Harry Weidner: 0:03

All right. Welcome back to our tangled minds.

Jack Weidner: 0:08

Welcome to our tangled vines.

Harry Weidner: 0:10

I'm Harry Weidner.

Jack Weidner: 0:11

I'm Jack by

Riley Geason: 0:12

matto.

Harry Weidner: 0:13

And today, Episode 27, we have a very special episode. I just completed the Boston Marathon this past Monday, April 15. And today's episode we're going to call the Boston Marathon. And I brought along two of my friends Riley and Ethan. And we all trained for the marathon together, and we didn't run it together. And so, just wanted to put together a quick episode about the Boston Marathon. So, Riley, Ethan, you want to introduce yourselves?

Riley Geason: 0:46

Sure, yeah. My name is Riley. I'm a longtime friend of Harry's. And I guess we could say it after like, I've known this kid for a while, went to school with him. Once a payment to be usph with a training partner, he kind of got me into running. Sign up for my first 10k And then that a half and graduated, the next step was a marathon. Yeah, excited to be on on the pod and see sort of excited to share my race experience. You guys, will you guys are gonna get a taste of it. So glad to be here.

Ethan Leef: 1:21

Thanks for coming. Yeah, and my name is Ethan. I'm from Charleston, West Virginia. But I've been in Boston for almost two years now. I wouldn't say I'm a longtime runner, but I grew up running, you know, cross country in high school and that sort of thing. And then bumped into these two guys, while training for Boston pretty randomly. And we became fast friends. And here we are.

Harry Weidner: 1:48

Yeah. So that's, that's a little bit of our story, how we met the how Riley and I, like you said went to school together. And we've been training for a couple races. For the past. I guess about a year we've been training for some sort of race.

Riley Geason: 2:05

Yeah, it's probably been like, six to eight months, I was thinking about I've only been running for about less than a year still. Or I guess maybe about a year now. Yeah. So when you just did

Harry Weidner: 2:18

your first marathon, which is wild? Could it turn around, but anyway, we were running and how we met Ethan is we would go in these group runs with. There's an organizer who sort of trains some of the charity teams and Riley and I would go on these runs and not really talk to anyone. And at some point, Ethan was to our my right. And he just looked over and we just sparked up a conversation. And when you're rotting next to someone for so long, you got 10 plus miles to get to know Him. And we just got to got to know Ethan and we trained for the rest of the training block together. So now we're all here. Now we've all run the race. So just

Jack Weidner: 3:01

for people that don't know, little background, I don't know why I'm here, except to tell you this exact piece of information. My understanding is there are two ways to run the Boston Marathon. You get a qualifying time in one of the qualifying races, which is essentially less less than a three hour marathon. It's been Harry's told me that it's been decreasing in time because people are getting faster and faster. But that's about the benchmark that you need to be at. And you could also run for charity, where you raise a certain amount of money. And I think correct me if I'm wrong here the three people that are here all ran for Boston Medical Center charity. No. And you guys were also a lot of Oh, wrong. Okay. So who did eat the run for

Harry Weidner: 3:47

Riley and I ran for BMC and II then you ran for Spaulding

Ethan Leef: 3:52

rehab? Rehabilitation Hospital in Massachusetts. Cool.

Harry Weidner: 3:58

So we all ran sir some sort of medical entity. And that's not true Jack. That's not the only reason that you're here. I wanted to hear your perspective as like a spectator. Okay, love the ring.

Jack Weidner: 4:11

I I told Harry just so you guys know like i Harry said, I'll get I'll get Riley on and we could bring our buddy Easton on and we'll talk about running and I was like, I don't have to be there. I haven't good not been. I've been telling people this week that there is nothing more humbling than your brother running the Boston Marathon. And people looking at you standing next to him being like, oh, did you also run were they like 99%? Sure. I didn't run based on how I looked. But they wanted to be polite. And that was a fun experience to so sorry.

Riley Geason: 4:51

My sister said the exact same thing.

Jack Weidner: 4:54

No, yeah. Okay. It's a shared experience. Yeah.

Riley Geason: 5:00

My mom might as well actually.

Jack Weidner: 5:03

Yeah, it's like we're proud of you. But it makes us feel worse about ourselves I think is kind of where that's at. So anyways, Harry, so yeah, yeah,

Harry Weidner: 5:16

I mean, I let's just talk a lot. I just want to talk through race day. And I especially want to hear from Ethan because because I didn't see him much race day or hear about his race day experience. I was with Riley for most of the day, but so what time did we wake up? What time did we have to be at the commons to get bused out? What was the bus ride out? Like? And how are you feeling for the morning before the race?

Ethan Leef: 5:43

This me? Yeah. I think I woke up at like 630 chillin, like a little bit anxious. Definitely pretty amped up, but also anxious and got up early, so that I could, like, you know, probably like you guys eat a big meal without having to worry about it. Like coming up later, anything like that. And then I I was totally jamming out at like headphones on my roommates. Were both sleeping. I was like dancing in the kitchen making eggs. And then what were you listening to? Oh, I go all over. I was doing what did i What did I send you, Riley? I think the star bubble started off at like six times, probably some Taylor's lift up. And then I actually got dressed and everything in that. And I took the train with my friend baggy. It was also on team sport. And she lives like a block away. We probably got to the Commons at like nine and we're on the bus by like 915 Is that what you guys beat me there? I think

Riley Geason: 6:56

yeah, I could tell a little more I think so I got up around six. I think I was telling her this probably but when I woke up, it felt like a normal Monday almost because I'm a routine guy and I had to wake up at six every Monday anyway, so it was kind of just weird waking up at the normal time didn't really feel like race day. Because I think usually advisable on race day, you know, you're getting up much earlier than usual. Like four or five and preparing usually dark out. But anyway, I I mean, I got up started stretching a little start eating a little bit. didn't really I didn't eat eggs or anything. Nothing huge. We're gonna have had some graham crackers had some just bite and pasta, had some electrolytes, not enough electrolytes, but add some electrolytes that I think I think Harry came over to my place around a 15. And then we hang out here for 1520 minutes and then my mom who was in town watching likely had a rental car. So she picked us up from our place or from my place. And we probably we probably were at the bus area around like 850. So on a bus, maybe arounds I had 15 rdrd really lucky about that.

Harry Weidner: 8:30

And my morning was much like Riley is like I woke up by 15 business as usual. Got a cup of coffee, ate some food had a banana, and an orange and a little old bar. Just for some quick carbs. I had one of the honey Stinger waffle things just for more carbs. And then I stretched but on but on my outfit and headed over to your place Riley so it wasn't like it didn't. It didn't feel like race day honestly that it felt like a normal Monday. And then I think when we were being driven over to the commons and I saw like the 1000s of people being bused from the commons over to Hopkinton. That's when it really sunk in for me. But of course, then we sat on the bus for 45 minutes. And it just kind of lost its appeal. What was your bus ride like even

Ethan Leef: 9:34

help? I don't think it lost its appeal for me. I mean, it was definitely a long bus ride. And I was sitting. I'm so terrible. I don't remember the name of the woman I was sitting beside. But it was a lovely woman from Atlanta who had run Boston like 10 years ago and she was coming back to do it again. Well, so I chatted with her and then mostly just like stared at the window and like thought about kind of like tried to set my intentions for the race. But my boss had a lot of energy. Like there was a group of people that all knew each other in the back. And like periodically, they would start like chants and stuff like that. So it was like, the closer we got, the louder the bots got, which was kind of cool.

Harry Weidner: 10:21

Nothing

Riley Geason: 10:25

that Harry and I were probably the loudest people on our bus. We were just laughing, like, stupid shit the whole time. But like, it didn't seem like anyone else was really like, there were a couple people in the front. Laughing talking, but other than that, I was kind of just like, Why didn't let's let's get there. And nobody

Harry Weidner: 10:46

was talking. The weirdest part about the bus for me was realizing that it's such a long bus ride back. And I thought, Oh, shit, we got to run this. We got to run all the way back to Boston.

Ethan Leef: 11:01

That for sure crossed my mind. I also thought it was hilarious that it was just a line of yellow school buses on the interstate. Like looking out the front window of the bus you could see like 10 buses ahead of you. Just so many runners our money

Harry Weidner: 11:17

was passing other buses

Ethan Leef: 11:20

bus was literally just like sat in its place and followed the line.

Jack Weidner: 11:27

What was that? So they bus you guys using school buses? I always pictured like charters, new school buses.

Riley Geason: 11:34

yellow yellow school buses.

Jack Weidner: 11:37

Did you also explain Oh, and I didn't know this that the Boston Marathon is different than a lot of other marathons where they just draw the start line is 26.2 miles away from the finish line which is in Boston. So you're in a town I wouldn't it's not even a suburb considered right like it's far enough away that it's a separate town and then you just run into Boston? Yeah, rather than looping you around the city, which sounds that sounds miserable 45 minute drive out there's like oh god Brewster run back.

Harry Weidner: 12:14

Yeah, that's that's what got me. So we get to athlete's village which is what they call the school in Hopkinton. And it's just 1000s of people but the races already started for us or the racist started for others and we're just kind of there still. And I think priority number one for me was find a porta potty I had to pee so badly when we got there. And luckily I was with Riley and we had access to the charity area and somehow you came walking in ething because I never thought I would see you the whole day because I know that my phone but that was awesome to be able to see you

Ethan Leef: 12:52

there was in you guys helped me out because I also really had to be and like the lines were crazy and I was feeling a little bit overwhelmed and then like one of you like tapped me on the shoulder or something I was like alright, let's cut the line a little bit the nerves

Harry Weidner: 13:10

so he P stretch hang out for a little bit and then what like what how are you guys feeling at athletes village?

Riley Geason: 13:23

I feel like I feel like we had a year that we started stretching. And then we kind of went back outside. And that's when like the sun had really started hitting a search for like I feel like when we read the Porta Potty line I was like wow, it's kind of hot. That's That's what I feel like the realization I'm like, whether actually hit but otherwise was like pizza parlor.

Ethan Leef: 13:54

Right you Ethan I felt pretty good. I was I think I was most surprised by how little time we spent in athlete's village. Which now I know is because you have like a half mile walk to the starting line. Right? I feel like we were stretching and like cracking jokes and getting loose inside the high school you know in the shade. And then suddenly we looked around and everyone had cleared out and we were like Oh should I guess it's time to do this thing. So I felt like almost rushed in that regard. But then it was still some time before we actually started. So I thought that was kind of interesting.

Harry Weidner: 14:32

And then you put the word on me also is that you pulled out where you bring these little plastic bags to athletes and athletes village and you can put kind of food and drink in whatever you want for the bus ride and while you're there to prep, and you pull out three cooked breakfast sausages prepared and just offered them to us and I was good on on breakfast sauce At that point, I think I would have thrown it out. Yeah, I appreciated the offer of the breakfast sausage.

Ethan Leef: 15:06

Those are my go to man. I didn't have any either. Unfortunately, I had one on the bus, but not in the village. And then go there. They'll be

Harry Weidner: 15:20

and then we're walking to the Star Line. And that's when it started to hit me. That one it's hot as shit outside. The sun was just beating down. And they were handing out sunscreen. And I thought, oh, boy, it's gonna be it's gonna be a toasty warm outside. And we were all I was just antsy at that point. I was just ready to start moving. And, and not be sort of corralled in with all of these people. baking in the sun. I just kind of wanted to get going. There. Did you guys feel the same?

Riley Geason: 15:56

Yeah, I mean, it was like, I don't know. It was weird, because I did feel rushed. Kind of like Ethan said. But then when you like, actually started walking over there, you realize like, there's like so like, a ton of time, but like you're just walking over there. Russia made me super antsy, because I feel like we probably walk probably took what, like 2030 minutes to walk to the finish line and start. And like, I was just like, can we just start already?

Harry Weidner: 16:30

Yeah, seemingly, everything was like bothering me. For those 20 to 30 minutes, like people would be running down the side where everyone else was walking. And I was just, I was just bothered. I think just because I wanted to get started and get move. And

Ethan Leef: 16:45

yeah, and that's also when we separated. I went and found some Spalding people. And I was I paced the race with plum. My friend Nolan, who's on my charity team. Did you guys stop at the bathrooms that were right before the starting line, like you walk? Then there's like a parking lot with more Park porta potties than it's like the corrals. You just go straight to the curls? Yeah, we

Riley Geason: 17:08

were I remember seeing that. But we did stop. We just kept going. Because we didn't have to go or anything.

Ethan Leef: 17:15

Did you? Yeah. We, we ended up being like, somehow just we, you know, stopped and put on sunscreen. And we were stretching and kind of taking our time. And then we were like, Oh, we definitely missed our corral. And then that made us like, even less in a rush. So we we use the bathroom, we stretched a little bit more. And we ended up just getting lumped in with like, I think it was group seven. Starting with those guys. Okay,

Harry Weidner: 17:43

and Riley and I were up in corral, up in corral to run. Yeah. So we started a little early. And now we start the race. So you pass the the thing that takes your chip time and it starts your time. So I want to hear your experience, even as you were going through the race, like walk me through the race, how you felt early on how you felt in the middle. How you felt in the end. how you felt about your pacing?

Ethan Leef: 18:13

Yeah. No, I feel like I'm still still processing honestly. The beginning I was it was so jam packed. I'm sure you guys felt the same way. Well, I guess first I should start. My friend Nolan and I were faced with the couple of nights before we like wrote on a piece of paper. We drew the elevation of the course and marked each mile. And we've segmented into five segments of like our pay schools per segment. Just so we could like compartmentalize, you know, when we hit this landmark, we should be at this pace to help us on race day. So right out of the gates we knew that we were already running behind schedule because it was so packed that we couldn't hit our pace. So like our first two miles we had planned to do them at eight minutes flat. We're hitting like 830s but we kind of realized it's not worth dodging between all these people and expending energy just like go with the flow enjoy it to the thing and then I feel like around the three four mile market and loosened up we kind of sped up a little bit and our plan was to hit like a 730 pace for miles six through 16 roughly and we never dialed it in that for I think mostly because the heat so we were like checking in with each other like Alright, let's do a system check. Like how are your ankles? How are you? How are you feeling any cramps and we both felt good but we were both a little bit ahead of our or behind our goal pace. Thing mostly for this year and then I don't know, it's a lot to go through the whole race. seeming like the crowds were so spectacular too. But yeah, you

Harry Weidner: 20:07

don't have to get through the whole race. But I,

Ethan Leef: 20:09

yeah, I think I'll just quickly speak to the rest I struggled most in the middle weirdly. Like I was like, aware of how far I had left to go to like the hardest part for me was like mile. Probably 15 1617, which, as you guys know, is right before the hills, I thought, on the bills. And then afterwards, I was really struggling, and just having to like, talk myself into holding whatever pace I cut to get to the rest of the way.

Harry Weidner: 20:41

Yeah, were you tracking any, like your heart rate throughout the race? I know you had just gotten a Garmin before the race. But were you paying attention to that? No, I

Ethan Leef: 20:50

try not to look at that. Huh? That's,

Harry Weidner: 20:54

that's how I knew I was doing bad.

Ethan Leef: 20:56

Really? Mostly bass. And we weren't. I mean, I didn't have an awful race. We were usually just 10 or 15 seconds off, but we wanted to be, but it was still like it felt like a battle, especially those last three, four miles.

Harry Weidner: 21:15

In where were on the course. Did you feel the best?

Ethan Leef: 21:20

The best probably? Probably like the first 10 first first half, honestly. Okay. Those were

Jack Weidner: 21:29

really impressive. I'm like, Well, I have all your all of your numbers in front of me. And your your understanding of your times were like exact. It was really, but yeah, your first what's really impressive. Thank you. Yeah,

Ethan Leef: 21:44

I feel like that's to like, struggle with the marathon. Right? Like, you go out. And then when you get like halfway, you're like, Oh, shit. I slept to do this much. And you get kind of hit that wall. Right? How

Jack Weidner: 21:57

much of that did for you at least was mentally were you like, were you physically tired? Or did you kind of allow yourself to hit a mental wall that you have to get over where you realize how much was ahead of you? Or was your body hurting as well? Kind of both.

Ethan Leef: 22:17

And I'm curious Perry and Riley she felt this way. But like, Mike was still pretty tired. Earlier than I expected them to. And I had heard like, that's the Boston Marathon like, it eats up your quads. But I was like, yeah, that won't happen to me. So then when it did happen, it was a mental battle to be like, you know, just calm down. Everything's fine. Take it one mile at a time. So I guess both.

Harry Weidner: 22:48

Yeah, my did go ahead, right

Jack Weidner: 22:50

there. No, I was just gonna ask, Did you run with the person that you paced out the race with the whole time? Or did you guys split off at a certain pace at a time?

Ethan Leef: 23:01

Almost, we made it? What do you for together? Whoa. And we were, we were both struggling. And it was like, they have Gatorade stops and water stops every mile. And somewhere and like both of us getting Gatorade we separated and I was the head of him. And we had made the understanding that if one of us got ahead of the other like, game on to stop and just keep going. So that was a

Jack Weidner: 23:30

did you find that comforting to have someone with you the whole time? Because I know they didn't. So I'd be interested to see what it was like running alone, but

Ethan Leef: 23:39

it helped me a lot, I think yeah. Just having someone to check in with and like push the pace. There are definitely times and same with like training too. I think we all probably notice that but there's times when like, you know climbing the hill. You feel like you're lagging but the person behind beside you isn't that kind of keeps you where you need to be.

Harry Weidner: 24:04

And how do you feel crossing the finish line? Like did you feel good? Or were you in pain?

Ethan Leef: 24:12

I felt good, but I don't know. I honestly feel like I blacked out. Like a real blackout. But yeah, like a little bit euphoric. Mostly just like, thank God. You know, you can stop moving. It's hard to encapsulate. But yeah, it's a pretty awesome feeling. Yeah.

Harry Weidner: 24:40

What about you abuse? Me through your race man.

Riley Geason: 24:45

Dude, I mean, I was I was thinking about the past few days like, I think to if I had one word to describe my race, just survival dude bike. I think I don't know. Like I've told people that the past couple of days like, it honestly felt like I like didn't know how to run out at certain points. I was like, This is crazy. But I mean, my race like I think just started out so, so poorly. Like, we started out and like within the first mile or two, like, one it was so crowded into my heart. It was like incredibly high. And just like even at the end of like, mile two, even into like three and four, I already felt like not like dead, obviously. But I was like, I feel way worse than I should after, like three or four miles. And yeah, I mean, I don't think at any point in the race, I was like, Oh, I feel I feel good. I got Oh, no, I just it was just a bad it was just a bad day, I guess. But I guess in terms of like, mile by mile, like, again, my wanting to harried I were kind of together. I was trying to pull back a little just because again, I was feeling kind of crappy and my heart rate was high. We kind of just naturally split off I feel like at one point, which I think I was glad I was glad that he did because I was like I just don't think it's gonna be a you know, a long term thing for us to be doing in this race. But they got to be I don't know by Maya so Maya for us were like so my family and friends were I was feeling okay then still think pacing was decent. But I also had sort of a pacing plan similar to what Ethan had because he sent his like he said to us and I kind of tried to mimic something like that, but I think I probably threw my pacing out the window by mile floor so yeah, I saw them at mile four. And a just I want to say I was trying to keep somewhere in like a nine for 930 days. I'm like, I really need to know or to nine because I was like let's just again, it was just a bet it just felt like a battle even if like at the beginning and so I was like let's just get the nine and then you know we'll reassess how we feel. But I also feel like I kind of just that literally blacked out like the whole race was just now hard to remember but I just like I was so out of it. I feel like I was just so drained but yeah, I mean, I don't even know like I want to say about like mile 10 I was like how like how do I feel like this after running seven miles I was stopping at every single aid station. Boring water I mean I was soaking wet by a mouth that drop exhausts pouring well I got at least two cups of water every station poured water on myself. I probably I had a had a water bottle I think like 1000 milligrams of sodium I drink that entire water bottle but like mile eight which obviously was not the plan so yeah, I guess got to be mild said I was already struggling and then I don't know I honestly can't remember like when my pace really dropped off I feel like my pace ended up just being all over the place but around around like mild 14 shifting my I've been nursing an injury the past couple of months to that started flaring up at like 15 just because all the hills which was actually pretty good I was pretty happy that it didn't happen before that so 15 was actually decent but again by that point I was shot so that didn't help but at that I think I get like halfway point at like mile 50 And I was trying to just swallow the fact that it was what it was was not going to be a fun race per se or like it was going to be in my like goal day but from there on out it was kind of just continue surviving. The hills were awful my quads like Ethan was say destroyed absolutely destroyed. I mean I've always said I've got some chicken legs I've got I've got some work to do and in the gym that x couple of ones but I think I had also pulled off running hills the past couple of months just because my lag and I don't think that helped much but It, quads were destroyed. The last six miles are definitely brutal, absolutely brutal. crossing the finish line. I don't know how to I can't even say I felt like I was ready again. I think like Ethan had said, ready to just like, stop moving. Like, I was in shambles, like, crossing the finish line felt so out of it. But yeah, so was a day of survival for me. Definitely a cool experience. And I definitely, definitely have some redemption. I guess that was a long summary of kind of randomness, but that's how I like race. Well, I'm

Jack Weidner: 30:44

just so impressed that you started feeling pain at like mile five. And you knew you had 20 miles to go. And you just toughed it out. Like I don't, I don't think you have given yourself enough credit. But like so many people that couldn't even do that. That's insane, that you were like, You were hurting it five miles. And you're like, Well, what's why anymore? That's nuts. Yeah, I

Riley Geason: 31:09

mean, again, running is also a thing where I think Harry and Ethan would agree that like, you kind of hold on to this hope that like, you start feeling better out of my life one of the miles because, like, literally, like, going into it. I was like, I'm not even gonna, like, you know, start thinking anything until like minus six or seven about, like, how I'm feeling like, because in most of my long runs, I don't feel good until like minus six anyway. So I was kind of hanging on to that. But it got to the point where I was like, I don't even have anything I don't have enough. Like, I just didn't feel like I don't know if she'll I was just sweating too much and overheated, but I've also just way too, way too competitive with myself. So that's part of it. But you're

Jack Weidner: 31:58

like a mile from the finish line. You're like shit, I don't think I don't think I'm gonna feel better.

Harry Weidner: 32:08

Yeah, I had a similar experience to you, Riley where I knew going out. It was my heart rate was just too high. And so I was paying attention to my heart rate the entire race, that was really the metric that I was going off of, for my pacing. I too, had a plan that went out the window by mile four, because my heart rate was just way too high. And I thought, yeah, I'm not gonna hit my time. And, and I just had to sort of swallow that pill early on. And just say, I was playing damage control. I think when I looked down in my heart, it was 186 at mile for now, let's do it an 830 pace. I was like, this is just as not, this isn't all by race, how do I get my heart rate down. And so I was, I was playing games with myself and in my head about, like, I need to slow down, I don't want to slow down. But if I keep my heart rate, this high for the whole race, bad things are gonna happen. So there was there was a point where I really appreciated the shaded parts of the course, where I got my heart rate down to 160. And that was the lowest that it went at the entire race. And after that, after mile, I think 12 It was above 180 For the rest of the time. And so it was it was just me trying to balance like the high heart rate with with the heat. And how fast can I go, while trying to keep my heart rate low enough, I, I didn't have any point where my, like, my quads weren't too bad. And my feet were, my feet were terrible. My feet were definitely the most sore. But it really was just like me battling my high heart rate, the entire race. I would look down and it would say 190 And I thought you got to slow down kid. And, and that was the hardest part for me. Just the the heart rate. I did have some points in the race where I felt really good. I felt I felt really great. Again, where the shade was happening. I felt good at the fire station, the firehouse right in Newton. Right as he turned the corner. I was learning that it was a great turn. And and I wanted to ask you, Ethan, if you had run a majority of the course if not all of the course in total before. Right, you started at the start? Not

Ethan Leef: 34:38

Yeah, all of it in different segments. But yes, right. And so

Harry Weidner: 34:42

do you think that helped? You know, the first half like I had no idea what the first 15 miles were gonna look like.

Ethan Leef: 34:50

You know, probably a little bit. I mean, I only ran. I ran the first 16 No, I ran the first one. have miles once, and then everything after that I'd run more than once. Okay, so I don't know, I only seen the first half or so you know that one time, but I think it helped a little bit.

Harry Weidner: 35:10

Did you feel more comfortable when you got to the firehouse and you hit that corner and you knew the course? Super well from BIOSs to end? 11 miles or so?

Ethan Leef: 35:23

Yes. No. Like, it definitely helps. Naturally, that's the part that we all were we're more familiar with. But it also, like I was saying earlier, because you know it, you know exactly where you are. So it's like, I know that I still have this distance left. But it did help kind of strategize a little bit. Like, part of me was, was like, okay, hold on. Try to hold this space until we get to like Coolidge corner, which is what, like, three miles to go. Yeah. Then then I knew like, okay, when I hit that landmark, you know, just try to read a bit if you can, like, a little bit faster. So you like trying to use the course to your advantage? Like, that helps a little bit. But

Harry Weidner: 36:13

what do I really

Riley Geason: 36:17

know? Yeah. They're like, and I don't think like there was a I don't know. I don't think for me, like when I got to the firehouse, I think I was telling you, like, I was expecting to be like, like, I don't know, it gets some sort of jolt of energy find something. Nothing, then they're not I just I think for me, I was probably on a similar pages. As Ethan as where it almost like hurt. Because I knew how like, the whole way, like how much more I had. Because again, I just couldn't find anything. It was really just, I need to get to the finish. Think for me, one of the one of the parts that I found. To be funny, slash challenging was just like, getting to like Fenway, and like, feeling like you're so close, but the finish line was still like, so like, because I hadn't ever run from like, send one to the finish ever. Like we would up basically like finish our runs at Fenway. And I was always like, oh, okay, like, you know, you're, I mean, it is only like a mile. But that mile was like, felt like, I mean, miles still, but seven anywhere from seven to 10 minutes. I don't know how fast you guys run in the last mile. But that's still a lot of time. And I was just like, wow, like, I also didn't realize I was I was going under that bridge.

Ethan Leef: 38:06

Underneath massive Yeah,

Riley Geason: 38:08

right there. And I was like, how are we going to get to boil? I got it realized there was another turn. I was like that you're gonna have to turn because I was like, oh, like we're on Commonwealth. So I just was like, very unfamiliar with that whole end of End Of course. Which I don't know I kind of just got to the end and was like are so close but it was actually so far so

Ethan Leef: 38:34

was Was there a point when you guys felt like the crowds like super duper helped you? Like did you have like a favorite crowd moment or a moment when you were like being cheered for and then like looked down and you really sped up or anything like that?

Harry Weidner: 38:50

Yeah, I think I I have a good one. Because it was right after we you crest that heartbreak. You get into BC. And the crowds at BC really got me going. There were just beautiful women lining the street. And I think I think that's where I I sped up too much at that point, because I was like, I can't look like a fool here. But I will say like, having that at the top of heartbreak after you just finished the huge hill. That helped me a lot. Like just want to say you're blown the girls. Oh, yeah, I was blown girls kisses at the Wellesley scream tunnel. But that was before that was like my Oh, wow. Okay, and that was fun, too. But yeah, the the crowds definitely helped me a lot. But I would also say that they hurt me because much like our training runs where like, if we were around people, we tended to speed up. If their crowds were yelling and the crowds were big, I would speed up too. And then my heart rate would peak and that would be bad. It was like, I couldn't separate crowds and energy from controlling my pace. And I don't know how you felt about that.

Ethan Leef: 40:14

No, that is a good point. There were there were definitely moments when I felt like I was being sped up by the crowds. And you know, kind of had to getting in check a little bit. Those were also kind of like fun moments that I think that was definitely worth worth it any exerted energy, they're like, giving out high fives or what have you is worth it. Is that that's part of what made for me anyway, like the race special was having so much support.

Harry Weidner: 40:45

What about you, right?

Riley Geason: 40:50

I think the first half marathon, maybe I was interested in crowns, but I feel like after that, I was just like, like, I don't know. I think I asked her that it almost like was stressing the app. Like it was like wasting my energy almost like even just like, like hearing it. I don't know, I was, I think, I don't remember the towns, but there were definitely some towns from like, I don't know, maybe like eight to 15 that had some pretty big crowds that I enjoyed Wellesley and yeah, I mean, Wellesley was definitely one of them. But I feel like there was some maybe even like Ashlyn, I want to say like Ashton was one of them. But yeah, I think I think Wellesley baby, I had a little bit of a boost. There was so loud that I feel like, but other than that, I couldn't get it going off the crowd, fortunately. I think that's the moral of the story for me. But I mean, obviously, it was super cool. And, like getting to see and I haven't stopped a few times along the way just to interact with people, because I knew it wasn't, you know, live day or anything. But so that was fun. But yeah, it was more I think of like interaction with the crowd, instead of like, getting getting me going, if that makes sense.

Jack Weidner: 42:16

Yeah. Did seeing your family made you feel any better? Riley? Yeah, no,

Riley Geason: 42:21

it did for the first like, two stops. And then after that, I was just, I mean, it. I guess it kind of did, because I would, you know, in my head be like, okay, they're gonna be at this mile. You know, in my head. I was like, I just have to get there. I just have to get to the next one. So maybe a little bit, but I think got to a certain point where I was just like, I don't know, headed down. It's under still thing. Yeah. I was almost just like, you know, beat me at the finish. Like, I'll see you at the finish type thing. Because I also feel like I one thing I did a very bad job of was, like, just running straight on one side or the other. I was going all over the place, which was very stupid of me. But I feel like my problem was like, I would move to the right, because I like, so I guess early on in the race, I didn't realize there were two fuel stations, like one on the right one on the left side, always veer to the right. First one, like in the first like, she was stopped because I was like, oh, like, I have, like, I need to get something. And I don't know if there's gonna be another one. And then I started realizing that they were all in both sides, everywhere. But the one on the left was just more delayed than the one on the right. It

Ethan Leef: 43:43

took me like six miles to realize that Riley, I was doing the same. Yeah, I was running to the right side, like, oh, I need Gatorade. And then feeling like an idiot when it popped up on the left.

Riley Geason: 43:54

Yeah. And it was frustrating because my family and friends would be on the left. So that's I had been regarding on the left, and then I was veering to the right and every time and eventually I I realized, you know, there on the left, too, but that was one thing. I also did a pretty poor job of the whole race, I think. added a couple of miles to this Java, that kind of like 26.7 or something like that. So yeah,

Harry Weidner: 44:24

I definitely did some veering to i i don't know i don't know what my thought process was. I don't think I really had a plan for eight stations. I was just like, if I needed something in that moment, I would just walk to the closest or you know, run to the closest one. I guess last question is what's next for you guys? Like what what any big plans for any, any future endurance events or in how has the marathon that we just did influenced what you will be doing to prepare for that? I know you guys Have some fun things coming up that you want to do.

Ethan Leef: 45:06

I can go, I actually signed up for this in February. So we're in the middle of training for Boston. But I'll be doing the New York City Marathon in November. And I'm already getting pretty stoked for that. I think, to answer the second part of your question, one thing that I will do after having done Boston is stick to a training program. So my the first marathon I ever did was last April. And I just kind of like ran net. Like I did like a little bit of training. But there was like night and day difference training for Boston versus just doing the other one kind of for fun, almost. So that's my big takeaway from from this race is that training is real.

Riley Geason: 45:54

Yeah, so my, I guess so I feel like last fall, was kind of getting into triathlon, that was kind of like cool. And then harried I don't know, we always talked about doing a marathon after we did a half marathon and all that. So we had been talking about maybe doing a marathon in the spring. We obviously ended up doing Boston. All that to say my next step is to finally do that triathlon, because that was kind of my, I would say, the marathon was kind of a pitstop on the way there definitely ready to be done running very long distances for the next few months. Definitely will be indulging in some running. But my next plan would be to do a half Ironman, somewhere in between August and November, probably in September, October would be ideal. Along the way, I guess we'll say. Definitely, after running this, definitely. I think there's a lot of things I learned, I guess one of them may be, I feel like maybe did a little bit too much training. I just think I had a couple of injuries throughout the block that that have been avoided, either by not having as much running by or supplementing with strength training or other things. So that was one thing. And then I think the other thing was, I don't know, I'm forgetting now. So I guess we'll we'll end on that note for me, or whatever your

Harry Weidner: 47:47

I don't know, I would love I think after doing Boston, I would love to come back. And I would love to come back as a BBQ. Hitting a qualifying time. In a different race. I think that is something that I really want to be able to say that I've done after doing all charity thing. I love the charity thing, but I think a BBQ is I have my sights on that at some point that it's going to take a long time and a lot of running to get there. In the meantime, I would love to be able to train for a triathlon with you. I think that would be so fun. I do have to get my ass in the pool.

Riley Geason: 48:29

But I get to use that jam or that yeah, I

Harry Weidner: 48:33

bought I bought a jammer a couple months ago. It's yeah, it's got the tags on it still. So we gotta get that sucker wet.

Jack Weidner: 48:44

Good. I swim this summer. And it it just kicks your ass in a different way. I don't know, Riley if you've been swimming, but like, oh my gosh, I was swimming with my girlfriend this summer and it was just kicking my ass in a whole different way.

Harry Weidner: 49:02

Yeah, I'm all looking forward to that. I think it's gonna I think it's gonna beat me to death. But luckily swimming is low impact. So I think I want to train for a try. I don't know if it's quite half Ironman. I mean, I I would love to be able to do that. But I think the big goal that I'm focused on now is is hitting the BQ within a year and a half. And COVID back for Boston. 26. Don't think Boston 25 is a is a realistic goal. But I think the one high school got one it well, no, because then I would have to I would have to run a DQ by September. And I live in September is in May. Gotcha. But I think CI m this year could happen if if I played it well enough But that's it thanks guys for coming out I really appreciated you you both making the time and coming out and telling the story and I appreciate it both of you during the training I had an absolute blast training with with both of you that definitely made the whole process so much more enjoyable. I think if it were just me training and running I would have had a significantly worse time you know, it was those Wednesday mornings running around the commons the Saturday long runs even the Monday morning track sessions with with Riley and you came a couple of times he didn't like those were those were those were the best rounds. And being able to go through the whole process with you guys has been just awesome. So really appreciate you guys.

Riley Geason: 50:50

Yeah, I definitely agree. Thanks for having us on here. You know, thanks for running with me or along the way.

Ethan Leef: 50:59

Yeah, like was sorry, more

Harry Weidner: 51:05

than Jackie want to roll this out.

Jack Weidner: 51:07

Oh, yeah. I do want to say you should have said at the beginning that the reason you guys kept talking about temperature just for people that don't know they all three of these guys trained in Boston in like 30 to 45 degree weather that was what they were doing their runs in. And race day was about 70 when it at its height so it was hot and humid and even standing there it was hot. So I came about to run. But thank you so much for listening. Congratulate the three of these guys on this incredible accomplishment really proud of Harry because I know I'm the most but you know not we're way I'm proud of the both of you to you guys are super cool. And that's amazing that you did that. I'm also happy birthday CAMI just a little plug. April 21 is our mom's birthday. So happy birthday. And we'll see you in two weeks. And thanks for sticking around and seeing how this mess unraveled.