Run717Coaching

Teresa showed what running community is all about. This weekend she paced the 4:50 group in Fargo, her first time pacing a full marathon. Yes, she checked off another state in her 50 state quest, but this one wasn't about her.

In the middle of a heatwave, she chose to give her miles to others- steady, calm, encouraging. Not every race is for ourselves and I love that my athletes give back through pacing, volunteering, timing, and lifting others up. Teresa did exactly that.

Do you use pacers when you race? It can be helpful for some!

Another 5k - another PR.

Back in December Nicole made a big goal - run a 5k without walking. Not only did she do this - she ran a PR of 30:54! This is a two minute PR!

In her words.... "Thinking back to where I was this time last year all the hard work I've been putting in is truly showing through. I never thought I'd be where I am today!"

Nicole, this makes me excited for where you'll be tomorrow!

This picture captures joy. The joy of showing up, working hard, and the joy of a TWENTY MINUTE PR.

On a tough trail half marathon course, she powered through climbs, flew through the descents (or maybe slid through the mud....) and snagged 2nd in her age group.

We joked post race:
"The climbs hurt during the race, and the descents hurt after."

Totally worth it. Great reminder to all of us - get out there and have fun!

Maile has run four marathons since Labor day- including Boston- on two different continents. She just added Cape Town to this list.

But here's the truth: she's burned out. No big goals, no pressure.. just get it done. And that's okay. Another continent, another marathon checked off. But there's always a cost- mental fatigue, physical fatigue, and the emotional weight of constant training.

I'm incredibly proud of her toughness but now it's time to recover, refocus, and figure out how to make running fun again. When she's back, we'll sit down and talk about what's next. Maybe a trail race, maybe a track meet. Maybe chasing a 5k PR. Not sure yet but we'll figure this out together.

Before coaching, I was a music teacher. My goal wasn't to create professional musicians- it was to build a lifelong love of music. Coaching is the same. I'm not trying to create professional athletes... I'm trying to build lifelong athletes. And sometimes that means marathons every year. Sometimes it means changing things up.

Let me know if you are feeling burned out. Maybe I can help.

How many of us have dealt with shin splints? It is a frustrating injury- you feel a fit, you want to train, but pain keeps you from going all in. Balancing running with recovery is tough and Johnny knows that better than anyone.

He's been battling shin spoons for a couple of weeks. We tried reducing the training load... Still an issue. We switched strategies: Total rest, then a light shake out the day before the race. Shins felt good.

He showed up and didn't panic.
He trusted the plan and ran with confidence.
He ended up running a PR- 18:51- and won his age group.

The PR is awesome but honestly? I'm most excited that his shins were pain free. We're about to start training for a fall marathon and you can't build a marathon block on injured legs. We'll keep watching it, we'll keep doing the exercises, but right now I think we're good to go.

Do you have a nagging injury and you're not sure how to proceed? Send me a message, perhaps I can help.

* Just to be completely transparent, this picture is from a different race. He was focused on running fast, not on getting a selfie post race :)

Teresa M is rolling. Fresh off of a strong Boston performance, she jumped right back into recovery and prep to pace the Fargo Marathon this coming weekend. Sunday she got in her long run... And then decided last minute to hop into the York Gold Star Memorial 5K.

Tired legs? Yes.
Solid race? Absolutely.
Age group winner? You bet.

Do I love when my athletes race the day after a long run? Not really. But the sport isn't only about perfecting training cycles, it's about remembering our why. Connection. Joy. Community. Fun.

Could she have run faster without the long run? Sure. But sometimes the win is choosing joy.

Do you need to find some joy in your running? Message me to see if I can help.

Huge congratulations to Heather H and her amazing performance at the local 10k. She got on the podium!

Going into the race she had a couple of goals. The first was to finish the race, the second was to beat last year's time. Not only did she accomplish this - she finished 3rd overall!

The day after the race Heather had a recovery run, and she mentioned to me how much better she felt compared to last year. This is a sign that she was well prepared and stronger.

Way to go Heather!

A PR at age 69.

Colleen M. Ran the York half marathon in 217 this weekend and took second place in her age group.

When we talked about her goal, we knew she had to stay focused and hold around at 10:30 pace. She did more than that.... She executed one of the most disciplined races I've ever seen. The most impressive part? Mile 13 was her fastest.

Colleen is proof that improvement doesn't have an age limit.

2 years ago, Heather Miller crossed the Pittsburgh Marathon finish line in 5:54. Last year she came back with a 4:44.

Last weekend.. she ran 3:43.
This wasn't an overnight transformation. It was steady, patient, and relentless consistency.

She doesn't lift twice a week, she doesn't nail every workout, and she doesn't run monster mileage. So what does she do?

She builds smart. We've been able to layer each training cycle on top of the last. We don't lose the fitness that she worked so hard to build.

2 hours faster. 2 years of showing up. Where will you be in two years?

Progress isn't always measured by the clock.

The Pittsburgh Marathon is in the books and this one told a completely different story.

Her first marathon left her barely able to walk for days. This training cycle? Stronger, smarter, and definitely more confident. She learned she thrives on rolling hills, dialed in her fueling using real food for the win, and showed up ready.

Then race week hit... And so did sickness. We almost didn't make it to the start line. After some back and forth conversations, she decided it was really important for her to toe the line. The day before we made the call. Run it but don't force it. Walk-run, keep it controlled, and honor the body.

And she delivered. Even splits despite a tougher second half. Finished strong. And walking normally today.

The time will come, the one that truly reflects her fitness. But this race? This was growth. This was great. This was progress.