Related StoryHow I Started Running and Racing<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t have an athletic background. Schoolwork, not sports, was the priority growing up. But despite having zero experience with running, I started jogging a couple of miles on the treadmill<\/a> at the gym before and after work. Over the next few years, the extra weight gradually came off, and my health improved.<\/p>\n The year I turned 40, I decided I wanted to do something big in honor of my milestone birthday. Because I had developed a regular running habit and was in reasonably good shape, I registered for the Hamptons Half Marathon. I figured I\u2019d do this one race as part of a fun weekend trip, and that would be it for my road racing career.<\/p>\n I downloaded a beginner training program<\/a> from Hal Higdon\u2019s website and taped it to my fridge. I didn\u2019t know about zone 2 running<\/a> or speed intervals or tempo runs; I did every workout at the same pace, and I think my longest run was 10 miles. But, I ended up finishing that first race in 1:37:02.<\/p>\n I was surprised by how well it went, which made me reconsider my \u201cone and done\u201d approach to competing. I started thinking about doing other races and how I could combine running with my love of travel.<\/p>\n I ran my second half<\/a>, the 2019 Rapa Nui Half Marathon on Easter Island in Chile, in 1:35:17.<\/p>\n During my trip, I met more seasoned runners who told me about all the fun races<\/a> they\u2019d done around the world. Those conversations made me feel that I actually might have talent to build on if I stayed consistent.<\/p>\n Inspired, I set a new goal to run a half marathon<\/a> on every continent. I managed to hit six out of seven in just over four years (flying to Antarctica is crazy expensive and I did count a half in Queenstown, New Zealand as Australia).<\/p>\n After that, I switched my focus to full marathons.<\/p>\n Related StoryMy Marathon Journey<\/p>\n For years, running 26.2 miles was out of the question. Frankly, I was scared of the distance, and I wasn\u2019t sure I could train for a marathon<\/a> while working full-time at my very demanding job. But a friend convinced me to just enter the lottery for the 2022 Berlin Marathon and worry about the rest later. According to him, I only had a 15 percent chance of getting in, so I figured I was safe.<\/p>\n When I got the notification that I\u2019d made it in, I was like, Well, I guess I actually have to do this! Again, I went to Hal Higdon’s website and downloaded a beginner plan<\/a>.<\/p>\n During that training cycle, I did my first and only 20-mile run\u2014my longest ever\u2014and thought I was going to die. But, overall, the training was effective. I finished in 3:16:42. Someone pointed out to me that my time was a BQ for my age group. I had no idea what they were talking about.<\/p>\n My second marathon was the 2023 London Marathon. The course is fast and flat<\/a>, and the huge crowds along the sidelines generate a ton of energy. I finished with a new PR of 3:11:54.<\/p>\n By then, I fully understood what it meant to BQ. I was also starting to comprehend and appreciate the significance of the World Marathon Majors<\/a>. The way those events bring runners together from all over the world, and the chance to experience the power of that community firsthand, made me fall in love with the sport.<\/p>\n With two majors complete and an entry to Boston, I was almost halfway to collecting my six stars. (I\u2019d eventually do my final major in my hometown at the 2024 New York City Marathon<\/a>.) I decided I needed to keep going. I was officially hooked on running marathons.<\/p>\n Related Story<\/p>\n My first Boston Marathon experience in 2024 was humbling. I\u2019d run the Tokyo Marathon five or six weeks prior and hadn\u2019t prioritized Boston. It was hot, I wasn\u2019t prepared for the hills, and I started out too fast<\/a>. I ended up overheating and couldn\u2019t get any gels down. I finished in 3:13:14, which is a good time, but I collapsed in the medical tent.<\/p>\n The experience was disappointing, to say the least. Especially because I\u2019d been steadily fine-tuning my training\u2014adding more weekly mileag<\/a>e, incorporating strength training<\/a> and mobility, developing a fueling strategy<\/a>\u2014and seeing incremental improvements with every race up until that point.<\/p>\n Set on redemption, I went back to Boston in 2025. I felt great until the halfway marker when my right leg cramped up. (I think my electrolytes<\/a> were depleted, and my legs still weren\u2019t strong enough.) From that point, it felt like a death march to the end. Again, my time of 3:08:18 was respectable, but I didn\u2019t finish strong. I knew I had a better, faster race in me.<\/p>\n Courtesy Jesse Liu<\/p>\n I\u2019d return to Boston again in 2026, but not before tackling another big goal: a sub-three finish<\/a> at the 2025 Valencia Marathon.<\/p>\n The closest I\u2019d come to a sub-three was in Berlin in 2024. I finished in 3:04:05, an exciting new PR that also felt really far off from a sub-three. As an average, everyday runner in his mid-40s, I knew I\u2019d have to push myself extra hard and train more strategically to shave off those five minutes.<\/p>\n Related StoryThe Changes That Led Me to Faster Times<\/p>\n I did begin working with a run coach, Brendon O\u2019Leary, in May 2024. He helped me adjust my training in ways that proved to be game-changing for Berlin and beyond.<\/p>\n For the first time, I did four 20-plus-mile runs in a single training cycle. I\u2019ve never been a high-mileage runner, so this helped build up my endurance. And on long runs<\/a>, I started doing at least 10 miles at my marathon pace<\/a>, which gave me a boost in confidence.<\/p>\n I also got more consistent with strength training, lifting twice a week with a focus on single-leg exercises<\/a>, such as glute bridges and Romanian deadlifts. I think having stronger legs helped improve my running economy<\/a> and endurance.<\/p>\n A sweat analysis through Precision Hydration<\/a> revealed that I wasn\u2019t taking in enough sodium and I needed to hydrate more to prevent gut issues and cramping. I switched to Precision Hydration products<\/a>, which my stomach tolerates well. I\u2019m able to down five or six gels over the course of a race; I used to be able to stomach four at best.<\/p>\n I also found race shoes<\/a> that worked better for me. I used to run in the Nike Vaporfly 3, but I switched to the Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3.<\/p>\n I\u2019d be lying if I said I didn\u2019t have my doubts going into the Valencia Marathon. I hadn\u2019t been able to take off as much time as I would have liked. I sing in the chorus of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and we were in the middle of a very busy performance season. Also, this was the first marathon where my spouse wasn\u2019t able to be there to cheer me on, so I didn\u2019t have the same kind of race-day support I was accustomed to. It almost felt like I was there on business, like I had a job to do.<\/p>\n Valencia is a notoriously flat course, so my strategy was to run even efforts and splits<\/a>. Thankfully, I felt good and was able to execute my plan. The moment I knew I had it was at the 42K mark when I caught a glimpse of the big blue carpet leading up to the finish line. I crossed at 2:59:08.<\/p>\n It was the most special marathon finish I\u2019ve ever had. I had achieved a big, scary goal and learned so many lessons about taking calculated risks, being resilient, and believing in my athleticism, which is so far removed from anything I\u2019d ever been praised or rewarded for in the past.<\/p>\n Triumphant finish aside, I still had unfinished business in Boston. At this point, I knew the Newton Hills<\/a> a lot better and was actually able to practice running them while visiting Boston in the months leading up to the marathon. I learned that you have to survive, not attack, the hills so you can turn up the intensity during the last five miles.<\/p>\n This strategy, along with stronger legs, improved fueling and hydration, and historically good weather, gave me the Boston Marathon experience I\u2019d always hoped to have. I felt strong throughout and was actually able to enjoy racing through the streets of Boston, a city that embraces the marathon like no other. I finished in 3:02:42, a new personal course record.<\/p>\n Related Story3 Tips for Chasing Your Big, Scary Running GoalPlay the Long Game<\/p>\n People tend to overestimate what they can do in the short term, but they underestimate what they can do in the long term. I\u2019m an advocate of steady, slow, unglamorous progress over multiple years. I\u2019ve never tried to make any drastic changes. Instead, I\u2019ve made small, manageable tweaks along the way.<\/p>\n For example, my overall mileage was too low for a long time, and it was a bottleneck preventing me from getting faster<\/a>. With the help of my coach, I gradually increased my peak weekly mileage from about 40 miles a week to 50 miles a week. During another training cycle, I focused on getting more consistent with strength training. Another training cycle was all about improving my nutrition and fueling. I\u2019ve made plenty of changes over the years, but not all at once.<\/p>\n Polarize Your Runs<\/p>\n![\"Jesse](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/397d0976-ac54-4ca1-9bb0-078472c39e71.jpg\" "\\"Jesse")
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