Name: Allison Pattillo

Hometown: Aspen, CO

Position: Contributing Editor at Women’s Running

Goal Race(s): Boston Marathon, Laugavegur Ultra Marathon 55k (7/13, Iceland), IM Louisville (8/25)

Follow my training!

1. What is your goal for the marathon?

Running Boston is a heady start to an (overly?) ambitious racing season. I want to show up healthy and strong and ready to run. My goal is to finish in under four hours and soak up the experience.

2. Where’s your favorite spot to train?

This time of year all my favorite running trails are covered in snow and over run with downhill skiers. So, I’ve been enjoying long cross-country skiing sessions on the miles and miles of rolling tracks skirting the base of the local ski mountains. Sparkling snow, blue skies and big mountains are almost enough to make me forget this is hard work!

3. What is your secret sauce workout?

Intervals at altitude, while envisioning gliding up Boston’s Newton hills.

4. What do you eat before a long run?

I eat pretty much anything. Cereal and coconut milk, toast with almond butter, egg sandwiches, pb&j sandwiches, doughnuts (gluten-free, so that’s healthy, right?!), rice pudding, bananas…..I avoid gluten and dairy all the time, but otherwise, it’s all fuel in the tank. I operate by a friend’s motto to, “eat early and eat often.”

5. What will crossing the finish line mean to you?

Two months out and watching snow fall outside my window, I’ll say it means I worked through a nagging case of plantar fasciitis and overcame concerns about tackling such a monumental event, and early season one at that. Otherwise, it depends upon the day, the experience and the run. Every finish line is unique and I often don’t know what it means until I get there. Chances are good that I’ll cry, I always cry!