Caitlin Chrisman is dedicated to the sport of running and has been since she ran her first mile race in middle school. Chrisman to this day is so grateful to the sport for all of the places that it takes her, the people that she meets, and the success that fuels her. The Charlotte Running Club that she co-founded was started as a way of giving back and she commits a lot of her free time to this passion and project. Food is a very important part of Chrisman’s training regimen, and she admits that her dedication to the sport, and struggle with iron deficiency often demands that dinner includes a whole bag of spinach.
Runners Feed: Take us through a typical day of your life…
Caitlin Chrisman: Since I’m an old soul at heart, I’ll start with what time I eat dinner: between 5:30 and 6PM. This means that I eat dinner earlier than my own parents and my Grandma, but I don’t care. Dinner always features an entire bag of spinach. Popeye would be proud! Such an early dinner time ensure that my early morning run will go as planned without any stomach aches. Lately, after dinner I’ve been really busy. I either take dance lessons with my boyfriend, attend Charlotte Running Club board meetings, or author and edit pieces of the Charlotte Running Club newsletter. I’m the Vice President and co-founder of the Charlotte Running Club, so any free time I have is dedicated to the Club. In the rare event that I don’t have any plans, I read a good book and throw fake mice around for my cat to play with. Sometimes, I really do think I would make a great cat lady! Twice a week, I do some light lifting and other supplemental band exercises to keep my legs strong, in hopes of preventing injury. The goal is always to be in bed between 930 and 10PM so that I can get at least 8 hours of sleep. I get up between 5:15am-6:00am most days so that I can do either a workout or a run with members of the Charlotte Running Club before work. After my run, I always take liquid iron because I’ve struggled with iron deficiency for almost 15 years.
My workout days are Tuesday and Friday with a long run on Sunday. I’ve adapted my run schedule to my work schedule quite well so that my body is accustomed to the early morning runs with a headlamp before the sun has even risen. There isn’t a single run that I do solo during the week because I always have someone to keep me company.
CC: I guess I should talk some about my full-time job at the Bank of America since my salary pays for all of my expenses related to running. I’m fortunate enough to live within 1 mile of Bank of America Corporate Center, which allows me to walk to work every day. At work, I’m typically in a cubicle from 830-5PM, acting as a Project Manager to help improve the technology processes within my line of business. So my legs don’t cramp up, I walk around the floor every couple of hours and try to walk 15 minutes over my lunch break. Bank of America also allows the flexibility to work from home, so every Friday I get to sleep in a little later since I don’t have to get all pretty for the office. Did I mention that I can work from anywhere? Right now I am working remotely in California so that I can still enjoy some quality time with my family over the winter Holiday. One of the many perks of my job is the never-ending support from senior leadership for me to pursue my running dreams. I am so grateful for a job that not only afford me the opportunity to work remotely but also to achieve a work-life balance that suits my needs.
Obviously, from a financial perspective, Bank of America has kept me afloat to pursue my running dreams, but I’ve also received a tremendous amount of emotional support from friends, family, and members of the Charlotte Running Club. My boyfriend, Garrett, has been instrumental in helping me focus on the little things that really do matter like foam rolling and band exercises. My parents and high school coach came to my debut marathon to cheer for me in Minnesota. My boyfriend’s family made shirts to wear while cheering in Houston. Charlotte has three other women who have qualified for the Olympic Trials Marathon – Meagan Nedlo, Megan Hovis, and Stephanie Pezzullo – and running with each of them has been a treat in itself because of the wisdom and advice that is inevitably shared. The Charlotte Running community has proved to be a full force of positive energy through the Facebook world, offering support through numerous channels. Each and every person who has run with me this year has contributed to the fitness level that I will toe the line with at Houston.
My coach, Mark Hadley, and three sponsors – Bonk Breaker, Honey Stinger, and lululemon athletica – must also be mentioned. Mark’s tailored training program has worked wonders for me. My sponsors ensure that I have the energy bars and gear to get me to the start line with all the necessities.
RF: Who introduced you to the sport of running and what about running do you think has kept you coming back for more?
CC: I was introduced to running when I was 6 years old because my sister ran for the high school cross country team. Our family got really close with the coach, Holda, who would eventually prolong his retirement so he could coach me. Around the same time, my parents started running all the major marathons and the seed was planted that I too could be a runner, just like my sister and my parents. After my first mile race in middle school, I was hooked. I’ve run since middle school and have never looked back. There are so many reasons why I have kept running. Running has taken me to cities I never would have visited, introduced me to people I never would have met, and exposed my own inadequacies that I never would have discovered. Running helps me stay true to myself and to my own values. For me, it’s a form of meditation – it calms my nerves and ensures that I have time for self-inspection. Finally, it’s a social thing. I catch up with my local friends while on a run and not on the phone. It’s the best ever!
Rapid Fire
RF: Socks, or No Socks?
CC: Definitely socks at all times running!
RF: What will you eat the night before?
CC: Breakfast definitely! Oatmeal or “this blueberry walked into a bar” bars from trader joes.
View our list of 2012 Olympic Trials Qualifiers Here
