Philly Marathon 2024: More Than Just a Race
26.2 is 26.2 – But This Was My Redemption Run
In 2023, I hit the dreaded wall at mile 18 during my marathon, realizing I had neither the proper fuel nor the knowledge of what a marathon truly entails. Sure, I made it to the finish line that day but it felt like I had unfinished business with myself. I promised I wouldn’t step back into the arena without the knowledge to avoid making the same mistake again. I vowed to never hit the wall again..Let's be real, there will be many more times I bonk (or hit the wall you could say) but wow, what a difference a year can make. The Game Changer
Practice makes perfect .. wait no it actually does not. Such a myth y’all - coming from a perfectionist myself. But there is some truth in that statement. Practicing, like running 18 miles and mentally preparing for it, was a huge game changer for me. And then I did a 20-mile practice round, which yet again was a game changer for race day. The saying is true: it never gets easier, you just get better.
Fuel & Hydration
The biggest challenge for me… "Bonking" is a term used in endurance sports to describe a sudden loss of energy, typically due to running out of glycogen, which can be tough to overcome mid-race. This is a fact I know and understand but curveball.. Rachmonster was built different! “Rachel you gotta eat or you won’t make it to the end. Sip some water NOW or you’re going to regret it LATER, come on woman!” Sure, this is common sense you could say but for my gut, there’s a misconception. There’s a fancy word for it.. GASTROPARESIS. Google states.. “is a disorder that slows or stops the movement of food from your stomach to your small intestine. It is caused by paralysis of the stomach nerves and muscles. This affects the digestion of food and can cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, bloating, and feeling full quickly.”
Gastroparesis Friendly Diet
What did I do to make it 26.2… let me start by saying I had to change my plan around mile 7 of this race due to a major tummy ache. If you read my last blog post, you'll know I made the mistake of indulging in a guilty pleasure—a Philly cheesesteak the day before. If you google gastroparesis friendly diet, there’s a 100% chance philly cheesesteak aint makin the cut! During the first 10 miles, applesauce worked well as a gentle, easily digestible fuel for me. I couldn’t stomach the Honey Stinger waffles like usual. By mile 20, I couldn't stomach both Skratch Energy Chews and Clif Blok so I went with the Clif Bloks Salted Watermelon. Something nostalgic about that flavor brings me to a happy place full of sunshine! Baby sips of water with Tailwind and a slower pace helped ease my stomachache- no puking, no bathroom break, Rachie was marked safe this 26.2
Fit Check
The Shoes
I am a loyal ASICS gal but I am starting to branch out more this next year; however, for the Philadelphia 2024 marathon I went with ASICS Noosa Tri.
The Shorts
My advice to fellow athletes has always been to never wear anything new on race day, but I broke that rule myself! I own these shorts in over 15 different colors, and I thought wearing the same pair would technically make them not "new." Well, I was wrong! I tried to be overly prepared and cut out the tag from the left thigh area and this led to major chaffing which started mile 3. Aside from the self-inflicted torture, I have to say these DSG (Dick's Sporting Goods) Stride Shorts are my absolute favorite! Truly, the best deal on running shorts price-wise! They're incredibly comfy, offer just the right amount of coverage, and aren’t too constricting on my stomach (which, as we all know, is super sensitive)! For reference, I am an XS in these shorts! If you are in between, I recommend sizing down.
The Sleeves
I went on the hunt for some arm sleeves a couple days before I went out of town.. my local running store did not carry any! I headed over to Dick’s Sporting Goods and picked up a pair of Nike Lightweight Running Arm Sleeves only for them to be returned because I found a 2-pack on Amazon for way cheaper and fit my arm perfectly. I washed them and still an absolute perfect fit!
The Hydration Belt
Oh marathons are too funny - the number of flasks I saw while running this race was HILARIOUS! Seriously, it was a lost and found out there!! I trained with both a vest and waistbelt, and while my Salomon vest worked wonders during my 50K, I knew I didn’t want the extra weight on my back for road racing. In my eyes, I made the right decision, but it was clear many people had never trained with their hydration belts prior to race day. Practice, practice, practice!
Running Goals
What was THE goal?
I originally signed up for the Philly Marathon as a backup plan - in case I ended up not being able to finish or failed to make it to the start of my 50K in October. Doing back-to-back races like this wasn’t the smartest move for my body, especially since I’m still learning how to manage this many miles while dealing with gastroparesis. As someone who refuses to accept failure, it nearly broke me! But the competitive side of me kicked in, and I decided to finish strong and go out with a bang. You could say I had one goal in mind: not hit the wall!!!
Let’s Talk Numbers!
Time-wise, I knew I wanted to beat my previous record 5:43, but realistically, I had to lower my expectations. I was dealing with a bit of an injury, feeling overworked and exhausted, and just kind of falling apart with the changing seasons. I had a game plan of 9:50 per mile and was doing just fine for the first 7 miles… until my stomach ache hit, and my heart rate spiked drastically. Even when I slowed my pace, my HR stayed high. Maybe I was panicking, but either way, it was a clear signal to me that if I was going to make it through 26.2 miles, I had to let go of that 9:50/mile goal—and that's exactly what I did. Let’s normalize marathon times between 4:30-5:30, shall we?! That’s a fantastic time, fellow runners! I’m seriously proud of myself for battling through everything that day and still snagging a PR—malfunctions and all! 💪🎉
What Went Wrong
As you can expect, a perfect race day doesn’t exist. Things WILL go wrong, but you can always find those little glimmers! The biggest upset for me was mile 20. No, I DID NOT BONK this time, but a curveball hit me between miles 20-21 when my headphones went out. I had been working on a playlist for this race for weeks—three different playlists for three segments of the race. The last one was filled with songs I purposely didn’t listen to during my taper, saving them for race day as my “little treat” during the hardest part of the marathon: miles 22-25. Instead, I had to face the silence. And I mean silence. This part of the course is quiet, and you don’t get back to the crowds until mile 25.
Mental Training is KEY
This is where the mental endurance I gained from my 50K really helped. I threw myself a quick pity party, walked for a bit to regain my composure, and reminded myself I could do this. It was definitely my low point—I was injured, my Achilles and ITB were absolutely killing me—but as runners do, we suffer and we make it through. The pain is temporary, and you have to remember that. 💪🏅
Overall: Rate the Race 🌟🌟🌟
It’s a 10/10 for me. The crowd was engaging and screaming my name!! This is what has ultimately won me over from trail running—the energy of a crowd on race day vs. the solitude of the woods. I was so pumped to be back on the roads, racing with others, and running side by side with so many people! ✨THAT is magical to me. Philly holds a special place in my heart, and I’ll definitely be back! The course is a breeze in my eyes—beautifully laid out and flawlessly executed by the race directors. The only hiccup? The start was a bit delayed, but honestly, that’s my only complaint! Can’t wait to do it all again!
Shop my closet here and hit me up with any questions about marathon racing/Philly! I’m here to help and would love to chat!
-Rachel (IG: @rach.schwartz )
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