Jonathon Piesik, a fourth-year business administration major with a finance concentration at Northeastern, got into distance running because of his mom. Now, six years after setting it in his sights, Piesik is ready to take on one of the hardest road races in the world: the 129th Boston Marathon.
“My mom was a big inspiration in my distance running pursuits,” Piesik said. “She has run seven Boston Marathons and countless marathons, so it was a goal of mine since I watched her do it many years ago.”
His mom won’t be running alongside him this year, but it’s not out of the question for the future. Piesik said the seven-time Boston Marathon veteran traveled to the city to watch her son participate, a full-circle moment for both of them.
“I hope soon I’ll run it with her, but her coming to watch is just as good,” Piesik said.
This year’s race has been a long time coming for Piesik. As he prepares for his third marathon, the distance runner is no stranger to the training required for this level of event.
“It’s pretty rigorous,” Piesik said. “My first marathon I ran, I did not get the qualifying standards, so sort of had to go back to the drawing boards, figure out what I did wrong. [I] learned a lot of lessons from my first marathon and really [tried] to get it in my second one. I was lucky enough to do that.”
For each marathon he participates in, Piesik undergoes a five-month training cycle, complete with a ramp-up period, peak session and taper-out phase.
But the Boston Marathon is its own beast, an unrelenting, hilly course stretching from the town of Hopkinton to Boylston Street in Boston.
“My mom and friends and family that are marathoners have been great and giving me tips about how to handle the logistics of a race like this, which is super helpful because there’s a lot to think about,” Piesik said.
Most notably, the 83-foot elevation gain across 600 meters at Heartbreak Hill in Newton has long been a struggle for runners, but Piesik has tailored his training to prepare for the specifics of what lies ahead of him come April 21.
“I went out a couple of times to train the hills, specifically,” Piesik said. “So I think that’s huge, just understanding what I’m in for. And then I will be bringing some extra fuel, running goos and stuff, to help me through it because I think I’ll need it. It’ll be hard on me, and I’ll be burning a lot of energy.”
Although distance running is an individual event, support is what helps many runners go far, and the Maine native has no shortage of it, with friends and family coming to Boston to run the race alongside him or cheer him on from the sidelines.
“I have a handful of friends here that are running it, so I’ve been doing training runs with them and a lot of people who aren’t running Boston but are running casually or even competitively that I’ve been out and about training with,” Piesik said. “It makes the winters go by a little bit faster.”
Between physical exertion, dietary changes and a strict timeline, preparing for the Boston Marathon is hard for any runner, but especially one like Piesik who must simultaneously balance a busy college schedule.
Piesik explained that it’s difficult to incorporate distance running into his schedule with other aspects of being a full-time Northeastern student, including classes, co-op and social activities.
“It’s quite hard to balance,” Piesik said. “I find getting my runs done in the morning helps. There’s no really good way to do it. You do have to make some sacrifices.”
However, the sacrifices seem to have paid off. In the final days before the race, Piesik is taking the time to rest up and enjoy the perks that marathon weekend brings.
“It’s my senior year, it’s Boston, it’s a fun event,” Piesik said. “So [I’m] trying to get out to the expos and the different events that brands are holding and spending time with friends around the city.”
Piesik will be one of more than 30,000 athletes competing in the 129th Boston Marathon April 21. This year, participants will flock to Boston from 128 countries, bringing together a global community of hardworking runners.
“You can really do anything if you set your mind to it and make it a big goal, and you do all the things that you need to do,” Piesik said. “Marathon running, it’s pretty accessible, but also it takes a lot of effort and thought.”
