WEBVTT
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That's kind of the biggest thing that is all the little things.
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Like everything coming together.
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I I don't think there's one secret piece of the puzzle.
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It's just being consistent with all the little things.
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Like lifting regularly, stretching regularly, taking your easy days easy, like everybody says.
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Like making sure that you're absorbing the work the right way.
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Like it's just everything comes together for a marathon.
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Welcome back to Through Their Strive.
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I'm your host, Sam Sutton, and today I'm joined by Tennessee-based marathoner Laura Pett.
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After competing in collegiate cross-country, Laura stepped up to the marathon just one year after finishing her master's degree in 2017.
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She made her debut on the challenging hills of the Atlanta Marathon, where she not only learned the demands of the distance, but how it proved she belonged, running 340 in her first attempt.
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Since then, she's steadily climbed the ranks, qualifying for the Boston Marathon multiple times and lowering her personal best to an impressive 304.
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Now she's chasing the next big milestone, breaking the three-hour barrier.
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But beyond the times and performances, Laura shares what it really looks like to pursue big goals while balancing family, career, and training.
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Through her Instagram at lpet.running, she offers insight into staying healthy, consistent, and grounded while building a strong, engaged community along the way.
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Her story is one of progression, perspective, and enjoying the process as much as the outcome.
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I'm excited for you to hear this conversation.
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So without further ado, let's get into it.
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All right, welcome back to Through Their Stride.
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I'm your host, Sam Sutton, and today I'm joined by Laura Pett.
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And Laura, thank you so much for coming on.
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Thanks for having me.
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Yeah, I think we've uh been following each other on social media for maybe a year now.
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And uh I remember when you had followed me and I followed you back.
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I uh I thought it was cool uh how you like on your social media, you're always asking questions and taking polls on your uh on your stories.
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And I love like all of the feedback you get and like how you share it because I think it's just like a great community tool.
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Yeah, for sure.
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I think that's one of my favorite parts of using Instagram is like communicating with other people and getting their thoughts on things.
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And even if it's just like silly little questions that have nothing to do with running, um, I think it's just a way that people are like, Oh yeah, that I have a favorite vegetable.
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Like, I'll totally uh reply to that.
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And so it's been fun doing this.
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Yeah, I think I saw it was like I think the first one I saw was like favorite ice cream flavor, and I was like, Oh, interesting.
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And then I commented, I don't even remember what I commented, but I was like, and then they kept coming up.
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I was like, oh, this is such a fun little thing.
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So but um, but yeah, so following you, so um, how did you um get it started into running?
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I uh I saw that you've been running some marathons for a while now, but what does your running journey kind of look like?
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Yes, okay, so my running journey has been a long one.
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I've actually been running um since middle school.
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Um, so my mom was a runner, is a runner, I guess.
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Um she was running marathons around the time that like middle school cross country started up.
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Um, and so like her and my dad actually ran track together in college, and that's how they met.
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So it was just kind of a like they did it.
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And so I wanted to try it.
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Um and so I ran um cross-country and track competitively through middle school, high school, and college um before moving up to more of the distances.
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Um, and then in grad school, I decided to tackle the half marathon.
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I was like, that's that's enough, that's still a lot of time and a different race.
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Um, but I wasn't quite ready for the full.
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Um, and so then about a year after I graduated with my master's, I took on the first full.
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And then I have not looked back since, to be honest.
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Yeah.
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Well, uh, so where did you write uh run in college?
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Um, I ran at the University of Tennessee at Martin.
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Um, and it was so at the time it was a strictly cross-country school.
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They have since added a track program, um, but it was cross-country, and then we ran like non-attached for track meets.
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Um, and so it is it is a small school in like the middle of nowhere, West Tennessee.
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Like everybody recognizes it, sister school of UT.
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Um that's kind of like what any connection would have, but it was like in the middle of nowhere.
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Yeah.
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Awesome.
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And uh what was your your college experience like?
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And um uh what was the uh yeah, how was the college atmosphere?
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College was fun.
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Um, I loved I loved being on a team in college.
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I actually ended up meeting my husband in college um running.
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He was on the same team.
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We we had grown up like 30 minutes apart, but we didn't go to the same school.
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Um, and so we ended up running together.
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Long story short, we got married.
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But yeah, the college experience running was a really fun one.
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Um, I started off on just a book scholarship, um, which means I basically got like a$500 scholarship and kind of worked my way up each year to a little bit more.
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So that part was obviously really fun and exciting.
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Um, but just the just being on a college team and being a college athlete was such a fun experience.
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Um because there's there's just so many things that you do with other athletes.
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So like we always like connected with our other athletes in class and they're like, oh yeah, they're an athlete.
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Like that's cool.
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We kind of knew.
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And it was a small enough school to where like you do, like all the other athletes on campus knew, hey, that's an athlete on campus.
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And so that was kind of a fun, fun way to be a college student, I guess.
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Um, especially in like a small town kind of in the middle of nowhere.
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Yeah.
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Awesome.
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Well, cool.
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And then uh, so you stepped in going into uh your master's, uh, you decided to step into the half marathon.
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So what was that experience like?
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And how did you you find the half?
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What made you kind of want to sign up?
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And what was your first half?
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My first half, so I actually took like 10 months off just because of when the program started and when I graduated.
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Um, so I guess my first half was technically before I started grad school.
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Um, but my first half was a really small half at this park near my parents' house that and I want to say it was one of the first years that they had ever done it.
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Um, it was a really tiny, like little out and back, and it was a park that I'd run at all the time.
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Like I ran growing up.
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I ran every summer when I was coming back from college.
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Um, it was just a very familiar course, and so I was like, oh, I'll try it.
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Like I think, and I was trying, I'm trying to remember what long runs looked like.
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Like, I don't know if I had run 13 miles.
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Like we did 10-mile long runs, we did long runs, but for cross country, like the distance is a 5k, so you don't need to like we weren't doing you know that much mileage.
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Um, but I was like, I think I can do this, and it's something different, and I just kind of wanted to pick something different than the 5k that I had been racing years, you know, through high school, through college.
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That was the race distance.
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Um, so I just want to try something new.
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Yeah.
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Awesome.
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And uh uh what did that kind of like spark your your curiosity about continuing longer distances, or how did that kind of happen?
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Yes, um, so I for grad school I kind of said like I am gonna wait on the marathon.
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It was one of those like with my mom running marathons, and actually, so our our high school did like a senior superlative for everybody at the school because it was a small school, and so they put it out in like the class paper, and my senior superlative was most likely to win a marathon.
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And so, right there, like it's like, oh man, like now I'm destined.
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I have to do it at some point, you know, you can't not when that's your senior senior superlative.
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Um, but I had said, like, I want to be done with homework, I want to actually do it right, I want to train the long distances, I don't want to just like jump in and finish.
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I want to actually put the mileage in and do it.
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And so that's kind of why I waited until after I graduated because I was like, I don't want to stack that on top of homework and feel like it's more of a chore.
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Um because that jump is big.
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Like the jump from a half marathon to a full marathon is uh is a big deal.
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Yeah.
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Some people try to say that in like on paper mathematically, you know, that full marathon is two halves, but it's like really no, it's like it's definitely the second half of a half marathon is not the same as the first half.
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No, absolutely not.
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Yeah.
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So um, yeah, that was smart, obviously, to to stop and and to take put your master's degree out in front and like get that done.
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Cause I mean, training for a marathon is almost like a part-time job in and of itself.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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Every time I jump ever oh go ahead.
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Like, I was still running, obviously, but it just would have been so much more trying to do my first one then.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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Well, cool.
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So um, and then getting into the fool.
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So what what fool did you choose and and and why?
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Oh, wait, before I ask that though, is your mom still running marathons?
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She's not still running marathons.
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Um, I don't remember when her last one was.
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Um, and I honestly I need to go back and like figure out what her total count was.
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Um, she actually recently like last, I guess October, she had her second hip replaced.
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So she's had both hip hips replaced.
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Um, so she's just kind of like walk jogging, biking, just doing things to stay active, active.
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That's just more kind of her personality.
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Um, but she hasn't done, she hasn't done a full for a while, but she like she did she did a lot.
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Like when I was in middle school and high school and even in college, like we went, so she did Boston two or three times, you know, she did New York, she she's done a lot.
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So it's yeah, she definitely she wasn't just like a one and done kind of like she had her own marathon journey too.
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So that was kind of where I was like, well, I know where to ask about some marathon advice when I'm ready.
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Yeah, that's awesome.
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My uh my mom was also a big marathoner and she did uh Boston uh back in 1998 and then 2000, 2003 or 2004, I can't remember.
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But um, and then she did Chicago.
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She never did New York, she wanted to, but um, I that's who I caught my running bug from as well.
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Yeah, when you see it, like when you grow up with it and you see that like we, I mean, my dad and my um he would like chase what we would chase my mom around on the course with me and my sister, like it was just we knew like that life.
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And so um it was just it was just kind of part of part of the family.
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Like um, my cousin that's a runner, you know, we just it just is part of it.
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Yeah, definitely.
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Well, cool.
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So and then yeah, so going into your first marathon, which race was your first and how did you choose it?
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Um, and what was that story?
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Um, so my first one I did Atlanta in 2017.
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Um, and I honestly I just chose it for proximity.
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Like anybody that has done Atlanta or seen the Atlanta course, like it is not a fat, like fast, flat course.
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No.
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Um, it's in like the middle, like it's in, I want to say early April, maybe April or March.
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Um but it was a warm day.
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It it was a hilly course.
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Like looking back on it, I'm like, man, my first two honestly were not like set up for success fast marathons.
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Um, but like I said, mainly like chose Atlanta for the proximity.
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It's about three and a half hours from here.
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Um, we like are very familiar, like Braves fans, so like go to the city.
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It was it was just one of those, like a familiar place, but like enough of a trip to get away, but also close enough to drive kind of situation.
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Yeah.
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Yeah, definitely.
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I uh I actually looked into that one.
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Um, I didn't do it, but I looked into it uh earlier for this year, and uh I ended up not doing it just because uh some things had gotten hectic with my personal life and with my mom, but um but I I do want to do it just because I kind of like hilly marathons.
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Like I like the challenge of them.
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So like and I think it's I think it's around March because it's it was around my wife's spring break whenever I was looking into it.
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Yeah, I can't remember if it was April or March because April, like March is big, like March is easier for my work schedule, but a lot of them are in April, and so I kind of remember if it was a March or April.
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Um, but yeah, it was a fun race.
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I mean, and like it was a bit like a big enough race to where there was enough crowdsport, and so that part of it was exciting.
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Um yeah, I just remember it being like slightly hilly for the first one and being like, oh cool, why did I do this?
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Yeah, for sure.
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Um cool.
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So what did make you like think I want to do this again?
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Like, did the race go really well?
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And you were like, let's go, or was it one of those comeback stories?
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Um, I wouldn't say either.
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So I I like I went out.
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The goal for my first marathon was to finish, and I like I really was like, I don't want to set a goal because I've never done this before, so I don't I have no idea.
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Um so my first I ran like a 340.
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Um so I was like, oh cool, sub four, like great.
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Um and so then you start looking at Boston.
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Um that was because I think at the time for me, Boston was like 330.
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And so I'm like, okay, well, 10 minutes is not super bad, you know.
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Like when you first do it, you're like, okay, you start to make those landmarks like after every race.
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Um, and honestly, that's kind of what it's been for me.
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It's just like the chase of something every time I'm like, oh, but I still feel like I can learn more.
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Um, and I between now and my first one, I have learned and changed so much about training um just from running them.
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Um, and so I think that's kind of what brought me back was like, I think I can do more.
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And I think that there's more that I can ask of myself and change and try um to to get better.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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And since then you have uh qualified for Boston, right?
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Have you done it a couple times?
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Yeah, yeah.
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So I technically so I qualified for the first time on my third one, and I think ever since I have, I think every race ever since I have.
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Cool.
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Yeah, so uh um, you know, it's kind of funny to hear like everyone's first marathon stories because like my my first one was like I think six hours and 40 something, maybe six hours fifty.
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I can't remember.
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And that was I similar to you, I chose a very hilly course for the Austin marathon, and uh I didn't know what the heck I was doing, and you know, ate it, uh hit the wall probably around mile 17, and I was like, I'm gonna have to walk this in.
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Yeah, I was probably around honestly, and for my first honestly, for my first two, it was probably around mile 16 or 17, and like a lot of that for me was nutrition.
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Like, I did not looking back, I did not eat enough or drink enough to do to do a marathon like well in my first couple.
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And so I was I'm trying to like I definitely the second like after I hit the wall was like a walk-run method because I was like, I can't, I gotta uh I can't do it.
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Um so yeah, those graphs are probably really crazy because that was very much hitting a wall for me on my first couple.
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Yeah, I think like I think nutrition, I gotta say, nutrition is like the one thing I think for every runner that's the hardest thing to even uh harder than pacing, I would say, because you like you just don't know like like carbs to time ratio and everything.
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Like I was doing like one gel every five miles after the first uh race because I was like, I feel like that's enough, and man, it still wasn't.
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I had to do I'm doing like a gel every half hour now.
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Yeah, it is different, and I like I I think it was one of like my first couple, it was more of that like mid-20s.
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Like, I'm fit, I don't need to take all that.
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Yeah, you still do.
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It doesn't matter how fit you are, your body is still exerting effort for so much time that like it doesn't matter.
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Your fitness can't keep up with that.
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Like, that's not the way the body is made.
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And so I think that was the biggest thing for me was trying to like be like, Well, yeah, you still do, you still do need to eat that though, even though you're fit, it doesn't matter.
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No, yeah.
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Uh, I think it's I heard uh Roy Linkletter on a podcast earlier this week, uh, and he was talking about like him coaching Truett Haynes now, and was like, you know, like uh he was describing fueling as a fundamental of the sport.
00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:12.240
And it's one of those like things where it's like to pro to pro marathoners, that's just how they think of it.
00:17:12.319 --> 00:17:14.079
It's like, oh, it's a fundamental of the sport.
00:17:14.240 --> 00:17:28.640
But for most runners, we're like uh we just it just doesn't click in our mind in that way, but it totally is wild because you're like, yes, all of these pros are doing that, so why does it feel like uh something that everybody shouldn't be doing?
00:17:28.720 --> 00:17:31.119
It doesn't make any sense, but you're right.
00:17:31.599 --> 00:17:31.920
Yeah.
00:17:32.319 --> 00:17:32.799
Well, cool.
00:17:32.880 --> 00:17:41.680
So and since then, I mean, since you've done your first race, you've obviously progressed like pretty pretty well, and you're you're hitting some pretty, some pretty great times.
00:17:41.839 --> 00:17:46.319
And um uh what was like the story of your progression?
00:17:46.480 --> 00:17:52.960
What are some other things that you learned along the way that helped you and what are the some things that you would credit most in your progression?
00:17:53.359 --> 00:17:54.160
Oh, I go.
00:17:54.319 --> 00:17:56.240
I don't know if there's any one thing.
00:17:56.400 --> 00:18:08.160
Um, so what I honestly what I like to do after every marathon is kind of sit with that race and sit with what the cycle looked like.
00:18:08.240 --> 00:18:15.279
Um and so like with the race, like I'll I guess I'll go like based on my one of my like one or two of my most recent.
00:18:15.519 --> 00:18:21.920
Um so based on like I did Chicago last fall, and then the goal, I didn't hit the goal.
00:18:22.079 --> 00:18:23.279
The goal was set three.
00:18:23.440 --> 00:18:30.960
Um, so I kind of took inventory of what I felt like was good in the race and what I felt like was bad in the race.
00:18:31.119 --> 00:18:34.000
Um and in that case, it was like I felt super fit.
00:18:34.160 --> 00:18:35.519
I felt like I could run for days.
00:18:35.680 --> 00:18:42.480
I didn't feel like the cardiovascular was the issue um in that race, but in mile 22, my quads started to hurt.
00:18:42.640 --> 00:18:48.240
So for the next cycle, I was like, okay, let's really be deliberate about your strength training there.
00:18:48.480 --> 00:18:54.160
Um so I kind of like do some form of that after every marathon cycle.
00:18:54.400 --> 00:19:03.599
Um, and so couple, I mean, honestly, every little thing it feels like goes into marathoning, I have changed over the course of the years.
00:19:03.759 --> 00:19:09.039
Like I think my first marathon, I capped out at probably 50 miles a week or something.
00:19:09.200 --> 00:19:17.680
And honestly, for for me, I was a little bit nervous to go above 50 for a long time because in college I um had a little bout of anemia.
00:19:17.839 --> 00:19:22.480
And I once I hit like so many weeks above 50 was when I started struggling with that.
00:19:22.559 --> 00:19:25.359
And so it was just kind of a little bit of a mental block for me.
00:19:25.759 --> 00:19:38.400
Um but then like mileage started to grow, more strength training, better about nutrition, um, just being being intentional about all the little things.
00:19:38.559 --> 00:19:51.359
Um, and because like at this point, like I feel like my time's pretty fast, and so it's hard to like it feels hard to make big drops without doing all of the little things.
00:19:51.680 --> 00:19:57.519
Um, and so I think that's kind of the biggest thing that is all the little things, like everything coming together.
00:19:57.599 --> 00:20:01.200
I I don't think there's one secret piece of the puzzle.
00:20:01.279 --> 00:20:14.000
It's just being consistent with all the little things, like lifting regularly, stretching regularly, taking your easy days easy, like everybody says, like making sure that you're absorbing the work the right way.
00:20:14.160 --> 00:20:17.680
Like it's just everything comes together for a marathon.
00:20:17.920 --> 00:20:18.559
Yeah.
00:20:19.039 --> 00:20:29.519
Well, you said something really interesting there, and I think that's something that like a lot of runners should mimic and and try is taking that inventory after every marathon.
00:20:29.599 --> 00:20:36.400
Like the marathon is not a 5K, like it is not a mile race, it is not even a half marathon.
00:20:36.480 --> 00:21:06.240
Like it takes four months or more of consistent, solid work, and things change, but you adapt to certain, you know, things, and it just it's a lot that happens in those four months to culminate to either a really good race or you know, maybe something that was a a lesson that you need to learn like to be able to take that inventory, write it down, say what went well in this build, what went poorly, what went well in the race, what went poorly, did it correlate?
00:21:06.319 --> 00:21:10.880
Like that is something that like you took on a big project in the marathon.
00:21:11.039 --> 00:21:17.119
You should you should do a little bit of a breakdown before before jumping into the next thing.
00:21:17.599 --> 00:21:18.319
Yeah, yeah.
00:21:18.400 --> 00:21:20.880
I like I think it's honestly, I think it's really helped.
00:21:21.039 --> 00:21:26.720
I mean, I feel really, really proud of the way that my marathon progression has gone.
00:21:26.799 --> 00:21:37.279
And I do think that a lot of that is because of just sitting with each block as its own entity and saying, I was really good at this this cycle.
00:21:37.359 --> 00:21:49.440
Like I really I added yoga this cycle and I felt really good about that, and it made me feel good about these runs, or I did more distance workouts on this cycle, and they're not all gonna be the same necessarily.
00:21:49.599 --> 00:21:59.759
Like I know for me, in in the fall like cycles that lead up to a fall marathon, I do not do as many distance workouts just because it's so hot here in the summer.
00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:06.799
And I just I just don't have the like mental capacity to do one every other week like I do in a winter cycle.
00:22:06.960 --> 00:22:07.920
Um and that's okay.
00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:08.880
Like it's been fine.
00:22:09.039 --> 00:22:11.920
Kind of the heat training take seems to take the place of that.
00:22:12.079 --> 00:22:25.519
Um, but it's just kind of knowing like where certain things need to fit based on your race, based on you know what your goal is, um, just different ways of looking at your past race and using it to move forward.
00:22:25.839 --> 00:22:26.400
Yeah.
00:22:26.720 --> 00:22:27.039
Yeah.
00:22:27.119 --> 00:22:30.240
Well, you said something else there about heat training right now.
00:22:30.319 --> 00:22:31.759
So you live in the south as well.
00:22:31.920 --> 00:22:34.000
I think um you're in Tennessee.
00:22:36.160 --> 00:22:40.799
Yeah, but it's it's still hot in Tennessee, like it gets into the 90s pretty frequently.
00:22:40.880 --> 00:22:56.319
And uh I had uh uh uh gosh, man, I'm drawing uh Adri Ducharm on my podcast uh two weeks ago, and she, you know, she's in Florida with the humidity, and I'm like, us southern runners, I think, are just built different.
00:22:57.119 --> 00:23:01.599
You have to be like you guys, especially like like you mentioned her from Florida and you from Texas.
00:23:01.759 --> 00:23:10.240
Like, we have miserable summers, but like I see y'all on it, and it's like the 75 that I dread in November there.
00:23:10.319 --> 00:23:13.039
And I'm like, well, at least I get a little bit of like down here.
00:23:13.119 --> 00:23:16.079
Like, oh, next week it looks like it's gonna be in the 90s here all week.
00:23:16.160 --> 00:23:21.200
So summer is definitely pretty brutal, but we do get at least some down seasons.
00:23:21.440 --> 00:23:22.640
Yeah, yeah.
00:23:22.799 --> 00:23:33.119
It's uh it's Texas is one of those places where even like all the way up, sometimes even to December, you can still get caught on an 80-degree day, and you're like, what in the world's going on?
00:23:34.079 --> 00:23:35.119
No, thank you.
00:23:35.359 --> 00:23:36.400
Yeah, well, cool.
00:23:36.480 --> 00:23:38.559
So um uh one other question.
00:23:38.640 --> 00:23:40.880
So have you have you broken sub three at this point?
00:23:41.039 --> 00:23:43.279
I think I saw that you had it, but not yet.
00:23:43.519 --> 00:23:43.920
Not yet.
00:23:44.079 --> 00:23:49.440
It is still it is still scratching the surface, and I honestly like I feel like I'm super close.
00:23:49.599 --> 00:23:54.480
Um, I have had officially two attempts, both of them were 304s.
00:23:54.640 --> 00:24:02.319
Um, the Virginia beach cycle was my last marathon, and that was in March, and everything went really well, and everything was shaping up to go.
00:24:02.400 --> 00:24:12.720
And then we had a hot day to race, and so with a winter cycle, um, I was really happy with the performance, but sub three was not there that day.
00:24:12.799 --> 00:24:17.119
Um, so I was like, okay, we're just gonna reboot and go with something different.
00:24:17.279 --> 00:24:21.599
Um, so still scratching to get there, but hopefully soon.
00:24:22.400 --> 00:24:28.480
And I think I I you had posted uh taken a poll actually um a a while back looking for fall marathons.
00:24:28.559 --> 00:24:31.839
And I know I had mentioned one to you, but did uh what did you end up choosing?
00:24:31.920 --> 00:24:33.279
What what are you doing for this fall?
00:24:33.599 --> 00:24:35.599
I am not doing a fall full, actually.
00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:36.640
Oh really?
00:24:37.119 --> 00:24:42.079
Yeah, so instead I'm doing an early one next or next next year.
00:24:42.319 --> 00:24:47.359
Haven't haven't officially announced it yet, but I can say it here if you really want me to.
00:24:47.519 --> 00:24:53.200
Um, but yeah, so actually I'm gonna do a couple of halves and really try to hammer out a good PR there.
00:24:53.519 --> 00:25:05.680
Um honestly, since I started doing the full distance, I haven't trained strictly for a half, and all of my PRs have come like training through in a marathon cycle.
00:25:05.839 --> 00:25:09.279
Um so I'm really excited to just actually focus on the half.
00:25:09.359 --> 00:25:12.960
I have like three lined up, but really two that are to race.
00:25:13.039 --> 00:25:16.880
The other one's a hilly course and just kind of a fun local one that I want to do.
00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:21.039
Um, but the other two I really hope to ham rail a solid half.
00:25:21.119 --> 00:25:29.039
So that's kind of my plan for the fall is just to focus on the half distance, kind of build that base for the early next year sub-3 attempt.
00:25:29.359 --> 00:25:29.759
Nice.
00:25:29.920 --> 00:25:33.440
Yeah, that's uh periodization is very important in training.
00:25:33.519 --> 00:25:41.119
I um I haven't done a half build since probably last winter winter of 2025.
00:25:41.279 --> 00:25:46.400
Uh, and I ended up breaking uh uh 140 for the first time and I did 138.
00:25:46.720 --> 00:25:49.759
And uh, but I do I love periodization.
00:25:49.839 --> 00:25:57.759
Like I was working on breaking 20 minutes in the 5k for the past uh several months, and I ended up doing it in May, so I was pretty stoked about that.
00:25:57.920 --> 00:26:02.240
Yeah, getting to those big goals is so so satisfying.
00:26:02.480 --> 00:26:10.799
Yes, and I love the the side quests outside of the marathon, you know, like half 10k, 5k, because like that's what's gonna raise that ceiling, you know.
00:26:11.279 --> 00:26:16.720
I like said, I have not actually had a half marathon since I started Fools.
00:26:16.799 --> 00:26:20.319
Like, I just kind of will be like, oh, I'll do it as a distance workout.
00:26:20.720 --> 00:26:27.839
But in that, I have done I've probably broken my half PR like three or four times doing that method.
00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:39.920
And so I'm like, man, what could I really, really do if I trained for half, if I tapered for the half, if I actually like didn't hammer like a 70-mile week during the week of the half?
00:26:40.079 --> 00:26:41.279
Like, what would that look like?
00:26:41.599 --> 00:26:44.720
Uh so I am excited to see what that's gonna look like in the fall.
00:26:45.039 --> 00:26:45.519
Awesome.
00:26:45.680 --> 00:26:46.319
Well, fun.
00:26:46.480 --> 00:27:01.440
So yeah, that'll be I'll definitely be uh be following that because um it's always interesting to me when I when a marathoner takes on a shorter distance because I'm like, man, I don't think you have any idea like what you're gonna be capable of at those smaller distances.
00:27:01.599 --> 00:27:06.400
So yeah, it's like I said, it's it's very exciting because I haven't done it this way in a while.
00:27:06.480 --> 00:27:13.039
Like obviously I've run halves, like I've done tons of halves mixed in, but I haven't like truly trained for one in so long.
00:27:13.359 --> 00:27:13.839
Yeah.
00:27:14.160 --> 00:27:14.720
Awesome.
00:27:14.960 --> 00:27:31.920
Well, one of the reasons I wanted to have you on as well is uh one of the things I like about your channel is um you're very like you show a lot of like how you show up for your kids, you know, and for your family outside of just your daily work and your daily marathoning.
00:27:32.079 --> 00:27:42.640
And I think it's a really respectable thing because I think a lot of people can get caught in the up in the weeds of their own goals and kind of start neglecting their own like the things that matter in their lives.
00:27:42.880 --> 00:27:53.680
And uh I made a post about that earlier this week of like you you should push and you should reach for goals that are meaningful to you, but don't lose sight of what you have around you.
00:27:53.759 --> 00:27:55.759
And I think you do a great job of that.
00:27:56.000 --> 00:28:06.799
So um, what is it like, you know, getting into the car, taking your kids to practice, taking your kids to school, you know, working for them while still chasing these big goals?
00:28:07.359 --> 00:28:21.119
Um, so I am very fortunate to have a job that makes me be able to fit the running in at a time where like my son is at daycare, like at pre-K.
00:28:21.759 --> 00:28:24.160
Um, so I don't like I don't work until the afternoon.
00:28:24.240 --> 00:28:28.160
I work at a high school and I work with all the sports teams at the high school.
00:28:28.240 --> 00:28:35.519
And so I don't go in until later, and my work during the day is just kind of a little like work from home, do notes when you have a chance.
00:28:35.680 --> 00:28:41.680
Um and so, like I said, I'm very fortunate to have a schedule to where I can make it work for me.
00:28:42.000 --> 00:28:48.079
Um and then my so my husband is actually a track coach and cross-country coach as well.
00:28:48.160 --> 00:28:53.839
Um, and so he is very helpful of making it happen.
00:28:54.000 --> 00:28:58.720
Um, he is also really, really active, you know, runner.
00:28:58.880 --> 00:29:05.440
Um, and so like honestly, as soon as my son was born, we basically were like, okay, who gets what day for long run?
00:29:05.519 --> 00:29:17.680
Um, and so I think having somebody that understands and like, I mean, more than understands, like he he is one, you know, he has his group of friends that he runs with, he has his goals that he wants to chase.
00:29:17.839 --> 00:29:52.480
Um, and so I think having somebody that understands and that is supportive of that is is really is the big, the big thing, you know, having somebody that can support because you can't I I couldn't do these things, like I couldn't go out for my Sunday 20 milers if I, you know, if he wasn't here to help, and then vice versa, like he goes out, he runs on Saturday mornings while while I'm taking care of breakfast, you know, and so it just kind of um it's it's the way that we get to work together as a unit and help with our own goals.
00:29:52.559 --> 00:29:59.519
And honestly, like when it comes to like a weekend or whatever, like a day off, we're like, okay, what's your workout plan for the day?
00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:04.480
And we kind of work around, work around each other because we both know it's important to us.
00:30:04.720 --> 00:30:15.119
Um, but I also think doing it that way and just being open about it is helpful for our son to see, like, oh, mommy and daddy are gonna go run.
00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:16.079
That's cool, okay.
00:30:16.240 --> 00:30:22.160
And it's so cute because like my husband will do like core while we're watching a baseball game or whatever.
00:30:22.240 --> 00:30:26.160
And so my my son will get down and and like do it with him.
00:30:26.240 --> 00:30:31.759
Um, and so I think like bringing it as a part, because it's a part of us, you know.
00:30:31.839 --> 00:30:42.960
We met running, so it is definitely a part of both of us, and so we just kind of embrace it as a family and and keep it open and keep it like part of us, which is.
00:30:43.759 --> 00:30:45.119
Yeah, definitely.
00:30:45.359 --> 00:31:24.799
And uh no, I think that's great what you said about like uh having uh goals and both both mutually having goals, and I think it like it's respecting each other too, of like, hey, like I know you have your goal, and maybe it's not running, but like maybe your spouse has something like um I want to write a book or I wanna, you know, paint this painting, or do you know, do something so that that's their own thing that means a lot to them, and I think like supporting them in that is uh what's going to make them be like, oh, I see that they respect me chasing my goals, I'm gonna respect them, and that kind of creates that team, that teamwork boundary in that respect.
00:31:24.880 --> 00:31:27.200
So I think that's that's super interesting and cool.
00:31:27.279 --> 00:31:33.359
That it's cool that you guys are both uh also runners as well, because that's a fun little uh a little bond for you guys.
00:31:33.519 --> 00:31:40.720
So yeah, she's uh my wife is she's kind of like a 5 to 10k type runner.
00:31:41.200 --> 00:31:48.799
After that, she's like, I'm good, like that's all you plenty of fun five and ten K's out there, like that's great.
00:31:48.960 --> 00:31:54.160
And honestly, like people people find out you're on a marathon and they like they're like, Oh, I did a 5k once.
00:31:54.240 --> 00:31:55.279
And I'm like, that's amazing.
00:31:55.359 --> 00:32:14.000
Like, I've never like I I don't remember what somebody said, but somebody said something recently and like was like, Well, I'm no you, and I'm like, but no, like anybody that I love, like there'll be like students will come up and be like, Miss Laura, I like I or like that graduated, they'll be like, I'm gonna try doing a 5k this weekend.
00:32:14.160 --> 00:32:15.519
I'm like, that's great, I love it.
00:32:15.680 --> 00:32:16.720
Like, ask anything.
00:32:16.880 --> 00:32:19.759
I'm an open book, I will talk about running for hours.
00:32:19.920 --> 00:32:28.880
Like, it is it's a very exciting hobby that you can carry with you, and anybody that's excited about like being able to run a mile, like that's great.
00:32:28.960 --> 00:32:32.400
I'm so happy for you because a lot of people can't do that.
00:32:32.720 --> 00:32:37.920
So being excited for it at any level is important, I think.
00:32:38.240 --> 00:32:47.759
Yeah, I have a coworker who told me uh about a month ago, she was like, Oh, you know, like um my my daughter wants to try running and track, you know, and track.
00:32:47.920 --> 00:32:49.759
And she was like, uh, I think it's really cool.
00:32:49.920 --> 00:32:54.559
Like, you know, I I run like 20 minutes every you know every few days or something.
00:32:54.720 --> 00:32:58.480
I'm not a runner like you, but I get out, and I was like, I stopped her in that moment.
00:32:58.559 --> 00:32:59.599
I'm like, uh-uh.
00:32:59.759 --> 00:33:04.000
I was like, you go out and run 20 minutes every few days, you are a runner.
00:33:04.160 --> 00:33:05.359
Like runner.
00:33:05.680 --> 00:33:07.759
Let's say you're not a runner, you know.
00:33:08.880 --> 00:33:21.279
So um I think it's reframing that idea of like just because you're not like a multi-time marathoner doesn't mean you pushing yourself in some sort of way isn't incredible.
00:33:21.599 --> 00:33:23.279
Uh yeah, for sure.
00:33:23.759 --> 00:33:24.000
Yeah.
00:33:24.319 --> 00:33:24.799
Well, cool.
00:33:24.880 --> 00:33:27.519
And then I also wanted to talk a little bit more about your Instagram.
00:33:27.599 --> 00:33:38.480
So I what I love seeing on your Instagram is like you you post a lot of like helpful tips, um, and you post a lot of like things about like what you're feeling, what you're kind of going through.
00:33:38.640 --> 00:33:50.799
Um, like I think you posted one uh back when the school year was ending where you were like, you know, I don't really like you know going into the summer training because like schedules get mixed up, and then also I hate running in the heat.
00:33:50.880 --> 00:33:56.640
And you know, but you were like, I know other people feel this way, and kind of gave a few bits of advice.
00:33:56.720 --> 00:34:04.319
So I I love I appreciate that honesty and that those helpful tips because I think that's what runners are genuinely looking for.
00:34:04.880 --> 00:34:14.559
Yeah, I think honestly, it's what people are genuinely looking for, and it's so hard with any social media because like everybody knows it's a highlight rule, and mine is still a highlight reel.
00:34:14.639 --> 00:34:18.400
Like I don't sit there and post myself crying, like I'm just not gonna do that.
00:34:18.559 --> 00:34:22.719
Um, but I do try to keep it honest when like when a run is bad.
00:34:22.800 --> 00:34:27.679
Like I today my run was bad, and I just but like I straight up put this run was bad.
00:34:27.840 --> 00:34:28.000
Yeah.
00:34:28.239 --> 00:34:33.920
Um it's not it's it's a sport that is not all sunshine is roses, but that's life.
00:34:34.079 --> 00:34:48.639
Um and so like I keep the even I keep the bad days light, like I'll still make a joke about how it was, but it is important for people to see like, oh, this girl, like I run six days a week, like I run every day, and every day is definitely not a good one.
00:34:48.960 --> 00:34:59.119
Um, and so it's kind of keeping a balance of keeping it positive, but also keeping it genuine to what I feel about it.
00:34:59.360 --> 00:35:11.280
Um and that's kind of what I guess the goal of my pages is to just be me and so and keep it like real but not too like heavy.
00:35:11.599 --> 00:35:12.079
Yeah.
00:35:12.320 --> 00:35:12.639
Yeah.
00:35:12.800 --> 00:35:13.519
I think it's great.
00:35:13.599 --> 00:35:32.880
And I think uh outside of the honesty, I think it's cool that you also post tips of like in around hydration and tips around like you know, some things that you can do for stretching and like, you know, and and things like that, because like you're not only telling your story, but you're like saying, like, hey, this is helping me.
00:35:33.039 --> 00:35:34.079
Here's something that you can do.
00:35:34.239 --> 00:35:36.000
So I think that's pretty neat as well.
00:35:36.320 --> 00:35:36.960
Yeah, yeah.
00:35:37.199 --> 00:35:48.400
I mean, and a lot of like a lot of the stretches kind of come down to what like A, what I've learned that I like the best, but also like it's my job, you know, it's my job to help kids with their sports.
00:35:48.480 --> 00:35:56.320
And so it is, I like I don't try to overpush that because I want it to be more of a fun page, but also like you said, it's my job.
00:35:56.480 --> 00:36:06.880
I have a master's degree in this, and so I feel like some of it I want to share with people that really just are new to running and they're like, I don't know what to do if my foot hurts.
00:36:06.960 --> 00:36:12.639
Like it doesn't feel like it's anything serious, but what are some things I can try before I jump into the doctor?
00:36:12.880 --> 00:36:15.599
Um, and those are like those are the kind of things that I want to post.
00:36:15.679 --> 00:36:19.039
It's just like, here's some things to try to help yourself feel better.
00:36:19.119 --> 00:36:22.960
Like it's not gonna override an injury, like go to the doctor if you need to go to the doctor.
00:36:23.199 --> 00:36:27.519
But there's some things where it's just like, oh, I'm tight and I'm tired.
00:36:27.599 --> 00:36:37.199
And there's some things that like we can all learn from each other, and that's that's what I I like about the space and try to put forward in my page too.
00:36:37.440 --> 00:36:38.000
Yeah.
00:36:38.320 --> 00:36:50.320
I also wanted to ask you a little bit about your coaching, and you know, uh, I I've been coaching for the last two years, uh, the track and field team from my wife's uh uh the high school that my wife works at.
00:36:50.639 --> 00:37:03.360
And um uh it's been kind of interesting because like as someone who's been taking running uh fairly seriously over the past three years, you know, you you're learning so much in your builds and in in your training.
00:37:03.519 --> 00:37:08.079
And it kind of is fun for me to like be like, oh, I can pass this knowledge along now.
00:37:08.159 --> 00:37:10.400
I have someone to pass this knowledge along to.
00:37:10.559 --> 00:37:23.039
And like to be able to like say it to a kid, like about talk to them about pacing, fueling, you know, nutrition, and then they kind of hear it and get it, and then they they implement it and you see their times drop.
00:37:23.199 --> 00:37:29.519
It's kind of like I don't know, for me, that kind of gives so gives more for me than just hitting a PR.
00:37:29.599 --> 00:37:31.039
Do you feel kind of the same way?
00:37:31.440 --> 00:37:31.679
Yes.
00:37:31.760 --> 00:37:37.199
So I'm actually like I'm not a coach, um, I'm the athletic trainer, which means I'm healthcare for all the sports.
00:37:37.360 --> 00:38:01.599
Um, but yes, like I like I think using your own experience is so much more like obviously the the books and the knowledge that you learn from schooling is great, but having that personal experience to be like, oh, like I like I actually so one of the products that I use on my runs, I use for my kids for cramping.
00:38:01.679 --> 00:38:07.760
Like, like I take that to work and I'm like, hey, this is what we're gonna use because it works well for me for running.
00:38:08.000 --> 00:38:32.159
Um and then just talking to the athletes about like just about experiences, and a lot of times it's just it's kind of the for my side, it's more the mental because I'm not gonna step on the coach's toes and be like, oh, this workout is great, but but when like when it comes to talking to my cross-country kids, I I'm one of those like I I have a soft spot for the cross-country kids and the track kids because obviously like they're my people.
00:38:32.400 --> 00:38:41.840
Um but any kids with any sports, I'm like, oh, like I I understand how this feels because this is what it feels like when I had a bad race or whatever.
00:38:42.000 --> 00:38:52.320
Um and so true, like translating your own experience, I think is so so important for the kids because it's like, oh yeah, they're human, they've they've done these things too.
00:38:52.480 --> 00:38:53.360
Um yeah, I agree.
00:38:53.519 --> 00:39:00.719
I think it's it's very it's very fun to be able to see them relate to your story and your experiences in that way.
00:39:01.039 --> 00:39:01.360
Yeah.
00:39:01.519 --> 00:39:15.119
And I think they're kind of honestly more inclined in in the world of sport to listen to you, like if they know, like, oh, she's you know, she's chasing big goals, she's still actively an athlete, like we are.
00:39:15.360 --> 00:39:27.360
So like if something is hurting on us, you know, or something something isn't going well, we can go to Laura and be like, hey, you know, I'm struggling with this, I don't know how to get past it.
00:39:27.679 --> 00:39:28.320
What do you think?
00:39:28.480 --> 00:39:30.079
And then you can kind of help them out.
00:39:30.239 --> 00:39:36.079
And so it's that it's that credibility as athletes where we can kind of be a be a resource for them.
00:39:36.239 --> 00:39:37.599
So yeah.
00:39:37.920 --> 00:39:38.960
Yeah, that's awesome.
00:39:39.119 --> 00:39:39.599
Well, cool.
00:39:39.679 --> 00:39:51.119
So well, I guess we've already been talking for 38 minutes now, and I actually unfortunately have to uh get back to work here soon, but I did want to hit hit you with a few rapid fire questions before I let you go, if you if you don't mind.
00:39:51.440 --> 00:39:52.239
Let's do it.
00:39:52.480 --> 00:39:52.880
All right.
00:39:53.039 --> 00:39:57.599
So, first off, as a runner in Tennessee, where are some of your favorite places to run?
00:39:57.760 --> 00:40:00.079
What are some of your favorite trails and routes?
00:40:00.400 --> 00:40:02.800
Um, so a couple of my favorite places to run.
00:40:02.880 --> 00:40:05.920
Um, I mentioned the first rate, the first half marathon that I ever did.
00:40:06.000 --> 00:40:09.119
That was at Crockett Park um in Brentwood.
00:40:09.280 --> 00:40:10.400
So that is a top spot.
00:40:10.559 --> 00:40:13.519
A lot of water fountains, great trail through there.
00:40:13.679 --> 00:40:19.360
Um, Edwin Warner Park, which is where I ran this morning, flat route, really easy for me to get to.
00:40:19.519 --> 00:40:24.559
Probably closest like trail route or like pet paved like pathway to my house.
00:40:25.119 --> 00:40:26.800
Um Shelby Park for down.
00:40:27.039 --> 00:40:34.880
Like if anybody's just visiting downtown um and wants a place to run in Nashville, look up Shelby Park, go park at the nature center.
00:40:34.960 --> 00:40:38.559
It's like it is in Nashville, so it's not this like always the safest.
00:40:38.639 --> 00:40:42.880
So go park by the nature center, um, and then go out, and it's a great greenway out there.
00:40:42.960 --> 00:40:50.159
Um, and those are probably like three like that are parks, like pathways that I would recommend around here.
00:40:50.559 --> 00:40:51.119
Awesome.
00:40:51.280 --> 00:40:56.559
And then what are some things that you usually listen to um on your runs?
00:40:56.639 --> 00:40:58.400
What is what do you love to listen to?
00:40:58.800 --> 00:41:00.239
Um, I go music.
00:41:00.400 --> 00:41:03.119
I I don't do I don't do the podcasts.
00:41:03.199 --> 00:41:06.000
I'll do those occasionally, but mostly I do music.
00:41:06.079 --> 00:41:07.760
Um, and it depends on the day.
00:41:07.920 --> 00:41:10.320
Um, most of the time it's like throwback stuff.
00:41:10.480 --> 00:41:14.400
My track day playlist is the pit bull radio on Spotify.
00:41:14.559 --> 00:41:16.079
Every track day it's pit bull.
00:41:16.320 --> 00:41:19.119
I love that like that genre for track.
00:41:19.199 --> 00:41:21.119
It really gets me hyped up for track day.
00:41:21.280 --> 00:41:28.559
Um, and then currently it has like formulated for me an upbeat radio, and so that's what I listen to today for my long run.
00:41:28.719 --> 00:41:31.920
Um, so I pretty much like anything upbeat when I'm running.
00:41:32.079 --> 00:41:35.599
Um, so those are probably the two playlists that I go to the most.
00:41:36.079 --> 00:41:36.400
Okay.
00:41:37.039 --> 00:41:44.079
And what is your um uh gel and electrolyte of choice when going out on a long run?
00:41:44.559 --> 00:41:45.360
Oh, okay.
00:41:45.679 --> 00:41:49.280
So my gel is always Huma.
00:41:49.599 --> 00:41:58.480
Um my favorite flavor is the raspberry, but then I'll I've been doing the double electrolyte because it's hot and it's summer, and so the berry of that is my favorite.
00:41:58.559 --> 00:42:01.840
So, like today I took two, so it would be one of each.
00:42:02.000 --> 00:42:05.920
Um, and then during the run, I do scratch.
00:42:06.159 --> 00:42:14.000
Um, I like a lot of different flavors of those, and it just goes down like it tastes really good when during the run, like it doesn't feel super sticky.
00:42:14.159 --> 00:42:20.880
Um, and then after every single run, no matter what time of year, no matter how long the run, I will do noon.
00:42:20.960 --> 00:42:23.599
Um, so those are like my three like tried and true.
00:42:23.760 --> 00:42:25.760
Those are kind of what I do in run.
00:42:26.079 --> 00:42:36.239
Um, and then if it's warm enough, then I'll also do a salt stick capsule, like just every so often, um, like today, because it was really steamy hot here.
00:42:36.320 --> 00:42:38.639
Um, and so in the summer I'll do those most days.
00:42:38.960 --> 00:42:40.960
I have not tried the salt sticks yet.
00:42:41.039 --> 00:42:43.920
I that's something that I haven't v ventured into.
00:42:44.079 --> 00:42:48.880
Um like I hear so many good things about it, but well, and it was one of those.
00:42:48.960 --> 00:42:55.280
I actually I did what you're not supposed to do, and one marathon was uh hotter than it was supposed to be.
00:42:55.360 --> 00:42:57.920
And I so I tried something new on race day.
00:42:58.000 --> 00:43:04.320
Um, but I did the capsules um to swallow instead of because I figured that would probably be a little easier on the stomach.
00:43:04.480 --> 00:43:11.599
And they're actually they're a higher absorption, so they are better um as far as like like the electrolyte and the salt balance.
00:43:11.760 --> 00:43:14.239
Um, and since that race, I have not stopped.
00:43:14.400 --> 00:43:20.320
Like since that race, I was like, okay, I I think I had like a 10-minute PR at that race.
00:43:20.400 --> 00:43:23.199
And so I was like, okay, something must have been good.
00:43:23.360 --> 00:43:25.199
Um so I kind of kept those in the mix.
00:43:25.360 --> 00:43:27.440
And I'm a super sweaty runner.
00:43:27.599 --> 00:43:32.880
Um, and so having that extra little bit of salt has been has been great.
00:43:32.960 --> 00:43:38.880
And so, and that's the one that I was telling you that I use, but I also bring to the school um for my kids.
00:43:39.119 --> 00:43:41.199
So yeah, awesome.
00:43:41.440 --> 00:43:50.719
Talking about nothing new on race day, the uh one time that I did that was uh back in this past July at the uh marathon that I ran in Utah.
00:43:50.880 --> 00:44:05.599
Oh my gosh, um, and uh I was like uh I was I was at an expo the night before or the morning before evening before, and I was like, I got a ketone IQ bottle.
00:44:05.760 --> 00:44:09.280
Um because I had heard so many things about it, and I was like, yeah, why not?
00:44:09.360 --> 00:44:12.400
Like I'll try it, but you know, what could it hurt?
00:44:12.559 --> 00:44:22.079
But I will say, like at the halfway point, I threw it back, and like the amount of energy I got right then and there, I was like, man, so huh.
00:44:22.480 --> 00:44:23.599
Now I take it routinely.
00:44:23.679 --> 00:44:26.480
So I haven't done those before, so interesting.
00:44:26.719 --> 00:44:27.920
Maybe something to try.
00:44:28.159 --> 00:44:29.280
Maybe something to try.
00:44:29.519 --> 00:44:35.519
And my last question is um, so if you could give anyone a reason to go out for a run today, what would it be?
00:44:37.039 --> 00:44:39.760
Um, to get outside and free your mind.
00:44:39.920 --> 00:44:42.239
I I love my outside time running.
00:44:42.400 --> 00:44:44.159
I do not use the treadmill.
00:44:44.239 --> 00:44:46.639
Um, it just is kind of a way to be outside.
00:44:46.800 --> 00:44:48.639
I think it's important to get fresh air.
00:44:48.800 --> 00:44:50.880
So there it is.
00:44:51.199 --> 00:44:52.239
Yeah, definitely.
00:44:52.480 --> 00:44:56.880
Well, Laura, thank you so much for uh for your time and for uh for joining me today.
00:44:57.039 --> 00:45:01.440
Um this podcast will release uh on tomorrow, Saturday.
00:45:01.599 --> 00:45:05.519
So um it'll go up probably first thing Saturday morning in your central time.
00:45:05.599 --> 00:45:07.840
I didn't I thought Tennessee was Eastern time, but it's central.
00:45:07.920 --> 00:45:11.599
So part of Tennessee, if you get to East Tennessee, then you are.
00:45:11.679 --> 00:45:17.039
We're a very long stay, and so it's like when you get all the way out to like Chattanooga, then it's Eastern.
00:45:17.119 --> 00:45:18.800
Um, but yeah, the rest of the state's central.
00:45:19.280 --> 00:45:19.599
Okay.
00:45:19.840 --> 00:45:21.679
So it'll come out probably 8 a.m.
00:45:21.920 --> 00:45:22.400
Central time.
00:45:22.639 --> 00:45:23.599
So there you go.
00:45:24.880 --> 00:45:26.000
All right, well, thank you.
00:45:26.559 --> 00:45:27.440
Yeah, thank you.
00:45:27.599 --> 00:45:35.599
I really appreciate this, and um stay on for a second so that way I can end the call and have uh the uh the files upload correctly.
00:45:35.679 --> 00:45:36.639
So hold on one second.
00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:02.959
That's kind of the biggest thing that is all the little things.
00:00:03.120 --> 00:00:04.160
Like everything coming together.
00:00:04.320 --> 00:00:07.839
I I don't think there's one secret piece of the puzzle.
00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:11.119
It's just being consistent with all the little things.
00:00:11.199 --> 00:00:16.320
Like lifting regularly, stretching regularly, taking your easy days easy, like everybody says.
00:00:16.399 --> 00:00:19.839
Like making sure that you're absorbing the work the right way.
00:00:20.160 --> 00:00:23.760
Like it's just everything comes together for a marathon.
00:00:32.320 --> 00:00:34.159
Welcome back to Through Their Strive.
00:00:34.240 --> 00:00:39.200
I'm your host, Sam Sutton, and today I'm joined by Tennessee-based marathoner Laura Pett.
00:00:39.520 --> 00:00:47.759
After competing in collegiate cross-country, Laura stepped up to the marathon just one year after finishing her master's degree in 2017.
00:00:47.920 --> 00:00:59.200
She made her debut on the challenging hills of the Atlanta Marathon, where she not only learned the demands of the distance, but how it proved she belonged, running 340 in her first attempt.
00:00:59.520 --> 00:01:08.400
Since then, she's steadily climbed the ranks, qualifying for the Boston Marathon multiple times and lowering her personal best to an impressive 304.
00:01:08.879 --> 00:01:13.359
Now she's chasing the next big milestone, breaking the three-hour barrier.
00:01:13.599 --> 00:01:21.840
But beyond the times and performances, Laura shares what it really looks like to pursue big goals while balancing family, career, and training.
00:01:22.079 --> 00:01:32.799
Through her Instagram at lpet.running, she offers insight into staying healthy, consistent, and grounded while building a strong, engaged community along the way.
00:01:33.040 --> 00:01:38.719
Her story is one of progression, perspective, and enjoying the process as much as the outcome.
00:01:38.959 --> 00:01:40.879
I'm excited for you to hear this conversation.
00:01:40.959 --> 00:01:43.120
So without further ado, let's get into it.
00:01:43.760 --> 00:01:46.159
All right, welcome back to Through Their Stride.
00:01:46.239 --> 00:01:49.840
I'm your host, Sam Sutton, and today I'm joined by Laura Pett.
00:01:49.920 --> 00:01:51.840
And Laura, thank you so much for coming on.
00:01:52.560 --> 00:01:53.359
Thanks for having me.
00:01:53.680 --> 00:01:57.840
Yeah, I think we've uh been following each other on social media for maybe a year now.
00:01:58.000 --> 00:02:01.920
And uh I remember when you had followed me and I followed you back.
00:02:02.079 --> 00:02:09.520
I uh I thought it was cool uh how you like on your social media, you're always asking questions and taking polls on your uh on your stories.
00:02:09.759 --> 00:02:15.840
And I love like all of the feedback you get and like how you share it because I think it's just like a great community tool.
00:02:16.159 --> 00:02:16.960
Yeah, for sure.
00:02:17.120 --> 00:02:23.680
I think that's one of my favorite parts of using Instagram is like communicating with other people and getting their thoughts on things.
00:02:23.840 --> 00:02:31.919
And even if it's just like silly little questions that have nothing to do with running, um, I think it's just a way that people are like, Oh yeah, that I have a favorite vegetable.
00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:33.680
Like, I'll totally uh reply to that.
00:02:33.759 --> 00:02:35.360
And so it's been fun doing this.
00:02:35.680 --> 00:02:41.759
Yeah, I think I saw it was like I think the first one I saw was like favorite ice cream flavor, and I was like, Oh, interesting.
00:02:41.840 --> 00:02:45.840
And then I commented, I don't even remember what I commented, but I was like, and then they kept coming up.
00:02:45.919 --> 00:02:48.080
I was like, oh, this is such a fun little thing.
00:02:48.240 --> 00:02:58.319
So but um, but yeah, so following you, so um, how did you um get it started into running?
00:02:58.400 --> 00:03:03.759
I uh I saw that you've been running some marathons for a while now, but what does your running journey kind of look like?
00:03:04.080 --> 00:03:06.960
Yes, okay, so my running journey has been a long one.
00:03:07.120 --> 00:03:10.240
I've actually been running um since middle school.
00:03:10.400 --> 00:03:14.319
Um, so my mom was a runner, is a runner, I guess.
00:03:14.479 --> 00:03:20.719
Um she was running marathons around the time that like middle school cross country started up.
00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:25.520
Um, and so like her and my dad actually ran track together in college, and that's how they met.
00:03:25.599 --> 00:03:28.400
So it was just kind of a like they did it.
00:03:28.479 --> 00:03:30.639
And so I wanted to try it.
00:03:30.800 --> 00:03:41.280
Um and so I ran um cross-country and track competitively through middle school, high school, and college um before moving up to more of the distances.
00:03:41.360 --> 00:03:45.280
Um, and then in grad school, I decided to tackle the half marathon.
00:03:45.520 --> 00:03:49.439
I was like, that's that's enough, that's still a lot of time and a different race.
00:03:49.599 --> 00:03:51.840
Um, but I wasn't quite ready for the full.
00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:57.039
Um, and so then about a year after I graduated with my master's, I took on the first full.
00:03:57.120 --> 00:03:59.759
And then I have not looked back since, to be honest.
00:04:00.159 --> 00:04:00.479
Yeah.
00:04:00.719 --> 00:04:03.520
Well, uh, so where did you write uh run in college?
00:04:04.080 --> 00:04:07.360
Um, I ran at the University of Tennessee at Martin.
00:04:07.439 --> 00:04:11.280
Um, and it was so at the time it was a strictly cross-country school.
00:04:11.360 --> 00:04:17.680
They have since added a track program, um, but it was cross-country, and then we ran like non-attached for track meets.
00:04:17.759 --> 00:04:22.240
Um, and so it is it is a small school in like the middle of nowhere, West Tennessee.
00:04:22.319 --> 00:04:24.879
Like everybody recognizes it, sister school of UT.
00:04:25.199 --> 00:04:31.199
Um that's kind of like what any connection would have, but it was like in the middle of nowhere.
00:04:31.519 --> 00:04:32.000
Yeah.
00:04:32.240 --> 00:04:32.800
Awesome.
00:04:32.959 --> 00:04:35.920
And uh what was your your college experience like?
00:04:36.000 --> 00:04:40.959
And um uh what was the uh yeah, how was the college atmosphere?
00:04:41.360 --> 00:04:42.560
College was fun.
00:04:43.120 --> 00:04:46.240
Um, I loved I loved being on a team in college.
00:04:46.399 --> 00:04:50.079
I actually ended up meeting my husband in college um running.
00:04:50.160 --> 00:04:51.279
He was on the same team.
00:04:51.439 --> 00:04:55.519
We we had grown up like 30 minutes apart, but we didn't go to the same school.
00:04:55.600 --> 00:04:57.839
Um, and so we ended up running together.
00:04:58.160 --> 00:04:59.839
Long story short, we got married.
00:04:59.920 --> 00:05:03.120
But yeah, the college experience running was a really fun one.
00:05:03.279 --> 00:05:13.439
Um, I started off on just a book scholarship, um, which means I basically got like a$500 scholarship and kind of worked my way up each year to a little bit more.
00:05:13.519 --> 00:05:16.560
So that part was obviously really fun and exciting.
00:05:16.800 --> 00:05:23.279
Um, but just the just being on a college team and being a college athlete was such a fun experience.
00:05:23.439 --> 00:05:27.439
Um because there's there's just so many things that you do with other athletes.
00:05:27.519 --> 00:05:32.240
So like we always like connected with our other athletes in class and they're like, oh yeah, they're an athlete.
00:05:32.319 --> 00:05:32.959
Like that's cool.
00:05:33.040 --> 00:05:33.519
We kind of knew.
00:05:33.600 --> 00:05:40.240
And it was a small enough school to where like you do, like all the other athletes on campus knew, hey, that's an athlete on campus.
00:05:40.399 --> 00:05:44.959
And so that was kind of a fun, fun way to be a college student, I guess.
00:05:45.040 --> 00:05:49.600
Um, especially in like a small town kind of in the middle of nowhere.
00:05:49.920 --> 00:05:50.560
Yeah.
00:05:51.120 --> 00:05:51.839
Awesome.
00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:52.560
Well, cool.
00:05:52.639 --> 00:05:58.959
And then uh, so you stepped in going into uh your master's, uh, you decided to step into the half marathon.
00:05:59.120 --> 00:06:01.040
So what was that experience like?
00:06:01.199 --> 00:06:03.439
And how did you you find the half?
00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:05.199
What made you kind of want to sign up?
00:06:05.279 --> 00:06:06.959
And what was your first half?
00:06:07.600 --> 00:06:13.519
My first half, so I actually took like 10 months off just because of when the program started and when I graduated.
00:06:13.680 --> 00:06:17.839
Um, so I guess my first half was technically before I started grad school.
00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:25.519
Um, but my first half was a really small half at this park near my parents' house that and I want to say it was one of the first years that they had ever done it.
00:06:25.680 --> 00:06:29.839
Um, it was a really tiny, like little out and back, and it was a park that I'd run at all the time.
00:06:29.920 --> 00:06:31.040
Like I ran growing up.
00:06:31.199 --> 00:06:34.000
I ran every summer when I was coming back from college.
00:06:34.240 --> 00:06:38.399
Um, it was just a very familiar course, and so I was like, oh, I'll try it.
00:06:38.560 --> 00:06:42.560
Like I think, and I was trying, I'm trying to remember what long runs looked like.
00:06:42.720 --> 00:06:45.199
Like, I don't know if I had run 13 miles.
00:06:45.279 --> 00:06:54.720
Like we did 10-mile long runs, we did long runs, but for cross country, like the distance is a 5k, so you don't need to like we weren't doing you know that much mileage.
00:06:54.879 --> 00:07:05.920
Um, but I was like, I think I can do this, and it's something different, and I just kind of wanted to pick something different than the 5k that I had been racing years, you know, through high school, through college.
00:07:06.079 --> 00:07:07.360
That was the race distance.
00:07:07.519 --> 00:07:09.680
Um, so I just want to try something new.
00:07:10.319 --> 00:07:10.800
Yeah.
00:07:11.040 --> 00:07:11.600
Awesome.
00:07:11.759 --> 00:07:20.480
And uh uh what did that kind of like spark your your curiosity about continuing longer distances, or how did that kind of happen?
00:07:20.879 --> 00:07:27.279
Yes, um, so I for grad school I kind of said like I am gonna wait on the marathon.
00:07:27.439 --> 00:07:44.160
It was one of those like with my mom running marathons, and actually, so our our high school did like a senior superlative for everybody at the school because it was a small school, and so they put it out in like the class paper, and my senior superlative was most likely to win a marathon.
00:07:44.319 --> 00:07:47.439
And so, right there, like it's like, oh man, like now I'm destined.
00:07:47.600 --> 00:07:52.079
I have to do it at some point, you know, you can't not when that's your senior senior superlative.
00:07:52.240 --> 00:08:03.120
Um, but I had said, like, I want to be done with homework, I want to actually do it right, I want to train the long distances, I don't want to just like jump in and finish.
00:08:03.279 --> 00:08:05.600
I want to actually put the mileage in and do it.
00:08:05.680 --> 00:08:12.879
And so that's kind of why I waited until after I graduated because I was like, I don't want to stack that on top of homework and feel like it's more of a chore.
00:08:13.040 --> 00:08:14.399
Um because that jump is big.
00:08:14.480 --> 00:08:18.879
Like the jump from a half marathon to a full marathon is uh is a big deal.
00:08:19.279 --> 00:08:19.680
Yeah.
00:08:19.920 --> 00:08:34.559
Some people try to say that in like on paper mathematically, you know, that full marathon is two halves, but it's like really no, it's like it's definitely the second half of a half marathon is not the same as the first half.
00:08:35.039 --> 00:08:36.080
No, absolutely not.
00:08:36.639 --> 00:08:36.960
Yeah.
00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:46.879
So um, yeah, that was smart, obviously, to to stop and and to take put your master's degree out in front and like get that done.
00:08:47.039 --> 00:08:50.879
Cause I mean, training for a marathon is almost like a part-time job in and of itself.
00:08:51.519 --> 00:08:52.000
Yeah.
00:08:52.320 --> 00:08:52.559
Yeah.
00:08:52.720 --> 00:08:54.639
Every time I jump ever oh go ahead.
00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:07.200
Like, I was still running, obviously, but it just would have been so much more trying to do my first one then.
00:09:07.679 --> 00:09:08.159
Yeah.
00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:08.720
Yeah.
00:09:08.799 --> 00:09:09.440
Well, cool.
00:09:09.519 --> 00:09:11.919
So um, and then getting into the fool.
00:09:12.159 --> 00:09:15.039
So what what fool did you choose and and and why?
00:09:15.200 --> 00:09:18.559
Oh, wait, before I ask that though, is your mom still running marathons?
00:09:19.039 --> 00:09:20.879
She's not still running marathons.
00:09:20.960 --> 00:09:24.159
Um, I don't remember when her last one was.
00:09:24.320 --> 00:09:29.200
Um, and I honestly I need to go back and like figure out what her total count was.
00:09:29.360 --> 00:09:34.080
Um, she actually recently like last, I guess October, she had her second hip replaced.
00:09:34.159 --> 00:09:36.159
So she's had both hip hips replaced.
00:09:36.240 --> 00:09:42.399
Um, so she's just kind of like walk jogging, biking, just doing things to stay active, active.
00:09:42.559 --> 00:09:44.720
That's just more kind of her personality.
00:09:44.960 --> 00:09:50.559
Um, but she hasn't done, she hasn't done a full for a while, but she like she did she did a lot.
00:09:50.639 --> 00:10:01.600
Like when I was in middle school and high school and even in college, like we went, so she did Boston two or three times, you know, she did New York, she she's done a lot.
00:10:01.759 --> 00:10:08.240
So it's yeah, she definitely she wasn't just like a one and done kind of like she had her own marathon journey too.
00:10:08.399 --> 00:10:14.080
So that was kind of where I was like, well, I know where to ask about some marathon advice when I'm ready.
00:10:14.320 --> 00:10:15.600
Yeah, that's awesome.
00:10:15.759 --> 00:10:26.320
My uh my mom was also a big marathoner and she did uh Boston uh back in 1998 and then 2000, 2003 or 2004, I can't remember.
00:10:26.559 --> 00:10:28.399
But um, and then she did Chicago.
00:10:28.480 --> 00:10:34.080
She never did New York, she wanted to, but um, I that's who I caught my running bug from as well.
00:10:35.360 --> 00:10:48.240
Yeah, when you see it, like when you grow up with it and you see that like we, I mean, my dad and my um he would like chase what we would chase my mom around on the course with me and my sister, like it was just we knew like that life.
00:10:48.399 --> 00:10:52.320
And so um it was just it was just kind of part of part of the family.
00:10:52.480 --> 00:10:57.200
Like um, my cousin that's a runner, you know, we just it just is part of it.
00:10:57.519 --> 00:10:58.879
Yeah, definitely.
00:10:59.120 --> 00:10:59.600
Well, cool.
00:10:59.679 --> 00:11:05.279
So and then yeah, so going into your first marathon, which race was your first and how did you choose it?
00:11:05.440 --> 00:11:07.200
Um, and what was that story?
00:11:08.080 --> 00:11:12.720
Um, so my first one I did Atlanta in 2017.
00:11:13.519 --> 00:11:16.960
Um, and I honestly I just chose it for proximity.
00:11:17.120 --> 00:11:24.480
Like anybody that has done Atlanta or seen the Atlanta course, like it is not a fat, like fast, flat course.
00:11:24.639 --> 00:11:24.799
No.
00:11:25.039 --> 00:11:32.000
Um, it's in like the middle, like it's in, I want to say early April, maybe April or March.
00:11:32.320 --> 00:11:34.399
Um but it was a warm day.
00:11:34.639 --> 00:11:36.639
It it was a hilly course.
00:11:36.720 --> 00:11:43.679
Like looking back on it, I'm like, man, my first two honestly were not like set up for success fast marathons.
00:11:44.000 --> 00:11:47.840
Um, but like I said, mainly like chose Atlanta for the proximity.
00:11:47.919 --> 00:11:50.000
It's about three and a half hours from here.
00:11:50.240 --> 00:11:55.440
Um, we like are very familiar, like Braves fans, so like go to the city.
00:11:55.519 --> 00:12:03.759
It was it was just one of those, like a familiar place, but like enough of a trip to get away, but also close enough to drive kind of situation.
00:12:04.080 --> 00:12:04.720
Yeah.
00:12:05.519 --> 00:12:06.559
Yeah, definitely.
00:12:06.720 --> 00:12:09.279
I uh I actually looked into that one.
00:12:09.360 --> 00:12:24.879
Um, I didn't do it, but I looked into it uh earlier for this year, and uh I ended up not doing it just because uh some things had gotten hectic with my personal life and with my mom, but um but I I do want to do it just because I kind of like hilly marathons.
00:12:25.039 --> 00:12:26.879
Like I like the challenge of them.
00:12:27.039 --> 00:12:34.159
So like and I think it's I think it's around March because it's it was around my wife's spring break whenever I was looking into it.
00:12:34.399 --> 00:12:44.799
Yeah, I can't remember if it was April or March because April, like March is big, like March is easier for my work schedule, but a lot of them are in April, and so I kind of remember if it was a March or April.
00:12:44.960 --> 00:12:46.720
Um, but yeah, it was a fun race.
00:12:46.799 --> 00:12:53.120
I mean, and like it was a bit like a big enough race to where there was enough crowdsport, and so that part of it was exciting.
00:12:53.279 --> 00:12:58.879
Um yeah, I just remember it being like slightly hilly for the first one and being like, oh cool, why did I do this?
00:12:59.440 --> 00:13:00.639
Yeah, for sure.
00:13:00.879 --> 00:13:02.159
Um cool.
00:13:02.320 --> 00:13:05.600
So what did make you like think I want to do this again?
00:13:05.679 --> 00:13:07.200
Like, did the race go really well?
00:13:07.279 --> 00:13:10.960
And you were like, let's go, or was it one of those comeback stories?
00:13:11.759 --> 00:13:13.360
Um, I wouldn't say either.
00:13:13.519 --> 00:13:16.480
So I I like I went out.
00:13:16.559 --> 00:13:26.320
The goal for my first marathon was to finish, and I like I really was like, I don't want to set a goal because I've never done this before, so I don't I have no idea.
00:13:26.559 --> 00:13:29.440
Um so my first I ran like a 340.
00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:32.240
Um so I was like, oh cool, sub four, like great.
00:13:32.320 --> 00:13:35.360
Um and so then you start looking at Boston.
00:13:35.600 --> 00:13:40.240
Um that was because I think at the time for me, Boston was like 330.
00:13:40.320 --> 00:13:44.559
And so I'm like, okay, well, 10 minutes is not super bad, you know.
00:13:44.639 --> 00:13:50.000
Like when you first do it, you're like, okay, you start to make those landmarks like after every race.
00:13:50.159 --> 00:13:52.240
Um, and honestly, that's kind of what it's been for me.
00:13:52.320 --> 00:13:57.440
It's just like the chase of something every time I'm like, oh, but I still feel like I can learn more.
00:13:57.600 --> 00:14:07.039
Um, and I between now and my first one, I have learned and changed so much about training um just from running them.
00:14:07.200 --> 00:14:11.039
Um, and so I think that's kind of what brought me back was like, I think I can do more.
00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:17.279
And I think that there's more that I can ask of myself and change and try um to to get better.
00:14:17.600 --> 00:14:18.080
Yeah.
00:14:18.320 --> 00:14:18.720
Yeah.
00:14:18.799 --> 00:14:22.960
And since then you have uh qualified for Boston, right?
00:14:23.200 --> 00:14:25.120
Have you done it a couple times?
00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:27.120
Yeah, yeah.
00:14:27.279 --> 00:14:36.000
So I technically so I qualified for the first time on my third one, and I think ever since I have, I think every race ever since I have.
00:14:38.720 --> 00:14:39.120
Cool.
00:14:39.279 --> 00:14:50.879
Yeah, so uh um, you know, it's kind of funny to hear like everyone's first marathon stories because like my my first one was like I think six hours and 40 something, maybe six hours fifty.
00:14:50.960 --> 00:14:51.679
I can't remember.
00:14:51.840 --> 00:15:09.039
And that was I similar to you, I chose a very hilly course for the Austin marathon, and uh I didn't know what the heck I was doing, and you know, ate it, uh hit the wall probably around mile 17, and I was like, I'm gonna have to walk this in.
00:15:09.919 --> 00:15:19.039
Yeah, I was probably around honestly, and for my first honestly, for my first two, it was probably around mile 16 or 17, and like a lot of that for me was nutrition.
00:15:19.120 --> 00:15:27.440
Like, I did not looking back, I did not eat enough or drink enough to do to do a marathon like well in my first couple.
00:15:27.519 --> 00:15:39.600
And so I was I'm trying to like I definitely the second like after I hit the wall was like a walk-run method because I was like, I can't, I gotta uh I can't do it.
00:15:39.759 --> 00:15:46.399
Um so yeah, those graphs are probably really crazy because that was very much hitting a wall for me on my first couple.
00:15:46.720 --> 00:16:02.879
Yeah, I think like I think nutrition, I gotta say, nutrition is like the one thing I think for every runner that's the hardest thing to even uh harder than pacing, I would say, because you like you just don't know like like carbs to time ratio and everything.
00:16:03.200 --> 00:16:11.039
Like I was doing like one gel every five miles after the first uh race because I was like, I feel like that's enough, and man, it still wasn't.
00:16:11.120 --> 00:16:14.720
I had to do I'm doing like a gel every half hour now.
00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:24.320
Yeah, it is different, and I like I I think it was one of like my first couple, it was more of that like mid-20s.
00:16:24.399 --> 00:16:27.039
Like, I'm fit, I don't need to take all that.
00:16:27.200 --> 00:16:28.240
Yeah, you still do.
00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:35.039
It doesn't matter how fit you are, your body is still exerting effort for so much time that like it doesn't matter.
00:16:35.200 --> 00:16:36.720
Your fitness can't keep up with that.
00:16:36.879 --> 00:16:38.559
Like, that's not the way the body is made.
00:16:38.720 --> 00:16:48.240
And so I think that was the biggest thing for me was trying to like be like, Well, yeah, you still do, you still do need to eat that though, even though you're fit, it doesn't matter.
00:16:48.559 --> 00:16:49.519
No, yeah.
00:16:49.759 --> 00:17:06.799
Uh, I think it's I heard uh Roy Linkletter on a podcast earlier this week, uh, and he was talking about like him coaching Truett Haynes now, and was like, you know, like uh he was describing fueling as a fundamental of the sport.
00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:12.240
And it's one of those like things where it's like to pro to pro marathoners, that's just how they think of it.
00:17:12.319 --> 00:17:14.079
It's like, oh, it's a fundamental of the sport.
00:17:14.240 --> 00:17:28.640
But for most runners, we're like uh we just it just doesn't click in our mind in that way, but it totally is wild because you're like, yes, all of these pros are doing that, so why does it feel like uh something that everybody shouldn't be doing?
00:17:28.720 --> 00:17:31.119
It doesn't make any sense, but you're right.
00:17:31.599 --> 00:17:31.920
Yeah.
00:17:32.319 --> 00:17:32.799
Well, cool.
00:17:32.880 --> 00:17:41.680
So and since then, I mean, since you've done your first race, you've obviously progressed like pretty pretty well, and you're you're hitting some pretty, some pretty great times.
00:17:41.839 --> 00:17:46.319
And um uh what was like the story of your progression?
00:17:46.480 --> 00:17:52.960
What are some other things that you learned along the way that helped you and what are the some things that you would credit most in your progression?
00:17:53.359 --> 00:17:54.160
Oh, I go.
00:17:54.319 --> 00:17:56.240
I don't know if there's any one thing.
00:17:56.400 --> 00:18:08.160
Um, so what I honestly what I like to do after every marathon is kind of sit with that race and sit with what the cycle looked like.
00:18:08.240 --> 00:18:15.279
Um and so like with the race, like I'll I guess I'll go like based on my one of my like one or two of my most recent.
00:18:15.519 --> 00:18:21.920
Um so based on like I did Chicago last fall, and then the goal, I didn't hit the goal.
00:18:22.079 --> 00:18:23.279
The goal was set three.
00:18:23.440 --> 00:18:30.960
Um, so I kind of took inventory of what I felt like was good in the race and what I felt like was bad in the race.
00:18:31.119 --> 00:18:34.000
Um and in that case, it was like I felt super fit.
00:18:34.160 --> 00:18:35.519
I felt like I could run for days.
00:18:35.680 --> 00:18:42.480
I didn't feel like the cardiovascular was the issue um in that race, but in mile 22, my quads started to hurt.
00:18:42.640 --> 00:18:48.240
So for the next cycle, I was like, okay, let's really be deliberate about your strength training there.
00:18:48.480 --> 00:18:54.160
Um so I kind of like do some form of that after every marathon cycle.
00:18:54.400 --> 00:19:03.599
Um, and so couple, I mean, honestly, every little thing it feels like goes into marathoning, I have changed over the course of the years.
00:19:03.759 --> 00:19:09.039
Like I think my first marathon, I capped out at probably 50 miles a week or something.
00:19:09.200 --> 00:19:17.680
And honestly, for for me, I was a little bit nervous to go above 50 for a long time because in college I um had a little bout of anemia.
00:19:17.839 --> 00:19:22.480
And I once I hit like so many weeks above 50 was when I started struggling with that.
00:19:22.559 --> 00:19:25.359
And so it was just kind of a little bit of a mental block for me.
00:19:25.759 --> 00:19:38.400
Um but then like mileage started to grow, more strength training, better about nutrition, um, just being being intentional about all the little things.
00:19:38.559 --> 00:19:51.359
Um, and because like at this point, like I feel like my time's pretty fast, and so it's hard to like it feels hard to make big drops without doing all of the little things.
00:19:51.680 --> 00:19:57.519
Um, and so I think that's kind of the biggest thing that is all the little things, like everything coming together.
00:19:57.599 --> 00:20:01.200
I I don't think there's one secret piece of the puzzle.
00:20:01.279 --> 00:20:14.000
It's just being consistent with all the little things, like lifting regularly, stretching regularly, taking your easy days easy, like everybody says, like making sure that you're absorbing the work the right way.
00:20:14.160 --> 00:20:17.680
Like it's just everything comes together for a marathon.
00:20:17.920 --> 00:20:18.559
Yeah.
00:20:19.039 --> 00:20:29.519
Well, you said something really interesting there, and I think that's something that like a lot of runners should mimic and and try is taking that inventory after every marathon.
00:20:29.599 --> 00:20:36.400
Like the marathon is not a 5K, like it is not a mile race, it is not even a half marathon.
00:20:36.480 --> 00:21:06.240
Like it takes four months or more of consistent, solid work, and things change, but you adapt to certain, you know, things, and it just it's a lot that happens in those four months to culminate to either a really good race or you know, maybe something that was a a lesson that you need to learn like to be able to take that inventory, write it down, say what went well in this build, what went poorly, what went well in the race, what went poorly, did it correlate?
00:21:06.319 --> 00:21:10.880
Like that is something that like you took on a big project in the marathon.
00:21:11.039 --> 00:21:17.119
You should you should do a little bit of a breakdown before before jumping into the next thing.
00:21:17.599 --> 00:21:18.319
Yeah, yeah.
00:21:18.400 --> 00:21:20.880
I like I think it's honestly, I think it's really helped.
00:21:21.039 --> 00:21:26.720
I mean, I feel really, really proud of the way that my marathon progression has gone.
00:21:26.799 --> 00:21:37.279
And I do think that a lot of that is because of just sitting with each block as its own entity and saying, I was really good at this this cycle.
00:21:37.359 --> 00:21:49.440
Like I really I added yoga this cycle and I felt really good about that, and it made me feel good about these runs, or I did more distance workouts on this cycle, and they're not all gonna be the same necessarily.
00:21:49.599 --> 00:21:59.759
Like I know for me, in in the fall like cycles that lead up to a fall marathon, I do not do as many distance workouts just because it's so hot here in the summer.
00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:06.799
And I just I just don't have the like mental capacity to do one every other week like I do in a winter cycle.
00:22:06.960 --> 00:22:07.920
Um and that's okay.
00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:08.880
Like it's been fine.
00:22:09.039 --> 00:22:11.920
Kind of the heat training take seems to take the place of that.
00:22:12.079 --> 00:22:25.519
Um, but it's just kind of knowing like where certain things need to fit based on your race, based on you know what your goal is, um, just different ways of looking at your past race and using it to move forward.
00:22:25.839 --> 00:22:26.400
Yeah.
00:22:26.720 --> 00:22:27.039
Yeah.
00:22:27.119 --> 00:22:30.240
Well, you said something else there about heat training right now.
00:22:30.319 --> 00:22:31.759
So you live in the south as well.
00:22:31.920 --> 00:22:34.000
I think um you're in Tennessee.
00:22:36.160 --> 00:22:40.799
Yeah, but it's it's still hot in Tennessee, like it gets into the 90s pretty frequently.
00:22:40.880 --> 00:22:56.319
And uh I had uh uh uh gosh, man, I'm drawing uh Adri Ducharm on my podcast uh two weeks ago, and she, you know, she's in Florida with the humidity, and I'm like, us southern runners, I think, are just built different.
00:22:57.119 --> 00:23:01.599
You have to be like you guys, especially like like you mentioned her from Florida and you from Texas.
00:23:01.759 --> 00:23:10.240
Like, we have miserable summers, but like I see y'all on it, and it's like the 75 that I dread in November there.
00:23:10.319 --> 00:23:13.039
And I'm like, well, at least I get a little bit of like down here.
00:23:13.119 --> 00:23:16.079
Like, oh, next week it looks like it's gonna be in the 90s here all week.
00:23:16.160 --> 00:23:21.200
So summer is definitely pretty brutal, but we do get at least some down seasons.
00:23:21.440 --> 00:23:22.640
Yeah, yeah.
00:23:22.799 --> 00:23:33.119
It's uh it's Texas is one of those places where even like all the way up, sometimes even to December, you can still get caught on an 80-degree day, and you're like, what in the world's going on?
00:23:34.079 --> 00:23:35.119
No, thank you.
00:23:35.359 --> 00:23:36.400
Yeah, well, cool.
00:23:36.480 --> 00:23:38.559
So um uh one other question.
00:23:38.640 --> 00:23:40.880
So have you have you broken sub three at this point?
00:23:41.039 --> 00:23:43.279
I think I saw that you had it, but not yet.
00:23:43.519 --> 00:23:43.920
Not yet.
00:23:44.079 --> 00:23:49.440
It is still it is still scratching the surface, and I honestly like I feel like I'm super close.
00:23:49.599 --> 00:23:54.480
Um, I have had officially two attempts, both of them were 304s.
00:23:54.640 --> 00:24:02.319
Um, the Virginia beach cycle was my last marathon, and that was in March, and everything went really well, and everything was shaping up to go.
00:24:02.400 --> 00:24:12.720
And then we had a hot day to race, and so with a winter cycle, um, I was really happy with the performance, but sub three was not there that day.
00:24:12.799 --> 00:24:17.119
Um, so I was like, okay, we're just gonna reboot and go with something different.
00:24:17.279 --> 00:24:21.599
Um, so still scratching to get there, but hopefully soon.
00:24:22.400 --> 00:24:28.480
And I think I I you had posted uh taken a poll actually um a a while back looking for fall marathons.
00:24:28.559 --> 00:24:31.839
And I know I had mentioned one to you, but did uh what did you end up choosing?
00:24:31.920 --> 00:24:33.279
What what are you doing for this fall?
00:24:33.599 --> 00:24:35.599
I am not doing a fall full, actually.
00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:36.640
Oh really?
00:24:37.119 --> 00:24:42.079
Yeah, so instead I'm doing an early one next or next next year.
00:24:42.319 --> 00:24:47.359
Haven't haven't officially announced it yet, but I can say it here if you really want me to.
00:24:47.519 --> 00:24:53.200
Um, but yeah, so actually I'm gonna do a couple of halves and really try to hammer out a good PR there.
00:24:53.519 --> 00:25:05.680
Um honestly, since I started doing the full distance, I haven't trained strictly for a half, and all of my PRs have come like training through in a marathon cycle.
00:25:05.839 --> 00:25:09.279
Um so I'm really excited to just actually focus on the half.
00:25:09.359 --> 00:25:12.960
I have like three lined up, but really two that are to race.
00:25:13.039 --> 00:25:16.880
The other one's a hilly course and just kind of a fun local one that I want to do.
00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:21.039
Um, but the other two I really hope to ham rail a solid half.
00:25:21.119 --> 00:25:29.039
So that's kind of my plan for the fall is just to focus on the half distance, kind of build that base for the early next year sub-3 attempt.
00:25:29.359 --> 00:25:29.759
Nice.
00:25:29.920 --> 00:25:33.440
Yeah, that's uh periodization is very important in training.
00:25:33.519 --> 00:25:41.119
I um I haven't done a half build since probably last winter winter of 2025.
00:25:41.279 --> 00:25:46.400
Uh, and I ended up breaking uh uh 140 for the first time and I did 138.
00:25:46.720 --> 00:25:49.759
And uh, but I do I love periodization.
00:25:49.839 --> 00:25:57.759
Like I was working on breaking 20 minutes in the 5k for the past uh several months, and I ended up doing it in May, so I was pretty stoked about that.
00:25:57.920 --> 00:26:02.240
Yeah, getting to those big goals is so so satisfying.
00:26:02.480 --> 00:26:10.799
Yes, and I love the the side quests outside of the marathon, you know, like half 10k, 5k, because like that's what's gonna raise that ceiling, you know.
00:26:11.279 --> 00:26:16.720
I like said, I have not actually had a half marathon since I started Fools.
00:26:16.799 --> 00:26:20.319
Like, I just kind of will be like, oh, I'll do it as a distance workout.
00:26:20.720 --> 00:26:27.839
But in that, I have done I've probably broken my half PR like three or four times doing that method.
00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:39.920
And so I'm like, man, what could I really, really do if I trained for half, if I tapered for the half, if I actually like didn't hammer like a 70-mile week during the week of the half?
00:26:40.079 --> 00:26:41.279
Like, what would that look like?
00:26:41.599 --> 00:26:44.720
Uh so I am excited to see what that's gonna look like in the fall.
00:26:45.039 --> 00:26:45.519
Awesome.
00:26:45.680 --> 00:26:46.319
Well, fun.
00:26:46.480 --> 00:27:01.440
So yeah, that'll be I'll definitely be uh be following that because um it's always interesting to me when I when a marathoner takes on a shorter distance because I'm like, man, I don't think you have any idea like what you're gonna be capable of at those smaller distances.
00:27:01.599 --> 00:27:06.400
So yeah, it's like I said, it's it's very exciting because I haven't done it this way in a while.
00:27:06.480 --> 00:27:13.039
Like obviously I've run halves, like I've done tons of halves mixed in, but I haven't like truly trained for one in so long.
00:27:13.359 --> 00:27:13.839
Yeah.
00:27:14.160 --> 00:27:14.720
Awesome.
00:27:14.960 --> 00:27:31.920
Well, one of the reasons I wanted to have you on as well is uh one of the things I like about your channel is um you're very like you show a lot of like how you show up for your kids, you know, and for your family outside of just your daily work and your daily marathoning.
00:27:32.079 --> 00:27:42.640
And I think it's a really respectable thing because I think a lot of people can get caught in the up in the weeds of their own goals and kind of start neglecting their own like the things that matter in their lives.
00:27:42.880 --> 00:27:53.680
And uh I made a post about that earlier this week of like you you should push and you should reach for goals that are meaningful to you, but don't lose sight of what you have around you.
00:27:53.759 --> 00:27:55.759
And I think you do a great job of that.
00:27:56.000 --> 00:28:06.799
So um, what is it like, you know, getting into the car, taking your kids to practice, taking your kids to school, you know, working for them while still chasing these big goals?
00:28:07.359 --> 00:28:21.119
Um, so I am very fortunate to have a job that makes me be able to fit the running in at a time where like my son is at daycare, like at pre-K.
00:28:21.759 --> 00:28:24.160
Um, so I don't like I don't work until the afternoon.
00:28:24.240 --> 00:28:28.160
I work at a high school and I work with all the sports teams at the high school.
00:28:28.240 --> 00:28:35.519
And so I don't go in until later, and my work during the day is just kind of a little like work from home, do notes when you have a chance.
00:28:35.680 --> 00:28:41.680
Um and so, like I said, I'm very fortunate to have a schedule to where I can make it work for me.
00:28:42.000 --> 00:28:48.079
Um and then my so my husband is actually a track coach and cross-country coach as well.
00:28:48.160 --> 00:28:53.839
Um, and so he is very helpful of making it happen.
00:28:54.000 --> 00:28:58.720
Um, he is also really, really active, you know, runner.
00:28:58.880 --> 00:29:05.440
Um, and so like honestly, as soon as my son was born, we basically were like, okay, who gets what day for long run?
00:29:05.519 --> 00:29:17.680
Um, and so I think having somebody that understands and like, I mean, more than understands, like he he is one, you know, he has his group of friends that he runs with, he has his goals that he wants to chase.
00:29:17.839 --> 00:29:52.480
Um, and so I think having somebody that understands and that is supportive of that is is really is the big, the big thing, you know, having somebody that can support because you can't I I couldn't do these things, like I couldn't go out for my Sunday 20 milers if I, you know, if he wasn't here to help, and then vice versa, like he goes out, he runs on Saturday mornings while while I'm taking care of breakfast, you know, and so it just kind of um it's it's the way that we get to work together as a unit and help with our own goals.
00:29:52.559 --> 00:29:59.519
And honestly, like when it comes to like a weekend or whatever, like a day off, we're like, okay, what's your workout plan for the day?
00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:04.480
And we kind of work around, work around each other because we both know it's important to us.
00:30:04.720 --> 00:30:15.119
Um, but I also think doing it that way and just being open about it is helpful for our son to see, like, oh, mommy and daddy are gonna go run.
00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:16.079
That's cool, okay.
00:30:16.240 --> 00:30:22.160
And it's so cute because like my husband will do like core while we're watching a baseball game or whatever.
00:30:22.240 --> 00:30:26.160
And so my my son will get down and and like do it with him.
00:30:26.240 --> 00:30:31.759
Um, and so I think like bringing it as a part, because it's a part of us, you know.
00:30:31.839 --> 00:30:42.960
We met running, so it is definitely a part of both of us, and so we just kind of embrace it as a family and and keep it open and keep it like part of us, which is.
00:30:43.759 --> 00:30:45.119
Yeah, definitely.
00:30:45.359 --> 00:31:24.799
And uh no, I think that's great what you said about like uh having uh goals and both both mutually having goals, and I think it like it's respecting each other too, of like, hey, like I know you have your goal, and maybe it's not running, but like maybe your spouse has something like um I want to write a book or I wanna, you know, paint this painting, or do you know, do something so that that's their own thing that means a lot to them, and I think like supporting them in that is uh what's going to make them be like, oh, I see that they respect me chasing my goals, I'm gonna respect them, and that kind of creates that team, that teamwork boundary in that respect.
00:31:24.880 --> 00:31:27.200
So I think that's that's super interesting and cool.
00:31:27.279 --> 00:31:33.359
That it's cool that you guys are both uh also runners as well, because that's a fun little uh a little bond for you guys.
00:31:33.519 --> 00:31:40.720
So yeah, she's uh my wife is she's kind of like a 5 to 10k type runner.
00:31:41.200 --> 00:31:48.799
After that, she's like, I'm good, like that's all you plenty of fun five and ten K's out there, like that's great.
00:31:48.960 --> 00:31:54.160
And honestly, like people people find out you're on a marathon and they like they're like, Oh, I did a 5k once.
00:31:54.240 --> 00:31:55.279
And I'm like, that's amazing.
00:31:55.359 --> 00:32:14.000
Like, I've never like I I don't remember what somebody said, but somebody said something recently and like was like, Well, I'm no you, and I'm like, but no, like anybody that I love, like there'll be like students will come up and be like, Miss Laura, I like I or like that graduated, they'll be like, I'm gonna try doing a 5k this weekend.
00:32:14.160 --> 00:32:15.519
I'm like, that's great, I love it.
00:32:15.680 --> 00:32:16.720
Like, ask anything.
00:32:16.880 --> 00:32:19.759
I'm an open book, I will talk about running for hours.
00:32:19.920 --> 00:32:28.880
Like, it is it's a very exciting hobby that you can carry with you, and anybody that's excited about like being able to run a mile, like that's great.
00:32:28.960 --> 00:32:32.400
I'm so happy for you because a lot of people can't do that.
00:32:32.720 --> 00:32:37.920
So being excited for it at any level is important, I think.
00:32:38.240 --> 00:32:47.759
Yeah, I have a coworker who told me uh about a month ago, she was like, Oh, you know, like um my my daughter wants to try running and track, you know, and track.
00:32:47.920 --> 00:32:49.759
And she was like, uh, I think it's really cool.
00:32:49.920 --> 00:32:54.559
Like, you know, I I run like 20 minutes every you know every few days or something.
00:32:54.720 --> 00:32:58.480
I'm not a runner like you, but I get out, and I was like, I stopped her in that moment.
00:32:58.559 --> 00:32:59.599
I'm like, uh-uh.
00:32:59.759 --> 00:33:04.000
I was like, you go out and run 20 minutes every few days, you are a runner.
00:33:04.160 --> 00:33:05.359
Like runner.
00:33:05.680 --> 00:33:07.759
Let's say you're not a runner, you know.
00:33:08.880 --> 00:33:21.279
So um I think it's reframing that idea of like just because you're not like a multi-time marathoner doesn't mean you pushing yourself in some sort of way isn't incredible.
00:33:21.599 --> 00:33:23.279
Uh yeah, for sure.
00:33:23.759 --> 00:33:24.000
Yeah.
00:33:24.319 --> 00:33:24.799
Well, cool.
00:33:24.880 --> 00:33:27.519
And then I also wanted to talk a little bit more about your Instagram.
00:33:27.599 --> 00:33:38.480
So I what I love seeing on your Instagram is like you you post a lot of like helpful tips, um, and you post a lot of like things about like what you're feeling, what you're kind of going through.
00:33:38.640 --> 00:33:50.799
Um, like I think you posted one uh back when the school year was ending where you were like, you know, I don't really like you know going into the summer training because like schedules get mixed up, and then also I hate running in the heat.
00:33:50.880 --> 00:33:56.640
And you know, but you were like, I know other people feel this way, and kind of gave a few bits of advice.
00:33:56.720 --> 00:34:04.319
So I I love I appreciate that honesty and that those helpful tips because I think that's what runners are genuinely looking for.
00:34:04.880 --> 00:34:14.559
Yeah, I think honestly, it's what people are genuinely looking for, and it's so hard with any social media because like everybody knows it's a highlight rule, and mine is still a highlight reel.
00:34:14.639 --> 00:34:18.400
Like I don't sit there and post myself crying, like I'm just not gonna do that.
00:34:18.559 --> 00:34:22.719
Um, but I do try to keep it honest when like when a run is bad.
00:34:22.800 --> 00:34:27.679
Like I today my run was bad, and I just but like I straight up put this run was bad.
00:34:27.840 --> 00:34:28.000
Yeah.
00:34:28.239 --> 00:34:33.920
Um it's not it's it's a sport that is not all sunshine is roses, but that's life.
00:34:34.079 --> 00:34:48.639
Um and so like I keep the even I keep the bad days light, like I'll still make a joke about how it was, but it is important for people to see like, oh, this girl, like I run six days a week, like I run every day, and every day is definitely not a good one.
00:34:48.960 --> 00:34:59.119
Um, and so it's kind of keeping a balance of keeping it positive, but also keeping it genuine to what I feel about it.
00:34:59.360 --> 00:35:11.280
Um and that's kind of what I guess the goal of my pages is to just be me and so and keep it like real but not too like heavy.
00:35:11.599 --> 00:35:12.079
Yeah.
00:35:12.320 --> 00:35:12.639
Yeah.
00:35:12.800 --> 00:35:13.519
I think it's great.
00:35:13.599 --> 00:35:32.880
And I think uh outside of the honesty, I think it's cool that you also post tips of like in around hydration and tips around like you know, some things that you can do for stretching and like, you know, and and things like that, because like you're not only telling your story, but you're like saying, like, hey, this is helping me.
00:35:33.039 --> 00:35:34.079
Here's something that you can do.
00:35:34.239 --> 00:35:36.000
So I think that's pretty neat as well.
00:35:36.320 --> 00:35:36.960
Yeah, yeah.
00:35:37.199 --> 00:35:48.400
I mean, and a lot of like a lot of the stretches kind of come down to what like A, what I've learned that I like the best, but also like it's my job, you know, it's my job to help kids with their sports.
00:35:48.480 --> 00:35:56.320
And so it is, I like I don't try to overpush that because I want it to be more of a fun page, but also like you said, it's my job.
00:35:56.480 --> 00:36:06.880
I have a master's degree in this, and so I feel like some of it I want to share with people that really just are new to running and they're like, I don't know what to do if my foot hurts.
00:36:06.960 --> 00:36:12.639
Like it doesn't feel like it's anything serious, but what are some things I can try before I jump into the doctor?
00:36:12.880 --> 00:36:15.599
Um, and those are like those are the kind of things that I want to post.
00:36:15.679 --> 00:36:19.039
It's just like, here's some things to try to help yourself feel better.
00:36:19.119 --> 00:36:22.960
Like it's not gonna override an injury, like go to the doctor if you need to go to the doctor.
00:36:23.199 --> 00:36:27.519
But there's some things where it's just like, oh, I'm tight and I'm tired.
00:36:27.599 --> 00:36:37.199
And there's some things that like we can all learn from each other, and that's that's what I I like about the space and try to put forward in my page too.
00:36:37.440 --> 00:36:38.000
Yeah.
00:36:38.320 --> 00:36:50.320
I also wanted to ask you a little bit about your coaching, and you know, uh, I I've been coaching for the last two years, uh, the track and field team from my wife's uh uh the high school that my wife works at.
00:36:50.639 --> 00:37:03.360
And um uh it's been kind of interesting because like as someone who's been taking running uh fairly seriously over the past three years, you know, you you're learning so much in your builds and in in your training.
00:37:03.519 --> 00:37:08.079
And it kind of is fun for me to like be like, oh, I can pass this knowledge along now.
00:37:08.159 --> 00:37:10.400
I have someone to pass this knowledge along to.
00:37:10.559 --> 00:37:23.039
And like to be able to like say it to a kid, like about talk to them about pacing, fueling, you know, nutrition, and then they kind of hear it and get it, and then they they implement it and you see their times drop.
00:37:23.199 --> 00:37:29.519
It's kind of like I don't know, for me, that kind of gives so gives more for me than just hitting a PR.
00:37:29.599 --> 00:37:31.039
Do you feel kind of the same way?
00:37:31.440 --> 00:37:31.679
Yes.
00:37:31.760 --> 00:37:37.199
So I'm actually like I'm not a coach, um, I'm the athletic trainer, which means I'm healthcare for all the sports.
00:37:37.360 --> 00:38:01.599
Um, but yes, like I like I think using your own experience is so much more like obviously the the books and the knowledge that you learn from schooling is great, but having that personal experience to be like, oh, like I like I actually so one of the products that I use on my runs, I use for my kids for cramping.
00:38:01.679 --> 00:38:07.760
Like, like I take that to work and I'm like, hey, this is what we're gonna use because it works well for me for running.
00:38:08.000 --> 00:38:32.159
Um and then just talking to the athletes about like just about experiences, and a lot of times it's just it's kind of the for my side, it's more the mental because I'm not gonna step on the coach's toes and be like, oh, this workout is great, but but when like when it comes to talking to my cross-country kids, I I'm one of those like I I have a soft spot for the cross-country kids and the track kids because obviously like they're my people.
00:38:32.400 --> 00:38:41.840
Um but any kids with any sports, I'm like, oh, like I I understand how this feels because this is what it feels like when I had a bad race or whatever.
00:38:42.000 --> 00:38:52.320
Um and so true, like translating your own experience, I think is so so important for the kids because it's like, oh yeah, they're human, they've they've done these things too.
00:38:52.480 --> 00:38:53.360
Um yeah, I agree.
00:38:53.519 --> 00:39:00.719
I think it's it's very it's very fun to be able to see them relate to your story and your experiences in that way.
00:39:01.039 --> 00:39:01.360
Yeah.
00:39:01.519 --> 00:39:15.119
And I think they're kind of honestly more inclined in in the world of sport to listen to you, like if they know, like, oh, she's you know, she's chasing big goals, she's still actively an athlete, like we are.
00:39:15.360 --> 00:39:27.360
So like if something is hurting on us, you know, or something something isn't going well, we can go to Laura and be like, hey, you know, I'm struggling with this, I don't know how to get past it.
00:39:27.679 --> 00:39:28.320
What do you think?
00:39:28.480 --> 00:39:30.079
And then you can kind of help them out.
00:39:30.239 --> 00:39:36.079
And so it's that it's that credibility as athletes where we can kind of be a be a resource for them.
00:39:36.239 --> 00:39:37.599
So yeah.
00:39:37.920 --> 00:39:38.960
Yeah, that's awesome.
00:39:39.119 --> 00:39:39.599
Well, cool.
00:39:39.679 --> 00:39:51.119
So well, I guess we've already been talking for 38 minutes now, and I actually unfortunately have to uh get back to work here soon, but I did want to hit hit you with a few rapid fire questions before I let you go, if you if you don't mind.
00:39:51.440 --> 00:39:52.239
Let's do it.
00:39:52.480 --> 00:39:52.880
All right.
00:39:53.039 --> 00:39:57.599
So, first off, as a runner in Tennessee, where are some of your favorite places to run?
00:39:57.760 --> 00:40:00.079
What are some of your favorite trails and routes?
00:40:00.400 --> 00:40:02.800
Um, so a couple of my favorite places to run.
00:40:02.880 --> 00:40:05.920
Um, I mentioned the first rate, the first half marathon that I ever did.
00:40:06.000 --> 00:40:09.119
That was at Crockett Park um in Brentwood.
00:40:09.280 --> 00:40:10.400
So that is a top spot.
00:40:10.559 --> 00:40:13.519
A lot of water fountains, great trail through there.
00:40:13.679 --> 00:40:19.360
Um, Edwin Warner Park, which is where I ran this morning, flat route, really easy for me to get to.
00:40:19.519 --> 00:40:24.559
Probably closest like trail route or like pet paved like pathway to my house.
00:40:25.119 --> 00:40:26.800
Um Shelby Park for down.
00:40:27.039 --> 00:40:34.880
Like if anybody's just visiting downtown um and wants a place to run in Nashville, look up Shelby Park, go park at the nature center.
00:40:34.960 --> 00:40:38.559
It's like it is in Nashville, so it's not this like always the safest.
00:40:38.639 --> 00:40:42.880
So go park by the nature center, um, and then go out, and it's a great greenway out there.
00:40:42.960 --> 00:40:50.159
Um, and those are probably like three like that are parks, like pathways that I would recommend around here.
00:40:50.559 --> 00:40:51.119
Awesome.
00:40:51.280 --> 00:40:56.559
And then what are some things that you usually listen to um on your runs?
00:40:56.639 --> 00:40:58.400
What is what do you love to listen to?
00:40:58.800 --> 00:41:00.239
Um, I go music.
00:41:00.400 --> 00:41:03.119
I I don't do I don't do the podcasts.
00:41:03.199 --> 00:41:06.000
I'll do those occasionally, but mostly I do music.
00:41:06.079 --> 00:41:07.760
Um, and it depends on the day.
00:41:07.920 --> 00:41:10.320
Um, most of the time it's like throwback stuff.
00:41:10.480 --> 00:41:14.400
My track day playlist is the pit bull radio on Spotify.
00:41:14.559 --> 00:41:16.079
Every track day it's pit bull.
00:41:16.320 --> 00:41:19.119
I love that like that genre for track.
00:41:19.199 --> 00:41:21.119
It really gets me hyped up for track day.
00:41:21.280 --> 00:41:28.559
Um, and then currently it has like formulated for me an upbeat radio, and so that's what I listen to today for my long run.
00:41:28.719 --> 00:41:31.920
Um, so I pretty much like anything upbeat when I'm running.
00:41:32.079 --> 00:41:35.599
Um, so those are probably the two playlists that I go to the most.
00:41:36.079 --> 00:41:36.400
Okay.
00:41:37.039 --> 00:41:44.079
And what is your um uh gel and electrolyte of choice when going out on a long run?
00:41:44.559 --> 00:41:45.360
Oh, okay.
00:41:45.679 --> 00:41:49.280
So my gel is always Huma.
00:41:49.599 --> 00:41:58.480
Um my favorite flavor is the raspberry, but then I'll I've been doing the double electrolyte because it's hot and it's summer, and so the berry of that is my favorite.
00:41:58.559 --> 00:42:01.840
So, like today I took two, so it would be one of each.
00:42:02.000 --> 00:42:05.920
Um, and then during the run, I do scratch.
00:42:06.159 --> 00:42:14.000
Um, I like a lot of different flavors of those, and it just goes down like it tastes really good when during the run, like it doesn't feel super sticky.
00:42:14.159 --> 00:42:20.880
Um, and then after every single run, no matter what time of year, no matter how long the run, I will do noon.
00:42:20.960 --> 00:42:23.599
Um, so those are like my three like tried and true.
00:42:23.760 --> 00:42:25.760
Those are kind of what I do in run.
00:42:26.079 --> 00:42:36.239
Um, and then if it's warm enough, then I'll also do a salt stick capsule, like just every so often, um, like today, because it was really steamy hot here.
00:42:36.320 --> 00:42:38.639
Um, and so in the summer I'll do those most days.
00:42:38.960 --> 00:42:40.960
I have not tried the salt sticks yet.
00:42:41.039 --> 00:42:43.920
I that's something that I haven't v ventured into.
00:42:44.079 --> 00:42:48.880
Um like I hear so many good things about it, but well, and it was one of those.
00:42:48.960 --> 00:42:55.280
I actually I did what you're not supposed to do, and one marathon was uh hotter than it was supposed to be.
00:42:55.360 --> 00:42:57.920
And I so I tried something new on race day.
00:42:58.000 --> 00:43:04.320
Um, but I did the capsules um to swallow instead of because I figured that would probably be a little easier on the stomach.
00:43:04.480 --> 00:43:11.599
And they're actually they're a higher absorption, so they are better um as far as like like the electrolyte and the salt balance.
00:43:11.760 --> 00:43:14.239
Um, and since that race, I have not stopped.
00:43:14.400 --> 00:43:20.320
Like since that race, I was like, okay, I I think I had like a 10-minute PR at that race.
00:43:20.400 --> 00:43:23.199
And so I was like, okay, something must have been good.
00:43:23.360 --> 00:43:25.199
Um so I kind of kept those in the mix.
00:43:25.360 --> 00:43:27.440
And I'm a super sweaty runner.
00:43:27.599 --> 00:43:32.880
Um, and so having that extra little bit of salt has been has been great.
00:43:32.960 --> 00:43:38.880
And so, and that's the one that I was telling you that I use, but I also bring to the school um for my kids.
00:43:39.119 --> 00:43:41.199
So yeah, awesome.
00:43:41.440 --> 00:43:50.719
Talking about nothing new on race day, the uh one time that I did that was uh back in this past July at the uh marathon that I ran in Utah.
00:43:50.880 --> 00:44:05.599
Oh my gosh, um, and uh I was like uh I was I was at an expo the night before or the morning before evening before, and I was like, I got a ketone IQ bottle.
00:44:05.760 --> 00:44:09.280
Um because I had heard so many things about it, and I was like, yeah, why not?
00:44:09.360 --> 00:44:12.400
Like I'll try it, but you know, what could it hurt?
00:44:12.559 --> 00:44:22.079
But I will say, like at the halfway point, I threw it back, and like the amount of energy I got right then and there, I was like, man, so huh.
00:44:22.480 --> 00:44:23.599
Now I take it routinely.
00:44:23.679 --> 00:44:26.480
So I haven't done those before, so interesting.
00:44:26.719 --> 00:44:27.920
Maybe something to try.
00:44:28.159 --> 00:44:29.280
Maybe something to try.
00:44:29.519 --> 00:44:35.519
And my last question is um, so if you could give anyone a reason to go out for a run today, what would it be?
00:44:37.039 --> 00:44:39.760
Um, to get outside and free your mind.
00:44:39.920 --> 00:44:42.239
I I love my outside time running.
00:44:42.400 --> 00:44:44.159
I do not use the treadmill.
00:44:44.239 --> 00:44:46.639
Um, it just is kind of a way to be outside.
00:44:46.800 --> 00:44:48.639
I think it's important to get fresh air.
00:44:48.800 --> 00:44:50.880
So there it is.
00:44:51.199 --> 00:44:52.239
Yeah, definitely.
00:44:52.480 --> 00:44:56.880
Well, Laura, thank you so much for uh for your time and for uh for joining me today.
00:44:57.039 --> 00:45:01.440
Um this podcast will release uh on tomorrow, Saturday.
00:45:01.599 --> 00:45:05.519
So um it'll go up probably first thing Saturday morning in your central time.
00:45:05.599 --> 00:45:07.840
I didn't I thought Tennessee was Eastern time, but it's central.
00:45:07.920 --> 00:45:11.599
So part of Tennessee, if you get to East Tennessee, then you are.
00:45:11.679 --> 00:45:17.039
We're a very long stay, and so it's like when you get all the way out to like Chattanooga, then it's Eastern.
00:45:17.119 --> 00:45:18.800
Um, but yeah, the rest of the state's central.
00:45:19.280 --> 00:45:19.599
Okay.
00:45:19.840 --> 00:45:21.679
So it'll come out probably 8 a.m.
00:45:21.920 --> 00:45:22.400
Central time.
00:45:22.639 --> 00:45:23.599
So there you go.
00:45:24.880 --> 00:45:26.000
All right, well, thank you.
00:45:26.559 --> 00:45:27.440
Yeah, thank you.
00:45:27.599 --> 00:45:35.599
I really appreciate this, and um stay on for a second so that way I can end the call and have uh the uh the files upload correctly.
00:45:35.679 --> 00:45:36.639
So hold on one second.
