The WIMB
Marathon Project
As a runner, there is no better feeling than when you make that left-hand turn on Boylston Street for the final stretch of the Boston Marathon. The sound of the crowd on either side of the course is deafening, and, with the iconic finish line arch in sight, you know you're running on historic footsteps. However, as every runner who has trained for a race of any distance knows all too well, just getting to the start line healthy and happy is an even bigger accomplishment.
At WIMB, we pride ourselves on being your One-Stop-Shop for Wellness in every sense of the word: Wellness of body, Wellness of mind, Wellness of spirit.
In that spirit, we're thrilled to introduce the first-ever WIMB Marathon Project, through which we'll highlight all of the many services offered by WIMB. Over the next 12 weeks leading up to this year's historic Boston Marathon in October, you'll have the chance to follow the uncensored training of two members of the WIMB community as they reimagine and go after their own Wellness goals. Hear from Ellen London, Coach and Captain with the Heartbreakers, and Ian Nurse, WIMB Founder, as they work with the WIMB team - from gait analysis to nutrition consult to mental health coaching to chiropractic/acupuncture/massage/physical therapy/FST treatments and beyond.
While Ellen and Ian are no strangers to the Boston Marathon, having run it a combined 17 times, a lot has changed for both of them since they last ran the race in 2018. Both have faced and overcome injuries, become parents of two small children, made moves professionally - and navigated it all through a worldwide pandemic. This year's race isn't about a time goal or a breakout performance for either, but rather to get to Hopkinton healthy and happy, and - with WIMB's support - to learn how to incorporate Wellness and the sport they love into their hectic lives along the way.
While we hope their journeys provide some inspiration, we will also be giving back to the WIMB community with each weekly post. Stay tuned every Monday as we feature a GIVEAWAY featuring a WIMB service.
Life is most certainly a balancing act. Becoming the father to our second child in the midst of a pandemic, while trying to maintain a growing business, has certainly taught me that.
Throughout my life, the one thing that has helped me to maintain that sense of balance has been Motion. In my youth, it was on the soccer and lacrosse fields. After college, purely running became the major stabilizing force in my life. Whether it was providing me with a sense of accomplishment and confidence, or in more recent years, a means of commuting, running has always been there for me.
When I first thought of this concept of The WIMB Marathon Project, I knew I would have to get outside of my comfort zone. While I love running, I don’t really love sharing or talking about my own running.
If you know my wife, Amanda, and her incredibly inspiring Instagram, @amandarunsboston, you know how open she is at sharing her goals and all the ups and downs that she has with her training.
That is not me. One of the best marathons I ever ran was done in secret with only parents and my coach in the know. For me, to share my goals and my progress with others has always created a sense of unwanted pressure and anxiety.
So what’s changed so dramatically to inspire me to become more forthcoming with my training? Well, to be honest, at the age of 43 I know my PR days of 2:25 are behind me. I’m proud of what I have achieved and with two kids and a growing business to occupy most of my waking hours, other’s expectations are simply not as important to me anymore.
Sure I have goals for Boston that I’d love to reach, but most importantly, I just want to enjoy the process of training again. I want that feeling of wobbly and sore quads as I walk downstairs after a hill workout. I want that feeling of accomplishment expressed with a fist bump to your training partner after a tough track workout.
No training cycle is perfect. There will be moments where I ask myself, “Can I still do this?” Thankfully I know I have the BEST support team in terms of my family (especially Amanda), friends and WIMB colleagues to help me get to that starting line.
I hope you all enjoy following along the way.
A lot has happened since I last ran the Boston Marathon in 2018. Pouring passion into my career and taking on more at work. Infertility and IVF. Two beautiful pregnancies and two beautiful little girls. Losing my grandmother “Honey” and our beloved dog, Oslo. And a global pandemic as the backdrop to much of it.
Throughout it all — even when I wasn’t even running — running has remained a constant.
Whether taking a spin between one million Zoom meetings or walking at 40-weeks pregnant or jogging with the stroller, running is always there for me: to clear my head, work through problems, and make me feel like me.
After Rory was born in 2019, I put my head down and got into the best shape of my life. I was ready for a sub-3:00 marathon at Boston 2020 — a goal I’ve been working toward for years. Then the race was postponed due to COVID.
When I return to the start line of the Boston Marathon in October, it’ll be with a very different body and a very different objective in mind — and a heckuvah lot more life experience. While I know in my heart that I have some fast races left in me — someday — I also know in my heart that this is not that race. This race is a celebration: of myself and my journey as an athlete and a mom since that rainy day back in 2018. To celebrate where I am, right now. To celebrate my very own Wellness in Motion.
A huge thank you to @wimboston @amandarunsboston and @adidasrunning for the opportunity to be a part of this historic running of my favorite race. I hope you’ll follow along right here or on Strava @EllenLondon!
No marathon training plan should start without a proper Nutrition Plan. For this reason, we turned to WIMB’s Registered Dietitian, Erin Kenney. Turns out we had a lot to learn:
Ian’s Nutrition Goals:
Increase total calories. Especially from protein (your minimum goal is 127g daily). Aim for 25-30 grams at each meal and 15-20 grams at each snack from plant and animal sources. This will also align with your goal of mild weight loss to help keep you satisfied and maintain lean muscle mass.
Decrease your total alcohol intake. Alcohol impairs weight loss and increases time for recovery for exercise. Set boundaries and replace alcoholic drinks with things like seltzer or kombucha if you are craving a drink outside of water.
Increase fruits and vegetables, especially in the first half of the day. Have a banana post workout paired with protein, make smoothies when you get home that include frozen berries and tart cherries for reduced inflammation and better sleep.
Focus on healthy fats like avocado, avocado oil (high heat cooking), chia seeds, flaxseed, olive oil, nuts, and seeds. Consume at least 2-3 servings of high fat fish per week. This can include smoked salmon and canned tuna. This will help with inflammation, hormone balance, and weight loss.
Have updated lab values done to re-check your b12, iron, vitamin D, and other health markers with InsideTracker. You can consider a food based iron supplement like blood builder as you increase your mileage if you know you’ve been low in the past.
Make sure you are getting enough food based calcium to prevent stress fractures and help with electrolyte balance. Since you don’t like yogurt on its own, try adding it to a smoothie. Other sources include edamame, chia seeds, soy milk, chickpeas, dried figs, almonds, and broccoli.
Ellen’s Nutrition Goals:
Play around with pre and post workout snacks that are quick and have a carb:protein ratio of 2:1. Post workout ideas we discussed were greek yogurt with granola, chocolate milk smoothie with avocado, banana, dates, spinach, milk. Pre-workout we discussed dates and maybe some nut butter, a few handfuls of dry cereal, bread with honey and banana, or collagen with orange juice. We also discussed Skratch as a good mid fuel exercise that has higher carbs than most electrolytes.
Increase total calories, especially protein at every snack .Some ways to do this would be adding nuts, seeds, nutritional yeast, beans, cheese, and greek full fat yogurt.
Increase vegetable intake with low volume by adding things like frozen cauliflower and fresh spinach to smoothies or adding frozen veggies to meals/stir-frys.
Try caffeine after a full meal and water. Limit alcohol and try to plan it between workouts when you have more recovery time (alcohol delays recovery).