Episode 129: Mental Prep and Performance for the Boston Marathon

In this week’s episode, Elena shares key takeaways from her incredible day at the 2026 Boston Marathon, specifically focusing on the mental prep that went into the race and the mental strategies that helped her run a personal best on a day when her body wasn’t feeling great. We cover her mindset going into the race, what was going on in her head when she started to feel strain in her legs much sooner than expected, how she stayed in the game mentally through challenging middle miles and over Heartbreak Hill, how she willed herself out of some intense cramping at mile 25, and how she balanced feel vs. pace vs. heart rate data throughout the race. We also hit practical insights on her training strategy, what she learned for next time, menstrual cycle effects on performance, and general takeaways from other racers in Boston. This is a useful episode for anyone looking to improve their mental game going into big races and/or to keep soaking in the Boston Marathon energy! Check it out.To view extended show notes for this episode, visit: theendurancedrive.com/podcast To share feedback or ask questions to be featured on a future episode, please use ⁠this form⁠ or email: [email protected].