Being a freshman at Boston College, Marathon Monday is the day that everyone looks forward to. Although I haven’t experienced a Marathon Monday before, I have gathered information from my older friends and my parents who are BC alum to put together the perfect Marathon Monday morning routine. The day is fun, exhilarating, and cheerful as the BC students gather at mile 21 to cheer the runners on!
1. Wake up EARLY
Even if you’re not a morning person, you have to wake up early on Marathon Monday. No excuses. I would say around 7 am. You have to get in the spirit and prepare for a long but fun day. Hey, at least you don’t have to wake up and run the 26 miles, right?
2. Turn on Music
When I am getting ready for an event, whether it’s going out or just going to dinner, I like to blast music. Music puts everyone in a good mood and sets the tone for the day ahead. For this morning, I am creating a playlist with a mix of current popular songs and also some fun throwback sing-alongs that all my friends can sing and dance to. Some of my recommendations are, “Do It” by Tuxedo, “Body” by Loud Luxury, “The Middle” by Zedd and Maren Morris, “Kill the Lights (with Nile Rodgers)” by Alex Newell, Jesse Glynne and DJ Cassidy, “Like a G6” by the cataracs, “Promiscuous” by Nelly Furtado, and “Nobody’s Perfect” by Hannah Montana. Wake up and dance and sing and you will be wide awake and ready to take on the day.
3. Shower (if needed), Brush Teeth, Wash Fash, Hair, Makeup, (whatever you need to do, do!)
This doesn’t need much explaining, it’s just the essentials for getting ready for the day.
4. The Outfit
The next step is to obviously get dressed; you want to look cute on Marathon Monday but also comfortable because you will be walking a lot and standing for a couple of hours. I recommend wearing sneakers and I will probably wear a BC shirt with gold or maroon colored beads. I want to represent the school but also look spirited! I may cut up my t-shirt a couple days in advance to make it a little more stylish. For t-shirt cutting ideas I always turn to Pinterest or Youtube for easy tutorials. Depending on the weather, I will probably wear shorts or leggings.
5. Food
If I have time, I will run to Dunkin’ Donuts and grab a coffee and a bagel. There needs to be something in my system so I don’t collapse. If I don’t have time to do that I will probably uberEAT a breakfast sandwich or run over to Mac (the dining hall). A breakfast for Marathon Monday is crucial if you want to survive when the runners pass mile 21! Another tip I heard is you could buy bagels the day before and then you have them for the next morning or buy a yogurt and some fruit and stick it in your fridge and that way you have it. I also recommend bringing a granola or protein bar to the marathon just in case you need a quick pick me up throughout the day because no one likes to be around me when I am hangry, so that is just a thought!
6. Invite your friends over or go to their room
The next step is to meet up with your friends, whether that’s going to their room or them coming to yours. I don’t have a roommate this semester so my friends will probably come to mine and we will get ready to leave together by listening to music and sipping on some drinks ;). It’s always fun to go to events with your friends so this would be my last step in my morning routine!
I hope this is a little guide into what my morning routine will look like on April 16! After writing this article, I am now even more excited that the day just needs to come.
Sources: