Our Boston Race Recap (and Plans for Chicago)

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Life is about learning and taking what we can from a hard Boston wexperience is not exception. So, before we move in to Chicago training we recap everything that happened and that we have learnt from this training block in order to implement it in the next one.
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[@KC_Runz]

Love you guys but something I really loved about this video was the honesty, highlighting the things you saw as mistakes, really makes me think about my prep & organisation, things to tweak etc. Thank you & well done once again! ❤

[@JosephBroadbent]

Guys, I just wanted to say I really appreciate the honesty in this video. So so many people would’ve glossed over an issue, let alone a fuelling one, but you both noticed a problem and then drilled down on it, which is exactly how these recap videos should be done! Kudos! More power to you both! I’ll be watching and willing you on, all the way to Chicago!

[@jotaylor1684]

I think Mary hit the nail on the head when she said you didnt invest enough in yourselves. It may feel brutally selfish to focus on your selves more, on your needs, but in Chicago you must do that. Because you are both big hearted enthusiastic people, wanting to motivate everyone through your coaching and KZbin videos, you didnt prioritise yourselves. Meeting lovely people is a distraction....very hard to balance the social side of Boston without being a party pooper!. Very hard for you to say that - but I'm saying that! We love you both and we dont mind if you go off-screen to rest up before Chicago. ❤

[@KamilleN16]

I wonder how are you guys. Been binging on your videos to drive me everyday (not that I'm running everyday ) I hope it's a smooth recovery!!

[@normanjohnstone9231]

My Boston experience was amazing despite ending up in the medical tent with dehydration on a fluids drip. All the marathon vibe (including chatting to you guys in the hotel lobby) in the days before the race far out shadowed my poor race performance. Lessons learned ( cold Scottish marathon training miles don’t equate to a good run in a 20 degree Boston 🥵 is one) but looking forward to planning my next one. 😊

[@Nyelands]

Great to hear, you should get a KZbin channel.

[@EdwardMeinert]

Great video. Even experienced runners can learn from a race. You two still smashed it!

[@jobanski]

Yeah, I was surprised how much running you actually did leading up to the race, but then you also had a blast. When you travel around to world to take part in a race there should be some “fun” had.

[@SantaCruzRunner]

I used the free app Nutrition IX to track my macros for the three days prior to race day. For me at 175 lbs (80kg), I consumed 650g carbs each day and although it felt like WAY too much at the time. With my last meal at 6pm and race at 6am the next day my body had a full 12 hours to digest. It's the best I've ever felt during a marathon.

[@RoshanFernandez-md5cf]

Thanks again Ben and Mary for another brilliant and honest video. So inspiring. Hope you are both recovering well and back to 💯 percent soon 🙏🏾❤️

[@JanneRasanen2]

Hi it is a national holiday in Finland today like the carneval. I just saw a guy wearing a shirt with Nike swoosh logo and a text: Just do nothing 😂

[@Michalokaj]

Beautifully candid, thank you.

[@mandyparrialeblanc]

Hi guys! Would love to know what exercises Mary did for her hip and glute as I am currently experiencing the same problem. Keep up the great work and best of luck on the 100K subscribers!

[@50Something]

Me too, having an issue as well and it's in the hamstring as well.

[@cori2356]

I’m thirding this suggestion. I also have hip and glute issues on my right side from time to time.

[@lexington476]

0:01 well hello there.

[@davidrogers7787]

Love you guys, and thanks so much for your honesty. Outside overworking in the build-up, the theme of 'doing too much' or 'doing the wrong things' pre-race seems to be common among a bunch of KZbinrs this time around. Actual race selection, on top of those days prior to the event, seem so crucial if you want to achieve your goals. Honestly, stay in the timezone and get yourself down to the Gold Coast next year...I'm sure you'll crush it!! Congrats on 90k!

[@PatrickStar-km1dm]

Ben, I saw you in Ben Parks "Boston" video, I was like...."Hey wait a minute that's Ben! 😂" He struggled as well so something must have been off with everyone that day. Anyways it was a pleasure following your journey and I learned a lot. Thanks!

[@testatercio]

loved the recap guys, here's to a great race in chicago!

[@kimdecker8901]

Wow, was this valuable--and vulnerable. Thank you for taking us through your introspective journey. You're putting core principles into practice--namely, ya don't fail; ya just learn for next time--and that's something we'd all be wise to do, in our running and in the rest of our lives. Love this channel! Love you two!

[@melvynheywood9419]

Hi Guys Unfortunately when you’ve had flu it can take between six to eight weeks to fully recover. You both still did great times, don’t beat yourselves up. Great content.👍

[@mikestevenson1334]

Great breakdown of the race and the lessons learned. You'll both be back in top form for Chicago, I have no doubt =D

[@Snerunseasy]

I love the honesty in this recap,thank you for sharing.

[@carlosfogg9925]

Well done guys, you were obviously disappointed which is unfortunate. I have been following you for the last few months after signing up for my first marathon next September - Sydney. I have been following your training blocks which have been very helpful and insightful, I have my first half marathon on this Sunday so I am keen to see how I go. I'll be following your marathon training program also. Thanks for all your advice.

[@tanbafootballfc]

I thought you both were not relaxing enough. Ben you looked tired in the days leading up. You got up ultra early on the day.

[@lexington476]

12:55 I like caffeine in gels as well, but only up to say 40 mg.

[@JLoweRuns]

I got faith in both of you to achieve your goals. I appreciate you both for these recap videos. It helps me dig into myself to look back and see what I did wrong with a training block or race. Keep up the great runs and keep the amazing information coming. Cheer - hit 100k

[@MadViking82]

I was waiting for this video and genuinely very surprised you found so many things to correct. Marathon training really is a balancing act and every small detail matters. Followed you both on Strava!

[@Leeroy49]

I think both your time goals are very achievable :) Looks like you really do learn all the time, that's great.

[@scboulder1985]

Congrats on Boston, Well done! Chicago, flat, similar to NY and hotter than Boston. for Chitown, you will definitely need to up your carb. and salt. The Humidity is higher than Boston and similar to NY. Also, get rid of those Nike shoes for Chicago. You can thank me after the race.

[@paulj6637]

Great debrief, cheers! Got my first trail 50k at the end of May so I am currently at the pointy end of planning and preparation of the finer details. The bits you both discussed have helped prompt some more questions I need to answer 👍 as ever, thanks for your work!!

[@nottstrees]

its nice to hear from Mary !

[@WorldT]

thanks on this and good running. and see ya in Chicago as well. perhaps see you on the course.

[@AprilWitch22]

Hey Messhappies. Just wanted to say thank you for giving me confidence to run my first marathon ever. Right now I'm chillaxing and with total disbelief looking at my CPH24 finisher medal. Things can go wrong, the training block can fly out of the window but it's just sooo much fun. And we can't fail, we're either learning or winning. Thank you guys for the inspiration.

[@karlbratby4349]

Top / high of your zone 2 is 164/5bpm… wow or did I hear that right 🎉 cool stuff from you both ❤

[@kurtssv]

Yeah my hear rate was way high by mile 2 at Boston. That just wasn’t a kind day for most runners. Chicago with good weather will be a barn burner.

[@matthewwalker9108]

I never run two days before any distance race and surprised to hear that you normally don’t, but did run for Boston. It’s easy to underestimate how much energy it can take from you without realizing it until you are in the moment. Not carbing enough before the race on top of the shakeout runs probably was the culprit of why Boston was much more difficult than anticipated.

[@aqasanu1992]

Thanks for this update .

[@Bwebber99]

See you in Chicago, I am not going to miss my parkrun before the Chicago marathon but I am going to make sure I walk less and eat more, one thing I did do on the day before and marathon morning was to drink lots of water and gatorade.

[@floracook4803]

You guys are amazing! I will never know how you film, race a warm hilly marathon and still get the times you finished in ! No matter how you trained or what you went through you still had great finish times. Absolutely amazing 🤩 When you get to Chicago, won't you be jetlagged and exhausted running the very next day?? I hope that works for you. You always do seem to pull though no matter what 😊😊

[@Sal-ge7mc]

Listen you both did great! I also did Boston, loved it… it was hot , see you in Chicago

[@JanneRasanen2]

Mary i have have suffered from an arm injury since 1998 and have a pinched nerve. Even after a surgery that removed much of IDK what the English word is if it is not scabs that look like spear heads pushing into the largest arm nerve. What helps the most in the short term is a cold pack from the freezer into the affected part for a few minutes through a towel. I swim in 1 C water and have put ice on the operated part of my arm no prob for two decades. And have frozen the skin to bot detach easily from the ice pack from the freezer so stay safe. Motion within the limits of pain is your friend a few times a day. It could be as little as squuezing your fingers into a fist up to 10x and shaking your arm.

[@ljm8673]

Not much of a runner here, just started at 44 years old and am at the 10k point. I got a garmin, which is amazing for going out and training. But in my 10k, i did the same thing with my hr as you. It makes me wonder, if you didnt look at the watch, psychologically would you have had such doubt creep in on the race as early as 2k. Seems the tech can plant a seed in the mind very early in a session or race... Good luck guys, i love the channel and finding all the "Benisms".

[@andershoenisch1665]

This is helpful. Will be thinking about your tips in the lead up to my marathon on Sunday :)!

[@mattwoodywoodRT]

Great insights! 👏

[@SBoots29]

This is a lot of good information for my up coming races. I however need to do shake out swim, bike and runs. These old 65 year old muscles need to be woke up before a race. I found when I don't I am too sore to move. That is just me, everyone is different. Cheers

[@katiuskasotomayor1285]

You guys rock!!!

[@50Something]

The Huma energy gels with caffeine are a total game changer for me. They are all natural and don't contain Sodium Benzoate and Potassium Sorbate, Sunflower Oil and Maltodextrin (GU gels). All of these ingredients get the big thumbs down from Dr. Berg. I really enjoyed the recap! Now on to Chicago!

[@patrickedwards5804]

Quite sober and telling analysis but, para phrasing Joy Divisions famous song "Runs, runs will tear us apart, again..."

[@mrwhiffle]

I’m doing Chicago, my first major, will be travelling to the US for that weekend, would be great if you can share some expert advice on the carb loading so at least it’s one less thing I might have to work out on my own!

[@jelzayek1975]

Congrats on your race. Have you considered that the lack of energy could be related to how adulterated the food is in the US?. For Chicago's consider renting a place with a small kitchen and prep food.

[@JBIRDRN8]

I think I’ve made every mistake you can make on training and in doing a race! Life has really gotten in the way and my last race was a half in October 2022. I signed up for a tough hilly half next month. I’m doing my best in training, but it’s mainly treadmill. It will be nice to be out there though. Thanks for your videos they are inspirational!

[@djwirtanen]

I just felt it was hotter and no wind or shade that impacted my results. Maybe I could have consumed more carbohydrates, but I'm not really sold on carb loading. Been doing intermittent fasting for over 2 years and therefore no carb loading. Just eating sensibly and take carbs just prior to start and during the race.

[@mitchatkins7402]

Yeah, I am not a proponent of running the days before either, but Im 50ish so...

[@markknee4421]

Great video, Ben and Mary. Being able to honestly reflect, evaluate and appraise oneself is incredibly valuable for growth and progress - in all aspects of life. It's great to learn, it's great to develop, and your "onwards and upwards" mentality will go a long way to helping you both continue to see progress. Perhaps the inherent problem with these big destination marathons is the FOMO if you dont experience EVERYTHING the city and event has to offer - the sights, the people, the shakeout runs.It's so easy to find yourself having done too much too close to the race. Iron out the kinks during your training, then go and smash Chicago!

[@CallistoWolf]

Congrats on 90k! You're getting there!

[@christinawarren1187]

If you haven't started following Meagan Featherstun and Fuel for the Sole podcast with Believe in the Run and Meagan you need to, she is a sports dietitian specializing in endurance with all the education and always up to date with continuing ed you need too. She has good calculators for carbs etc on her web page! She will definitely help get your fuel and hydration on point!

[@jameschaves5723]

Same thing that happened to Kofuzi. Too much time on your feet!! But hey you experienced Boston 💙

[@deanvanlaarhoven1413]

Yes, I think sometimes she wants to talk

[@sharonkeough8588]

I know it's nice to capture the race (filming) but maybe if you are trying to do your best at a race carrying the go pro is a detriment. Especially at a race like Boston. It might save a few minutes. Just a suggestion.

[@dimitar297]

All these guys with head mounted insta 360 race vlogs. No need to go experience anything in person anymore.

[@adamdrake39]

Guys you are amazing. But… it really sounds like you missed the basics. To not eat enough before, to not take the right fluid in the morning, to run some 5 kms that don’t matter. You can’t have everything. You can’t have a great social time, a great career and get the PB. I’m a bit surprised by some of your decisions. I’m very curious how you approach the next big race. Will you sacrifice the social aspect of pre race to get the result? Will you put work on auto drive to focus more on training and recovery? I will continue to watch to see what you decide.

[@mad_incognito]

I am using Enervite regular gels but I like Enervit Liquid as they go down easy and fast (they are like water). Maurtan does not work for me as they are quite thick.

[@stevenlowry1833]

When do your training plans start? I have a target marathon on October 20, and am looking for a finish time of under 3:35 (my BQ time). But probably more like 3:28 allowing a for a 7 min buffer. I have a bad ankle sprain - no running for at least 2 weeks.

[@RebsGuarina]

Sounds like a business idea! What if you build a company that distributes sis and maurten gels?

[@ronamittai4848]

Living in Thailand, how do you cope with the heat and humidity ? I see you be able to pick up decent pace and long runs

[@sophearithsaing6941]

About the gel, why did you guys switch from Ammo to Bolt?

[@MarisaPecoraro]

Psst is your autumn training group inclusive for 5hr marathon runners 👀

[@mimi_micha8815]

Any reason for not mixing your own nutrition?

[@abernardes2]

Guys, you both did such amazing time, more than me and a lot of people could ever dream of doing. I really don’t understand why you don’t think was a good race 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@jochippyy]

Hi Mary do u think your hip/ glute problem was piriformis? I've had it for 4 weeks now and just can't shake it. What exercises did u do for it?

[@HS-fm9kv]

Sorry to bust your bubble re injury… you’re partly right re surface but also need to face up to facts- you’re now in your mid 40s… and sorry to say, things break down because you don’t recover as fast….

[@cljim22]

I’m a fan of the channel, but I’m concerned that you seem focused on doing all the big marathons back to back to back given the amount of flying involved. We’re in a climate emergency and you are settling an unsustainable example. I’d love to do Boston some day and I don’t think we will solve climate change with individuals swearing off flying. On the flip side, I don’t think individuals can fly across the world multiple times a year for recreational activities.

[@Tritiuminducedfusion]

I swear I don't see anyone running outside, where the f do these thousands of people train at? 😆😂