It’s time for another coaching Q&A with my athlete Carly!
Carly and I have been working together since this past summer after we met through the Hightail Training Group. I love her enthusiasm for running and her positive attitude. She has only recently gotten into running and has a lot more potential than she probably even realizes.
Carly came to me with a 5K PR of 29:30, and we worked that down to 25:59 in just a few short months! One of her goals this summer is a sub-2 hour half marathon, and I know she’ll be able to do that! I’m excited to help her work towards her goals and share in the fun with her.
Tell us a little about yourself: family, work, where you’ve lived, etc.
I was born and raised in Anchorage, with an older sister and younger brother. I always told myself I would move out of state after high school, but UAA was too affordable. I have a degree in culinary arts, and my husband and I have a daughter and a small dog. I work at Lynden Air Cargo as a Human Resources Generalist, which is a totally new field to me but I have been in my position for a little over a year and am really enjoying it.
How did you get into running?
When my husband and I got engaged about 5 years ago, I wanted to lose some weight for the wedding so I started a couch to 5k program. After a couple weeks, my mindset shifted from trying to lose weight to performing. I had a simple goal of running the entire Oktoberfest 5k (no walking) which I accomplished, and the rest is history. I took about a year and half off when I was pregnant/had my daughter, then signed up for Raven Run Club to get myself motivated. After doing actual work outs and seeing results come from them, my fire for running was really lit and I wanted to push myself harder than I thought I could. I have really enjoyed working with RRC and Michelle the past year to turn running into a passion!
Highlight a few races with times and how they went.
I’ve had a lot of good races the past year, my favorite will always be the Oktoberfest Run to End Homelessness because it was my first race ever. I’m most proud of the Hightail Half, which was my first half ever and I ran it in 2:08. I ran the whole thing with a friend from run club and we were so supportive of each other, as well as the other women running. It was such a fun experience and I felt like I made some good time for it being my first half marathon. I’m also proud of the 2018 Turkey Trot, as it is my current 5k PR and I really had no intention of PR’ing that day. My chip time was 25:59, which was about 11 seconds faster than my 2018 Oktoberfest time where I was trying to PR.
What motivates you in your running?
I would be lying if I said the finish times weren’t motivating, but I mainly do it for my daughter. When she gets excited to see me finish a race, or she runs around the house saying she’s “going fast like momma” that’s what gets me out the door every day for a run. And also being active and healthy. I find myself feeling bad/guilty/lazy if I don’t get a run in, and I like the feeling of accomplishment after a hard work out.
What are your running goals?
My main goal for this summer would be a sub-2 hour half marathon. I’m hoping to make that happen at the Hightail Half again. Long term goal would be a 8 min avg 5k, and to just keep running and balancing family life. I turn 30 this year, so I’d like to try to do 30k on my birthday.
What was the strangest/coolest/weirdest thing that has happened (or that your saw) on a run?
Nothing cool really ever happens to me, haha. I ALMOST got attacked by a couple small dogs once when I was running past their house. They came running at me and out of their yard and tried to nip at my heels but I got away from them. The coolest thing I remember would be when I was doing a tempo work out on the coastal trail, and I was doing my last block of 2 min at a hard pace. There were 3 bikers behind me and when I slowed back down, each of them passed me and said “Nice pace!” “You’re killing it!” and “Keep up the good work!”. That was probably one of the most encouraging moments I’ve had while running.
How do you reward yourself after a hard run?
A good meal and some rest. In the winter, definitely a hot shower. (I take showers after a hard run in the summer, I just don’t linger as long under the hot water.)
What are your upcoming races?
I try to do as many of the Skinny Raven races as I can, so next up is the Shamrock Shuffle 5k. I told myself I would travel for at least a couple races this year, so I’d like to do the 10k to the bay in Homer and the Kenai River Marathon Relay. Of course, the Hightail Half in July and also the Skinny Raven half in August.
Thank you to Carly for doing this little Q&A. If you, too, are interested in working with me for an upcoming spring race or need some accountability in your training, let me know. I have a few spots available if you are interested. You can also read more about my coaching services under my Coaching tab on my blog.
