January 24, 2025 • 25 mins
What if pushing through discomfort could lead to personal and professional breakthroughs? Join me, Heather Ewing, as I unfold my unexpected journey from swearing off marathons to embracing them as a vital part of my life and career in commercial real estate. My story began at 28, when my first marathon left me vowing never to run again. Yet, I found myself drawn back to running, turning it into a family activity that contrasts the lengthy timelines of real estate deals with the quick victories of half marathons. The 2019 New York Marathon became a turning point, challenging me to face past injuries and fears, and ultimately embrace discomfort for personal growth.
Running through Wisconsin's biting winters, I've learned the value of proper gear and mental toughness, drawing parallels between the resilience needed in both marathon running and commercial real estate. The importance of adaptability, mindset, and problem-solving resonates across both fields, providing not only a means to manage stress but also a source of inspiration for tackling real estate challenges. Running seamlessly fits into my busy schedule, even on business trips, offering an efficient way to maintain energy and positivity. With upcoming episodes featuring intriguing guests and more on marathon training, I'm thrilled to have you join me on this adventure on the CRE Rundown.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Heather Ewing, the CRE Rundown.
I am your host, heather Ewing,and I thought I would take an
opportunity for this podcast forjust a little one-on-one you
and I, so I don't have a guestbut I thought it would be fun to
share a little bit more aboutmy journey with running and how
(00:24):
it's evolved within commercialreal estate for myself, also
with my firm Abstract CommercialReal Estate here in downtown
Madison, wisconsin.
So, as I think back, it reallystarted in 2015, the meat of it.
But I'm going to take youfurther back yet.
(00:44):
So in my late twenties, I thinkI was 28.
I ran my first marathon with mywell she was a friend at the
time, who's now my sister-in-lawand a friend and I thought, if
Oprah can do it, why not myself?
So the three of us teamed upand ran the marathon.
I hated it.
(01:06):
I hated it and in fact, I sworethat I was never going to run a
marathon again.
So for those of you that knowhow much I enjoy it now, it's
funny, right, but I've noticed acouple of the things I've sworn
off in life have later comeback.
I see it through a new lens andwith that I have a new
(01:28):
appreciation and with running, anewfound love.
So fast forward.
I was involved with variousexercise, from hot yoga
kickboxing, which led me intokarate for many years, competing
on a national circuit on that,winning different five-foot
trophies and forms and fightingall the different things.
(01:51):
So if you don't know me verywell, it would probably take you
by surprise that I really didlove all of that.
But it laid a great foundation,one for confidence, for
discipline, and in my earlyyears of commercial real estate
it was lacking.
These days, fast forward 10plus years I am very disciplined
(02:16):
, but that was not always thecase, and with running, it has
definitely helped me with thatas well.
But let's dig into it.
So in 2015, I got into retailand restaurants.
I was in brokerage a little bitbefore that, but really the
meat of it was 2015.
And with the stress levels, Ididn't have a book of business,
(02:37):
I was self-funded, everythingwas on my shoulders, in that
sense right, and it was learninga whole new world.
And again, no book of business.
So it all had to be startedfrom scratch.
So with that, there's stress.
So I started running and withthat I was like I'm sleeping
better, then I'm not sleeping,so you add more miles and the
(03:00):
trend continued.
And then at a certain point Iwas running half marathons and
with that it was fun, joined upwith my sister-in-law, my
brother, and it was just a funthing.
So we ended up racing a halfmarathon from April through
November, so approximately sixper year and I ran raised I
(03:24):
think, about 25, 26 of them, andof those I pushed hard, I
really worked at it.
I would place in the top halfwithin my age group.
So I got to be what I feltpretty good and it was nice to
see the hard work with a moreimmediate response, whereas in
commercial real estate we knowthe deal terms can take quite a
(03:48):
while, so it was nice to see aquicker return on that.
Also, with each run it was nicebecause it was something you
did and you completed Quickresponse on that.
One of the things I really likedabout it too was that with hot
yoga and some of these otherboutique classes is that you
(04:08):
drive 20 minutes, the class isan hour hour, 15, hour and a
half, then you have the driveback, then you're going through
the shower and it was just verytime consuming.
So with running, you lace up,throw your clothes on and you
walk out the door.
So very simple, from beginningto end.
You can get a great workout inin only 30 minutes by walking
out your door.
(04:29):
Let's see here Exercise.
So for years I'd exercise fiveor six days a week, would always
take a day off and that was apretty normal routine for me and
it just felt good to be activeand I'm very grateful for my
health.
I know the importance of it andat a very young age, to be
(04:50):
really grateful for your healthand to treat your body like a
temple that's a whole otherstory for another day.
Getting back to the running, soI really did enjoy the races not
during because it was reallypainful, you're giving it all,
you've got.
Races not during because it wasreally painful, you're giving
it all, you've got.
But I really enjoyed having thetime with family, with friends,
(05:13):
the connection.
I also liked that I coulddeliver on it and again, that
tied in really nicely with thelong lead times for your
celebration, with commercialreal estate and with that, like
I said, I had sworn marathoningoff for 17 years, almost two
decades.
So in 2019, my brother's wifeasked me Heather, do you want to
(05:36):
run New York?
And I was like, let me thinkabout that.
So I slept on it the proverbialand very real sleeping on it
and with that I decided you knowwhat, heather, you're too
comfortable with the halfmarathons.
You've done well.
Of course there's always roomfor improvement, but I'm like
it's time to get uncomfortableand to shake it up.
(05:58):
So I said yes.
So I said yes, and years priorI'd also had glute hamstring
issues from a karate tournamentthat I'd ripped those out and
they had just always given meproblems where I think it was
all the fast twitch and I wouldjust rip it out, even with PT
(06:19):
different things.
So it was very frustrating andthat was an earlier love of my
life.
So I decided all right, we'regoing to move beyond the fear,
move beyond the unknown andhandle things as we go.
So 2019, new York it was myfirst big marathon.
I think there were 51,000 andso many people that ran this
(06:40):
race and my goal was to finish.
And with that, just a surrealexperience Again had never been
in a marathon of that magnitude.
Madison, I don't know thenumbers, probably 2,500.
It was almost gosh.
What I'm thinking it was 12, 13years ago, 23 years ago.
(07:06):
That math, anyways, it was mindboggling and it was really neat
because you would go througheach of the boroughs but then
also some of these differentareas.
It was neat because you wouldbe part of this big pack and you
really had to navigate yourfooting where you're going, all
(07:27):
of that, and then you would justsee a whole nother herd of
people coming in and joining in.
So there was a lot happening onit.
So my goal turned out well, Ifinished it and I thought, with
so many people, having neverbeen to New York at the time,
(07:47):
that I was like there'll be somuch happening.
I won't even feel the pain.
And one tip for you is I liketo take three a leave.
I'm not a doctor.
This is just what works for me.
I take three a leave beforeevery race.
It's a little trick of thetrade for me, but it was a great
experience, really enjoyed it.
Was it hard?
(08:08):
Of course, was I in pain, ofcourse, and I remember having
some cramping, different thingslike that, had to take my shoe
off and stretch and do differentthings, but I ran across the
finish line.
So to me that was a goalaccomplished and it felt great.
That was a goal accomplishedand it felt great.
Let's see here as we advanced,then that really started
(08:34):
changing things in my mind andasking more questions about
where I was at in commercialreal estate, what I wanted to do
, what I had done, things ofthat nature.
And then, in 2020 is when Ifounded and opened up Abstract.
As you know, covid was then aswell.
So April of 2020 is when Iopened my doors to a wild flurry
of action, and one of the nicethings about that was, I said
(08:58):
well, you're starting off atquite a time.
This is going to show you whatyou're made of, and the nice
thing about that, too, is I hadbeen doing the same thing for
over five years, which wasreally helpful in that ballpark,
and I had a can-do attitude.
I was like this is what you'regoing to do, you're going to
(09:19):
create a plan, you're going toexecute, you're going to adjust
and you've always made thingshappen.
So why would this be anydifferent?
And so I gave it 200% andthat's what counts.
So with that kind of like, withmarathoning, it's worked out
(09:43):
really well between marathonsand commercial real estate,
especially operating my own firmthat since that if you want to
say In 2019, I've also ranBerlin, london, paris, chicago
and Boston.
(10:03):
So now I'm training right nowfor Milan.
So that's very exciting.
But with that it's really youhave a big picture, it's your
goal and you break it down intotactical chunks and with that
it's nice because you celebratethe small things.
I run solo quite a bit but Ialso run with my sister-in-law.
For some of these longer runsSometimes I'll run with a group
(10:28):
and each training plan I use theHal Higdon believe it or not,
the novice one which got methrough Boston.
But a big contributor to thatwas my sister-in-law, Ruth.
She was really my pace car, ifyou want to say, in a lot of
(10:48):
those different training runsand it was also her belief in me
, along with my good friendPetra Killian, that they
believed in me, because Iremember thinking of, like, I
don't think I'm cut out for it,but they believed otherwise.
And that's really the power ofsomeone believing in you.
It can really carry you a longway.
So I'm forever grateful to bothof them for that.
(11:11):
And I also acknowledge that Idid those training runs.
They were tough but they weregood and I'm really grateful
that I dug in and I rememberrunning the London Marathon.
I PR'd but I missed Boston, Ithink the cutoff by like 30
seconds, and I was like, oh, itwas so painful.
It's one of those.
(11:33):
It's a celebration, but reallyit's not, because I did not hit
my big goal in that sense.
So after that I really had aburning desire of like I am
making it to Boston.
So in 23, I ran Paris and Iremember for that one too that I
(11:55):
was like, all right, I've doneall the training, I've been
eating pretty clean hydration,all those different things, and
I'm like today is the day.
So, in beautiful Paris, thatday did come and I had a great
pace.
It was a 845 and seconds pace.
(12:16):
So I hit my goal on that, whichwas really exciting.
And then, when the times cameup for Boston, I made the
initial cut.
Of course you apply for it andthen you wait for weeks and then
you find out if you made thesecond cut or not, and I did so.
That was like whoop, veryexciting and one of those
(12:38):
personal dreams right Happeningright before your eyes, which is
super cool.
But we ran Boston.
That was tough.
It was tough love, and I hadlooked at the elevation and it
was one of those.
I knew about the hills at theend.
So in my training I had trainedthat way, but I am not the
(13:00):
person that dissects elevation,but there was a lot more
elevation than I wasanticipating through the
beginning, so it was kind ofinteresting.
Also, you always hear about thedownhills really chewing up your
quads.
It's true, but it was reallyneat because I had never ran in
a marathon of that caliber whereeveryone has to have a certain
(13:22):
time requirement.
In others there can be timerequirements, there can be
lottery, people can get inthrough donating to different
charities, and that's how I gotinto New York for that back in
2019.
How I got into New York forthat back in 2019.
But there's a lot of differentmethods.
(13:43):
But with Boston it's nice.
They keep it to 30,000 or less,and I don't remember the exact
numbers of what they allow frompeople running for charity
versus others having to qualifywith time only.
So it was a really special race, a really great memory, and I
couldn't tell you how good itfelt to also complete that one
too.
So that was a big deal.
(14:05):
Excuse me, it's that time ofyear, mm-hmm.
So with that, that brings us tothe present of Milan, and what
(14:27):
we've been doing is having aninternational marathon in the
spring and then a domestic inthe fall.
So I joke, running year-round inWisconsin is not for the faint
of heart.
Again, people people that don'treally know me may think I'm
frail.
Who knows right, I'm not a bigperson, but at the same time I'm
(14:48):
hardy and I used to actuallyfunny story, used to be a tomboy
when I was younger, right?
So it was me and the boysplaying soccer, all these
different things.
So I've always loved movementand freedom.
If you want to say but anyways,coming back to it, is that
running through the winter inWisconsin is not the most
(15:09):
exciting thing.
If I had to take cold overreally hot temps, I would take
the cold.
I think I have a new low tempthat I've been able to run in.
That is, zero degrees here inWisconsin, but ideal race
weather for me 40, low 40s isideal, and the nice thing about
(15:34):
it kind of like commercial realestate is that you adjust and
you learn.
What tools do I need?
You know what clothing, whatgear?
Is there anything that I haveto put in my water so it doesn't
freeze?
Luckily that hasn't happened,unless you don't get your lid as
tight as you need to.
Then it freezes onto yourjacket or other places.
(15:56):
Also, making sure that you havethe hydration for days prior,
that you're eating real carbs,that you're eating your protein,
your greens.
I am not vegan, I'm notvegetarian.
To each person their own.
Whatever works for you.
I am a protein lover and thatworks really well for myself,
(16:18):
but it's also you know, some ofthe different things too.
I love chewing gum when I run.
I have for years I have onlyswallowed it, I think, two or
three times for all thethousands of miles, all of the
marathons, and it's justsomething that I do and I really
enjoy it.
Can I run without it?
Yes, but it's not somethingthat I do and I really enjoy it.
Can I run without it?
Yes, but it's not the sameexperience.
(16:40):
So, having the right hydration,the right gear, you start to
learn which wind breakers youknow.
You have some thinner ones whenthere's just minimal wind,
others it goes up and theyprovide greater coverage from
the wind and elements.
But you learn what works.
Neck coverings I actually weara ski mask and I love it because
(17:02):
you can change the foreheadthrough the side throat,
everything.
So, long story short, maybe I'lldo a gear check for you guys on
another podcast, if you want,and with that, what I really
love about marathon training isbeing out in nature.
We're indoors so frequently,we're in meetings, we're in
(17:24):
networkings, we're touring sites, we're in these different
kitchens working withcontractors for buildouts.
Maybe we're out on land parcelsat different times for new
development or different thingsof that nature.
But I really do love my timeoutdoors in nature.
To me it's that place ofconnection, of peace, and that's
(17:47):
where I do solve a lot of thedifferent questions.
I have the different realestate.
Maybe I'm having a problem in atransaction or it feels like
there's an impasse of gettingthat creative idea of what can
be done or guidance for nextsteps, things of that nature.
So I really do love theoutdoors and it's also really
pretty seeing the transition ofthe weather, the different
(18:09):
colors and looking at the treesand when the flowers are coming
up the lake especially when it'snot frozen and, of course,
animals, and it's just thatconnection to life, right.
So that's something I reallyenjoy.
And also the human performance.
I love that and again I'llshare this on another one.
But just, I was in a really badcar accident when I was younger
(18:31):
, so I really have a greatappreciation that I have the
ability to walk, to run, to seeand all of these different
things.
So human performance.
I love to know what I'm made ofand then I like to see of how
can I extend that, how can Ibuild my resources, mentally,
physically, spiritually,otherwise, so that I can perform
(18:52):
even better, not only in theseraces, but obviously in
commercial real estate, in thedeals, in my personal
relationships, businessrelationships, everything in
life I see it as a performancesport and I say that in a neat
and exciting way versus one ofwork and having to meet.
So I just have a uncanny zestfor wanting to know what I'm
(19:18):
made of.
In that sense and also with themindset it's so important.
Again, commercial real estatedeals can take months, they can
take years and it's reallykeeping the energy moving
forward.
And what I mean by that ishelping people to remember what
the next steps are if they'restarting to get down, because if
(19:38):
it's a newer operator they'reprobably not used to all the ups
and downs that can beencountered throughout a deal,
or maybe they're bored right,really keeping the eye on the
prize.
Also, sometimes it turns outthat a property just may not be
the right fit after certain duediligence and things of that
nature, which at that case,thanks, but no thanks, right, if
(19:59):
it's not the right fit.
And keeping the energy also isstaying positive, looking for
ways to solve the problem, notcomplaining, and it's really
being creative, using dealstructures that maybe helped you
to win a deal over here orsomething that really benefited
a client over here.
Maybe you're speaking on theirbehalf, maybe it's a unique type
(20:24):
of referral that they need.
So it's really keeping thatenergy and the deal moving
forward and making sure thatit's still aligning and that it
really does check off for theright investment for them.
So commercial real estate, likeso many things, is a long-term
relationship.
It's a long-term focus that youwant to do the right thing for
(20:45):
the person here and now.
That will continue them on thatright path for future work
together.
Also, marathon running it reallydoes help in breaking things
down.
So in my earlier career, many,many years ago, I spent 11 years
in operations supply chain andit was seeing the big picture
(21:07):
and breaking it down,prioritizing, looking for
limiting factors, all thosedifferent things that could
really disrupt the flow ofproduction and other things, and
with that I take that samevantage point here in commercial
real estate and marathoningties in perfectly.
See the big vision, break itdown tactically, look ahead.
(21:28):
What are you going to encounter?
And when I'm in a marathon,maybe even a long training run
or a race, you're checking inyour internal body system of how
is it feeling and as time goesyou are able to discern better
of is it a weak mind or is it aweak body?
Where are you feeling it?
(21:49):
Is your hydration off?
Is it that you need morecalories?
So it's all these differentfactors put into one.
But I love that marathoning hasreally helped me to see the big
picture, break it down andtactically address as you go.
And it's also understanding howmuch you have within and so
(22:09):
that you don't consume all ofyour energy too soon.
And that applies to the dealstoo.
Right, that applies to thedeals too right.
So much of life, I think runningor with commercial real estate
is having your finger on thepulse and understanding where
people are at.
How are they feeling, what aretheir fears, what are their
concerns.
(22:30):
You have all those things inmarathons too.
So it's checking in andaddressing and taking care of
things sooner rather than later.
It's when things fester thatthings can get out of control.
For example, let's say you havea nagging calf or you have some
part of your body that keepstalking to you.
You can't just ignore it.
We've all done it and I thinkrunners are notorious for it.
(22:55):
But without making sure all ofyou is working well, there's
going to be problems and attimes you need to adjust a run.
Or maybe you're skipping someruns to take care of something.
If it is bothering you, you'reseeking out the professional
that can help you with it.
You're making sure that you'restretching foam rolling.
You know I love takingfour-pound salt baths.
(23:16):
They're great, right, it's nicefor loosening up muscles.
I like to push on some of thedifferent trigger points, work
things out.
I also have Norma Tech legsthat I got last summer.
Those are great too.
And so, finding differentmodalities.
I am a big fan of red lightlaser therapy.
I've been doing that for yearsand I've got another story on
(23:38):
that, one of why I love it somuch.
But it's, it takes work to beable to run, and it's one of
those.
Again, I'm 50.
So it's, I'm no longer 20s, 30s, 40s, right, and so you'll
notice different shifts andchanges.
But I think so much of the agingprocess, or maturing, is really
(23:59):
how you care for yourself.
Your mind, body, spirit and Ialways say, your relationships
and support systems factor intothat, along with your career.
Are you doing something thatfuels you, or is it constant
work and drudgery?
If you're in that ladder, get anew career.
If you want to get intocommercial real estate, talk to
me.
I'm happy to share the plusesand the minuses and answer any
(24:23):
questions that you might have.
And, of course, big advocate ofmovement, I have found running
works really well for me.
I like it from the timeattributes.
When I do travel on businesstrips, it's easy to pack my
tennies and whatever else I needand run from there as well, so
running can be a great companion.
(24:43):
I suggest people lace up, dowhatever feels right for you.
If you want more of theserunning marathon training chats,
whatever you want to know inthese realms, I would love to
hear from you.
So please drop it in thecomments below and thank you for
joining me on Heather Ewing,the CRE Rundown, this heart to
heart moment that we're able toshare here, and look for more
(25:07):
podcasts with a lot of greatguests in the coming episodes
and years.
Thanks.
Welcome to Heather Ewing, the CRE Rundown.
I am your host, heather Ewing,and I thought I would take an
opportunity for this podcast forjust a little one-on-one you
and I, so I don't have a guestbut I thought it would be fun to
share a little bit more aboutmy journey with running and how
(00:24):
it's evolved within commercialreal estate for myself, also
with my firm Abstract CommercialReal Estate here in downtown
Madison, wisconsin.
So, as I think back, it reallystarted in 2015, the meat of it.
But I'm going to take youfurther back yet.
(00:44):
So in my late twenties, I thinkI was 28.
I ran my first marathon with mywell she was a friend at the
time, who's now my sister-in-lawand a friend and I thought, if
Oprah can do it, why not myself?
So the three of us teamed upand ran the marathon.
I hated it.
(01:06):
I hated it and in fact, I sworethat I was never going to run a
marathon again.
So for those of you that knowhow much I enjoy it now, it's
funny, right, but I've noticed acouple of the things I've sworn
off in life have later comeback.
I see it through a new lens andwith that I have a new
(01:28):
appreciation and with running, anewfound love.
So fast forward.
I was involved with variousexercise, from hot yoga
kickboxing, which led me intokarate for many years, competing
on a national circuit on that,winning different five-foot
trophies and forms and fightingall the different things.
(01:51):
So if you don't know me verywell, it would probably take you
by surprise that I really didlove all of that.
But it laid a great foundation,one for confidence, for
discipline, and in my earlyyears of commercial real estate
it was lacking.
These days, fast forward 10plus years I am very disciplined
(02:16):
, but that was not always thecase, and with running, it has
definitely helped me with thatas well.
But let's dig into it.
So in 2015, I got into retailand restaurants.
I was in brokerage a little bitbefore that, but really the
meat of it was 2015.
And with the stress levels, Ididn't have a book of business,
(02:37):
I was self-funded, everythingwas on my shoulders, in that
sense right, and it was learninga whole new world.
And again, no book of business.
So it all had to be startedfrom scratch.
So with that, there's stress.
So I started running and withthat I was like I'm sleeping
better, then I'm not sleeping,so you add more miles and the
(03:00):
trend continued.
And then at a certain point Iwas running half marathons and
with that it was fun, joined upwith my sister-in-law, my
brother, and it was just a funthing.
So we ended up racing a halfmarathon from April through
November, so approximately sixper year and I ran raised I
(03:24):
think, about 25, 26 of them, andof those I pushed hard, I
really worked at it.
I would place in the top halfwithin my age group.
So I got to be what I feltpretty good and it was nice to
see the hard work with a moreimmediate response, whereas in
commercial real estate we knowthe deal terms can take quite a
(03:48):
while, so it was nice to see aquicker return on that.
Also, with each run it was nicebecause it was something you
did and you completed Quickresponse on that.
One of the things I really likedabout it too was that with hot
yoga and some of these otherboutique classes is that you
(04:08):
drive 20 minutes, the class isan hour hour, 15, hour and a
half, then you have the driveback, then you're going through
the shower and it was just verytime consuming.
So with running, you lace up,throw your clothes on and you
walk out the door.
So very simple, from beginningto end.
You can get a great workout inin only 30 minutes by walking
out your door.
(04:29):
Let's see here Exercise.
So for years I'd exercise fiveor six days a week, would always
take a day off and that was apretty normal routine for me and
it just felt good to be activeand I'm very grateful for my
health.
I know the importance of it andat a very young age, to be
(04:50):
really grateful for your healthand to treat your body like a
temple that's a whole otherstory for another day.
Getting back to the running, soI really did enjoy the races not
during because it was reallypainful, you're giving it all,
you've got.
Races not during because it wasreally painful, you're giving
it all, you've got.
But I really enjoyed having thetime with family, with friends,
(05:13):
the connection.
I also liked that I coulddeliver on it and again, that
tied in really nicely with thelong lead times for your
celebration, with commercialreal estate and with that, like
I said, I had sworn marathoningoff for 17 years, almost two
decades.
So in 2019, my brother's wifeasked me Heather, do you want to
(05:36):
run New York?
And I was like, let me thinkabout that.
So I slept on it the proverbialand very real sleeping on it
and with that I decided you knowwhat, heather, you're too
comfortable with the halfmarathons.
You've done well.
Of course there's always roomfor improvement, but I'm like
it's time to get uncomfortableand to shake it up.
(05:58):
So I said yes.
So I said yes, and years priorI'd also had glute hamstring
issues from a karate tournamentthat I'd ripped those out and
they had just always given meproblems where I think it was
all the fast twitch and I wouldjust rip it out, even with PT
(06:19):
different things.
So it was very frustrating andthat was an earlier love of my
life.
So I decided all right, we'regoing to move beyond the fear,
move beyond the unknown andhandle things as we go.
So 2019, new York it was myfirst big marathon.
I think there were 51,000 andso many people that ran this
(06:40):
race and my goal was to finish.
And with that, just a surrealexperience Again had never been
in a marathon of that magnitude.
Madison, I don't know thenumbers, probably 2,500.
It was almost gosh.
What I'm thinking it was 12, 13years ago, 23 years ago.
(07:06):
That math, anyways, it was mindboggling and it was really neat
because you would go througheach of the boroughs but then
also some of these differentareas.
It was neat because you wouldbe part of this big pack and you
really had to navigate yourfooting where you're going, all
(07:27):
of that, and then you would justsee a whole nother herd of
people coming in and joining in.
So there was a lot happening onit.
So my goal turned out well, Ifinished it and I thought, with
so many people, having neverbeen to New York at the time,
(07:47):
that I was like there'll be somuch happening.
I won't even feel the pain.
And one tip for you is I liketo take three a leave.
I'm not a doctor.
This is just what works for me.
I take three a leave beforeevery race.
It's a little trick of thetrade for me, but it was a great
experience, really enjoyed it.
Was it hard?
(08:08):
Of course, was I in pain, ofcourse, and I remember having
some cramping, different thingslike that, had to take my shoe
off and stretch and do differentthings, but I ran across the
finish line.
So to me that was a goalaccomplished and it felt great.
That was a goal accomplishedand it felt great.
Let's see here as we advanced,then that really started
(08:34):
changing things in my mind andasking more questions about
where I was at in commercialreal estate, what I wanted to do
, what I had done, things ofthat nature.
And then, in 2020 is when Ifounded and opened up Abstract.
As you know, covid was then aswell.
So April of 2020 is when Iopened my doors to a wild flurry
of action, and one of the nicethings about that was, I said
(08:58):
well, you're starting off atquite a time.
This is going to show you whatyou're made of, and the nice
thing about that, too, is I hadbeen doing the same thing for
over five years, which wasreally helpful in that ballpark,
and I had a can-do attitude.
I was like this is what you'regoing to do, you're going to
(09:19):
create a plan, you're going toexecute, you're going to adjust
and you've always made thingshappen.
So why would this be anydifferent?
And so I gave it 200% andthat's what counts.
So with that kind of like, withmarathoning, it's worked out
(09:43):
really well between marathonsand commercial real estate,
especially operating my own firmthat since that if you want to
say In 2019, I've also ranBerlin, london, paris, chicago
and Boston.
(10:03):
So now I'm training right nowfor Milan.
So that's very exciting.
But with that it's really youhave a big picture, it's your
goal and you break it down intotactical chunks and with that
it's nice because you celebratethe small things.
I run solo quite a bit but Ialso run with my sister-in-law.
For some of these longer runsSometimes I'll run with a group
(10:28):
and each training plan I use theHal Higdon believe it or not,
the novice one which got methrough Boston.
But a big contributor to thatwas my sister-in-law, Ruth.
She was really my pace car, ifyou want to say, in a lot of
(10:48):
those different training runsand it was also her belief in me
, along with my good friendPetra Killian, that they
believed in me, because Iremember thinking of, like, I
don't think I'm cut out for it,but they believed otherwise.
And that's really the power ofsomeone believing in you.
It can really carry you a longway.
So I'm forever grateful to bothof them for that.
(11:11):
And I also acknowledge that Idid those training runs.
They were tough but they weregood and I'm really grateful
that I dug in and I rememberrunning the London Marathon.
I PR'd but I missed Boston, Ithink the cutoff by like 30
seconds, and I was like, oh, itwas so painful.
It's one of those.
(11:33):
It's a celebration, but reallyit's not, because I did not hit
my big goal in that sense.
So after that I really had aburning desire of like I am
making it to Boston.
So in 23, I ran Paris and Iremember for that one too that I
(11:55):
was like, all right, I've doneall the training, I've been
eating pretty clean hydration,all those different things, and
I'm like today is the day.
So, in beautiful Paris, thatday did come and I had a great
pace.
It was a 845 and seconds pace.
(12:16):
So I hit my goal on that, whichwas really exciting.
And then, when the times cameup for Boston, I made the
initial cut.
Of course you apply for it andthen you wait for weeks and then
you find out if you made thesecond cut or not, and I did so.
That was like whoop, veryexciting and one of those
(12:38):
personal dreams right Happeningright before your eyes, which is
super cool.
But we ran Boston.
That was tough.
It was tough love, and I hadlooked at the elevation and it
was one of those.
I knew about the hills at theend.
So in my training I had trainedthat way, but I am not the
(13:00):
person that dissects elevation,but there was a lot more
elevation than I wasanticipating through the
beginning, so it was kind ofinteresting.
Also, you always hear about thedownhills really chewing up your
quads.
It's true, but it was reallyneat because I had never ran in
a marathon of that caliber whereeveryone has to have a certain
(13:22):
time requirement.
In others there can be timerequirements, there can be
lottery, people can get inthrough donating to different
charities, and that's how I gotinto New York for that back in
2019.
How I got into New York forthat back in 2019.
But there's a lot of differentmethods.
(13:43):
But with Boston it's nice.
They keep it to 30,000 or less,and I don't remember the exact
numbers of what they allow frompeople running for charity
versus others having to qualifywith time only.
So it was a really special race, a really great memory, and I
couldn't tell you how good itfelt to also complete that one
too.
So that was a big deal.
(14:05):
Excuse me, it's that time ofyear, mm-hmm.
So with that, that brings us tothe present of Milan, and what
(14:27):
we've been doing is having aninternational marathon in the
spring and then a domestic inthe fall.
So I joke, running year-round inWisconsin is not for the faint
of heart.
Again, people people that don'treally know me may think I'm
frail.
Who knows right, I'm not a bigperson, but at the same time I'm
(14:48):
hardy and I used to actuallyfunny story, used to be a tomboy
when I was younger, right?
So it was me and the boysplaying soccer, all these
different things.
So I've always loved movementand freedom.
If you want to say but anyways,coming back to it, is that
running through the winter inWisconsin is not the most
(15:09):
exciting thing.
If I had to take cold overreally hot temps, I would take
the cold.
I think I have a new low tempthat I've been able to run in.
That is, zero degrees here inWisconsin, but ideal race
weather for me 40, low 40s isideal, and the nice thing about
(15:34):
it kind of like commercial realestate is that you adjust and
you learn.
What tools do I need?
You know what clothing, whatgear?
Is there anything that I haveto put in my water so it doesn't
freeze?
Luckily that hasn't happened,unless you don't get your lid as
tight as you need to.
Then it freezes onto yourjacket or other places.
(15:56):
Also, making sure that you havethe hydration for days prior,
that you're eating real carbs,that you're eating your protein,
your greens.
I am not vegan, I'm notvegetarian.
To each person their own.
Whatever works for you.
I am a protein lover and thatworks really well for myself,
(16:18):
but it's also you know, some ofthe different things too.
I love chewing gum when I run.
I have for years I have onlyswallowed it, I think, two or
three times for all thethousands of miles, all of the
marathons, and it's justsomething that I do and I really
enjoy it.
Can I run without it?
Yes, but it's not somethingthat I do and I really enjoy it.
Can I run without it?
Yes, but it's not the sameexperience.
(16:40):
So, having the right hydration,the right gear, you start to
learn which wind breakers youknow.
You have some thinner ones whenthere's just minimal wind,
others it goes up and theyprovide greater coverage from
the wind and elements.
But you learn what works.
Neck coverings I actually weara ski mask and I love it because
(17:02):
you can change the foreheadthrough the side throat,
everything.
So, long story short, maybe I'lldo a gear check for you guys on
another podcast, if you want,and with that, what I really
love about marathon training isbeing out in nature.
We're indoors so frequently,we're in meetings, we're in
(17:24):
networkings, we're touring sites, we're in these different
kitchens working withcontractors for buildouts.
Maybe we're out on land parcelsat different times for new
development or different thingsof that nature.
But I really do love my timeoutdoors in nature.
To me it's that place ofconnection, of peace, and that's
(17:47):
where I do solve a lot of thedifferent questions.
I have the different realestate.
Maybe I'm having a problem in atransaction or it feels like
there's an impasse of gettingthat creative idea of what can
be done or guidance for nextsteps, things of that nature.
So I really do love theoutdoors and it's also really
pretty seeing the transition ofthe weather, the different
(18:09):
colors and looking at the treesand when the flowers are coming
up the lake especially when it'snot frozen and, of course,
animals, and it's just thatconnection to life, right.
So that's something I reallyenjoy.
And also the human performance.
I love that and again I'llshare this on another one.
But just, I was in a really badcar accident when I was younger
(18:31):
, so I really have a greatappreciation that I have the
ability to walk, to run, to seeand all of these different
things.
So human performance.
I love to know what I'm made ofand then I like to see of how
can I extend that, how can Ibuild my resources, mentally,
physically, spiritually,otherwise, so that I can perform
(18:52):
even better, not only in theseraces, but obviously in
commercial real estate, in thedeals, in my personal
relationships, businessrelationships, everything in
life I see it as a performancesport and I say that in a neat
and exciting way versus one ofwork and having to meet.
So I just have a uncanny zestfor wanting to know what I'm
(19:18):
made of.
In that sense and also with themindset it's so important.
Again, commercial real estatedeals can take months, they can
take years and it's reallykeeping the energy moving
forward.
And what I mean by that ishelping people to remember what
the next steps are if they'restarting to get down, because if
(19:38):
it's a newer operator they'reprobably not used to all the ups
and downs that can beencountered throughout a deal,
or maybe they're bored right,really keeping the eye on the
prize.
Also, sometimes it turns outthat a property just may not be
the right fit after certain duediligence and things of that
nature, which at that case,thanks, but no thanks, right, if
(19:59):
it's not the right fit.
And keeping the energy also isstaying positive, looking for
ways to solve the problem, notcomplaining, and it's really
being creative, using dealstructures that maybe helped you
to win a deal over here orsomething that really benefited
a client over here.
Maybe you're speaking on theirbehalf, maybe it's a unique type
(20:24):
of referral that they need.
So it's really keeping thatenergy and the deal moving
forward and making sure thatit's still aligning and that it
really does check off for theright investment for them.
So commercial real estate, likeso many things, is a long-term
relationship.
It's a long-term focus that youwant to do the right thing for
(20:45):
the person here and now.
That will continue them on thatright path for future work
together.
Also, marathon running it reallydoes help in breaking things
down.
So in my earlier career, many,many years ago, I spent 11 years
in operations supply chain andit was seeing the big picture
(21:07):
and breaking it down,prioritizing, looking for
limiting factors, all thosedifferent things that could
really disrupt the flow ofproduction and other things, and
with that I take that samevantage point here in commercial
real estate and marathoningties in perfectly.
See the big vision, break itdown tactically, look ahead.
(21:28):
What are you going to encounter?
And when I'm in a marathon,maybe even a long training run
or a race, you're checking inyour internal body system of how
is it feeling and as time goesyou are able to discern better
of is it a weak mind or is it aweak body?
Where are you feeling it?
(21:49):
Is your hydration off?
Is it that you need morecalories?
So it's all these differentfactors put into one.
But I love that marathoning hasreally helped me to see the big
picture, break it down andtactically address as you go.
And it's also understanding howmuch you have within and so
(22:09):
that you don't consume all ofyour energy too soon.
And that applies to the dealstoo.
Right, that applies to thedeals too right.
So much of life, I think runningor with commercial real estate
is having your finger on thepulse and understanding where
people are at.
How are they feeling, what aretheir fears, what are their
concerns.
(22:30):
You have all those things inmarathons too.
So it's checking in andaddressing and taking care of
things sooner rather than later.
It's when things fester thatthings can get out of control.
For example, let's say you havea nagging calf or you have some
part of your body that keepstalking to you.
You can't just ignore it.
We've all done it and I thinkrunners are notorious for it.
(22:55):
But without making sure all ofyou is working well, there's
going to be problems and attimes you need to adjust a run.
Or maybe you're skipping someruns to take care of something.
If it is bothering you, you'reseeking out the professional
that can help you with it.
You're making sure that you'restretching foam rolling.
You know I love takingfour-pound salt baths.
(23:16):
They're great, right, it's nicefor loosening up muscles.
I like to push on some of thedifferent trigger points, work
things out.
I also have Norma Tech legsthat I got last summer.
Those are great too.
And so, finding differentmodalities.
I am a big fan of red lightlaser therapy.
I've been doing that for yearsand I've got another story on
(23:38):
that, one of why I love it somuch.
But it's, it takes work to beable to run, and it's one of
those.
Again, I'm 50.
So it's, I'm no longer 20s, 30s, 40s, right, and so you'll
notice different shifts andchanges.
But I think so much of the agingprocess, or maturing, is really
(23:59):
how you care for yourself.
Your mind, body, spirit and Ialways say, your relationships
and support systems factor intothat, along with your career.
Are you doing something thatfuels you, or is it constant
work and drudgery?
If you're in that ladder, get anew career.
If you want to get intocommercial real estate, talk to
me.
I'm happy to share the plusesand the minuses and answer any
(24:23):
questions that you might have.
And, of course, big advocate ofmovement, I have found running
works really well for me.
I like it from the timeattributes.
When I do travel on businesstrips, it's easy to pack my
tennies and whatever else I needand run from there as well, so
running can be a great companion.
(24:43):
I suggest people lace up, dowhatever feels right for you.
If you want more of theserunning marathon training chats,
whatever you want to know inthese realms, I would love to
hear from you.
So please drop it in thecomments below and thank you for
joining me on Heather Ewing,the CRE Rundown, this heart to
heart moment that we're able toshare here, and look for more
(25:07):
podcasts with a lot of greatguests in the coming episodes
and years.
Thanks.
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