26.2 Miles Later: 7 Women Share Their Tips for Marathon Success

Source: 26.2 Miles Later: 7 Women Share Their Tips For Marathon Success

Running a marathon may be on your bucket list of things to do. However, since finishing 26.2 miles still seems daunting, you've put off registering for a race. To help inspire you, we talked to seven everyday - but in no way, ordinary - women who were running in this year's Boston Marathon. From a first-timer to a woman who has completed a whopping 24 marathons, keep reading to see how each of these fit females train, what they eat on race day, and their tips for marathon-day success. Also, make sure to check out our one-stop training destination for everything from a 5K to a marathon.

• Jules Fick, 20:
  FitSugar: How many marathons have you been in?
  Jules Fick: This is my first marathon! I'm running through Boston College, so we're charity running as bandits.
  FS: What did your training entail for the Boston Marathon?
  JF: Well, I went on a regimen in January, but I've been consciously running more since November. I was doing random long runs, but I started doing them weekly in January.
  FS: What's for dinner tonight and your prerace breakfast tomorrow?
  JF: For dinner, probably grilled chicken, rice, and vegetables. I'm probably going to end up eating two bars - a Performance bar and some type of protein bar - and a banana and peanut butter before.
  FS: What is your advice for someone who wants to run a marathon?
  JF: I would say that you have to have fun with it. [When training] go to random places so you aren't going to the same place over and over again, or doing the same hill, or the stuff that you would expect. And a good running partner; go with a good friend!

• Vicki Romanin, 51:
  FitSugar: How many marathons have you been in?
  Vicki Romanin: This is my second - it's my "screw cancer" run. [Vicky underwent a double mastectomy in October 2011.]
  FS: What marathon did you run to qualify and what was your time?
  VR: Vancouver, British Columbia. My time was 3:56:31.
  FS: What did your training entail for the Boston Marathon?
  VR: I started training in December of 2011, and I used the same plan that I used for the Vancouver Marathon - a Running Room Online plan.
  FS: What's for dinner tonight and your prerace breakfast tomorrow?
  VR: Spaghetti and a peanut butter and jam sandwich. FS: What is your advice for someone who wants to run a marathon? VR: Rain or shine, sleet or snow, just go.

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• Melissa Johnson, 47:
  FitSugar: How many marathons have you been in?
  Melissa Johnson: This will be my 24th. I did Boston last year and qualified here (3:53), so this is my second time doing Boston.
  FS: What did your training entail for the Boston Marathon?
  MJ: I pretty much train 5-6 months in advance and try to give myself plenty of time to cover all the distance and do my recovery runs; that's important.
  FS: What's for dinner tonight and your prerace breakfast tomorrow?
  MJ: Probably pasta for dinner. Breakfast is going to be sweet potatoes, baked potatoes, and bananas to keep myself snacked up before the actual race.
  FS: What is your advice for someone who wants to run a marathon?
  MJ: Run your race. People tend to get in races and try to run like other people; they run fast and whatnot. Whatever you were doing in your training, don't do anything differently. Run at your own pace and don't try to keep up with other people.
  FS: Since you've run Boston before, do you have any special insight that you can offer?
  MJ: You know, I ran it last year and I just thought it was a great course. Of course, everyone talks about Heartbreak Hill, but the spectators are so unbelievably supportive that I really didn't even realize that I actually completed that big old hill because they distract you.

• Tina Le, 38:
  FitSugar: How many marathons have you been in?
  Tina Le: Five.
  FS: What marathon did you run to qualify, and what was your time?
  TL: Modesto, 3:35:06.
  FS: What did your training entail for the Boston Marathon?
  TL: I've been training in continuous cycles for the past couple of years. I do half marathons, 10Ks, or 5Ks, probably every other month, and my weekly hill workout. Once a week I usually get in a gym workout. I also swim, cycle, and do yoga when I can.
  FS: What's for dinner tonight and your prerace breakfast tomorrow?
  TL: Probably just a light pasta meal. The morning of the race, probably oatmeal, long-lasting carbs. Gatorade the night before and in the morning.
  FS: What is your advice for someone who wants to run a marathon?
  TL: Always start out at a comfortable pace. Try to practice in other races before you run a marathon. Believe in your fitness level and you'll do just fine. Never doubt that your training is going to pay off, and stay positive.

• Becky Davenport, 55:
  FitSugar: How many marathons have you been in?
  Becky Davenport: Seven.
  FS: What marathon did you run to qualify, and what was your time?
  BD: St. Paul, Minneapolis. 3:43.
  FS: What did your training entail for the Boston Marathon?
  BD: I always start about three months before a marathon. I have a base level, and then I just kind of amp it up and throw some long runs in. <
  b>FS: What's for dinner tonight and your prerace breakfast tomorrow?
  BD: Pasta; oatmeal and a banana.
  FS: What is your advice for someone who wants to run a marathon?
  BD: Train! I have a 26-year-old son that ran two marathons without any training, because he's young and athletic, but it was not pretty, even for him. If you're going to do it, train and pace yourself, don't go out too fast.

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• Cymon Kersch, 25:
  FitSugar: How many marathons have you been in?
  Cymon Kersch: This is my second marathon.
  FS: What marathon did you run to qualify, and what was your time?
  CK: The Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach, and I got 3:32.
  FS: What did your training entail for the Boston Marathon?
  CK: I started training in December. I would run almost every day anywhere between seven miles and then 16 miles. Then, the last month I would do a 20-miler every other week.
  FS: What's for dinner tonight and your prerace breakfast tomorrow?
  CK: Spaghetti! Gu, a bagel, and a banana.
  FS: What is your advice for someone who wants to run a marathon?
  CK: Do it with a friend! It's really fun to train with a friend, and then run the race, and celebrate with them afterwards.

• Megan Kolendrianos, 35:
  FitSugar: How many marathons have you been in?
  Megan Kolendrianos: This will be my fourth. I'm running Boston this year for my daughter who is diagnosed with Rett Syndrome. I haven't run a marathon in seven years, so this will be my first in seven years. It's for my daughter, so I'm really excited about it.
  FS: What did your training entail for the Boston Marathon?
  MK: I've always been a runner and into fitness. I started training in December with my trainer and we live in California; we run a lot of hills - it makes you a stronger and a faster runner. So I did a lot of trail running, a lot of long runs, lots of hills.
  FS: What's for dinner tonight and your prerace breakfast tomorrow?
  MK: Dinner tonight will be steak and potatoes, vegetables. Tomorrow morning will be oatmeal with peanut butter, a banana, and a Clif bar on the way.
  FS: What is your advice for someone who wants to run a marathon?
  MK: Start out slow. The biggest thing that we all do is start out with a ton of energy and go, go, go. I'm one of those very competitive people that goes out and just wants to go really fast and crash. So my whole training was slow down, slow down, slow down. I've had such a better finish and I'm much better in the end. Pace yourself!

Related Content:
Race-Day Tips From 2012 Boston Marathon Winner Sharon Cherop
5 Celebrities Who Ran Wicked Fast at the Boston Marathon
Lesson Learned: Don't Run a Marathon With an iPod


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