Written by Grady Brown, Caroline Creekmore, Caleb Harris, Peyton Reeves, and Charlie Stahr
Edited by Jessica MacDougall
It’s Monday, 6:00 AM. Jessica stands in her kitchen, with the world still dark outside. After an English muffin and some peanut butter, she starts to get ready for her day.
Jessica’s not a lifelong athlete, nor born into a running family. Rather, she’s a mom with two jobs. She works as a behavioral analyst for her local school district, along with consulting for two home programs. Her husband, Matt, coaches the Drew University men’s lacrosse team, and her two high-school aged kids have their own schedules, practices, and needs. Jessica’s daily calendar never empties, but finding time to run has been something that makes it all more manageable.
Jessica has lived with anxiety for most of her life. As a mother and a public school teacher, stressors never seem far away. Running started as a way to cope, a way to breathe, think, and reset before walking back through the front door. Over time, that one-mile run turned into two, then three, but again it at the time was just for leisurely fun. A friend mentioned a local half-marathon. She signed up, half curious, half terrified, and in 2014, she crossed the finish line of the New Jersey Marathon’s half on a flat course “Down the Shore.” Over time, she ran more half marathons, in New Jersey, Disney, Nashville, and more.
In 2020, COVID-19 changed Jessica’s entire schedule. Her job shifted online, and she was left with more time that she could fill. Even races became virtual, which she did not participate in. This was when she found consistent training more accessible. She started to run longer and with more intention. A milestone in her marathon journey occurred in 2023 when she signed up for her first major marathon. She would run the New York City Marathon not for glory, but for the National Down Syndrome Society (formerly the LuMind IDSC Foundation), an organization supporting Down Syndrome research. Her first major race, being surrounded by the New York City atmosphere, increased her anticipation, but also her nerves. Halfway through the course, she ran into a unique experience as she saw one of her students holding a sign and cheering her on, which gave her the final push to finish the race.
From First Marathon to Boston Dreams |
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If you have ever met a runner, you know that after the first, there is no backing down. After Jessica ran her first marathon in 2023, she was hooked. Seeing her own progression as a runner became a fulfilling aspect of her life. She doesn't run to chase Olympic Trials and break records, but rather, for her own progression goals and the mental benefits that running gives her. After this first accomplishment, she started to run with a group, the Central Jersey Athletic Club, which allowed her to get out of her comfort zone and meet new people with the same passion.
April of 2024 brought the Jersey City Marathon, which is a pay-to-run race with no qualification needed. Then, later that year, October of 2024 brought her second major, the Chicago Marathon, with her charity being Team Imerman Angels, supporting cancer research, where she has improved her time again and again. Shortly after she PR’d the Philly half, showing true improvement and with this, her next challenge is the Boston Marathon
When it comes to marathon racing, the Boston Marathon is, in Jessica’s words, the “race of all races.” Being the United States’ longest running annual marathon and one of the world’s most recognized racing events means that the entry process is not simple.
Currently, there are only two reliable ways to qualify for entry into the race, which occurs in April, 2026. The more rigorous qualification option is a process which includes running the Boston Athletic Association’s predetermined qualifying time for the candidate’s demographic group on an approved course, but this only approves a player for application. To actually become considered for a spot in the race, candidates must run a recorded marathon time that is 5 minutes faster than their qualifying time. To be guaranteed a spot, the difference increases to an even larger amount, sometimes closer to 7 minutes faster than a demographic’s qualifying time, (according to Runspirited's research on qualifying this year). In Jessica’s case, her qualifying time to be considered would be three hours and 40 minutes, five minutes faster than her demographic’s qualifying time. Although difficult, historically this qualification process has proved necessary because of the sheer amount of runners attempting this grail of a race.
The second way to qualify for the Boston Marathon is for a runner to partner with an approved charity to raise between $7,500 to $10,000 dollars for their cause, and this is the route that Jessica is focusing on. For the last few months, Jessica has been on the hunt for a charity partner to allow her to reach her goal to run the Boston Marathon. However, her search has recently ended in success. Jessica has recently matched with the Kenyan Kids Foundation, an organization helping build schools in Kenya. Partnering with a charity and qualifying for the 2026 race while benefitting an organizations cause at the same time is a dream for many runners, especially Jessica.
The Balancing Act Behind Jessica’s Routine
Marathon runners are infamous for their rigid training routines, and Jessica is no exception. The necessity of optimizing recovery, nutrition, and mindset can best be described as a balancing act. The addition of two full time jobs and two sons in high school speaks to Jessica’s unwavering commitment to her goal of running the Philly Marathon and the Boston Marathon.
One of the main accelerating factors to her running journey early on was getting a coach. This helped her understand pacing, speed sessions, and limits, all of which can be confusing elements for novice runners. She now feels more confident in her self coaching abilities, and may stop using a coach after Philly because she knows her body and limits better. This commitment to deeper understanding of how her body works shows her commitment to her goals and how intentional she is with fuel and recovery.
Any day before a long run, Jessica has perfected her intake of food. 3 days out, she starts to limit veggies and fruits, incorporates more protein and carbs, this including clementines and some berries, and hydrates more often. The day before the long run, she will increase carb and calorie intake. This may include for breakfast a pancake with peanut butter, for lunch a sandwich and fruit, and for dinner sometimes pizza, or even pasta with grilled chicken and rice. The morning of, she will eat carbs and a bit of protein 1.5 hours before start time, most of the time being an English muffin with peanut butter or a bagel with butter and a banana. She will also balance that with water and even some cranberry juice to help with the sugar intake.
During the run, her fueling is deliberate and disciplined. Gel blocks every four miles, three to four at a time, paired with steady hydration from the water bottle she carries. She will also bring a granola bar just in case, which can be seen in the image, along with salt tabs during the summer months for heavy sweating. After the race, she will grab some snacks that are at the finish line, but usually is not even hungry until later in the day.
But nutrition is only half the battle. Prehab and recovery are the counterweights that keep her running consistently. Twice a week, she visits a friend’s OT/PT/chiropractic practice, where she gets shockwave therapy on her hamstrings, scraping (her personal favorite), laser treatments on her knee, routine compression boot usage, massage gun work, and guided stretching. With a slightly temperamental hamstring, this maintenance keeps her able to train at all.
Recovery continues at home, too. As highlighted in a recent Sharp Health News article on the rising use of compression boots among athletes, these tools can help reduce post-workout swelling and support faster recovery, which is exactly why Jessica relies on them during her busiest training weeks. After long workdays, she’ll sit with her kids, unwind with a Netflix show, and slip into her compression boots to flush out whatever lingering fatigue still remains. It’s one of the few moments in her schedule where rest feels intentional rather than squeezed in, and of course, time she can spend with her family.
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Where Mission Meets Marathon: Jessica × Wears Woody |
Wears Woody champions people like Jessica. Their quality apparel is one thing, but the company’s drive to help people like Jessica reach their personal goals prevails over all else.
Jessica’s connection with Wears Woody began in an unexpected way. Her son, an elite lacrosse player on one of the top 10 teams in the country and committed to Quinnipiac Division I, was playing in a major tournament in the Maryland/Delaware area. The sidelines were lined with merch tents from many sportswear brands, as well as Wears Woody. It was WW’s coastal color palette and laid-back surfer aesthetic that immediately caught Jessica’s attention. When she stopped by the tent, she noticed the brand’s Type 1 Diabetes messaging, and as someone who has supported many charities in the past as a runner this is something that really stood out to her.
Half-joking, she asked Mike Brennan, founder and CEO of Wears Woody, “Do you guys sponsor runners?” To her surprise, he didn’t shut the idea down. Wears Woody has never sponsored a runner before, but became an exciting moment to tap into a new market. After learning that Jessica had never run the Boston Marathon but dreamed of it, he handed her his card and encouraged her to follow up. And just like that, she became a sponsored athlete, blending her marathon journey with Wears Woody’s mission in a way none of them saw coming.
Wears Woody’s apparel has quickly woven itself into Jessica’s running identity. Not just as branded gear, but as functional pieces she integrates into her highest-volume training weeks. WW sent her a small kit to try out, which included a performance running shirt, a visor, a sweatshirt, and a long-sleeve hoodie. The Sunstreaker Dri-Fit Visor has proven itself as an essential part of Jessica’s kit. She’s become known in her community as the visor girl. The look has become part of her unofficial brand. Friends spot her at races by the silhouette, and even her kids joke that she’s never seen without one. Wears Woody’s visor seamlessly reinforces that identity while aligning with the brand’s bold, coastal aesthetic.