Hello Boston Marathoners,
You just ran a MARATHON!!!!
Waaahoooooooo!!!!!!! CONGRATS!!! You did the work. You weathered the storms. You showed up to the start line knowing nothing is guaranteed—a brave and daring thing—and you threw yourself in headfirst. You didn’t have to do any of this, and you did. We couldn’t be prouder.
For those of you who ran a PR: Celebrate hard. You must! You ran the fastest race of your LIFE. That’s absurd! We know so many of you are already thinking about the next one, but live in this race a little longer. Your race and your season and YOU deserve to be celebrated. You’ve earned it.
For those of you who completed your first marathon: Celebrate hard. You must! You made a bold leap without a net and you did it. Yesterday morning you weren’t a marathoner, and now you are. You learned so much over those 26.2 miles. Soak it in. Write it down. Take a million photos. You deserve to linger in this.
For those of you who struggled and rallied when you could have thrown in the towel, and for those who had to make the hard decision to delay your marathon: Celebrate hard. You must! Give yourself so much credit. The PRs are joyous things, but these are the races that transform the runner. The delayed gratification. The quiet, internal struggle. The hard, wise decisions made in the face of social pressure.
Celebrate yourself. Celebrate all the wins within this one marathon, and within this one training season, because there are many. Do it now, and do it seriously. You learned something important over these 16 weeks, and it would be a shame to deny it. On a kinder day, when everything’s going to plan, you will remember what it felt like to push against your own limitations, and you’ll use that strength again, this time with wings.
For everyone: if you haven’t yet, take some quiet time and write down all your thoughts on the race. How did it feel on the start line? In the first 10 miles, the 2 nd 10, and the last 10k? Where were your most memorable moments? Where were the peaks? The valleys? What were you thinking then? What got you through? How long did they last?
Look at your mile and/or 5k splits—do these reflect how you felt? If your heart rate was recorded, where did it start to climb toward your max? What are you proud of yourself for? Where could you have been a little more on-point in your strategy? Were you good about gels and fluids? Could any rough spots in your race be related to gels or fluids? What would you do differently? What would you do exactly the same?
Let the writing be a landslide. Free-write on everything. Pour it out. Late in a marathon, you’re too exhausted for pretense, and some hard and beautiful truths can emerge. Put in on the page, because no matter how clear they seem now, those memories will fade if you don’t preserve them.
Now…Take a break! Maybe no running. Maybe a 10-20 minute run this week just to prance around and stretch the legs—but don’t feel obligated! Eat, sleep, splurge on a massage or do a good rolling and/or yoga session. Most importantly, take a mental and an emotional break. You’ve been so focused. You’ve worked so hard. It’s been an incredible time, but you’re depleted. Unlace the shoes, sleep in, and let yourself unwind. Call you friends who don’t run (yet ;-) )and remind them you’re alive.
Again (and again and again), you should be SO PROUD!!!