one of the time cutoffs by 10 minutes. My race was over. I experienced my first DNF and sheer disappointment sunk in. I cried and cried and cried some more because I felt like something had been taken away from me. It was MY goal to get. Why didn’t I get there?? I learned how to deal with failure and picked myself up and started training again. This time, with a little extra grit. (I finished my next IM 5 months later!)

– Mental preparation & visualization exercises

The plan was to not let my head get in the way of my body. (This has happened before.) Coach made me write down every last detail of how I’d be feeling and what I’d be doing pre-race and during the marathon. I wrote a novel. I started to belive it. I also wrote down my worst fears and anticipated every single thing that could go wrong. Then I identified which ones I could control, and which ones I could not.

– A certain race day state of mind

I was calm and focused and have never felt that collected. I even had some fun out there! This is important coming from someone who used to FREAK OUT before every triathlon. I ran with purpose and determination for all 26.2 miles and even made some new friends along the way. When it hurt and I started to slow down, I found ways to re-focus on my race and pick up the pace again.

– A passion for running

I love running more than I love any other sport. I’ve always kinda known that, but my experience at Eugene Marathon reinforced it for me. My experience with triathlon has also been incredible, and I learned a lot about myself in that sport as well. Still, running is where my heart is.

– Sufficient calories on the course

I upped my calories for this marathon. I used to take a GU every 40-45 minutes. Now I take one every 30 minutes so I’m taking in 200 cals/hour. Even I think that sounds like a lot for my little body, but my coach had me do it, and it works for me.

Things that I still need to work on include, but are not limited to, the following:

– My running form!

It’s grotesque. I may never be a “pretty runner” but I still have a LOT of work to do. Part of that will come with strength training which I’m excited to get back into! I told my coach that I need a six pack. He said more like an eight pack. Geesh. The other part will come with fixing these hip issues…

– Addressing my foot and hip pain

I’m still semi-injured 2 weeks post-marathon, and my feet hurt to the touch. I’m in the market for orthotics. My IT band still says hello from time to time as well. Not normal! I told myself while racing Eugene that I didn’t care if I finished injured. I just wanted to push myself and DO IT! Now I’m dealing with it.

– Pacing

It would be great to be able to KICK IT the last 10k of a marathon. Great runners are able to do that, and I want to be a great runner some day. I need to keep running and training to get there. (Check out how the London Marathon went down. The winner was able to come from behind and overtake the entire pack that all started off a wee bit too fast.)

– Salt & fluid intake

I drank when I was thirsty and ignored salt intake during marathon training this time around since it was so cool out. Coach was like ummm no you need something more than just water out there, so I made a last-minute change and started sipping Gatorade around mile 18/19 on race day. Luckily it worked out, but that was a lil risky! I don’t normally calculate how much water I drink on long runs or during races. I probably should since proper hydration is key to a good workout.

Stand up straight! Fix that form! Stop snapping your fingers! Fix that stride! SMILE damnit!

I think a very wise person once said, you can’t control everything that happens to you, but you can control how you react to the circumstances. That’s definitely a big part of being an endurance athlete. The longer the distance, the more room for error and for crazy things to happen. You need to learn how to roll with the punches and deal with them the best you can.

Nicole and I have had many gchat convos and have ready many blogs to understand why some people qualify right away and why it takes others longer. It pretty much makes our heads spin because there isn’t a clear answer. At the end of the day, I think she summed it up perfectly. The marathon is a BEAST. Be happy with every finish because that in itself is a WIN!