My fourth running of the Boston Marathon also happened to be my thirteenth marathon. Based on how things went, it didn’t feel like it was a “lucky” number 13. It was my slowest marathon yet and one of my most difficult. It was a good reminder that the marathon is a daunting distance and anything can happen over 26 miles. Despite a tough race, it was another incredible Boston Marathon weekend filled with fun.

The weekend started super early with a 6am flight out of Detroit on Friday. That would give me three full days to enjoy Boston before race day. Despite four days of rest from running, my left Achilles bothered me as I walked through the airport. It wasn’t the most reassuring feeling with a marathon to run in a few days but I was hopeful that I’d still get through it somehow.

I was extremely grateful for my friend Kristine who was free on Friday and offered to pick me up from the airport. With a rainy first day in town she made the great suggestion of going to visit an art museum. I didn’t know anything about the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum going in. I learned about a major art theft incident that happened there, enjoyed browsing the variety of art she had collected, and really appreciated the cool architecture of the building.

We grabbed lunch afterward then Kristine dropped me off at my hotel by early afternoon so I would have enough time to get to the expo.

On my way to the expo I stopped at Marathon Sports to browse their race merchandise. Sometimes I wait several months to buy the official Adidas jacket because it gets marked down, but I liked the colors enough this year that I didn’t want to run the risk of not getting my size. I’m not sure I really NEED a fourth jacket, but how can I resist? I have bought a hat each year as well, and I bought both at the running store to avoid the madness of the Adidas area at the expo.

I typically like to go places first thing in the morning to avoid crowds but apparently many runners take the same approach. The last couple years I’ve gone to the expo right as it opened on Friday and found the line wrapped around the outside of the building just to get inside. I returned to the expo for a quick stop later in the day last year and realized that was a MUCH better time to go. When I got there after 3:00 this year, it was a relief to find that I walked right in and didn’t have to wait in lines anywhere.

I collected my bib, walked through the merch area, then quickly browsed the expo booths. The 2019 expo was wonderful and had gear from all of the running brands, but the expo has been a disappointment since then.

I got a free hat and rain poncho from the Marathon Tours booth but didn’t see anything else worth stopping for. That was okay because I wanted to get a good seat to see Meb Keflezighi speak at 4:00. He is one of my running idols and I’ve been lucky enough to see him each year I’ve been to Boston.

The 2014 Boston winner is a huge inspiration and I loved listening to him speak once again. I got in line to get a picture with him, and since I was holding my bib, he offered to sign it. How incredibly cool! I knew having his signature with me during the race would remind me to push through the hard parts and keep a positive mindset.

I went to Newbury Street next to browse through the various “pop-up shops” where brands had some cool Boston gear. I was kind of bummed that Brooks Running didn’t have their own location this year, but they did have a section in a Marathon Sports pop-up. I visited Asics, Rabbit, Tracksmith, and more. They had some cool stuff but I decided I didn’t really NEED more beyond the shirt, jacket, and hat I already got.

I went to the finish line next because I had heard that past champions would show up for selfies. I hoped to catch Des Linden there but she wasn’t a part of it. However, I heard someone behind me greeting Meb and saw that he was on the street behind me! Not many people seemed to notice that he was there so we had time for a nice chat. He is such a genuinely kind person who takes time to meet with anyone who wants to talk to him. As he said during his talk at the expo, he tries to hold himself with dignity and grace, and he is grateful for the position that he is in. Once the champions were officially introduced up on a platform, he suddenly became a big draw. I couldn’t resist asking for one more photo because a selfie taken by Meb seemed like a cool thing to have.

It was an action-packed first day in Boston so I settled at the hotel for the evening to get some rest before another day of fun on Saturday.

I would normally go for a short run on Saturday but decided it might be wise to hold off in hopes of helping my Achilles heal more. Instead, I walked to the Fan Fest area to scope it out. There were some photo opportunities, a few games, a band playing, and a beer tent.

I walked through Boston Common and the Public Garden and enjoyed the nice weather before meeting up with Kristine in the early afternoon.

It has been a tradition for me to go to a Red Sox game every time I’m in town and Saturday was a good day for that. I had to miss some runner panels that took place at the same time but I can’t do it all. I’ve seen plenty of runners speak in the three other years I’ve run the race. I decided that I can change it up from year to year and that friends come first. I’m thankful that I have some friends in the Boston area. I don’t see them often enough and wanted to take advantage of whatever time I could spend with them.

Kristine and I grabbed some food nearby and met up with our friends Mandy and Pat at the game. It was great to catch up with everyone and we got a fun Red Sox win as well.

By Sunday I had taken a full week off of running to help my Achilles and I was anxious to test it prior to the race. Most of all, I was wary about having lethargic legs since I was out of my routine. I had signed up for a shakeout run at the ASICS house because they teamed up with Believe in the Run who was going to hand out a cool hat. I jogged a mile on my way there and my Achilles seemed okay. When I got to Newbury Street I quickly realized that pretty much every running group or brand was hosting a run out there. The scene in front of the ASICS house was especially insane. People had mobbed the sidewalk as well as half of the street.

I realized that it didn’t matter that I had signed up in advance – I had to get there extra early to actually get a hat. I was overwhelmed by the crowd so I opted to do my own thing rather than join the group run. Since EVERYONE was out running that morning, I was always near someone. I went up to the Charles River Path briefly and added one more mile to my run.

I only ran two miles which reassured me that my legs still worked, but I could tell that the Achilles soreness was still lingering. It was tolerable enough to run through so I’d just have to hope I wouldn’t irritate it too much with the marathon.

Next, I met up with some members of the Picky Bars AmBADASSadors group that I am a part of. Like everything else, that took place on Newbury Street! It was fun to meet fellow Picky Bars lovers. Susie, the associate marketing manager, had us film a few quick videos and pose for some fun photos. As a bonus, I walked away with a stash of bars to help replenish what I had already eaten throughout the weekend! Thanks to Susie for the great shots.

My next (and most important) mission of the day was to head to Boston Common for a massive golden retriever meet up. It was definitely one of the most joyous things I saw the whole weekend. 

Spencer the golden retriever became famous for holding a Boston Strong flag in his mouth along the marathon course. Thankfully I got to see him in 2022. The next year I was bummed to learn that I had missed a massive golden meet up the day before the race to honor the memories of both Spencer and his sister Penny who had passed away. Fortunately I heard about the meet up this year and it was AMAZING. There were smiling goldens everywhere. They investigated each other, welcomed attention from people like me, took a couple of massive group shots, and had a parade around the park. Basically, it was pure heaven and I took plenty of photos and videos in between petting dogs. It was some great pre-race therapy!

By early afternoon it was time to relax at the hotel and not go back out other than to get dinner. There was a Panera a block away from my hotel and I made many stops there over the weekend for bagels, sandwiches, and smoothies. It was a good way to carb load with food that I knew should work for me.

I spent plenty of time meticulously planning for race day, making sure I had all of my gear for running, to take with me on the bus, and to drop at the bag drop.

I made it to bed by 9:30 and woke up at 5:00 the next morning. I also woke up several times in between, which is why they say you should get quality sleep a couple nights before the race.

It’s hard to plan how to eat on a morning with nearly five hours of time between leaving the hotel and actually starting the race. I had a protein Picky Bar with water to start just before I left the hotel after 6am then planned to eat Picky Bars around 8:00 and 9:30 as well as I waited for the 10:50 start.

I dropped post-race clothing at gear check and continued my long walk down Boylston. The chartered bus that I had signed up for through Bauman’s, a Michigan running store, collected us near the convention center area. We took off around 7:00 and it was fun that the man himself, Mark Bauman, was sitting at the front of my bus. At 74 years old, he would complete his 55th consecutive Boston Marathon that day which is the longest active streak. Amazing.

The chartered bus is a wonderful luxury because we don’t get dumped off the bus to wait for hours at Athletes’ Village like most everyone else. The weather was nice this year, but it’s always good to know that we can stay warm and dry on the bus up until the moment we’re ready to head to the start. All of the chartered buses also had access to a separate area of porta potties with no wait.

Since the runners on the Bauman’s buses are from Michigan, it’s fun to chat with people from the area. I shared a seat with a woman named Nancy and we had a great conversation. I learned that she has run over 170 marathons! What an inspiration. I love meeting other runners because everyone has their own stories to share. Nancy had some great ones and I really enjoyed spending a couple hours of the long wait chatting with her.

With close to four hours to kill between getting on the bus and starting the race, I was thankful for so many wonderful friends and family members who checked in and sent me good vibes. They made me smile and laugh. I was blown away by how much support I received for this crazy hobby of mine.

I cut through Athletes’ Village briefly on my way to the start, where I was finally allowed to head at 10:15. It was a long, slow walk in the large mass of people.

I decided to ditch my warm “throwaway clothes” from the Salvation Army just before I left Athletes’ Village. I wore a sleeveless shirt and would normally expect to shiver prior to starting the race. Instead, I could feel the sun cooking my back during the long walk which was a bit concerning. It was around 60 degrees by the time I started at 10:50. If I was already warm just walking, what would that mean for the run?

With nearly 30,000 people signed up for the race, it’s necessary to break people into waves, and then eight different corrals within those waves to keep things organized. Although it takes a bit for the mob of people to disperse, it all works out. I only stood in the corral for a few minutes before my wave started. A few minutes later I finally got to the starting line myself!

From experience I knew that there would be some frustrating congestion for the first few miles. It gets drilled into our heads that we shouldn’t go flying down the hills in the early miles too fast or it will leave our legs beat up during the later miles. Out of four times doing this race, not once has that been a concern for me. It’s always so crowded that I’m usually more concerned about weaving around people so I don’t trip over them. The first mile of the race actually was my fastest, but with a goal pace of 8:00 miles, my 8:05 mile still wasn’t too aggressive.

My time was a little slow around the 5K mark, but I told myself it was better to be disciplined early and then I’d have more energy left at the end. At least that’s how it’s SUPPOSED to work.

When I finally got a little more space, I felt pretty comfortable for a bit although I was still going slower than my goal marathon pace. The sun was beating down on us and other than a very brief moment or two, it didn’t seem to hide behind the clouds at all. There was very little shade along the course and by the time I’d made it through seven miles I started to feel drained. With 26 miles to cover, feeling beat up after seven miles was NOT a good sign.

My “A” goal for the race was to see if I could improve on my best time at Boston which was in 2022 when I ran 3:35:35. I knew that I should have multiple goals though, especially since my Achilles had been an issue coming into the race. I was lucky that it didn’t bother me too much, but I still had to adjust my goals anyway. I’ve determined that a goal I should always have at this race is to enjoy the experience. That means keeping a positive mindset even if it gets tough. And on this day, it got TOUGH.

I was thankful for the spectators who lined the majority of the course. They really gave me a boost and they’re one of the main reasons this race feels so special.

When I reached the halfway point of the race, of course Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” ran through my head. “Oh, we’re halfway there. Whoa, livin’ on a prayer.” That was all too true. It was going to take a prayer to get through 13 more miles based on how wrecked I already felt. My hopes of running an 8:00 pace were long gone as I’d started to hit some 9:00+ miles.

It’s not a great sign when one of my main goals became “avoid medical.” I heard at least a couple people stop to throw up behind me within the first half of the race. It’s not good at any point during a race, but it’s a little more expected during the late miles. It was happening way too early. I also noticed people walking much sooner than I would have expected. I told myself that there was going to be carnage in this race and I didn’t want to be a part of it.

The temps climbed into the low 70s. That’s warmer than most runners prefer but doesn’t seem like it should be THAT bad. If the race took place in August, it probably would have been fine. The problem is that so many of us had been training on dreary, cold days and were not acclimated to these conditions. A few weeks before the race I ran on some days where I was still bundled up in layers because of the weather. I hadn’t built up any tolerance for the heat.

I had to find ways to keep myself going. I joked to myself that going slower meant I’d get to enjoy the experience longer. A friend’s accountant husband had calculated how much I paid per mile to run this thing and said I should make it count. I was just out there getting my money’s worth! I thought about how Meb’s signature was on my bib and how he looks at things with such a positive mindset. I thought about a friend who said that she misses running and would give anything to be able to still do it. She was on my mind a lot during this race. Some people work for years trying to qualify and get into this race. I knew they would trade with me in a second, even through the suffering. I was extremely fortunate to have this opportunity and I was going to remain thankful no matter how hard it felt. I GET to do this and I am grateful that I can.

By the time I was 15 miles into the race I decided I better start walking through the aid stations. I started to grab two cups of water – one to dump on myself and one for drinking every drop I could. I typically like to keep running the whole time if I can, but this was not a typical day. I realized that the brief breaks made me feel better and I needed to do whatever I could to help myself.

I was thankful that so many people showed interest in tracking me through the race but I was also very aware of how bad my progression must have looked. I kept slowing down more and more and I wanted to be able to communicate that I’d be okay. I had my phone on me and pulled it out a couple times for some quick voice-to-text messages during a couple walk breaks. My mom and a couple friends were at the top of my recent messages, so I’d recite a message then copy it to send to a couple others.

On the plus side, my Achilles didn’t seem to hold me back. I didn’t have any cramps. My stomach held up. I was getting through this alright. I was really thankful for a couple of kids who sprayed hoses into the crowd. I also grabbed a wet cloth from someone that I used on my neck and face for a few minutes to try to cool down. My legs were shot though.

I looked forward to certain landmarks. When I made it to the top of Heartbreak Hill, I knew one tough part was done. I was already slow enough at that point that I’m not sure the hills really bothered me all that much. I was trudging along when I got a glimpse of the Citgo sign and I knew we were getting closer to the end. At some point it felt like my right ankle randomly gave out on me. For a moment I was terrified that I had twisted it. I came to a total stop to try to stretch it out. I’m not sure if I had cramped or what, but I was able to keep going. Again, spectators were SO extremely supportive as they rooted for me.

I managed to pick up the pace a little bit for the final right on Hereford and left on Boylston. The energy on Boylston is incredible and I knew I was nearly there.

Then, the moment of victory…

I finished in 4:05:01. I had questioned if I could at least keep my time under four hours but I was struggling enough that I knew it was slipping away and accepted that I was doing all that I could on this day. I was living from one water stop to the next and knew that forcing myself to keep running rather than taking walk breaks to drink was not worth it. It didn’t feel like I had an extra gear that I was neglecting – I just had to make it though.

Sometimes I get emotional at the end of a marathon, and this time the tears held back. Maybe I was too drained. However, as I walked past a volunteer who congratulated me, it finally got to me for a moment. She told me that I’m part of the 1% (of the population who has done a marathon) and that made me tear up. I had pushed myself through something extremely difficult and it was quite an accomplishment.

Previously, the 2019 Boston Marathon had been my slowest marathon I’d done in 3:52:15. It was in the 60s and humid that day and I didn’t tolerate those conditions very well either. Although this was the first time it took me over four hours to run a marathon, I didn’t feel disappointed or let down. Fighting through the struggles and finding a way to finish felt like a major accomplishment.

I made my way to the Public Garden and found that it was a popular place for people to settle after the race. I sat on a bench and took some time to answer a whole bunch of texts. I was overwhelmed by the thought of so many people actually getting invested in tracking me and I wanted to update them and thank them. I let them know how they all helped pull me through.

I finally made my way back to Panera (yet again!) for a couple of bagels and a muffin to start replenishing the calories. Eventually I finally got in the shower and got myself out the door because I still had one mission left – to go see Kara Goucher and Des Linden at the Mile 27 Post-Race Party. It took place where Fan Fest had been held and walking there was a good way to keep myself from stiffening up. I was determined to make it to the party in hopes of having both Kara and Des sign my books. Meb was one running hero I had hoped to see this weekend, and they were the other two on the top of my list.

Kara and Des host a podcast together and were standing next to each other behind a gate with barely any line so it was a breeze to get to them. Kara had run the 5K on Saturday with the goal of beating her son’s current PR, and she was successful by seven seconds. It’s been a fun story to follow so I congratulated her on that and thanked her for the important book she wrote (she spoke out about abuse and cheating in Nike’s running program). Des lives close to the park where I do a lot of my training and I crossed paths with her a couple days in the weeks before Boston. I thanked her for her good luck wishes and asked how her marathon had gone. She is so awesome for giving up so much of her time when she had done a marathon herself!

I was excited to complete my mission of catching them before I left Boston and was happy to hear them announce that they’ll be back to host the party again next year.

I got some pizza and cookies at Quincy Market before finally heading back to the hotel.

This race was a good reminder that marathons are HARD. You can put in months of successful training and sometimes it all comes together smoothly. Other times it doesn’t. Part of the draw is pushing myself to see what I’m capable of achieving. A race that felt so brutal might prove more to me about my grit than a race that goes seamlessly. Really, there’s no need to compare and deem one better than another in my mind though. Each marathon is an adventure and accomplishment of its own. Still – I want redemption! The race that I ran in September gave me a qualifying time for Boston in 2025 and I plan to return. Hopefully I’ll have a day that isn’t filled with SO much struggling. Either way, after four times running this race, the entire weekend has been magical every time and that’s why I continue to return.

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz