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"&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;BOSTON \u2013 Shalane Flanagan grew up watching her father round the final turns at Hereford and Boylston before crossing the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Now she holds the fastest time by an American woman on the course with her 2:22:02 run from 2014.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Flanagan most recently punched her ticket to her fourth U.S. Olympic team and will run the marathon in Rio de Janeiro in August. Without enough time to recover for another spring marathon, Flanagan will be back in Boston as a spectator this weekend and will possibly hold the finish line tape for winners.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u201CIt\u2019ll be a completely different perspective to have as I\u2019m on the other side of the finish line waiting for runners to pour in,\u201D Flanagan says. \u201CI can\u2019t even lie. The competitor in me is having such a hard time being here and not competing.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Sports Illustrated&lt;/em&gt; caught up with Flanagan after her brief trip to Rio to impart her wisdom and tips on how to approach the challenging course in Boston.\r\n\r\n&lt;h3&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;h3&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Getting off the start in Hopkinton&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u201CThe initial reaction when the gun goes off is excitement\u2014you want to get going. Take a deep breath. Make yourself run slower than you think because you\u2019re going to end up running faster than you think. There\u2019s a nice downhill to start but there\u2019s actually a little flip of an uphill about 800 meters into the course. That always shocks you because everyone says \u2018It\u2019s completely downhill but there\u2019s actually that little hill.\u2019 However, you will scream as you go down that first 400 meters. Think about conserving your muscles because you don\u2019t want to put damage on your quad muscles.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;h3&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mile 1 to 4: Gradual downhill running&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u201CAt this point, you\u2019re on automatic pilot. It\u2019s super exciting and you don\u2019t feel like you\u2019re running the marathon yet. There are lots of people cheering and it\u2019s easy to get caught up in fast paces but it\u2019s an important time to hold back and hopefully your breathing is super easy. Tune out and go through the motions. You don\u2019t want to invest time thinking into what you\u2019re doing quite yet because it\u2019s going to get harder and you\u2019ll need to tap into your mental toughness. Ideally in Boston, you don\u2019t want your first half to be faster than your second half.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;h3&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Miles 4 to 12: Fairly flat with gradual rolling hills&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u201CThis part rolls down and then gets pretty flat. Consider it as a preparation spot. You\u2019re preparing for the hills. You know they\u2019re coming so embrace the flatness. Savor it. You\u2019re going to have to have some serious energy reserves to get up through those Newton Hills.\r\n\r\n&lt;h3&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mile 12.5: Approaching the half and the \u201Cscreaming tunnel\u201D by the Wellesley College women&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u201CRemind yourself about delayed gratification. At that point in the race, it\u2019s easy to let your emotions run wild. The screams are deafening. My heart rate always tends to get higher every time I pass the Wellesley women. There\u2019s so many checkpoints of inspiration on the course and you can keep that in mind.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;h3&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mile 13.1 to 15: The transition into the hills&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u201CThe roughest transition for me is going down the Newton Lower Falls and then into the hills. It\u2019s a really tough part of the course that tends to shock people. Use the momentum from the Wellesley girls to get you through that section and then get ready for the inevitable tough running in the sections ahead.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;h3&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u200B&lt;strong&gt;Mile 16: The race begins&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u201CWith the pounding of the Newton Lower Falls and how steep it is, up the hills into Newton is where the race begins. The good thing about the hills is how tough and challenging they are but there is some reprieve in there. There are some flatter sections in there to prep you for the next hill. It\u2019s continuous and requires a lot of focus. The fans are really thick in that area. There are throngs of people. There\u2019s grilling going on. People took time to write messages on the pavement. It\u2019s fun to run along and see them.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;h3&gt;Training tip: How to mentally break down the hills&lt;/h3&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u201CSometimes I just think how many minutes it will take to go up a hill. I\u2019ll tell myself \u2018OK. You\u2019re going to really have to commit to two minutes of hard running here and then you get a little bit of a break and reward yourself.\u2019 That helps break it up. It makes you dig a little deeper and not make you feel so hard on yourself.\r\n\r\n&lt;h3&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mile 17: Turning onto Commonwealth Avenue and getting ready for Heartbreak&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u201CThere\u2019s not many turns on the course so it\u2019s a significant thought. You make that right on Commonwealth Ave and pass the fire station. It\u2019s an inspirational point. They always have a huge crowd there. This is what people are preparing for mentally. Now you have to switch gears and tell your body to use different muscles. It\u2019s tough to flip over to uphill after you\u2019ve been doing so much downhill running. The fans are really intense. It\u2019s a major marker and it\u2019s one of my favorite spots on the course.\r\n\r\n&lt;h3&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u200B&lt;strong&gt;Mile 20: Heartbreak Hill and saving energy&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u201CThere\u2019s not much saving going on, to be honest. You just have to attack each hill and tell yourself that \u2018You\u2019ve got this and you\u2019re tough.\u2019 The good part is that it\u2019s the final major hill. It\u2019s just like Mount Everest. Once you\u2019ve conquered it, then you start to make your way down into the city. There\u2019s a huge sense of accomplishment once you\u2019ve made it through the hills and that\u2019s a major motivating factor. Boston is a super challenging course and you know you\u2019ve accomplished something by getting to the top of Heartbreak.\r\n\r\n&lt;h3&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mile 21: Boston College and running downhill again&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u201CThis is the next hardest transition since the Newton Lower Falls. I always think of my grandpa because he went to Boston College and I try to use that as motivation. You try to open up the legs and let yourself roll down the hills. This is when people start to feel the wobbly quads as you try to run downhill again. You have to embrace it. Lean forward into the downhill and let the legs roll forward. If you\u2019re trying to run for a specific time, this is where you really need to work and press. After the top of the hill all you want to do is take a break, but you need to dig deep.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;h3&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u200B&lt;strong&gt;Mile 23 to 25: Painful downhill running as the CitGo Sign teases you&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u201CEven when you hit the CitGo sign, it just seems like a really long march to get to the finish line. You can see it from quite a bit away and it\u2019s a great landmark to keep in mind but then you start to think, \u2018This doesn\u2019t seem to be getting any closer.\u2019 Once you hit it, you know you\u2019ve got a mile to go, which is a great feeling.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;h3&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mile 25: Don\u2019t forget CitGo Hill&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u201CMy dad had run Boston and he warned me about this little nub of a hill. It\u2019s really not significant compared to the other hills on the course but because of where it is placed, it\u2019s a stinker. I have numerous times wished that part of the course was erased and they can somehow make that flat. I think everyone can be feeling pretty good but that last little hill hurts. You\u2019re just feeling everything including each divot in the road at that point. My dad warned me and I remember thinking \u2018My dad was right\u2019 in my first run in Boston.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;h3&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Finish strong: Right on Hereford, left on Boylston&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u201CYou\u2019re lucky if you have a lot left. Most times, I haven\u2019t had much left in the last 800 meters to go. This is the time where you soak it in that you\u2019re running the Boston Marathon and you\u2019re a piece of history. It\u2019s elation. I don\u2019t see anyone who is not excited to get to that point in the race. You\u2019ll get chills. People will cry out of pain and happiness or a mix of both. It\u2019s magical. Because you want to savor it, it\u2019s a mix of getting there as fast as you can and also taking it in because it\u2019s so cool.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;h3&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;h3&gt;More training tips from Flanagan&lt;/h3&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Christopher Chavez: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;What are the go-to meals in the days leading up to the race? Does carb-loading happen over a span of days or piled up the night before?&lt;/em&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Shalane Flanagan:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/b&gt;\u201CI don\u2019t load up too heavy the night before. I do have a recipe inspired by the Boston Marathon for Marathon Lasagna. The night before the race, John Hancock tends to serve what I would consider a Thanksgiving dinner with mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, salads and turkey. In my lasagna, I\u2019ve got sweet potatoes in there as well as ground turkey. It\u2019s super tasty and that\u2019s one of my favorites.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In the last four days, I like to incorporate a couple more snacks that are carb-heavy but I don\u2019t try to gorge all in one meal. During training, I don\u2019t massively carbo-load. The night before I\u2019ll eat some type of protein, a salad and maybe some kind of bread.\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;On race day, I\u2019m a big fan of oatmeal for breakfast. I\u2019ve got my own oats that I bring to my hotel and prepare in my room if I have to. They\u2019re Irish oats with some creamer, fruits and bananas. It\u2019s hearty and filling. I\u2019ve also got these muffins called \u201CSuperhero Muffins\u201D and they\u2019re called that because they\u2019re made with almond flour, maple syrup, zucchini and carrots. You\u2019re getting a dose of veggies and nuts while also free of refined sugars. They\u2019re really nutrient-packed with this heartiness that doesn\u2019t make you super full.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;CC:&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;em&gt;When it comes to drinking on the course, how do you know when your body needs water or sports drinks? Is there such thing as too much?&lt;/em&gt;\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SF:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;\u201CThe key is to drink often and early. You don\u2019t want to skip stations at the beginning and think \u2018Well, I\u2019m not thirsty.\u2019 It\u2019s almost like you need it in anticipation knowing that you will be need the carbohydrates because you will be depleting your glycogen. The best protocol is to drink every three miles. Drink until you can tolerate it. If sports drinks are too heavy, water is the next best option. You want to be taking in gel or sports drinks earlier than later because you need time to process it.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u200B&lt;strong&gt;CC: &lt;/strong&gt;If it\u2019s hot, how can you stay cool?\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SF:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;\u201CIt\u2019s important to shade yourself as much as you can. I\u2019m a big fan of the visor or the hat. I wore a visor at the Olympic trials because it was really warm and I wanted it to evaporate from my heat. I also wanted people to dump water on my head and it would help cool down my core temperature. Sunglasses help cool your face as well. If there\u2019s sponges, ice or towels along the course, you can always grab those and throw them into your shirt. Holding them in your hands can also cool yourself down. Try not to get sunburnt so apply a light layer of sunblock that morning so that you don\u2019t burn and dehydrate at the same time.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u200B&lt;strong&gt;CC: &lt;/strong&gt;How do you stay warm in a cool-temperature race?\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SF:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;\u201CI wear compression socks a lot because I like to keep my legs nice and warm. Your calf muscles need to fire at the end. If people are too cold, they can feel a little sting or tweak at the end. I try to stay covered up as much as I can before shedding layers as I go.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;CC: &lt;/strong&gt;How to you guarantee a good marathon finish line photo?\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SF: &lt;/strong&gt;\u201CI have yet to master that. In my last marathon, I basically collapsed and was not looking so good. I always just love the celebration of arms going up and tipping your hat to the event of the day.\u201D\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;CC: &lt;/strong&gt;In Berlin, you got a huge non-alcoholic beer after finishing third overall. How do you celebrate a great run in Boston?\r\n\r\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;SF:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/b&gt;\u201CI love a great post-race burger and beer. It\u2019s my go-to for sure. Burger, beer and fries. If I\u2019m craving sweets then I have to do a Dunkin Donuts donut.\u201D\r\n&lt;/p&gt;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.si.com/edge/2016/04/15/boston-marathon-course-guide-tips-from-shalane-flanagan>