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I worked for 6 years to get my BQ, so when I was listening to the @aliontherun1 podcast earlier this week and @localelite mentioned "instant gratification", my first thought was to give myself a pat on the back for sticking with my big goal for all those years and not expecting it to happen overnight. Later that evening, I had an “aha” moment and realized that while I didn’t fall victim to it in the marathon, I’ve been subconsciously expecting instant gratification as I try to make a change in distance for the summer. Sharing an update on my summer of speed and strength work today on the blog if you'd like to read more (link in bio). . . . #blog #runchat #runnersofinstagram #instantgratification #speedwork #strength #summerofspeed #run

5K training meant I got to hit the track today for speedwork! 16 200’s later and I can feel that lactic acid buildup creeping in 😬 if there ever was proof that marathon training kills speed - this was it. In high school I used to run the 2-mile race under 12 mins and today I was running 200s near that pace. It doesn’t mean I’m out of shape, I’m just in long distance shape, not track shape. But I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself thinking that I was once able to keep this up for a full 8 laps straight and today 42-45 seconds was good enough for me. Don’t get me wrong, I’d much rather be on an hour long tempo run or fartlek because that’s just always how my body has been wired, but the track holds a lot of special memories for me as it’s where I first found running. I always have a lot of flashbacks to good memories when I’m on the track - today I was remembering the first time I broke 12 mins in the 2-mile and having a lot of family and friends there to watch. I know I’m a different runner now than I was all those years ago, but it’s kind of fun to take a walk (or run) down memory lane this summer and see just how close to those old times I can get...🤔 . 1.5 up @ 8:22 pace 8x200 @ 42-45, 200 recovery between 800 meters easy 8x200 @ 42-45, 200 recovery between 1.5 down @ 8:20 pace . . #track #speedwork #speed #5K #summerofspeed #tracktuesdsy #runnersofinstagram #runnergirl #chicagorunner

Today’s #medalmonday goes out to @jimmybwrc who ran over an 8-minute personal best in the marathon at Grandma’s! Jim and I have been friends for a couple years now; he was one of the first people I met when I relocated back to Chicago and was looking for a training group and he and his wife, @ackowals1177, welcomed me with open arms. When Jim asked me to coach him to his goal at Grandma’s last December, I was honored and excited. . Jim was coming off of an injury in the Fall and took several weeks off of no running. We had some work to do building back his fitness after the time off but also doing so safely so as not to bring back the shin pain. He gave himself time to get to a big goal and respected where he was starting from. . Over the next 6 months, I would see Jim work his butt off going towards his goal and growing not only physically but mentally. The change in his belief in himself and his abilities was amazing to watch. He also became so in tune with his body and communicated with me when any nagging pain in his shin popped up. It normally just required a couple days off or of easy running to clear it up but allowed him to then continue training at a high level. . When we got to Grandma’s though, he was ready. And while I can say I helped get him there, that doesn’t speak for the hundreds of supporters that he had along the way, the biggest of which was his wife, Amanda. It was inspiring to see a husband and wife duo supporting each other, and I admire her courage to stay happy and supportive of Jim as he grew stronger while dealing with her own injury. . At Grandma’s, Jim toed the lining knowing that he was in shape and ready to chase down his goal. He ran some of the most consistent splits I’ve seen in my life. Seeing him cross the line in 3:44:59 was icing on the cake and he hauled across that line in his fastest mile of the race to get there. I’m so proud of you and all of your hard work this cycle, Jim. Thank you for trusting me with your training and learning to trust the process; I can’t wait to see what new goals you’ll chase after next, but first, lots of recovery 😊

For the first time in 2 months, I finally am excited about the marathon again and I think it’s all thanks to many of you who ran Grandma’s yesterday. I wasn’t looking for inspiration, there’s plenty of that in this community, but something about the performances yesterday lit a fire in my heart that hasn’t been burning for a little bit. . Take @sugarruns who made her sub-3 goals and training so public. Yesterday didn’t end up being the day she had dreamed of but her perspective was so spot on. When you’re chasing a huge goal that’s harder than anything you’ve ever done before, many things are out of your control. Seeing someone go after something that was made so public is inspiring to me and I have no doubt she’ll be back working hard towards that goal this Fall. . Then there’s @macamaccc who had one of the most unique training cycles I’ve seen and who finally had the chance to show what she was capable of after injuries that honestly just weren’t fair. Seeing her nail workout after workout was so fun but I think what was so cool to see was how much confidence she had in herself during this cycle. Not the cocky kind of confidence, she’s not one to brag, but the kind of confidence that comes with doing hard things and learning to trust the process and believe in yourself. I love seeing kind, hard-working people succeed and Marissa’s pretty much the epitome of that. . And finally, my friend and athlete @jimmybwrc. I don’t want to say too much today about Jim because tomorrow’s post is all about him 😜 but to see him come back from a stress reaction in the Fall to working his butt off to get healthy, back in shape, and then to run over an 8 minute PR was incredibly special and I feel lucky to have gotten to be a part of his journey over the last 6 months. As a coach I got to see the good times and the bad, but what was the most special to me was to see his belief in himself grow over the last few months and honestly the sky is the limit at this point and I’m excited for him to set new goals. . I feel luck to have met so many amazing people in this community and to be able to learn from so many of you along the way. It means more than words can describe 💙

Original caption: Flying into the weekend like ⬆️ Actual caption: The Claw 🖐🏼 (Toy Story anyone??) Had so much fun out on the track today doing some drills and quick strides. Form with sprinting can obviously use some work but I think today was my body’s way of saying it’s ready to push the pace again and I’m pretty excited about that because it’s been a minute (read: 2 months). Hope you all have a great weekend ahead! I’m hoping mine will be filled with more miles and smiles; oh and carbs. Because everyone loves carbs. 🍕 🍻 #runnersofinstagram #runnergirl #run #track #speedwork #strides #runlove

This past week has shaken the Chicago Northwest Suburban running community. First, a 27-year old man sexually assaulted a woman walking on the Poplar Creek Trail. This weekend, while hundreds of runners were setting off for their first long run of the Chicago Marathon training cycle, a man out for a walk was beaten and robbed by two men in Busse Woods. It was 7 a.m. in broad daylight. I run in Busse Woods nearly every week. Poplar Creek is only a short drive from my house. The news angers me, but although this might be an unpopular opinion...it’s not going to stop me from running alone. I’ve seen dozens of posts from friends and family saying, “stay out of the forest preserve” or “only run with others”. I get it. It’s a natural response to fear. But I refuse to give up something I love because of some sick freaks that try to ruin the sport for us. In my mind, if I give into the fear, it means they’ve won. So what can I do? I run with my mace. I run with my phone. I run in daylight. I share my location at all times with my husband on GPS. I’ve taken a self-defense class within the last year and will take another one to refresh my skills. Heck I would even start running with an actual weapon before I would ever consider giving up what I love. Running alone is my sanctuary. It’s not that I don’t like running with people, it’s ok every once in awhile, it’s that running for me is so much more than just a form of exercise. It’s where I feel most alive, where I destress, where I do my best thinking, and when I feel my strongest. I am smart where and when I run and sadly I avoid forest preserves more often than I’d prefer, but I will keep running solo and being vigilant. I refuse to let anyone take that from me. Some might call it reckless, but I think it’s living without fear. It’s ok if you disagree - I respect that, but there are many things that will be taken from us in life and as much as I can control it I will not let running be one of those things for me.

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