Before this one:

Guess my Finish at the 2014 Boston Marathon and win a prize

We are shipping up to Boston…!!! 

2014 Boston Marathon Pictures – Saturday! 

2014 Boston Marathon Pictures – Sunday

The day before the Boston Marathon…

2014 Boston Marathon: in the books! 

2014 Boston Marathon Race Report: The Best and the Worst of Times  

 

We all know the “no new shoes on race day” and hydrate before and all that. I decided to write this down because I KNOW I will forget… and if you ask me, it’s here:

Train for the course. Do long runs that are hilly. You need ups and downs: BOTH. Training on a flat terrain will not work. Build your eccentric quad muscles by running down a steep downhill, increase your turnover, and work on hill form (up and down).

Hotel: if you can, get a hotel that is close to the finish area. If not (because they are a tad expensive), NOT to worry, pick one on the red or orange line, avoid the green line, it gets CRAZY busy the whole time you’re there. We got a place in Charlestown, and it was perfectly close.

Expo: handle with care. In my opinion it’s the biggest/best one but it’s SO crowded, I tend to get really crazy stressed out. Keep an eye out on your excitement level. Don’t forget to get the poster from Adidas: YOUR NAME IS IN THERE! Do go to the Runner’s World seminars, mostly the Legends one, to hear the most inspiring stories you couldn’t even believe! If it’s your first or second time, DO watch the video of the course a couple of times, will get you super prepared for what’s ahead.

If there is a bit of a hint of sun in the forecast: SUN protection on the back, shoulders and the right side is a MUST, visor or HAT, and sunglasses. The sun will be on your back/right side 98% of the race. It can get quite annoying.

Name on the shirt, ALWAYS. Music: you will not need it. If you have it, you won’t hear it because the crowds are SO loud. I couldn’t even hear my silly watch yelling my splits at me even covering my ears!

Get on the portapotties before getting on the bus, as soon as you get out of the bus, and then wait for the portapotties going into the corrals: they’ll be on your left and they’re almost empty!!!

Go out slow. No, slower. Not, slower slower. We ALL fall pray to this course, no matter how slow we “think” we are going.
If you have issues staying on pace in the beginning, start a few corrals back. That helped me a few years ago (when I got to the Start super late!) to stay put behind “slower” people. Couldn’t have dreamed of better pacers! Weaving NOT allowed!

What else?

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