Boston Marathon Q&A: Amanda Allen
This post is part of our Boston Marathon Q&A, where we ask local runners about their journey from the streets of Boston to the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon.
Amanda Allen. Photo provided.
Name: Amanda Allen
Age: 25
Residence: South Boston, MA
What did your training regimen look like?
As part of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge (DFMC) team, our trainer (and ’76 Boston Marathon winner) Jack Fultz has set up a 16-week training schedule that I try to follow closely. Tuesday nights I attended a team track workout, Thursday nights I ran the Newton Hills or marathon pace runs around the Charles River with my boyfriend and fellow runner Ian Nurse, and Saturdays I would attend the Dana-Farber long group runs. In between, I would find time in my schedule to fit in shorter workouts, like running to and from work or taking my dog for a run around Castle Island.
What was the hardest part of training?
Waking up early on Saturday mornings for the long group runs, and braving the cold Boston winters out on the hills!
What’s your favorite pre-race (night before) meal?
Brown rice and grilled salmon
What is your favorite post-race meal?
A homemade veggie burger and sweet potato fries from Silvertone.
How will you stay motivated during the course?
Knowing that I will get a big hug from Sicilia Campbell, my 7-year-old Jimmy Fund patient partner, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia when she was 2 years old. When the running gets tough, I think about how she fought cancer like a champ. She will be cheering me on from mile 25.
Why do you run the Boston Marathon?
Boston was my first marathon and will always be my favorite. My family comes to watch, we have so many special DFMC events on marathon weekend, and the fans are the best around. I also made a pact with Sicilia that as long as she’d be my [patient] partner, I would continue to run the Boston Marathon.
Do you have any racing superstitions?
Nope.
What will you be doing the day after the Boston Marathon?
Going out to brunch with friends, getting a pedicure, laying out in the Boston Common, and having a beer!
