Training for a marathon is arguably one of the most difficult things you can put your body through, which is probably why less than 1% of the world population has actually done one. I spent 16 weeks trading in my Friday nights with cocktails and high heels with friends to try out a myriad different sneakers early in the morning, talking myself into running really long distances alone through the streets of Los Angeles. Sounds fun, right?
I always tell the first-time runners I’m mentoring with Team For Kids that you have to mentally think of this trek like a professional Olympian and channel your inner Simone Biles or Michael Phelps. You spend months preparing for one day. Training isn’t linear, either. You have good runs, bad runs, gels that make you want to throw up, sports drinks that taste like medicine. The list of trials and tribulations goes on and on, but your goal always has to be on getting to the start line healthy.
This past spring, I captured my six-star Abbott World Marathon Majors medal, becoming one of less than 22,000 people in the world at the time to do so. These races include New York City, Chicago, Boston, London, Berlin, and Tokyo. The days of logging online for these big-ticket races are over. The only way in is to qualify, fundraise, or be one of the very lucky few to get in on a lottery draw. They each have their own rules to enter, but sometimes it really is easier finding a needle in a haystack than getting accepted, so be prepared to plan nearly a year out if your goal is to run any of these.
I ran New York in 2022. It was my first marathon, so I had nothing to compare it to. I decided to sign up a year ago after mentoring from my couch in LA as a redemption run now that I have more knowledge under my belt, and really go all out to make the long trek coast-to-coast from Los Angeles to New York City.
But what nobody talks about when training for a marathon that’s located at the other end of the country—or other side of the world—are the logistics involved in actually getting to the start line. I’ve now done this so many times, even crossing several continents and oceans. And in the process I’ve learned a lot about the extra toll it can take on your body that’s already nearly out of gas from all the training. It never occurred to me before starting my marathon journey that it comes with many other challenges you don’t think about when signing up.
From dealing with the time changes to stretching, properly fueling and navigating your pre and post-race rituals, here’s how you can navigate your way successfully to get yourself that PR finish no matter where you call home.
Go Ahead, Splurge
Let’s be real: These races are not cheap. You have to invest in you because the work that goes into a marathon is the greatest form of personal investment, so do it. I’ve flown to International runs in coach to save a bit and I can’t tell you how much I regret it. I was stiffer upon arrival and had to nearly crawl off the plane when I landed.
So this time, I popped for a Delta One ticket which is their highest level and worth every penny. I always recommend carrying on your race day gear, because let’s face it, I don’t care if you lose my fall coat, but nothing can happen to my race day cargo!
Delta One has its own check-in and lounges at LAX and JFK and you can check up to three bags, so not stressing about what to pack for any type of sudden East Coast weather change doesn’t matter. I literally packed for the 50s which was the predicted high to the 80s and rain just in case the lord above had different plans than Al Roker’s promised predictions. You can also only use these amenities with a Delta One ticket.
Upon arrival, they had everything for me. I was greeted with wellness and hydration shots from Pressed Juicery which are great to keep your immune system up. They also had private bathrooms. They then escorted me through security so I didn’t have to stand extra on my feet.
From there, I headed into the private lounge which was full of meals and snacks. It was perfect as I was starting to up my carbs, so I went with pizza and fresh sushi followed by lean proteins like chicken breast and steak. There’s also a fully stocked bar if you want a last-minute cocktail before you cut off your pre-race alcohol, and everything’s included in the price of your ticket.
The best part was their relaxation room. I put my name on their iPad and after a quick wait, I had an incredible chair massage that elevated my legs in a blacked-out room. They also have compression boots to get the blood flowing before the flight, and you can even shower afterwards.
When it was time to board my flight, they saved me those extra steps again with a shuttle ride to the gate.
When I boarded, I had water waiting for me as well as slippers, a blanket, pillow and instructions for how to fully elevate my seat to put my legs or go full recline and sleep. I packed my Hyperice Normatec Elite Hips equipment and did that for an hour during the flight in the comfort of my seat while making sure to get up every hour to walk the aisles. I also brought my Gatorade Zero powder to throw into a water bottle every couple of hours to stay on top of my hydration. Those packets are a must when I travel for these races so I can hydrate no matter where I am or what I’m doing.
I left on Thursday for a Sunday race, which I also highly recommend doing because, let’s face it, in today’s climate, there are plenty of travel snafus and the last thing you want to do is deal with an issue physically getting there. Plus, your body needs time to adjust to the new weather and time difference, so for a three-hour time difference, I wanted to make sure I wasn’t stressed about the prep.
Location is Key
One of my favorite things about New York City is soaking in the city on foot, but I had to remind myself constantly that I was here for a marathon, not a vacation, so staying central was key. The expo, transportation to the start line, and getting home easily after you finish can be such a stressful battle, so staying easily accessible to all three was important to me which is why for this race, the West Side is the best side.
The ferry ride to the start moved this year to the West Side and is the same side of town the race finishes on, so I chose the Westin in Times Square which is central to just about everything and also conveniently on the westside. When running this race, you have to bear in mind it affects the entire city, so I recommend staying on this side as both Fifth and First avenues are shut down starting at 59th Street, making the East Side messy.
Plus, when you finish on the West Side, all you’ll want to do is crawl into a cab (good luck with that as all rides are majorly inflated, but remember what I said about splurging!), especially after that “27th mile walk” out of Central Park to the exit. If you want to avoid this extra chaos, make sure you run with Team For Kids or Fred’s Team as they have their own private entrance skipping this extra miserable mile.
The Westin is extra unique in that they have a seamless partnership with Abbott who is one of the main sponsors of New York City being that it is a world major marathon. When I arrived, I immediately was hyped for race day. There was a massive course map before even entering the hotel and the lobby was decked out with future six-star finisher names. There was also an arts and crafts table for families to make signs for race day.
When I entered my room, I was greeted with a Hyperice Recovery Kit that included a massage gun and vibrating ball, to keep me loose for race day and recover post race. They also had a Balla Stretch kit with bands and a yoga mat which was perfect for stretching.
Westin is all about wellness so you don’t need to be a marathoner to request these things during your stay at any of their locations, but since they knew I was running, they were ready for me which made me feel extra special. It felt like I was in my own PT studio at home. They even had a Marathon Zone in their lobby for runners and spectators for the day before and on marathon day. It was equipped with compression boots, T-shirts, pompoms, and cowbells.
Hotel beds can be awful, but their infamous Heavenly Bed literally takes after its name. I had the best sleep every night, which is essential dealing with the time difference from LA. I try to let myself sleep until whenever I want on Friday, but Saturday, since I knew I had to get up to be at the ferry at 7:30 a.m., I forced myself up at 8:45 a.m. to get going.
The night before the race, there was a lovely, personal note in my room wishing me luck right before I went to bed as well as a plate of fruit and lavender oil to help calm my nerves. There was always water stocked in my room without me having to ask. I was so thankful to have that banana before heading out the door early on race day morning. Those little touches make you feel at ease when your nerves and anxiety are already on overdrive for the five boroughs and five bridges that separate you from becoming a marathoner. It helps more than you even think about.
Spend the Day Before the Race Being in a New York State of Mind
While NYC is a walking city, there’s so much you can do staying off your feet. After carbo loading at breakfast, I walked about 20 minutes before hopping in an Uber back to the hotel for an IV drip. I got a Myers Cocktail and B12 boost, filled with vitamins and all kinds of good things to help your body and muscles feel their best pre-run. This was done 24 hours before the race with Casa Health Concierge. I found them easily via the Ring My Belle app and they came up to my room which made it so easy, but there’s plenty of places you can hit in the city if you are out and about. I swear on these to help with that extra boost of energy on race day and they’re great for recovery, too.
Then, I decided to take in Kristin Chenoweth’s latest show, The Queen of Versailles, which was only a half block from my hotel. The theater district was l steps from my hotel, so there were endless amounts of shows to choose from, but this was a fun, feel good show which is just the kind of energy I wanted heading into the final hours before the big day. Plus, it’s a nice 3 hours or more of off your feet entertainment.
The expo at the Javits Center is another great way to get some steps in and grab last-minute gear while being around people who are feeling the same way you are. I highly recommend sitting in on some of Abbott’s panels to soothe your nerves and take breaks from being off your feet checking out all the booths. I was fortunate enough to speak on a panel this year about my own marathon journey alongside other inspiring athletes. Listening to these stories helped get my own motivation up for race day.
I found a lovely Italian spot near Bryant Park for some pumpkin ravioli and took a 15-minute stroll home and did some deep breathing and more electrolyte drinking and stretching in my 2XU compression pants to give my legs that last boost they needed and called it a night.
Post Race Recovery Is Essential
If you can wait to not travel home right away try wait. From medal graving to freebies all over town for wearing your medal, I felt like a rockstar in New York City the day after the race while also letting the body calm down after all those miles. As much as it hurts, I always make sure to keep moving.
After the run, I was quickly reminded that it doesn’t matter how many strength training classes I lifted at Barry’s or miles I logged in training. I was hurting! New York City is the toughest course of any world major. The crowds will carry you, but the bridges are long and the climb at mile 23 into Central Park doesn’t care if you’re gassed or not, so you will feel it for days, no matter how good of shape you’re in.
I travel with my Oofos compression shoes to wear after every race to help reduce inflammation and swelling and carry Advil Targeted Relief and travel size Biofreeze everywhere. Yes, I am that girl who goes into the airplane bathroom and applies it everywhere on the nearly six-hour journey home. I also moved even more-so on the way home, walking the hallways every 30-45 minutes and lifting my knees up high as I walked.
Of course, I don’t even think about boarding the plane without wearing my finisher’s medal so those flight attendants would bring me extra champagne. I earned it.
I’ve spent my much-needed post-race recovery utilizing a host of things that I swear by year-round, like multiple trips to StretchLab; Evolution PT, which has a great staff on hand to work with marathon runners; flushing out the acid on a bike at SoulCycle, strength training under the red light therapy at BURN LA Studios and a specialized facial at Milk + Honey Spa to help reduce inflammation from the travel.
Rest, relaxation, recovery and celebrating this accomplishment are just as important as the hard work it takes to get to the start line in Staten Island. I spend 30 days being gentle and focusing on letting all my muscles get back to normal while feeling my post-marathon blues feels because they are real.
The New York City Marathon is the most magical marathon in the world. If you’re thinking of running it, know that it is a day that will move you to tears and change your life. The entire city comes together and pushes you through all the way to the memorable finish line. So be gentle on yourself, travel smart, and you too can join the greatest club in the world.