Time: 2:38:55
Place: 36
Age: 29
Affiliation: unattached
Runners Feed: Take us through a typical day of your life
5:40am Alarm goes off
6 am get out of bed
6:30-7 Get ready for run, check emails, drink a mug of tea
7-8:30ish Run #1
8:45 am Breakfast- typically gluten free oats or gluten free oat pancakes
9:00am- Plan days clients
9:45am- Leave for work (first stop grocery store, then client’s house)
11am- Cook for my first personal chef client of the day
1pm- Finish up client #1
1:30pm- Lunch at home. Huge salad with Udo’s oil, sauerkraut, sweet potato, veggies and some protein
2pm- personal chef client #2
4pm- Finish client #2
4:30pm- Run #2, usually an easy run
6pm- start dinner
7pm- eat dinner with boyfriend Nathan after he gets home from work
7:30-9:30- read, watch movies, play bananagrams with Nathan
10pm- bedtime
Photo Credit: Larry King
RF: Do you work full or part-time while training? If so, what do you do? If not, what has kept you afloat while you pursue your dream?
I work full time running my own personal chef company Fast Foodie. I provide healthy, home cooked meals for health conscious but busy people, many of whom have special dietary needs. I love my job and it is fun to be able to do something I am passionate about as my job. The only downside is that it is a lot of time on my feet (but the ultra runner in me sees this as added training!)
RF: How has having a Gluten Intolerance changed your life, and what advice would you give to those who struggle with eating gluten free?
Going gluten free 5 years ago finally alleviated the painful symptoms I had be living with my whole life. It freed me up to train harder and have more energy instead of having my body be fighting a constant battle with itself. I use to get sick all the time, now it is much more rare.
The best advice I can give to people who go gluten free is: eat real food and learn to cook. It is much easier to avoid gluten if you avoid packaged products. Gluten and wheat are not always listed in obvious ways and are included in so many products there is a constant danger. If you eat real food, you don’t have to worry about it. Learning to cook is essential as well because then you know what you are putting into your food.
RF: Describe your 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials experience
It was such an adventure. I wrote a full blog about the entire race so I will keep it short. I arrived in Houston on Thurday afternoon and did my best to lay low before the race. It was really cool being surrounded by so many incredible athletes. I really felt out of place though since I am and see myself as an ultra runner first and that marathon is a distance I am just learning. I didn’t necessarily feel like I fit in.
My biggest goal was to enjoy the entire experience and stay present for it. I tried to soak it all in as much as I could. Coming in, I didn’t really have a time goal and planned to see how I felt as it unfolded. After the gun went off and we made it through the weirdly paced first few miles, I fell into a group of about 15-20 women who were running about 2:35 pace. I felt really comfortable at that pace and it was nice being able to utilize the group to help pull me along at that pace and not think about it.
After the first loop, I took off my watch and threw it to the crowd. I wanted to run by feel and try to stay within myself. I knew I would want to push it at the end, so I decided that through the second loop I should stay comfortable. I went through the half way mark in just under 1:18, which is a PR. I felt comfortable, no pain but a bit tired. I think my energy stores were low from being sick the week before. The group had largely broken up, so I was into the wind on my own. There were still others around, but no more pack.
The race seemed to go by in a blur like I knew it would. I kept taking GU with every bottle and took a Vespa Ultra concentrate at mile 19 and just kept being steady. Around mile 21, I knew it was time to start pushing it a bit and take advantage of my endurance. Coming from an ultra running background, it means when miles 20+ start rolling around I am finally feeling warmed up! I started picking people off and smiling the whole way. I dropped my pace a bit quicker and reeled a bunch of ladies in.
Heading into the last mile and a half I was just about 1/4 mile behind Colleen De Reuck so I hauled ass trying to catch her. When I hit the mile 26 marker I started crying and smiling so huge at the same time. I was happy I was wearing my Rudy Project sunglasses to hide my face. I sprinted to the line (3 seconds behind Colleen) for 36th place and a 2:38:55. A 4 min PR! It was an incredible day. I felt like I ran within myself and showed that in the last year since I decided to focus on the marathon, I have only started to see what my true potential is at the distance.
RF: Were you satisfied with your performance?
Absolutely! A 4 min PR on the biggest stage there is other than the Olympics! Heck yeah. And I am also satisfied because I felt comfortable the whole way. I see now what I need to do to continue to improve and get better. Most important for me was that I enjoyed the entire day and the experience and I was fully present for it.
RF: What would you attribute your success to?
Specific training. This (or should I say last, 2011!) year is the first time I have really pursued the marathon as a primary focus since I became a competitive runner. I started running ultras barely a year after I ran my first marathon, so I never really tried to see what I could do. My PR at the start of last year was a 2:49 from 2008 CIM which I ran 3 weeks after the World Championships in the 100k. Marathons were always an afterthought or a training run. So this past year, I made them my primary goal (though I still ran 4 100k races and a few other ultra distance events) and therefore trained for the distance. The biggest additions to my training was speed work, both on the track and tempo work. I really focused on intensity in my training since my endurance is really good. Plus, we slept in a Hypoxico altitude tent all year. We actually got the tent because my boyfriend did a race at high altitude, but it definitely helped in our training and adaptation.
RF: What is on tap for the spring/summer?
I am going to continue to try and develop my speed, running some shorter more intense races (like 10ks & half marathons). I am also going to use my speed to race hard in two fast road ultras- Two Oceans and Comrades. These races are in South Africa and are very fast/competitive. I use to live in Cape Town, so I am super stoked to go back and race these hard!
Share an inspiring/funny/fascinating Olympic Trials story
As I mentioned, I primarily do Ultra/trail running and so my biggest goal for the race was to represent that contingent well and show that ultra runners are not slow, plodding, or without talent. When I crossed the finish line, I took a few deep breathes then I felt fine. Then I did a little happy dance and exclaimed “first ultra runner!!” One volunteer saw me and said “you look way too fresh!” And I told him that I was use to running another marathon after this one plus 10 more miles in my normal races!
Rapid Fire
In 1 word describe your approach to the race: adventure
Rate the crowd support out of 10: 7
What besides water fuelled you throughout the race? Gu and Vespa
Who proved to be your #1 fan today? My boyfriend Nathan, Mom, Sister and her boyfriend Steven!
Can we expect to see you gunning for the 2016 Olympic Marathon Trials? Absolutely
In 1 word describe your emotion when you crossed the finish line: Triumphant
TRUE or FALSE
I executed my race plan. True
I hit the wall. False.
I had fun! Totally True
I will do my best to make it to the start line of another OT race. True
I will take a week or more off running. False, I ran this morning.
