Highlighting the successes of our awesome Runcoach athletes
Corie Smith
Favorite sport: Marathon
Major milestone: Reduced per-minute pace and injury rate!
What is the secret to your success? Runcoach, cross training and proper fueling. I've also weaved in Shaklee Pure Performance supplements to help build core nutrition!
What is the biggest obstacle to reaching your goals and how do you get over it? Available time seems to be my biggest struggle. Runcoach has given me a longterm view of training schedule and even helped move schedules around to meet family and work demands.
What is the most rewarding part of training? For sure it's exceeding my target pace for the duration of the run!
What advice would you give to other members of the runcoach community? What and how you fuel is just as critical as sticking to the schedule! Consistency is the key to success! After running 2 marathons with programs I found online, I was introduced to runcoach via Marine Corp Marathon. Training with the runcoach app, the community of runners and coaches was the accountability I needed to stay motivated through the many months of training. I knew at that point I would always train for marathons using runcoach!
Jason Gordon
Favorite Sport: running
Major milestone: Since my first marathon 5 years ago, I've taken nearly 60 minutes off my finish time. The first time, I crashed and burned to a 4:15 finish. Last fall, I ran 3:23. I wouldn't have thought it was possible for a 45-year old. Conventional wisdom seems to dictate that middle age is when we should ease off of the throttle. I feel like I still have room for improvement. I look forward to seeing who is right.
What’s the secret to your success? Consistency and drive. As cliche as it sounds " just beat yesterday" is always my mindset. Run everyday your supposed to, know your limitations, and work hard to achieve the goals you set.
What’s the biggest obstacle and how do you get over it? Injuries are the biggest obstacle I face. Every training cycle I've completed has taught me something about what I shouldn't do.
What’s the most rewarding part of your training? It's hard to say that achieving a new PR takes a backseat to anything else, but since races are few and far between, I get the most positive feedback from long threshold efforts.
What advice would you give to other members of the runcoach community? Trust the training. Do the work exactly as it is assigned and you will see the benefits within a few weeks. Enjoy the process as much as possible. The long hard training session will wear you down either way. Embrace it, you've earned it. Besides, a rest day is right around the corner. The Runcoach process will make you a stronger runner, period.
Have a running story to share? Click here for details.
Julia Neilson
Favorite Sport: Running
Major milestone: After 4 years of running, I have a half-marathon PR of 1:36:10, and a 10-K PR of 42:25. But I'm not done here!
What's the secret to your success? Consistency! And big dreams :-)
What is the biggest obstacle and how do you get over it? When an injury hits, patience proves to be a virtue. Rest, sleep, good food, water, cross training, strength and core work and deep tissue massages help as well.
What is the most rewarding part of your training? The joy of racing well.
What advice would you give to other members of the runcoach community? Stick to your plan! Trust your plan but also listen to your body whilst keeping your long term goals in mind. It's better to go easy and rest than pushing those shin splints through a hard workout. Keep your easy days easy so you can run your hard days hard.
Follow Julia's running adventures on her blog, karmly.com. On Twitter and Instagram: @GetKarmly.
Have a running story to share? Click here for details.
Mark is a lifelong runner who got his start in high school and continued to run competitively in college. He ran his first marathon in 1968 and has run 56 total marathons. Mark found runcoach in 2015 through the Detroit Marathon. Mark’s most recent finish was 3:30:19 at the Detroit Marathon where he placed first in the 60-64 year age group! He recaps his experience at Detroit and his approach to training below.
Mark’s Background:
Race Day:
With temperatures near 36° the morning of the race, I was concerned that the marathon would be brutal. Luckily there was virtually no wind which is really good for the marathon. The light snow flurries added something to talk about. The gun went off and after about a mile and a half I settled into a hard comfortable pace. On the return to the US (editor’s note – The Detroit Marathon cross into Canada for a portion of the race), I didn’t expect such a warm tunnel. Another thing to worry about, I was afraid that I would be cold getting back outside. It wasn't bad. My workouts gave me the confidence and strength that I could hold the pace, but you're never sure. To my surprise, I continued at the same pace beyond 22 miles. This was my 56th marathon, my 32nd since turning 50 and I still fear those last several miles. Although my legs were still doing pretty well, I started losing focus. I walked through a water stop and when I saw others walking up a hill, it looked like a good idea. I walked about 20-30 seconds up the hill. I never did get back on my pace, but was pleased with my run. Maybe next time I’ll fight the urge to walk.
Editor’s Notes: We think Mark’s perseverance and resolve are awesome. The fact that he walked through a water stop late in the race is a successful trait that we’ve observed even at the highest levels. Mark’s commitment to the sport and his health is a great example and we wanted to share it with all of you.
