Run Farther & Faster

10/30/2026

Note: for some reason, FB flagged this as “AI content.” We take pride in writing all of our runners’ stories ourselves!

We have another first time marathoner! Congratulations to Kerri S., from Bend, Oregon, who, at age 47, ran her first marathon, Marine Corps Marathon, in 4:51!

Kerri, an Army veteran and nurse, reached out to us in November 2025. She wanted a coach to help her structure her training around her shift schedule, which fluctuated from week to week, so that she could prepare for the Marine Corps Marathon in 2026.

Each week, Kerri worked twelve-hour shifts on different days, and on those days, she was unable to run. We immediately helped Kerri run on a consistent basis in spite of her inconsistent work and sleep schedule by tailoring her running schedule to her work schedule.

When we first started working with Kerri one year ago, she was running three to five miles three days a week (total weekly volume of 9-12 miles). By May, Kerri had built enough volume to run a half marathon. She finished her first half marathon in 2:50 (12:25 pace) and was disappointed in her time. She knew she had more in her and used that race as motivation to keep moving forward.

Kerri trained throughout the summer, while visiting her father frequently in hospice care. She used running as a tool to navigate a stressful time in her life and recognized that during this season of life, a run that was not perfect was good enough. By September, Kerri decided to test her fitness before Marine Corps and ran a 10K race. She finished the race with an average pace of 9:36, and placed third in her age group. In spite of the stress, Kerri had built a lot of fitness since May, and felt more confident about running the marathon one month later.

Just a few days after the 10K in early October, Kerri's father passed away. Kerri navigated her tremendous loss while using running as a tool to help her process her grief. We advised Kerri to listen to her body and not worry about the schedule, as we did not want her running to create more stress on her body. Kerri focused on self care and ran the best she could, and realized that for her, the training provided comfort and structure during a difficult time.

By race week, Kerri felt excited to do something she had never done before while carrying the memory of her dad and many other loved ones with her along the way.

Kerri arrived in DC excited and confident, and on race day, her confidence shined! Kerri ran a negative split race and finished with tremendous joy and gratitude! Kerri's average pace, 10:57, was markedly faster than her average pace of her half marathon in May!

In Kerri's words, "This race came after five years of big loss. I lost pets, my mom, my best friend (tragically) , my dad and multiple family members. I needed to dig deep and find a focus and running helped me get through some of my hardest days. (Trust me, I worked through some stuff on my long runs). I plan to keep going and I’m so happy to have you guys to help me train the right way. When I was in the army, we just ran. I had no clue there was a strategy and a plan. Now I feel like I run smarter and healthier. I look forward to my next goal and learning more."

We are so proud of Kerri for her tenacity and strength and look forward to many more adventures ahead.

10/29/2026

When Tracy J., age 43, reached out to us in May, she had one big goal--to run her first marathon, the Marine Corps Marathon.

Tracy shared with us that she wanted a coach to create a schedule that accommodated her long commute that varied from week to week, while balancing the mileage required to arrive at the MCM start line healthy and prepared. When Tracy started with us, she was running a long run of six miles on the weekend and two to three mid-week runs of three to four miles during the week.

Each week, we gradually increased Tracy's mileage while ensuring that Tracy maintained an easy pace to absorb the mileage. We added in some short bursts of speed work into her schedule by July, and by August, Tracy was running long runs between 14 and 17 miles every weekend without issue. Once Tracy ran her first 20-mile-long run in September, she said, "I felt good the whole time." During Tracy's second and final 20-mile-long run in October, Tracy remarked "Felt strong at the end and was faster today than the last time I ran 20 miles." During each of her long runs, Tracy practiced fueling, even when she didn't feel like fueling.

On race day, Tracy lined up prepared to run her first marathon and reflecting on how far she had come since starting her marathon training journey in late May. Tracy ran a joyful race alongside her cousin and finished her first marathon in 5:39!

In Tracy's words, "When we spoke on the phone in May I said my goal was to get to the start line healthy and feel like I had done everything I could to prepare. I accomplished both goals! Building mileage over the weeks and practicing fueling helped me to feel confident. I went into the race with the mindset that I was going to do a 6 mile warm up and then run 20 miles which was something I had already done twice. Even though parts of the course were tough (the bridge back to VA!) I felt confident I could do it. Around mile 23 I even said to my cousin I think I want to try to go a little faster. I could not have asked for a better first marathon experience. Having a training plan and knowing you were checking up on me was very motivating I also appreciated how detailed the race day plan were. Thank you again!"

Huge congratulations to Tracy!

10/28/2026

When Roberta Groner toes the starting line of the 2026 New York City Marathon, she brings a trajectory unlike almost any other elite in the professional field. At 48, the former registered nurse, running coach, and mother of three isn’t just preparing to tackle 26.2 miles through the five boroughs. She’s also aiming to qualify for the Olympic Marathon Trials.

10/27/2026

Fueling properly is essential for runners of all ages, but nutritional needs can become more complicated as we age, pursue ambitious performance goals, and navigate changes in body composition.

In this episode, we welcome Alex Larson, a registered dietitian nutritionist, avid triathlete, and mom. Alex shares how runners can optimize their nutrition to support both performance and long-term health.

We also discuss GLP-1 usage among runners and when, how and why a GLP-1 is (or is not) appropriate.

Listen to episode 296 wherever you get your podcasts.

10/26/2026

While reading the weekly Fast Women newsletter, we spotted this article about the amazing Annabel Stafford. We are proud to coach Annabel’s fabulous mom, Aimee, who continues to pursue big goals!

I saw all the wonderful things animals do for us, and I wanted to be a voice for them. Problem-solving and science, paired with compassion, empathy, and connection with animals and their families, was the perfect combination of the things I love, what I find to be fulfilling, and what I want to do w...

10/26/2026

A lifetime marathon PR of 3:25:30 at 59 years old, and 2nd place in her age group at the Marine Corps Marathon! We knew that Gayle could do this today, and are so grateful that she believed in the confidence we had in her, and in our ambitious plan for her at today's Marine Corps Marathon!

We've coached Gayle since the fall of 2023, when she came to us after having a lot of marathon experience, but struggling with calf cramping that was keeping her from hitting her potential. After working with her that initial training cycle, and identifying what we thought was the cause of her cramping (going out too fast), we were able to help Gayle complete Tokyo, London, and Sydney that year, with a new marathon PR at age 56 of 3:32:47 at Sydney.

Subsequently, we helped Gayle cut that finish time down even more, with a 3:28:57 in Chicago in 2025. This year, we guided Gayle to train strategically for both Boston and Cape Town, which were just weeks apart. She finished each of those races in a consistent 3:31, but following Cape Town, Gayle developed pain in her psoas and glute. We encouraged her to take at least one month off of running to focus on recovery, strength, and PT so that she could successfully train for this year's Marine Corps Marathon.

Gayle started training again in July, and our approach was simply to rebuild a foundation of easy miles, to make sure that she didn't have a flare up of the pain she had after Cape Town. We didn't add any type of speed to Gayle's schedule until August, and even then, it was very basic, minimal speed in the form of some fartlek intervals and hills. We finally added some more traditional speed work in September, once we were sure that Gayle was running pain free.

Gayle was skeptical of her speed over the summer, first because she hadn't done much, if any, speed work, and second because running was slow and felt hard over the hot and humid summer months in Paducah, Kentucky. We added a 5K to her schedule in mid-August, before we had really done any speed work, and another one at the end of September, to help Gayle see the progress in her speed. She finished the 5K at the end of September a minute faster than the one in August, so we knew that even though she didn't feel the speed in her (hot, humid) workouts, it was coming back.

Going into MCM, we were really confident of Gayle's fitness. Knowing the course, and that the weather was going to be ideal, we gave Gayle a pacing plan to set a marathon PR. Gayle told us she was "shocked you think I might be able to get close or match my PR." But that, "I will use your strategy-you know the course and my racing abilities."

Leaning into that trust in our confidence and the plan, Gayle executed her race perfectly today, and crossed the line with her new PR. She told us afterwards, "Thank you again for believing in me! Your expert coaching had me ready to reach a new goal that I didn’t think I could reach! You are not just remarkably tuned in to each runner but you know when to suggest reaching higher and trying for a new PR! I am forever grateful for the training plan and especially the specific course strategy. It made all the difference for this race and I can’t believe I was able to drop three minutes from my previous marathon PR after the hot, humid summer training. I can Run Farther and FASTER!!!"

Gayle's race is a perfect reminder that our greatest breakthroughs, even as we age, come when we're willing to put in the work even when it doesn't come easy, trust the process, and have the courage to reach for a little more than we think possibly can. At age 59, Gayle is an example that it's never too late to redefine your limits, and we could not be prouder to be a part of helping Gayle do that. Congrats, Gayle!

10/25/2026

Before we share our Marine Corps Marathoners’ accomplishments today, we wanted to share one last Bank of America Chicago Marathon result!

Congratulations to Carolyn S., from the United Kingdom 🇬🇧, who, at age 56, got her running mojo back in Chicago!

Carolyn reached out to us for coaching in June. Here’s her story.

“When we started working together I had lost my running mojo and felt conflicted about all the messaging out there that endurance/marathon running was not the best form of exercise for a midlife woman! My paces had dropped off over the last 12 months and I wanted to work on improving my speed.

In a relatively short time, you did a great job to restore my love for running and get me race ready. I really enjoyed the weekly speed sessions you prescribed training at lactate threshold pace and incorporating strides at the end of a weekly easy run, which were all new training techniques for me.

I went to Chicago feeling I was in great shape, had a solid training block behind me and felt proud I had also successfully managed to train through the hottest summer on record in the UK!
We discussed that my race plan was to aim for a sub 4-hour time, but in doing that, not to compromise feeling comfortable and controlled throughout and most importantly to go out there and enjoy the race!

However, race day weather in Chicago turned out to be much warmer and more humid than ideal. Standing in my starting corral, I overheard an older seasoned Chicago marathoner giving tips to other runners around him about the race. "Watch out for the grates on the bridges, run on the carpet and watch out for the potholes!" he said. He finished up by saying "It's going to be a warm one, I can feel it already." This, coupled with the announcements warning about being disciplined and keeping hydrated, made me think that this wasn't the day to be chasing a time, but instead to focus on running a sensibly paced and controlled race.

I did just that and feel so proud of my ex*****on! I passed through the halfway point at 02:02:10 and almost ran an evenly split second half to finish in 04.05.32, despite the real challenge of temperatures climbing and running in full sun during the last 10K. I hydrated and fuelled dilligently just as I had done in training and gave it 100% effort in less than ideal conditions. I feel confident that on a cooler day a sub-4 hour time would have been achievable!

Thank you for all your help, guidance and support and for giving me the confidence and belief that yes, I can, should and will enjoy running marathons in my 50s and beyond!”

We are so proud of Carolyn. Please join us in sending congratulations to her across the pond!

10/24/2026

From deep dish pizza to Jell-O shots, one runner eats and drinks her way through marathons. See link below ⬇️

📸 Justine Huang

10/23/2026

Early Sunday morning, tens of thousands of runners will gather for the annual Marine Corps Marathon. The 26.2-mile course, which starts in Arlington and takes runners through Georgetown to the…

10/23/2026

https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/fitness/shoes-cushion-feet-health-8f5d83a8

Max-cushion shoes are all the rage. But some doctors worry that they could be causing long-term harm to feet, ankles, knees and hips.