RED Episode 317 Part 2 of a Runcation Recap with Cheri Whitt

RED Episode 317-  Part 2 of a A Runcation Recap with Cheri Whitt

SHOUTOUTS 

Thanks to Cheri Whitt who recorded a Runcation Recap with us. There are so many nuggets of wisdom in that chat, and we can’t wait to share it with you all!  

If you want a shout out for you or someone else you love on the show,  email us at info@runeatdrink.net or call us and leave a message at 941-677-2733.

Part 2 of a Runcation Recap with Cheri Whitt 

This week we talk to an amazing member of the Runcation Nation, Cheri Whitt.  We get tips, advice, and inspiration from this Galloway Pacer and certified running coach.

THAT’S A WRAP!

Please give us feedback about the topics from today’s show, so we can share them on upcoming shows! Email us at info@runeatdrink.net or call us and leave a message at 941-677-2733.

Chapters

• 0:00 Race Morning Preparation Tips
• 11:38 Navigating Hilly Marathon Courses
• 20:13 Course Support and Hydration Strategies
• 29:15 Favorite Finish Lines and Celebrations
• 36:08 The Galloway Method and Training Evolution
• 43:01 Runner Community and Future Race Plans

Transcript

Speaker 1: 1:06

Hi, my name is Sherry Witt. My Instagram handle is SherryBerry101. Most people know me by the hashtag WittSyndrome. You're listening to the Run Eat Drink podcast, part of the Runcation Nation.

Speaker 2: 1:25

Welcome to the Run Eat Drink podcast. We feature destination races from across the country and after the race, we take you on a tour of the best local food and beverage to celebrate. So, whether you are an elite runner or a back of the packer like us, you'll know the best places to accomplish, explore and indulge on your next runcation. On your next runcation. Hey, welcome back. This is episode 317 of the Run Eat Drink podcast and I'm your host, amy. This is part two of our fantastic conversation with Sherry Witt. So say, on race morning for the major races that you have done, for you just got back from Sydney, you've done Chicago what, what insider info do you have for race morning in these big races, when it can be chaotic and feel overwhelming for somebody?

Speaker 1: 2:28

So what I always tell people is plan your route. How are you getting to the start line? Walk it the day before or two days, whatever. Figure out from where you're at, how you're getting to the start line, what trains, what are you taking and that's with any race, Because if you decide you're going to rely on Uber and they cancel on you at the last minute, you got to still get to the race right.

Speaker 1: 2:52

So most places like Washington DC, Tokyo, all those places they all have mass transit systems. So as long as you understand how those work and you do a dry run, you'll be fine, especially if it's your first time. It also alleviates nerves. The worst thing that can happen to a runner is they're so nervous on race day that all common sense goes out the window and they get on the wrong train, go in the wrong direction, because they thought it was one thing and they didn't do a dry run. So I always recommend a dry run like walk to the start line, see where it is from your hotel. Can you walk it or would you rather take some form of transportation? Do they have a shuttle? If so, what's the distance to get to the shuttle, Things like that? So, and at the expo, ask the questions If they have an information booth. If you don't know, ask someone, They'll.

Speaker 2: 3:42

They're very helpful, yeah, and so you got to build in that time before the race too.

Speaker 1: 3:49

It's also a good little shakeout, honestly, if you're. I know a lot of people love doing those shakeout runs the day before the race. I do not, no, because, too no, too many people will go too fast on those things. They can cause some injuries, and I'm not going to. I don't. The three miles or whatever it is I'm going to do the day before a race is not going to help me one bit. All my training leading up to that point is what's going to help me. That three miles could harm me, but what I do recommend is I'll go out and walk, walk to see where you need to be and call that your shakeout. That's my take on it, the only time I've done shakeout runs. We are pacers for this amazing race called the Donna Love it. Yeah, and it's a breast cancer support race, and myself and a lot of my friends have dealt with breast cancer issues. That's an amazing course, and I stay at a hotel that's right outside the start line, so it's easier for me to get there.

Speaker 2: 4:46

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 4:47

Yeah, I think it just depends.

Speaker 2: 4:51

you just have to you got to know where you're going if you're in a strange setting yeah, yeah, and that rehearsal is going to alleviate the nerves to your point now of all of the races they all have their own unique challenges.

Speaker 1: 5:28

I would say say would you say which one would you characterize as the hilliest thing from London and Tokyo and Boston, which, by the way, what it basically is. It feels like you're always on a boat, so you lose your equilibrium and if I lay down on the bed I would get super dizzy like vertigo and getting up in the middle of the night. You can't hardly keep your balance, and it's a weird thing which I didn't even know was a thing until I got it. Wait, I lost track. What was the question again?

Speaker 1: 5:59

Oh courses hilly versus flat versus which one's a?

Speaker 2: 6:04

good first time.

Speaker 1: 6:05

So I love Sydney A hilly course. I would say Big Sur super hilly, but it's a beautiful course. And San Francisco super hilly, but I got one of my better times there. I live in a h Rebel races. I think they're amazing. However, the screaming downhills are a whole other challenge in and of themselves. So I'm not a fan of those as much anymore, but during COVID they were the only races you could run, so I learned appreciation for them. But they're hard. Downhill races are super hard and it doesn't make them faster because they even it out. Mount Charleston has we call it quicksand miles. The last five miles are uphill and after you've been screaming downhill to have to go reverse that and go uphill, it just feels, yeah, it's horrible. So I think I would say Big Sur, san Francisco, and those are the two hilliest courses, but also the Big Sur being very beautiful because you run all along the California coast.

Speaker 1: 7:19

My favorite race is the Marine Corps Marathon because I am a veteran and so I run that with pride every year and the Blue Mile gets me every time. Yeah and then. But my bucket list race was running the Athens Marathon with Jeff and Barb, because I got to run that original route with an Olympian how cool is that. A race I'm looking forward to right now is obviously Hawaii, because we're going to get to run with Jeff again and yeah, so excited about that.

Speaker 1: 7:58

And Triumph Sports put that package together. I tapped them and said, hey guys, I love Tokyo, I loved the travel packages you put together and how basically top-notch it was, which is what Jeff likes. And so Weston, jeff, myself and Tamara and Jeff because there's Jeff Lacks works for Triumph and so we all got together and we said let's put this package together and they did a stand-up job. We're going to have over 90 people going. Oh yeah, so it's everybody wanted to go because everybody loves Jeff. So we're all going to be there and we're going to do a dopey simulation there for people who are running dopey and it's going to be really fun because it's in December.

Speaker 2: 8:44

So yeah, and it's right before that.

Speaker 1: 8:47

Right, right before Dope. It's basically aligned that weekend is the Dopey Sim weekend, so the marathon will be the marathon run and they have the Mahalo thing, which means you can finish whenever.

Speaker 2: 8:58

I love that yeah.

Speaker 1: 9:00

We're going to do a 12-mile run on Saturday, which is the new simulation is 12 miles, not 13. And then we'll do the 5K. I think there's a 5K race, or we'll do a 5K the day before that. And they've cut out the 10K and the training. Now, as far as the Galloway official training, they do the 5K, the 12 miles and then the marathon, and that's your simulation, yeah.

Speaker 2: 9:24

Interesting. Oh, wow, Okay. Okay Now, which races do you favor for having the best course support like aid stations?

Speaker 1: 9:51

I've had three situations that come to mind and it had nothing to do with the official aid stations, it had to do with the people. So rock and roll. San Diego some person at like mile 20 or 21 had ice cold Coca-Cola. Oh my gosh, that was amazing. And I was like I discovered my new crack cocaine with ice cold Coca-Cola, and because I'm a Diet Coke person. But when you are tired, hot, thirsty, nothing and that's what Jeff uses is DeFiz Coke. Air Force Marathon these little Boy Scouts, man, they had their Freezy Pops and those, oh my goodness, and that's a hot race. And those, oh, my goodness.

Speaker 1: 10:43

And that's a hot race and those were amazing. I think for the most part, with a few exceptions, I could tell you which races I've run'll take them over anyone, because they are. That's the fun group. All the fun is happening back there and it's just such a joy to run with them. But what happens is by the time they get to the aid stations, all the volunteers have let all the people in front of them take too much and there's nothing left and so they're out. So I always tell people Disneyland was a prime example I had a young gal.

Speaker 1: 11:13

She ran out of her hydration, had nothing, it was hot and she looked bad. So I had my hydration. So I was carried. I said take mine and use it, drink it and use it, drink it. And so I told my pacing partner Eva, when you go and grab water, get me one every time now, because I don't have hydration. So I think people shouldn't rely on the course so much. If you're fast and you're up in the front, you're fine, but if you're let's say you're a five plus hour marathoner, you may run into problems.

Speaker 1: 11:52

Tokyo prime example. They ran out of cups and water and not at the same time. Really yeah, and they Tokyo would not allow you to bring reusable bottles. Really, yeah, they didn't want it. So I didn't understand that, because they were using a lot of paper cups. That, to me, was a waste, when we could have just used our refillable bottles. What they did allow and I read the fine print, so I bought some on Amazon were these little like aluminum pouches Capri Sun juice boxes or something like that aluminum pouches with a screw top, and so I filled those with my hydration and had them in my pack, and so it didn't affect me and anyone who was running with me. I gave them to them, so they each had, because it came in a pack of 50, so I was passing them out like candy, and so it didn't affect me because I kept refilling those. So I think it's more about when they don't have enough versus when they do.

Speaker 2: 12:50

Yeah, and for back of the Packers, to your point, it is more of an issue yeah, go ahead, but you have to be like did that add weight?

Speaker 1: 13:03

what you carried. I don't carry that, so the only time I wear running vests- is if I'm running ultras.

Speaker 1: 13:11

Okay, and yeah, it adds weight, but we usually so. When I first started running, I carried too much water. I carried too much everything, because you never want to run out. As I've done more races and I've done a lot of them, I know what works now because I've tried it and what I found is like I can carry a 16 ounce bottle of water and that's all I need, because if I drink it all, I'll refill it along the course. Like I can add water as I get it If I know I'm going to run low and my hydration in there.

Speaker 1: 13:42

Chris Twiggs taught me this trick about mix it heavy, which means you want it to be overly sweet at the beginning, or overly because you can add water to it and that makes your hydration last longer. Okay, okay, yeah, you're using tailwind. I don't use tailwind, but I know he does, and so he. If it calls for one scoop, he'll add two and then, okay, the first couple sips are going to be really strong, but it'll the front half. Your first half of your race sets up your second half and people don't understand this. So most people don't. They don't use their hydration or the water, or their goos and their gels and their fuel until they need it. And by the time you need it it's too late.

Speaker 1: 14:25

So if you mix your hydration super strong, you're getting it at the beginning when you need it. So it actually has a double role, right? So you're getting the extra in the beginning, and then, as you're watering it down, you're getting water later on, so it's not that big of a deal.

Speaker 2: 14:42

Interesting. That's a good tip. Yeah, that's a good tip. Okay, and you can thank Chris Twiggs when you have him on this podcast. Well, there you go. Shout out to you, coach, yeah, okay. So you've given us a lot of tips so far. Let's talk about the finish lines. What have been some of your favorite finish lines and why?

Speaker 1: 15:04

Oh gosh, I love a finish line when there's a lot of us finishing together, I think that's, or if I can finish, if I've run a whole race with a friend of mine and we can finish with our arms up in the air. To me that's like the best photo op. Good race announcers make a great finish. Carissa's an amazing race announcer, so I love all the finish lines. My favorite finish line was again the Athens Marathon. Jeff, barb, myself, a couple other people we were all running together and Jeff and Barb had their hands. They were holding in their hands raised their hands. Jeff grabs my hand. I grab the gal's hand next to me. She grabs the hand. So we all raise our hands. We're crossing the finish line and she says I just didn't think you'd grab my hand. I'm so amazed that I'm part of that picture. She was so excited. I'm like you ran with us. Why wouldn't we? Why wouldn't we celebrate together?

Speaker 1: 15:56

I think the finish line is all about the celebration. Yes, yes, and the celebration is while I pace most races, I'm pacing someone. They don't. The dirty little secret there is that they're helping me just as much as I'm helping them, because while I'm helping them, I'm not thinking about how much this sucks for me, because, as many marathons as I've done, it still hurts. Mile 24 is still painful. I want to be done by then. So I don't think about that when I'm helping someone else. So when I help people at these races, it helps me, yeah. So I don't tell them that, but I'm like, yeah, sure, I'll be the hero.

Speaker 2: 16:39

That's so good, that's and it's smart and it's sweet. You're focusing on something else.

Speaker 1: 16:48

Yeah, like Disneyland, I had several people come up just in tears because this was their first half marathon. They didn't think they could finish. We got them to the finish line. They were so grateful and to me that makes it all worth it. Finish line they were so grateful and to me that makes it all worth it. Driving to Anaheim and running in 85 degree weather isn't fun, but the finish line and all the people make it fun. It really does. It's so important and I think when you're running for time goal and you're running by yourself, it's not as fun.

Speaker 2: 17:19

So now, if people are not, they look at pace groups and they're thinking, oh, I didn't do that ratio in my training. What would you say to that?

Speaker 1: 17:31

So most and Chris is really working on this as the pace coordinator most people who use run-walk do not use the official run-walk ratio. Sydney had some weird ratios which were interesting, but I had I probably had. I think at some points I had 50 people running with me at Sydney. We finished. I think there was like eight or nine or ten of us that finished. A couple people ran with me almost the entire time Because I did very so.

Speaker 1: 17:59

I did 20-30, 20-second run, 30 second walk, cause I told everybody that wanted to run with me and I was there with the tour group so anybody in the tour group could run with me that we would finish between 545 and six hours using 20 second run, 30 second walk. And then towards the end we had a couple of people who started struggling because the hills are on the back half of that race, so we switched to 1530. We still finished in 548. So not a bad day. I got them in and I knew I'd already factored in the fact that people were probably going to want to slow down because most people haven't done the training correctly whatever.

Speaker 1: 18:40

So what I recommend to people is Jeff, gives you a wide range of ratios within that timeframe of your finish on his website. Try them all, try different ratios, and if you want to run with the pace group, look and see what ratios they do. The race director will know, or the pace coordinator for that race will know, and then if you can't run those ratios, you know you're not going to run with that group. So if their ratios are so obscure that you can't do it, then don't run with them, just keep them in your line of sight. Yeah, and so if you want to finish in 530, keep the 530 group in your line of sight and then just pass them at the end, right?

Speaker 2: 19:20

now. Okay, so that's some. We have some good tips we have about it's. It is about I don't just finishing. Sometimes with complete strangers or with people who mean so much to you, it can a range of emotions can be there now. Are you bling driven? Oh, dana is.

Speaker 1: 19:42

Absolutely, he's bling driven 100%. Yeah, I've got, I love the medals. Yeah, that's what. Originally Disney, I was like, ooh, you can get like 10 medals in one weekend, like the marathon weekend. If you do dopey, you're getting dopey goofy, plus all four medals. You're getting like six medals plus all the shirts. It's amazing, yeah, and I would say I am definitely bling driven because that's your like some. I had someone. You always get those people who don't run. They're like did you win? And I'm like, yes, and I got a medal. Yes, I got a medal. So I crossed the finish line, I won. I think my favorite fit, my two favorite most emotional finish lines, was my first time I ran Boston in person.

Speaker 1: 20:24

And you're coming around that corner and you see that amazing finish line and you're like, oh my gosh, I just did this race that everybody wants to do and the finish line is right there and my very first marathon, which that's a whole story of how I got to run. I have this friend who, after I had gotten sick, I said I wanted to run a marathon. She said let's do it, let's go back home. I'm from Fargo, North Dakota. I'm from that area, Moorhead, Minnesota, Fargo, North Dakota. She said let's go back home and run the Fargo Marathon. Let's go run the streets we used to run around in. So I said let's do it.

Speaker 1: 20:57

And I started training and I got to about six miles and I was just like, oh, there's no way, there's no way I can do this. I can't get past six miles. This is ridiculous. I was. I just I couldn't do it. And I said to her I go, I don't know what. I was thinking, I can't do this. And she goes hey, sure, there's this guy and his name is Jeff Galloway and he does this thing and it's called run walk. So let's try it, let's do 30-second run, 30-second walk, See if you can do that. And I was able to complete my training using that ratio, so it immediately doubled my distance. Just by using run-walk, my distance immediately doubled as far as how far I could go, because I knew I could run six miles, so if I added the walk breaks I could now do 12. So it really helped. I wish I'd embraced his entire training program early on instead of just the ratios, but I didn't know and I think a lot of people are there they don't know. But so those were my two favorite finish lines.

Speaker 2: 21:55

So when you say embrace his whole program, what do you mean? Talk about what you mean, Jeff it's not just about the ratios.

Speaker 1: 22:02

Run-walk is about doing all the training, as with any program. What do you mean? Talk about what you mean, jeff. It's not just about the ratios. Run walk is about doing all the training, as with any program, which means you run to the distance, you do the drills. His acceleration gliders and his cadence drills are key to running, and I don't care if you're a three-hour marathoner or if you're a six-hour marathoner. All these drills help right. And then you have to decide am I going to run just to finish or do I want to go for time, because there's other training that gets involved in that. But really, when I first started running, I did the ratios.

Speaker 1: 22:36

My first year I ran two marathons the Bargo, and then I went back and ran Minneapolis, and by Minneapolis I started having Achilles problems and I was like, oh gosh, this is horrible. And then we had already signed up for Dopey, so we had to go do Dopey and by the time I was done with Dopey I ran Dopey with complete bronchitis, I had the flu, I was throwing up the morning of the marathon and after that race I was just like this is not fun, this is just horrible. Maybe the half is the perfect distance. And then I got to go back. Then Jeff had a retreat in Carmel and it happened to come across my computer and it was on my birthday weekend and I said to my husband I want to go do that and I thought I'm going to be in this auditorium. I had not met Jeff at this point and this was my first meeting. I had seen him from afar at a Disney, but I was too afraid to go up and talk to him. I was a fangirl. I called Jeff. My husband and Barb both know that I'm totally in love with Jeff because he saved he really saved my life and I it's like my running boyfriend, right, and Barb said that's creepy, right, and I'm like I don't care. I don't care, barb, but he really did, because we're not.

Speaker 1: 23:51

His method brings running to so many people that would not be doing it and I don't care what size, shape, whatever your thing is. Physical fitness is so key to longevity and it's really true, I want to run till I'm 100. And I wouldn't have been able to do that without his method and once I embraced all of it, which includes slowing down for my long runs, fueling, doing the small stuff, doing the drills, not going nuts on the weekdays on my shorter runs, doing all the stuff, pool running, all these things. They're important and this all makes for a good, solid runner.

Speaker 1: 24:34

Just doing bits and pieces is why people get injured, and I was on that road to injury and so I didn't want to do that. I also didn't want to run any more marathons, and that was after three. I'm not doing this again. I'm not doing this again. I'll run halves. But then I found out that halves were just as hard. If that's your distance, whatever distance you're running is just as hard, whether it's ultras, marathons, 10ks. If that's your distance and that's what you're training for, it's going to be hard, yeah.

Speaker 2: 25:06

Yeah, yeah, okay, so you said people can do some damage after crossing the finish line as far as nutritionally and I can eat whatever I want.

Speaker 1: 25:21

Yeah, that's a fun topic right there.

Speaker 2: 25:26

Yeah, it can be dangerous. However, we're into the post run celebration. Has there been?

Speaker 1: 25:34

a meal. It was one of your topic points.

Speaker 2: 25:37

Yes, we are like the run and we run, and then we eat and drink, yes. So where have you gotten the best post-race meal? Where's been some good eats for you?

Speaker 1: 25:51

My best. Okay, first off, I'm going to tell you that usually after marathon, I'm not hungry.

Speaker 2: 25:55

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 25:57

It's weird, but I'm going to tell you that usually after a marathon, I'm not hungry. Yeah, it's weird, but I'm not. And as far as you can't like. For instance, I only burn about 2,800 calories when I run a marathon, according to Garmin, and Garmin is mean. That doesn't make sense. That doesn't seem right.

Speaker 2: 26:12

No.

Speaker 1: 26:12

But yet, and then you've got to take in all the calories you're eating and drinking on the course, and so you subtract that from the. Then you've got to take in all the calories you're eating and drinking on the course, and so you subtract that from the calories you've burned and let's say, maybe you only have 1,600 left, or whatever it is right. 2,000, let's say 2,000 calories is not a whole lot for a post-meal celebration, without going back into a calorie overload. And then you get so many runners who say when I was training for a marathon, I gained weight. It's calories in and calories out for the most part. There's other little things that happen, but you can't eat 4,000 calories after doing an 800 calorie burn run and expect to come off because that's not a deficit. My, of course, favorite post-race meal, surprisingly enough, is pizza.

Speaker 2: 27:01

I love pizza, good pizza, yeah, but.

Speaker 1: 27:04

I normally can't eat it, but after a race, because my body has sweated usually and burned up more sodium than I've given it, I can have that pizza and maybe it has like sausage or pepperoni on it or something, and it's okay in that moment for me because my body will use it to regenerate what I've lost and so it's perfect. I cannot think of where. I'm sure that there is a meal. I really tried to rack my brain and what meal after a race. That was super amazing, and the only thing I can think of is pizza. And my post-race beverage I think I already discussed with you was ice cold Coca-Cola. Yes, that's perfect, because I also don't drink alcohol, because I have kidney and liver damage, so there's a lot. So, like I always say, I can eat cardboard, so I really enjoy I run, so I can eat candy. Yeah, I can eat candy. It's like I can bring jelly beans, I can bring gummy bears on my run because I'm working through that, and so there isn't going to be anything left over that my body cannot filter out.

Speaker 2: 28:15

Yeah, yeah, okay. So the overall experience, the overall race experience, what are your top three?

Speaker 1: 28:22

Top three. Top three races that I liked.

Speaker 1: 28:38

Yeah, it's like that course wise or let's say, top three courses, yeah, okay. So my very first PR happened at Grandma's Marathon. Oh, we've heard this was good, but I'm not a fan. I'm not a fan. I grew up in Minnesota and I'm not a fan of Duluth, and I'll tell you why. They charge so much for the hotel rooms and everything, and it's Duluth. You shouldn't have to pay $700 a night for a hotel room to go run a marathon. It's ridiculous. It's expensive to run that marathon, for whatever reason, and I think they do themselves a great disservice. But they sell out every year, so they can.

Speaker 1: 29:04

I got my very first PR. I think I finished that in a 442. And that was the first time where I thought I might, I could actually do this thing, I could get faster, and I had run five marathons five weekends in a row and I was training with Jeff at this point because I was becoming a program director and each race I got faster to grandma's being the fifth race, the fifth weekend, and I finished in a 4.42. And I got some interesting comments from Jeff about that.

Speaker 2: 29:35

Oh really.

Speaker 1: 29:36

Oh yeah, he said this is all great and fine until it's not so you've got to pick your PRs. Don't try and get faster on every race, especially with as many as you're running, because if you don't pick the races you're going to end up hurting yourself or burning out. So I got schooled there. I was so excited and I was told don't do that. So I was like okay, oh no, yeah, I think Marine Corps, I love our nation's capital, I love running through that, I love the Marine.

Speaker 2: 30:05

Support Everybody says it's amazing.

Speaker 1: 30:08

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2: 30:10

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 30:10

Boston. Obviously Boston is amazing. The crowds are amazing. Have you ever done?

Speaker 2: 30:16

New York, no, no. So I'll be interested after you do that in November, to see crowd support Where's the best, because they rival each other.

Speaker 1: 30:27

I've heard, and we have a huge Galloway group there. So I know and that's another thing In Marine Corps we have a group in Washington DC and they have an aid station at like mile 20, 21 or 23. It's a bus stop, I know exactly where it is on the course, and so Floyd, our director there, will say what do you want in the cooler? And I'll be like a mini coat and whatever. So I'll tell him what, and so when I get there, they're like I got your stuff, so it's your drug deal, right? Yes, yes. And then I feel the Donna same thing. We have a huge Jacksonville group. So they have a cooler. They ask you what you want, they stick it in the cooler and when you get to that point you grab your stuff and it's so refreshing, you have something to look forward to.

Speaker 1: 31:10

New York, I feel, is going to be the same thing, because Karen has an amazing program there and I feel like we're going to have huge support because of her program for those who aren't running. So that is why one of the things I do is I try and help Chris and Jeff with new programs. I think they're so important and the more boots on the ground programs we have. It's like your first defense, right? So you want to dip your toes in the run, walk water. Go find a local group. That's a great way to do it. It's not expensive, it's great community. You get running friends instantly. No one's left behind. It's amazing and anyone can do it.

Speaker 2: 31:48

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 31:48

So, yeah, those are my. I think my favorite courses are simply because of the Galloway support we have on the course, right, so I look forward to that.

Speaker 2: 31:56

Yes, like Donna, is nobody's business, is just the community.

Speaker 1: 32:03

And when the community comes out like even at Air Force the community, because you run mainly on Wright-Patterson base the community is amazing. So, even though it's a horrible, horribly hot race because they're doing it on the anniversary of the Air Force, right? So they're doing it in the anniversary of the Air Force, right? So they're doing it in September they're never going to change the date. It's always going to be stinking hot. It's probably going to be red or black flagged every year. But the people out there with the sprinklers and the freezy pops and they're cheering you on and they're handing you sponges, they really do make the course wonderful. All the people who show up to cheer you on Fargo's an amazing race because they're like worst parade ever and they're not kidding, because they're all sitting in their lawn chairs watching you run by, cheering you on. That's just. They sit out there with their coffee, their beer, they have bands, but they're all out. It's a huge event there.

Speaker 1: 32:55

And so it's really fun Like seeing these kids trying to get high fives from you and stuff and you run over there to give them the high five and maybe a miss sometimes because they raised their arm or whatever. But it really is about community support, because the volunteers and whatnot can only do so much. So it's getting the communities together for a race. It's really makes the race.

Speaker 2: 33:19

So now, ok, so you've done high fives with kids along the course, and have you? Is there some? How can you not talk about Athens and running with Jeff and Barb? But are there other inspiring runners or experiences? You have that come to mind?

Speaker 1: 33:38

Yeah, there's a lot we deal with. We have runners who are dealing with cancer, going through treatment, and they're still running, they're still out there. We have, I mean, runners who have come back from tragedies, runners who have lost their spouses. It's such a supportive community and, like I'm sure you, you see it in your community. You band together and you can say whatever you want about runners. We're weird, whatever you want to say about us, but we really do band together. We don't agree politically. We are not in the same, we're not all in the same demographics, we're not the same color, we do not make the same money, we're all over the place, but our commonality is what makes us family. We're all runners.

Speaker 1: 34:25

And so, you see we this year at Boston, the Liver Foundation, we had a living liver donor. She donated, like, I think, like seven, 80% of her kidney, maybe to her mother and within a year she was a college student who, I believe she had a soccer scholarship where she was on the soccer team. She had to take time off from that to do this surgery. She came and ran Boston and I don't remember what mile it was, maybe eight or something. I see her out of the corner of my eye because her shirts are green, so you can spot the people throwing up over there on the side of the road and I thought, ooh, that's not good, because I know that she had just recently donated the majority of her liver. So I ran over to her to see if she was okay. What could I do to help? I didn't know if she was like rejecting if she was, you don't know. So I didn't know if she was like rejecting. If she was, you don't know. So I just was there for support. I handed her some lifesavers because I knew she just threw up and I'm like here, this will help with your breath. What more can I right? What can I do?

Speaker 1: 35:25

But when we see someone go down, runners will gather around them. They'll protect that person, they will help them. What do you need? And I think that's also why I love the Back of the Pack community, because they're the ones who are going to stop, the ones who are going for their PR. They're not going to stop and most of them they're in the front, so most of that stuff isn't happening up there, but in the back is where people are falling and tripping, and through no fault of their own, and we're all there to support them and help them. I have a bandaid, I hear some tissue. What do you need? And this is what we do. We're runners.

Speaker 2: 36:01

Like here's some Biofreeze. I mean, yeah, I don't have illicit drugs.

Speaker 1: 36:06

But here's what I do have, and I firmly believe that the Galloway community is at the top of that level of people who are all of my friends, our close friends, are runners that I have met because of my program. I love my running group, they're family to me and I wouldn't have that without Jeff. So that's, I think, why I keep doing it, because I just love the community.

Speaker 2: 36:33

It's some of the most wonderful people that I've never met. I've met on a race course. Yeah, and become bonded with and just.

Speaker 1: 36:44

Yep, yeah, and you're just in that moment your best friends. Yeah, so, as you're helping someone, or you're helping each other, or you're running together, because you found this random stranger on the course, now you're friends and now you see him at other races. Because you have this common thing on the course, now you're friends and now you see him at other races, because you have this common thing which is running these races, and every time I run a race, I meet a new best friend.

Speaker 2: 37:04

Yeah, yeah, you can't now, ok. So, speaking of next races, what's next for you All?

Speaker 1: 37:12

right, so I have five races left this year.

Speaker 2: 37:15

You have a packed agenda, yeah.

Speaker 1: 37:16

So I have five races left.

Speaker 2: 37:17

this year you have a packed agenda.

Speaker 1: 37:18

Yeah, so I do Marine Corps. Then the next weekend I go do New York and I have this Philadelphia which I've wanted to run but I've been deferred for two years. I have a dear friend who had the BRCA gene and I had to go back to DC and she had four surgeries. So I was there. She doesn't have, she's not married, doesn't have kids, and so I went back and luckily I could, luckily I can do this, but I went back and took care of her for every surgery. We decided to run this race after her final surgery and we were very ambitious and so she wasn't ready.

Speaker 1: 38:01

The surgeries you don't realize how hard these surgeries are until you've gone through them. And so the last surgery was the implant. So the first surgery was ovaries, the second surgery was reduction, because she was very large. The third surgery was removal of all the tissue, and then the fourth surgery was the implants. And so all that surgery takes a lot out of you every time, and you're doing this within a period of what like a year to two years, depending on how long your recovery is.

Speaker 1: 38:31

So we had to defer the first year and then last year something happened and we deferred, so it's on the calendar this year. So Marine Corps New york, then philly is, I don't know, the 14th or something, and that one may not happen, but I don't like to pay for races, and then I'll run them, yeah, and I can't defer. And then after that I have hawaii, oh, and then I have a race in two weeks big sur marathon, trail race. Big sur trail race marathon. It's a long weekend and so I decided to go up to Carmel and run this race because it looked like fun, yeah.

Speaker 2: 39:05

A trail race.

Speaker 1: 39:07

Yeah, because next year I want to get more into ultras and 100 milers. I want to start doing more of those and using the marathon as a training run for those.

Speaker 2: 39:16

You're going to do the Hard Rock 100? No, I'm not that crazy. Okay, I'm just asking.

Speaker 1: 39:23

Hard Rock 100, number one. Okay, don't get me wrong, I would probably do it, but I'd probably never qualify for it. Because even Chris Twiggs, who's done it, what? 17, 18 times? He doesn't get in every year and he qualifies for it every year and he goes into the lottery and he's got a lot of like tickets or whatever you want to call them, and he still doesn't get to go every year and he trains for it as if he's going, he's on the board there, he goes, he spends like a month or whatever in Orey.

Speaker 1: 39:51

I've been saying it wrong. So, anyways, colorado, yeah, and he does their podcast, he does their trail, he does all the stuff I'm just looking to do, like maybe the C&O 100, or I don't even, not even Western States, because I think that might be a lot, a lot. But let me dip my toes. I've done two 100 milers and they were very easy, flat. I need to dip my toes in this water and see where what happens. Yeah, I'll get back to you on that, okay. Okay, I'm probably thinking no, because I live at sea level and I'm and this is at altitude and clearly I have vertigo issues now because of the whole. I get motion sickness, I get vertigo, blah, blah, blah and I don't know. It's like getting old is not for the faint of heart, because stuff just starts happening to us.

Speaker 2: 40:48

You have to deal with it. Yeah, you got to deal with it. Man, yeah, we cannot thank you enough for sharing your time and sharing your expertise and just your passion for the Galloway Method, because we truly believe in that. Yeah, on all of your marathon majors too, and we just love that you took time to be here and be a part of the Runcation Nation and share your experience and your stories and your laughter, and we just can't wait to accomplish, explore and indulge with you at a race really soon.

Speaker 1: 41:36

That would be so much fun. It's been a pleasure, and thank you for inviting me on your show.

Speaker 2: 41:40

Thank you. Thank you so much.

Speaker 1: 41:43

This was wonderful, it was fun it was fun, I appreciate it and I have. This has been a very pleasurable Saturday after run experience.

Speaker 2: 41:53

So that's a wrap. Thank you for joining us on your long run, your commute to work around the house. Wherever you are, I'm your host, amy. Stay safe and well and we will talk to you really soon.