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| St the Rocky Racoon 100 - 2019 |
Tell us a little about yourself not necessarily related to running: age, where born, education, area you live in, etc…..
I’m 38, born and raised in Louisville. I have two daughters- 9 and 11.
What is your profession?
I currently work in export full time. On the side, I am a RRCA certified run coach and ACE certified personal trainer for Compass Endurance Coaching. I am also a BLS CPR instructor for AHA.
How did you start running and what prompted you to do so?
I was always athletic in school. Dabbled a bit in running in my early 20s but didn’t pick it up heavily until after my kids were born. It was my “me” time. It started off as just a way to get back into shape. My family went through a tragic loss around that time, and I found running was a great way to cope, deal with stress, and a good way to reflect on who and what is important to me.
So we get an idea of where you have been with running can you share your PR’s for: 5K, 10K marathon and any other distance you may have run in the past.
- Half Marathon: 1:35 Derby (2018)
- Marathon: 3:42 Grand Lake (2017)
- Tunnel Hill 50: 7:59 (2018)
- Tunnel Hill 100: 19:32 (2017)
- I’m not sure on the smaller distances. I don’t race them for time often. I’d like to focus on some 5k and 10k distances and see how well I handle them. It would be a good change of pace.
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| Mt. Laconte - 2019 |
Rocky Raccoon 100 in February of this year. I have a race report on our website that goes into some detail. It was a very personal race and I took away some life changing lessons from it. It was a real eye opener- a “life in a day” type of experience. I gained a lot of clarity in those 100 miles, and I constantly refer to that race to deal with situations that come up daily. It really locked in my drive to prioritize the second half of my life. Mental health, physical health, being present, not stretching myself too thin, putting my effort into the people and events that matter to me, and letting go of people and things that don’t align with who I am and where I want to be. I see the value of this in my life, and I try to pass it on to the athletes we coach.
Do you have a favorite workout you do?
I love tempo runs. They are usually structured as a 2 mile warmup, about 3-4 miles at a 10k pace (uncomfortable) and a 2 mile cool down. It’s enough distance to satisfy me, and hard enough to make me feel like I accomplished something.
What does a regular week of training look like?
Totally depends on timing! I don’t race very often, but when I do, I put everything into my training. Usually high volume, with some hard effort mixed in. If I don’t have any specific thing in the near future, I maintain by doing lunch yoga and running with Josh, my friends, and my kids a few times a week. I also like a solo long run or two just to be alone with my thoughts.
How about a favorite route you like to run?
I love running from work at lunch. It’s a good use of my time, gives me time in the evening for other commitments. I have an hour, and I can get to the Waterfront, Cherokee, UofL, the Falls of the Ohio, Frankfort Ave… tons of cool routes. My coworkers don’t seem to mind too much that I spend the afternoon a little sweaty.
What is your favorite distance to run and race?
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| 2017 Grand Canyon R2R2R |
What shoes do you run in and what do you like about them?
Currently, Saucony Kinvara’s are my road shoe of choice. I like the Altra Superiors on the trails.
How about diet, do you eat any certain way and do things change on race week and race day?
Nutrition is important to me. I really try to focus on whole foods, keeping processed foods and sugar to a minimum. I run the best when my eating is on point. I eat this way leading up to and during a race, although I do allow myself to indulge in aid station treats most of the time!
How is the coaching business at Compass Endurance Coaching going?
It’s going incredibly well! We keep our pool of clients small so we can give them the attention that they need. It’s a good life balance right now. I would love to see Compass expand into more than just run coaching in the future. Our plan is for it to evolve into a one stop shop for mind, body and spirit. Yoga, nutrition, personal training, life coaching, massage- you name it, I want to do it. Anything to encourage and educate people how to maintain a healthy lifestyle!
How does your coaching system work?
I work next to Josh Elliot with Compass Endurance Coaching. Our personalities and coaching styles mesh enough to be cohesive, and are different enough to make our coaching very well rounded. He is much more analytical and data driven, and I tend to focus more on the mental/life aspects of coaching and the importance of balancing running with strength/yoga/ nutrition. Some people respond better to his style, some better to mine- so we are able to ebb and flow with our client’s needs. We are both involved with our runners behind the scenes, but one of us acts as a point of contact for our athlete just to be sure we aren’t missing anything.
If someone wanted to look into you coaching them what should they do?
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| The Kiddos at the Papa John 10 |
Do you have any long-range plans?
I just want to be happy, present and appreciative. I want to live a lifestyle that allows me to do so well into my 70’s and 80’s. That means addressing and preventing issues now. Running may or may not be a part of this - who knows what the future holds, but active in one way, shape, or form is the goal. I want to be a good role model for my kids and teach them the importance of self-awareness and self-respect.
What do you like best about living and running in KY?
We have so many incredible places within a few hours. Cumberland areas, Red River Gorge, LBL, the Smokies… close enough for an easy weekend getaway but far enough to feel like you’re escaping the daily grind. I also love how active our local community is. I work downtown and make it a point to get out on lunch daily, and it’s so good to see the waterfront being utilized. I love our parks here too!
Anywhere else you would like to visit to run?
Yes please! Anywhere! I’m not picky. I would love to get back to the Big Island in Hawaii one day and explore on foot! My kids were so small when I went that I wasn’t able to do so.
Do you have any bucket list races?
Western States is always a thought. I keep my lottery ticket streak alive in hopes of either getting in next time or never getting in… I’m not sure ;)
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| Run The Bluegrass 2019 |
Time. Working full time, 2 kids that are active, maintaining a healthy relationship and friendships, coaching… all of it is very time consuming. It’s easy to put running on the back burner, but my self-care IS my running, so I have to constantly remind myself that it’s just as important as everything else I juggle.
If you had one, well maybe two or three, things to say those that are running to encourage them what would it be?
Learn. Learn about running. Learn about why you get so fatigued in the heat of summer. Find out what makes your IT band flare up. Figure out why your back hurts all day. Don’t ever accept anything at face value. Dig in and figure out what the problem is so you can find a solution. There is always an underlying cause. We have the world at our fingertips. Do research. Ask for guidance. Let go of preconceived notions. This applies to everything in life, not just running. Don’t settle with “that’s just the way it is” because it isn’t. We put ourselves into boxes, limiting ourselves to what we think we know and what we think we can do. If we put ourselves in that box, we can take ourselves right back out. Never stop growing your tree.
Do you have a website or other social media site you would like to share?
- Compassendurancecoaching.com
- We are also on Facebook and Instagram (soon to be revamped) under Compass Endurance Coaching
********You can see past interviews here********
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