Maria Chevalier on 48 Marathon States, Running Double Boston, and Doing Hard Things Anyway

Maria Chevalier has run a marathon in 48 states, finished the Boston Marathon 17 times, and a few weeks ago ran it twice in the same day, starting at 3 a.m. in reverse from Boston to Hopkinton, resting for a few hours, and then lining up with everyone else for the actual race. 52.4 miles total.But the distance is almost beside the point. What makes this conversation worth listening to is how Maria thinks about hard things and why she keeps choosing them.She's navigated four wrist reconstructions that ended her music career before it fully started. Nine DNFs at Vermont 100 before finally finishing on the tenth try. A medical history that took away choices she thought were hers to make. And through all of it, she kept finding a way to keep moving forward.This conversation goes deep and is a must listen!Topics covered:How running found Maria after she couldn't make the team in any other sportWhat drew her to the 50 States and why she's two away from finishingWhy road marathons and trail ultras attract fundamentally different peopleThe dashboard effect — why people share their most vulnerable things on long runsHer DNF at Vermont 100 at mile 65 and quietly finishing her first hundred in Boulder months laterNine DNFs at Vermont before finishing on attempt number tenWrist reconstructions that ended her path to a music careerLearning she couldn't have children and how she found her way through itWhy she stopped listening to people telling her what she couldn't doWhat she told her surgeon in the pre-op room that says everything about who she isThe Gap and the Gain — looking back at progress instead of forward at the gapHow Double Boston came together with Mount to Coast and the Trail Animals Running ClubWhat it felt like to start a marathon at 3 a.m. and feel fresh enough to run another oneWhat's coming up: Vermont 100, Manchester Monadnock 55, and the final two statesThis episode is supported by:Precision Fuel & Hydration - Dial your fueling in this year. Use code “LONGRUN26” for 15% off your first order at www.precisionhydration.com.Boulderthon - Our favorite Colorado race event with a variety of distances. Use code FTLR2026 for $20 off the marathon or half marathon when you register at www.boulderthon.org.Tifosi Optics - If you've been curious, now's a great time to try them. Head to tifosioptics.com and use code FTLR2026 to tell ‘em i sent you!Eternal - The app I've been waiting for is finally here. Your labs, your wearable, your training, all in one place that actually does something with it. Download Eternal Health in the app store at eternalhealth.app.Vacation Races - The Rocky Mountain Half and 5K in Estes Park, Colorado this August. Run both and earn the Elk Double. Use code FTLR when you register at vacationraces.com.