2025 Boston Marathon – Raising My STNDRD

Only the disciplined ones are free in life. If you aren’t disciplined, you are a slave to your moods. You are a slave to your passions. That’s a fact. – Eliud Kipchoge (EK)

Turning the big 4-0 this year I’ve set big goals for myself, both at my professional work life as well as endurance sport. I took on the challenge to beat my Boston Marathon time and marathon personal best for the third straight year – not an easy feat given the unpredictability of the weather, challenging terrain, and competing against insanely talented runners from all over the world. As EK stated, “Self-discipline starts with you. It’s no other person. It starts with you.” I keyed in and started my marathon prep back in November 2024, did not miss a single key run session, all while maintaining my cycling and swimming training for triathlon season.

It’s been a fun, amazingly close battle with my good friend, Colin Cook, the previous two years at Boston.

2023 – Colin started 28 seconds ahead due to a faster qualifying time (bib numbers are assigned by qualifying time, with the lower numbers getting to start towards the front). When I caught him around the halfway mark, I ran behind him for several miles until he out-kicked me in the last mile; Colin finished 23 seconds ahead (gun time). However, due to the staggered start, I edged him out by five seconds! Quite the bush league victory, but I’ll take it!

Colin – 2:40:07

Me – 2:40:01

It was a bittersweet victory and knew he would be out for war in 2024.

2024 – Colin ensured we started at the same time this year, keeping a close-eye as we both stepped over the start line together. This is where my unique, somewhat shady ninja-like tactics came into play. While he was casually chatting it up someone early on, I snuck off to the opposite side of the road, used my shortness to hide in the crowd, and surged ahead without him knowing. He eventually caught up to me around the Newton Hills (mile 16). I took a peek and saw the hurt on this face; I was only getting short, winded answers when I asked him questions. I decided to take a chance, burn a match, and attack the gentle giant up Heartbreak. Never saw him again. Victory was mine for the second straight year.

Colin – 2:38:56

Me – 2:38:09

Unfortunately, Colin had to opt out of racing this year’s Boston Marathon due to injury. It was a smart move on his behalf, with both of our main priorities on the upcoming triathlon season. His family graciously welcomed to their home once again – I got to meet their new French Bulldog, Stella, celebrate Easter with the family, went mountain bike riding with the kids, spent a spa day at the Colin’s Peak Recovery Center, and taught the kids more bad habits. Thank you Colin and Kristen for welcoming your 5th kid into your home for another year!

I focused on six main values while training and racing the 129th Edition of the Boston Marathon, which I’ll explain further as I recap the race.

1. Believing in myself
2. Self discipline
3. Planning, preparation, and consistency
4. Be comfortable getting uncomfortable
5. Think positive
6. Teamwork

Race Day

Toeing the line at the Boston Marathon always gives me the goosebumps. It’s hard to describe, but the feelings and vibes of this place cannot be beaten. The surreal crowd support, helicopters flying overhead, the iconic landmarks throughout the course, and experiencing this with 30,000 like-minded runners from all over the world makes this event special. Looking around in my corral (W1,C1) everyone looked extremely fit, skinny, and insanely fast. The younger me would have been extremely intimated and slightly terrified. I kept calm and reminded myself I belong.

Believing in myself –

Self-coaching myself, I 100% believe in and confident in what I’m doing. Executing and achieving big goals on race day doesn’t just happen. It requires months of hard work behind the scenes, away from the spotlight. As EK put it, “When I’m on the starting line, my mind starts to think of what I have been doing for the last five months. I believe in my training… I can run free.” I believed. I was ready to run free.

I left our charter bus shortly after 9 AM with a 10 AM race start. It still felt like I was rushing to the start. The relatively long walk from the Athlete Village plus dealing with the long porta-potty lines always takes much longer than planned. Many runners were in a similar situation opting to piss on the CVS building instead of standing in the long lines. All I remember is hearing one of the Boston Marathon officials yelling, “CVS is not a bathroom, people!!!”

Miles 1-3: 5:58, 5:41, 5:44

5k Split: 18:04

Starting in the back of W1/C1, it was just as congested as prior years. It felt like the good ole days in Kona with the mass start. Everyone was of very similar abilities, running nearly identical paces, and my main focus was to hold my line, go with the flow, and avoid contact with others.

It eventually began to spread out slightly after 5k, but still had to pay very close attention to keeping my position and not running into anyone, especially at water stations. Some moron ran diagonally to grab a cup of water as I made full contact with him — completely unnecessary as the aid stations were very long and set up on both sides of the road. After a few choice words to this runner, it was time to dial into executing my plan.

Self-Discipline –

“After accommodating self discipline in your mind, self-discipline can help you to actually get three things. It can save your feelings. Get you back on the course when you try to think otherwise, self discipline can help easily come back and think positively. It helps you do the right thing in the moment for long-term benefits.” – EK

Self-discipline not only comes into play during races but also training and my everyday life. I make self- discipline my lifestyle. It is not a one-time event. I stick to my priorities and don’t make excuses. When I decide to do something, I do it with all my heart and give it my 100% effort. Preparing for a marathon or meeting a big goal in my professional life requires dedication and months (even years) of self-discipline.

Miles 4-6: 5:36, 5:50, 5:47

10k Split: 36:04

Through 10k, I felt great. Floating. Miles were ticking by quickly and easily. There were moments I even told myself to back it off a touch as some of these miles were fast (but mostly downhill). This aspect makes the Boston Marathon course profile tricky to strategize from a pacing standpoint. While negative splitting a marathon is always the goal, it’s tough on this course given the majority of downhill running is in the first half. I went into this race with a mindset of negative splitting my effort by closely monitoring heart rate and power; ironically I very rarely glanced at my pace.

Planning, Preparation, and Consistency-

I find it essential planning for a race such as this, with a very dynamic course profile, vastly different weather conditions year-to-year, and it’s point-to-point nature. Training for it, I very rarely ran on flat terrain and based pace efforts more off feel than dialing in an exact pace. I also practiced my exact race day nutrition on all my long runs. As EK stated, “I believe in a philosophy that says to win is actually not important. To be successful is not even important. How to plan and prepare is critical and crucial. When you plan very well, then success can come your way.” Separation is in the preparation. I can confidently say I prepared to the best of my abilities, given my full-time job, part-time coaching, and maintaining triathlon fitness.

Consistency is king in endurance sports. While “hero workouts” are fun, it’s the day-in and day-out training and dedication which creates gains and makes you grow. I created a run specific plan for Boston in November 2024, and did not miss a single key running session. It was motivating to see the run gains I made during this period, setting new personal best times in my 5k and consistently running 60-70 mile weeks.

Miles 7-13: 5:45, 5:45, 5:55, 5:50, 5:54, 5:57, 5:50, 5:53

I still felt like a million bucks. I was in flow state. Everything seemed easy. Miles flew by as I high-fived spectators, kissed babies, and was living the high life. Approaching the famous Wellesley Scream Tunnel, I had a big smile on my face heading to the right-hand side and gave as many high-fives as possible. Marathon racing at it’s finest!

13.1 Split: 1:16:49

Three miles to go until I get to see Colin, his family, and the NEMS group, I told myself.

I was locked in.

Miles 14-16: 5:52, 5:57, 5:42

It was a huge pick-me-up as I approached the first of four major ascents throughout the course and saw Colin and the Northeast Multisport gang cheering everyone on. I was the only runner to swing to the left had side of the road to give the group a smile and high fives. Colin’s mom, Sandy, and two kids (Calvin and Gabe) were also present rooting everyone on. One of the highlights of my day!

The Hills –

Anyone can fake it until this point of the course. I believe miles 16-21 of the Boston Marathon course are what separate the men from the boys. This section contains the four major ascents of the course with the infamous Heartbreak Hill being the final climb at mile 20. It imperative to try to conserve energy through this section to pick up the pace again when the course continues downhill and flattens from mile 21 to the finish.

Think Positive –

I intentionally followed power in this section and strategized a cap power limit beforehand. These miles were slower, but my heart rate maintained consistent and was as conservative as possible. Many runners were passing me in this section. Think positively, I kept reminding myself. This is the driver of the mind. I knew if my mind was thinking positively I was on the right track and could persevere through this tough section.

Pleasure in what you’re doing puts perfection in your work. – Aristotle

Miles 17-21: 6:08, 6:10, 6:02, 6:15, 6:29 (Heartbreak)

Through 30k!

As I crested Heartbreak Hill, things went a bit sideways. I grunted as I suddenly got a really bad side stitch and could feel the fatigue setting in. I focused on my breathing, reminded myself to stay calm, closed by eyes, and just stared at people’s shoes in front of me, trying my best to maintain pace. I thought about my team, and all the people who genuinely support and care about me.

Teamwork –

I met and paced with so many groups throughout the day. This is an aspect that makes the Boston Marathon experience so special. I’ve made many friendships along the course in the five times I’ve run this race. There are so many amazing runners here, which can often be quite a humbling experience. Training for this race, I have a great support group; I am here because of teamwork. I am here because sport is a mutual interest.

I teamed up with many different groups throughout the day and we collectively motivated each other in one form or another.

EK used the term teamwork in sport well: “Sport is a mutual interest. In sport, what you have is Hero’s formula. If you are a hero, then you have a formula that says 100% of myself is nothing compared to one percent of the whole team. And vice versa. One percent of the team is nothing compared to 100% of myself. And that’s the meaning of teamwork.”

I would not be where I am today without the loving support, often competitive nature with my wife, Becca. She looks after me, cooks healthy meals daily, picks me up when I’m down, and puts a smile on my face when I finish a hard work and training day. We also make a great training duo testing the limits against each other regularly.

The same goes with my relationship with my friend, Colin. We’ve been friends since I started my endurance journey back in 2008. Despite being injured, he made sure I was well-cared when I visited. He booked a massage for me, planned out healthy meals leading into the race, made sure I was 100% ready to go on race day, and took me out to our traditional all-you-can-eat steakhouse after the race!

Lastly, thank you to my RŌKA STNDRD Racing / Every Many Jack team. I’m just a middle-of-the-pack guy on the team, but my teammates motivate, inspire, and push me on a daily basis. They not only kick butt in triathlon, but are also successful in many other areas in life. This group has been such a positive influence in my life and a big part of my reinvigoration in the sport.

Miles 22-25: 5:56, 6:02, 6:03, 6:02

This is the toughest part of the course in my opinion. After the hills, where it’s pertinent to pick up the pace again as the course, once again, descends and flattens out. I nailed this section is 2023 running the fastest miles of the day in this segment. Holding a sub six minute pace seemed a million times harder to hold compared to earlier in the day. I began closing my eyes, just wanting the misery to end. I held on for dear life.

I began picking off a few fading elite pro women runners. Out in the distance I could see a female with a red bib (non-elite) that I set my eyes on. It took two miles to finally catch her as we were running very similar speeds. It was the only female I saw out on the course the entire day. We took turns with pacing duties as this definitely helped distract me from the pain. Misery loves company.

Be comfortable with being out of your comfort zone –

This component is key, especially in these longer endurance events where it isn’t always rainbows and butterflies. It is almost guaranteed “shit will hit the fan” at least a few times throughout a long race such as this. I chafe in areas that hurt me for days. My toenails felt like they were going to fall off at any moment. I dry heave and continue pushing my body to the absolute limit. I groaned in pain each time I pushed. It felt like razor blades stabbing into my quads on any slight downhill. My vision went in-and-out from pushing my body hard for 26+ miles. When I’m motivated, I love to suffer. I embrace it.

This is the point of the race where I remind myself why I trained so hard. I reflect back on all the tough training sessions, all the sacrifices, and the complete devotion I had training for this one day. No matter my time, I wanted to get to that finish line with zero regrets, emptying the tank. As I saw the CITGO sign getting closer and closer, I knew the end was near.

Miles 26 – 26.38 : 6:06, 2:16 (5:52 pace)

Right on Hereford, Left on Boylston

Once the left hand turn was made, I could see the finish line 600 meters away. I glanced at my watch and saw 2:34 and change.

Sub 2:37 was a possibility but it would be very close. I made one last push and got in just in the knick of time!

*2:36:51*

(26.38 Miles, 5:57 average pace [5:55 GAP], 155 average HR)

A new marathon personal best for the third straight year. Most importantly, no medical attention needed!

Boston delivered once again. It’s always a magical and memorable experience doing this race, from the insane crowds all throughout the course, amazingly talented runners from all over the world, and the good vibes throughout the entire marathon weekend. The entire state takes the third Monday off from work (Patriot’s Day) so it feels like a party throughout the city. This particular Marathon Monday did not disappoint and will remain a day and event I cherish for a long time. Thank you, Boston!

Thanks for reading, onto tri season!