It’s been a little over a week since I finished my first marathon, the Miami Marathon.
I’ve had some time to let it settle. Not just the soreness, but the lessons. The kind that don’t really show up the moment you cross the finish line but later. After reflecting on the entire experience. From the first week of training until a week after the race.
Overall, it was a great experience. It was hard. But not harder than I expected.
I faded earlier than I wanted to, around mile nine or ten. That’s when I had to start mixing in a run-walk. It slowed me down, but in return it brought me more present into the moment. It made me realize that I wasn’t underprepared mentally. I wasn’t lacking grit. I just hadn’t built enough long runs into my training, and my heart rate was out of control way earlier than it should’ve been.
That’s the real takeaway for me. I need to learn how to lower my heart rate, whether it’s mile one or mile twenty-one. That’s something I’ll be digging into after Tokyo.
On the fueling side, I learned something else the hard way: I overpacked.
Dates. Honey. Gels. Salt tabs. Salty Carbs. Gatorade on course. Maple syrup. A chia gel. I brought everything.
What I actually consumed was much simpler: a couple maple syrup packs, one chia gel, one caffeinated gel, some honey later in the race, and Salty Carbs before, during, after and the night before. (that's how we intended Salty Carbs to be used. Anytime based around activity.)
I wasn’t hungry. If anything, my stomach felt tight in the back half, like I had a brick sitting in there. No gastric distress, thank goodness, but it was clear: I can’t digest that many carbs that quickly while moving. The food stacked up faster than my body could process it.
Lesson learned. Run lighter. Keep carbs on hand, but don’t force it.
Hydration, on the other hand, was a quiet win.
I wore my Salomon ADV Skin 12 vest and I’m incredibly grateful I did. I refilled water at least a dozen times and still drank cups at every aid station. Miami was hot and humid, and there’s no way I would’ve stayed on top of hydration without that setup. It carried me through the race. It was also great for storing all the snacks I packed.
Preparation mattered more than I expected.
I stayed at a hotel near the start line because I didn’t want stress the morning of. Everything was laid out the night before. Bib pinned. Vest packed. No scrambling. No jitters. It genuinely felt like just another long run.
That confidence came from training, especially the twenty-mile run during prep. That day changed something for me. It made the marathon feel approachable.
The race itself was shared with friends from home. We all started together, all first-timers, all expecting to finish around the same time. We stayed together for about nine miles until I faded and told them to keep going. I wanted to run my own race without dragging anyone else into my rhythm.
But then. Something funny happened late in the race.
Around mile twenty-three, I caught them. They were just ahead, close enough to see. I tucked in behind them and drafted without saying a word. When they walked, I walked. When they ran, I ran. I was literally three steps back, laughing to myself the whole time.
At the final turn, I tapped my friend on the shoulder and said, “Let’s go!”
We sprinted to the finish together.
That moment mattered more to me than the clock. Strava said one time. The official results said another. I honestly don’t care. I wasn’t chasing a qualifier. I was chasing the experience. And I finished.
After the race, I didn’t do much. No big celebration. I went back to the hotel, laid in bed eating watermelon chunks (I have a slight addiction to watermelon, especially before and after my runs), and watching TV. I never get to do that. It felt well earned.
Recovery was exactly what it should’ve been. A little tight the next day. Sore after forty-eight hours. Nothing injured. Nothing broken. I took a full week off from running, bodyweight movements in the gym, and eased back in.
Nothing about my routine has changed. I’m still doing the work. Still staying mobile. Still hitting the sauna, cold plunge and red light therapy a couple times a week.
Tokyo is coming up. Chicago is on the calendar. I’m still chasing all seven World Marathon Majors. And I’m learning that this journey isn’t about one race or one finish line.
It’s about being patient. Staying consistent. And being willing to learn every time you lace up.
-Dan