May 16, 2025 • 35 mins
What happens when anxiety meets opportunity? For Beth Giles, the pandemic's uncertainty sparked an unexpected journey into running that transformed both her physical and mental landscapes. This episode reveals how simple daily walks evolved into something profound when Beth asked herself, "What if I just ran?"
Beth shares the raw, honest story of how running became her sanctuary during pandemic isolation, daily work stress, and even through her mother's hospice care. The physical act of running created space for mental processing, allowing Beth to navigate life's challenges with newfound resilience. "Running is something that, when you invest in it, the return on investment for your body and your mind is amazing and tenfold," she explains.
We explore the evolution from casual pandemic running to organized races, discussing the unique courage required to take starting lines and the pride that comes with finishing. Beth's candid insights about hydration struggles during longer distances, the joy of sharing race medals with her late mother, and her refreshing perspective on body types and movement will resonate with runners at every level.
Most powerfully, Beth's philosophy encapsulates what movement can mean for anyone willing to try: "Don't let dreams be endangered species." Whether you're a seasoned runner or someone who's never considered lacing up, this conversation invites you to explore your own "what ifs" without dismissing them before giving them a chance.
Ready to find your own running sanctuary or reconnect with the joy of movement? Listen now, and discover how putting your feet on the street before your "butt hits the seat" might just change your life too. Share, follow, and rate this podcast to help others find their path to movement and mental clarity.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hello and welcome back to Over the Next Hill
Fitness Podcast.
I'm Carla Coffey, your coachand host for today's program.
This episode is brought to youby Coffey Crew Coaching.
If you need a personal coachfor personal training or running
or what have you, if you justneed to get mobile, look me up.
You can email me, carla, atCoffeyCrewCoachingcom.
(00:22):
You can find me in the shownotes.
There's a little button thatyou can push and that will
directly link you to me and youcan send over your inquiry.
Or if you have a question thatyou would like answered on the
podcast, we can do that as well.
If you have friends that needme as a coach, please share.
Also follow, share and rate theprogram.
(00:45):
That really helps me climb upthe ladder a little bit.
It's also brought to you byHydraPatch.
If you haven't tried HydraPatch, you really need to.
There's a 20% discount in theshow notes that you can use to
give it a try and see if youlike it.
Especially with the warmerweather coming up here all over
the world, finally kind ofgetting out of winter, it's
(01:08):
great to help keep you hydrated.
You still need to drink, but itreally helps in those hotter
days.
So today we're going to betalking to Beth Giles.
We had a lot of fun recordingthis, as well as after Beth, and
I find that we have a lot ofpeople in our circle together,
so that was kind of fun to touchbase upon that.
(01:30):
But yeah, listen to the storyand I hope you enjoy it.
Welcome to the show, beth.
It's great to have you here.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Thank you so much.
It's an honor, a pleasure.
I'm very excited to speak withyou today.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
I'm excited too, so let's get into it.
When and what made you startrunning?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
This is an interesting story, great
question, obviously, and onethat I really like talking about
with other runners as well.
I did not start running untilthe, I should say I didn't start
running consistently until thepandemic.
So turn back time or don'tright Until it was about January
(02:10):
2020, maybe even sooner, maybea little bit into 2019.
And I think there were a lot ofpeople at that time that had
what I call hairline anxiety,right, like a hairline fracture.
It's a little bit of anxietyrunning through you that is
manageable and doesn't affect orimpact your daily life.
(02:30):
But there was something aboutthe fear of the pandemic, and I
remember the news story.
I'm located in Wisconsin and Iremember the news story where
they were setting up a makeshifthospital.
At then it was Miller Stadium,amfam Field, where the Brewers
play in Milwaukee and that forsome reason, took me back to
(02:56):
watching MASH growing up, orjust the idea of this makeshift
hospital, and I thought, youknow, we had all transitioned to
working at home and I knew Ineeded something to get out of
the house and something to helpme stay calm and know that.
You know, we just needed totake one day at a time in this,
(03:21):
and so I started walking.
I would just, you know, get upin the morning and walk.
We had a little motto.
We were saying with ourcolleagues that your feet need
to hit the street before yourbutt hits the seat.
And so I was walking in themorning, and then walking on
breaks between meetings, andthen that's when people are
(03:42):
putting hearts in their windows.
So I was watching the hearts inthe windows on my walking path
and, as funny as this sounds, myfeet just wanted to go faster
(04:07):
the downhills.
And then I would start countingI'll run for this many steps and
then walk for this many steps.
And I started playing all theselittle games in my head, which
also gave me something else tothink about for a while.
And then it turned to what if Ididn't walk?
Then it turned to what if Ididn't walk?
What if I just ran?
And it was there where I reallyfound my bliss, I really found
(04:33):
my peace.
I found a space where I wasable to breathe, where I was
able to know that some way oranother, we were all going to
get through this.
And there would be anotherchallenge after this in my
personal life, in our collectivelife, as a world, as a society
(04:57):
in my professional life, and sorunning became for me, and so
running became for me the spaceto get through those challenges.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Yeah, we call that running off the crazy.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Yes, that's a great way to say it yes, absolutely,
Absolutely.
And now you find yourself, Ifind myself saying at times when
I can feel it inside me likethis live wire, and I'll say to
my colleagues or my family or myfriends like I just need to run
, Like I just, you know, yeah, Ireacted, you know, more
(05:33):
dramatically about that than Ishould have, because I just need
to run.
Or I can't decide what to orderat a restaurant because I just
need to run, I just need tocenter my head.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Right.
So when you're driving and yousee a path and people are
running on it, do you getjealous and go oh, I could be
running right now.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Yes, absolutely Like.
Look at that, Look at that.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Yeah, I also judge distances.
Like oh, if I break down here,I totally can run from here,
right.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Or you just think about it.
When your GPS says, you know,in 0.7 miles, I'm like oh yeah,
I got that.
You know, or it's 10 miles too.
I'm like, okay, so it's a, youknow, 6k between here and there,
or 10K, six miles, 10k.
You know, you're always doingthe calculations in your head
and how far and what would ittake?
So my the yoga studio that Ilove is about eight miles from
(06:24):
here.
So I'm like someday, one day,I'm going to run to yoga and do
yoga and then someone has topick me up.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
And it's Uber home.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
So it's.
It's really become that copingmechanism for me in a lot of
ways.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Yeah, so now have you run eight miles before.
Is that, or would that be alonger distance for you?
Speaker 2 (06:47):
No, I have.
So that you know, running tostay calm, running to cope,
turned into what if I ran in anorganized situation, which was
another big hurdle for me.
Because I am hurdle for mebecause I am, uh, I I like to be
in a comparison space.
(07:08):
You know, for better, for worse, mostly worse, but you know
this person, that person, so Iknow it's about beating yourself
.
Um, so I realized my golf watchcould also be a running watch,
so I started watching my timesand I started watching distances
and I started with the five Ksand I went to the 10 Ks and then
(07:32):
we, uh, my husband and I,really enjoy Door County,
wisconsin.
It's a little peninsula part ofWisconsin.
It's just great, and I wouldsee signs when we were up there
for the Door County HalfMarathon and they closed it's
one of the only times theyclosed Peninsula State Park,
which is a beautiful, beautifulpark.
It's very hilly and I'm like Iwonder if I could run the Door
(07:55):
County Half Marathon and thatgives us a reason to go to Door
County.
So I have run it twice nowthat's in the beginning of May
every year, and it is, it ishilly and it is phenomenal and
it is beautiful and so, um it,it.
(08:16):
I do love.
I think our question of the daywhere I go to yoga, we have a
question of the day, and ourquestion of the day the other
day was what's something you dothat's brave?
And I thought to myself, uh,taking starting lines every time
I take a starting line, I haveto, I have to bring my brave
self there to know that you'llstart and you'll finish and
(08:39):
it'll you know, it'll look likewhatever it looks like in
between, but you'll start andyou'll finish.
And so I do love, I love theevents now.
I love the races.
I love the events.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
That's great.
How long into your walking andthen running was it before you
did your first race, do youremember?
Speaker 2 (08:58):
I think it was the first turkey trot.
So I think I started walkrunning in like January,
february, and I think I turkeytrotted that November and I
remember not thinking I wasgoing to make it.
And then we were getting towardthe end and I saw the ambulance
which just parked at the endand I thought, well, that's the
(09:21):
end and it's right there, so Ishould keep going.
One way or another I'll getacross the finish line and I'll
be okay, or I won't.
And medical professionals arealready there, um, but I did, I.
I got through it, I ran thewhole way, um, and then that was
the first.
(09:41):
That was the first race.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Okay, and do you do that same one every year?
Now, I do.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Well, I have.
We've been going a fewdifferent places for
Thanksgiving so it hasn't alwaysworked out timing-wise.
But even there are some yearsthat I ran that turkey trot the
morning of Thanksgiving and thenwe'd go back up for the weekend
to Door County.
And they have a very funnyversion of their marathon.
(10:10):
It's sponsored by One BarrelBrewing Company I don't know if
I'm allowed to say that and theymove the decimal point, so it's
a 2.62 mile run.
Some years it's snowy, someyears it's nice.
It is downhill going out andthen uphill coming back, but it
is fast and fun and it finishesat the brewery and it's just a
(10:35):
great race.
So sometimes I do two thatThanksgiving weekend, two little
ones.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
Oh, that's great.
I love that moving that decimal.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Oh my gosh.
Yeah, it is just hysterical,and so that's what they say.
It's just a fun run, but that'stheir version.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Now, does your husband run with you?
He does not, but he has thebackpack on with water and
flip-flops for after and freshsocks and really shows up on the
sidelines for me.
So you know, hears me say, Isee him at mile 10 in the Door
(11:13):
County half marathon and everytime I say this is hard and he's
like and you're almost doneRight, and sometimes it's just,
you know, just hearing peoplesay that.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
So yeah, yeah, and if it wasn't hard, everybody would
do it.
As they say right, yeah,exactly, exactly.
So now halfs.
That's your go-to.
Do you like the half distance?
Is that your favorite?
Speaker 2 (11:36):
I think 10K is my favorite, but I think that's
just because I haven't.
It's hard to carve out all thegood time to prepare for a half.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
So, they.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
they're always a little bit of a struggle for me
and, of course, the one that Ichoose to run is, um, the
elevation is just bananas, likethe first year.
The people who I was startingwith they were like is this your
first half marathon?
I was like it is.
And they're like and you chosethis one?
Like this one.
Did you read about it?
(12:09):
Do you know?
I'm like, yep, yep, I know whatI'm in for, absolutely.
And I was so proud of myselfthat first time because I ran
all the hills and people werewalking and I'm like, hey, look
at me, I'm running past you.
And then I got to like mile 11and I was like where's the exit
strategy?
Like I'm not going to make itthose last two.
So I think you know 10 Ks.
(12:29):
I feel confident all the waythrough.
I have a little bit left in thetank.
At the end I can find a littleenergy, you know, when I see
that finish line.
But the half marathon, that's.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
those are the I love the distance, but it is not
comfortable for me at all.
Yeah, so have you done it forthe last five years then, since
2020?
Speaker 2 (12:53):
No, no, it took me a long time to build up for that.
I've only done 23 and 24.
So I've only done two halfmarathons.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
And are you signed up to do it this May?
Speaker 2 (13:03):
I am, we'll see.
I'm struggling with a hamstringinjury, which is fine, it's
going to be fine.
It's just interfered withtraining.
I had to take some time offthat I wasn't counting on.
So there's another opportunity.
There are two races here inMadison, one in August and one
in November, and they both havehalf marathon options.
So I might just have to bump it.
(13:24):
Bump it back a little bit inthe calendar year, so yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
Well, isn't that funny.
We hadn't talked previous, andI'm in Madison as well, are you?
Yeah, all right.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
So I don't know if I explained to you where Door
County is, or anything like that.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
The listeners aren't all from Madison but, it's a
small world.
That's great.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Absolutely Well.
Maybe I'll see you in Novemberor August if you race in Madison
.
Small world, that's great.
Absolutely Well, maybe I'll seeyou in November or August if
you race in Madison.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
Yeah, and we've probably seen each other on the
paths.
I bet at some point.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
So that's, yeah, that's fun.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
So what was it like for you, um with learning
hydration at the extendedmileage of a half?
Was that challenging to learnhow to hydrate to go from 10K to
half?
Speaker 2 (14:10):
A hundred percent and I'm I'm a terrible hydrator.
I will just admit that I waslaughing.
This morning I was listening tothe latest um nobody asked us
podcast and Kara Goucher wasgiving Desmond in a hard time
about hydrating.
I just don't.
I really Desland in a hard timeabout hydrating.
(14:31):
I just don't.
I really I don't get thirsty, Idon't.
I don't like the feeling ofsomething in my stomach when I'm
running.
So it it is very hard for me totake in fluid, and you can get
away with that in a 5k.
You can get away with it in a5k, you can get away with it in
a 10k.
I'm not advocating for that,dear listeners.
Please don't do this.
(14:51):
But you can't in a halfmarathon.
I can't.
I don't.
I mean maybe if you're I don'tknow if you're not me.
So I really had to teach myselfand the person that helps me
with running distances and sortof coaching had to say like if
you've got to walk to get itdown and walk while it gets
through you, then then do it.
(15:13):
But you can't or or at leastyou know swish it around in your
mouth and spit it out, but youcan't not.
I did a Ragnar race in Michiganand it was like the hottest
weekend on record in Michigan.
There was no way it should havebeen this hot.
It was ridiculous.
And I was running my secondloop or whatever, and I, that
(15:38):
was one where I really I was outthere and I didn't bring a I
don't even have a camelback orany, even a handheld, like I
just don't, I just don't like todrink, um.
And so my team was like no, yougot to take this.
It's so hot out, you have totake it.
I'm like okay, okay.
So I took it and I had neverbeen, uh, happier.
(16:02):
They, they all had this secretplan to like we're not letting
her go without water.
I thought it was going to bethis big fight and they're like,
please take this.
And I said okay, and they'relike, oh, thank goodness.
And I have to really convincemyself to take that sip of water
.
So I don't know, it's hard forme but it makes a huge
difference.
I know, you know, logically, Iknow right, you got to eat the
(16:25):
sport beans, you got to drink,or whatever.
I know, you know, logically, Iknow right, you got to eat the
sport beans, you got to drink orwhatever.
You have to drink the water.
But it's hard.
I would rather just go right bythat that aid station and deal
with it at the end, but I'm theone that wakes up in the middle
of the night with the charleyhorses on the foot cranks.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
Yeah, and you know when you think about it.
If you think about your car,you know, know you got to keep
fluid in it, right?
Right right yeah, it's the samething with us, you know but
yeah I know it's hard.
I have a couple athletes thatare I'm just now saying hey, um,
do you have water bottles?
Because you know are youdrinking on, you know, at the
mile mark just trying to getthem.
The same way, you know it'slike you got to do it.
(17:04):
You just you know you have, youhave to, or you you can finish,
but you'll finish stronger ifyou stay hydrated.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Yeah, I mean, you just don't, you don't feel
terrible, you know.
I mean there are times, evenwhen I've gone, tried to go, you
know, all out on a 5k and get,like you know, my personal best
or whatever, and I'll just be,you know, having to put my hands
on my knees at the end, and youknow, just cause I, you know,
and of course there's not an aidstation usually on a 5k, but
(17:34):
it's the hydration all the waythrough my training that I just
haven't attended to and so, um,it shows up.
You know there are things thatI could do to to be more, uh,
efficient and effective.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
For sure, yeah, because you've got to train your
gut to accept it too, you know,so you don't notice it, like
you said, feeling it sloshingaround, I mean, if you drink too
much, obviously.
But even just those sips, youknow, an ounce here and there
will help.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
It could train your stomach to feel it feel better
with it.
So what has it been like withyour family and you training and
aside from your husband, do youhave children that are
supportive or non-supportive oranything?
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Yeah, we, we don't have children.
So I think one of the it wasfun to share my experiences with
my mom.
As she aged, I would bring herthe little medal that you get,
even for the little races.
It's interesting to hear yousay training and I just kind of
think to myself.
I'm just a recreational runnerthat likes to do things, but I
(18:39):
do have that mindset of knowingwhat I want to watch, timing and
pacing and all those things.
So it would be fun.
We'd go see her where she wasliving after the race at
Thanksgiving and put the medalon her neck and she'd show all
her friends there that look whatmy daughter did.
And so it was fun.
(19:00):
And she has passed now.
But that is another time in mylife that running really helped.
I actually, when I knew whenhospice got involved, I would
run and I would say to myself inmy head there will be a day
that you will be running andyour mom will no longer be with
us.
And it was like training myselfto accept that and see that
(19:24):
with running as the staple, likerunning was the through line.
That's what was going to bethere for me as that situation
happened in my life, and so ithas helped me.
You know, carving out time, youknow, even just with the husband
and with my job, is difficult,but I also think it has had a
(19:47):
profound effect on how I cancope with things in my family
life and finding that time away,you know, when we're all
together and I can feel, youknow, overwhelmed with peopling,
it's like, oh, I'm just goingto go for a run.
And you know, sometimes eventhe people say it's like, oh,
I'm just going to go for a run.
(20:07):
And you know, sometimes eventhe people say, oh, I'll come
with you.
And it's like, sometimes I evenrun and I get out there a while
or a ways and I'm like, oh, itfeels maybe like a little bit of
a walk there.
I'll take the edge off what Iwant to do a little bit so I
could have had company.
But the point was to get in myown headspace and work through
some things and calm down.
(20:28):
So I think my family benefitsfrom that part of my running.
Speaker 1 (20:35):
Agreed Some of the shirts that you can see.
You know I run so I don't killpeople.
Yeah, it's kind of true.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
Yeah, I'm just a better.
I'm a better listener, I'm abetter partner and I'm a just a
better person when I can get outthere and get some mileage in.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
Yeah, yeah, it's so good, like as I mentioned at the
beginning, to run off thatcrazy.
We need that and everybody hasa different thing, like some
people bike, some people draw us, you know whatever.
Whatever it is for you, yougotta find that and it has to be
like just yours and it's nice,you know whatever whatever it is
for you, you got to find that.
And it has to be like just yoursand it's nice, you know, cause
I run with a group of girls onthe weekend sometimes, but
(21:14):
during the week I'm okay runningalone.
That's my time, you know, and Ineed that.
We all need to find something,whatever it is, to just kind of
decompress.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
Yeah, absolutely.
And you know, and I wentthrough this injury and they
were looking at it and talkingabout physical therapy.
First, you know, are we MRIingit and then is it physical
therapy, is it this?
And I kept saying there wassomeone on my primary care
physicians team who is a runner,that I get to see every now and
again, and so I made anappointment with her and I was
(21:47):
like, look, this is aboutrunning and right, this is also
about, you know, it's aboutphysical wellness, but it's
about my mental health, like wegot to fix whatever this is,
because I have to get back outthere Like there's so, um, it's,
it's.
It's nice that that running isthat for me and that other
(22:11):
people are feeling that as well.
You know, I had the opportunityto be a soulmate for Girls on
the Run.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
And that was a wonderful experience, a really
fun fundraising experience andsupportive experience from that
particular organization.
And so it was great, too, tosee that they talk about that
with young girls who are gettingso many messages about their
body and society and bullyingand all the things that they're
facing.
Now that you know, we laughabout like thank goodness I were
(22:41):
in cell phones when I wasgrowing up, but it's I think
it's just harder to be a youngperson these days and using
running in that way to teachyoung women or any young athlete
that it's a way you can processand a way you can feel proud of
yourself.
And again, it's about taking astarting line and crossing a
(23:03):
finish line.
When you get to a point thatyou're paying attention to time,
that's great, but it's alsogreat to just get out there and
it really will.
Running is something that, whenyou invest in it, the return on
investment, I think, for yourbody and your mind is amazing
and tenfold.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
I agree.
Yeah, I am a volunteer coachfor the girls on the run.
This will be my third or fourthseason, I think and you know,
it's not really about therunning.
They do run, but it's moreabout the lessons that they're
learning, the things that we'redoing with them to help them
cope with bullying and all that.
So, yeah, and then the onesthat come back and coach as well
(23:45):
later is it's pretty amazing, Iguess a lot of them do, which
is oh cool, yeah, so you'reright, we, you know, if you have
family members or you knowsomebody that needs an outlet,
even if it is just a walk,because they don't run the whole
time.
You know, especially in thebeginning of the season, a lot
of them aren't, you know,conditioned, but just walking
(24:06):
the fresh air, getting out thereand getting the stuff out of
their brain.
So, yeah, it it's, it's a goodorganization.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
Yeah, yeah, I was in the 5k.
It was maybe in 2023.
Is that when I was a soulmate,I think 24.
Um, but it was the, the 5k outin Verona, wisconsin, and the it
was so hot.
I remember it was, like, youknow, again one of these record
(24:32):
heat days and they werescrambling to put up another aid
station and, man, it was just ahot one and you know, we were
fine, but some of the girls were, you know, like you know,
really really needing the waterand it was just unfortunate.
But everybody got across thatline.
But, yeah, it was just one ofthose days where it's like, oh,
really, does today have to be?
(24:53):
In the 90s?
We ran for a while on blacktopand you could just feel the heat
coming off the blacktop.
Yeah, I had to change.
As soon as I got done, I'm like, oh, get this off me.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
Yeah, those are the days when I like to freeze my
water pack that goes on my backand wear it Even if I'm not
drinking out of it, at leastit's frozen.
Or I have a bandana that I'llfill with ice and let that drip
down your back, you know there'snothing bad yeah.
Just some kind of waterdripping on you, yeah, and when
I run the neighborhood I alwayslook for the water sprinklers.
(25:28):
You know I'm like who's notwatering their lawn today?
Come on.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
I know right, where can I run through?
I did ask someone once.
I'm like, can I just runthrough that really quickly?
It's like knock yourself out.
I'm like thank you.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
Yeah, I've done that too.
It's the best.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
It is.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
And it reminds you of being a kid.
Look at you a little weird, butthat's all right, I'm okay with
that, because I am a littleweird.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
So who cares?
So you do maybe have DoorCounty.
If not, you're going to hit oneof the Madison halves.
I hope to, and if 2025 is justa year of 10Ks, then so be it.
I have to be in this for thelong haul.
So if that's you, uh, myphysical therapist is a runner
as well, so she's really honestwith me about you know when to
push and when to back off alittle bit.
So, uh, we'll see, but therewill definitely be a couple once
(26:22):
, once, uh, summer gets here.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
So you're good.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
And then what's after that anything um that.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
You got your eye on that you'd like to accomplish
after that.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
No, I mean, I don't have marathon aspirations.
If I did, it would be Chicago.
But I think, you know, I lovefollowing the big marathons.
I love I put the Boston app onmy phone and watch the winners
come in and I love that.
But I think half is it for me.
I can get there, I can getacross that line and I just feel
(26:56):
proud of myself, but I thinkthat's all I have in the tank.
I don't.
I don't think I'm a marathoner,so yeah, that's okay.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Not everybody has to be just finding you know what
makes you happy.
That's, that's where it's at,right there.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
Yeah, I love.
We went down the documentaryrabbit hole um over winter break
for um, all the ultras rightand the all the documentaries
about the ultras and the Barkleyand all these things and it was
just fascinating and I wouldwatch it a hundred times and I
would crew for someone.
For sure I would love to crewfor someone.
(27:30):
I will never do anything likethat, um, but it was.
You know, it is just cool.
The places that this sport cantake you is just just phenomenal
.
Speaker 1 (27:42):
So they keep extending the distances.
It was like uh, two, 50 and nowthere's a 300, and it's like
those miles are insane 50 andnow there's a 300 and it's like
those miles are insane.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
Yeah, I'm always, at the races that I go to, really
impressed with the people, um,who push people in the
wheelchairs I don't know thatI'm strong enough to do it, um,
and I talk with them and they'realways like, well, we switch
off and it doesn't matter andyou know, just come and join um.
So maybe one day, someday, Iwould like to do some things
like that.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
Yeah, I push for Ainsley's Angels here in Madison
.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
Yeah, that's exactly the organization.
I didn't know.
I'm not affiliated with them,so I didn't know if I could
mention it, but those are thepeople that I see at the race
and they're always so friendlyand wonderful.
But I feel like you just haveto be faster than I am or have
greater strength.
I don't.
I don't know, but maybe I'llgive it a try this year.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
There's been times when we've pushed and we did two
people pushing and there werethree of us, and then one person
would move out and the otherone would move in, and we just
circled around like that,because if it's a hilly course
or if the person you're pushingis is a little bigger, then it
just takes more effort and thatway you're not getting as tired
(28:56):
as quickly yeah, it works.
They make it work and sometimesthere's like five or six people
on a team, depending on.
You know the amount ofvolunteers and then you know
you're pushing 10 minutes andeven if you're just walking it's
totally, totally fine.
So yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
Yeah, just helping them to experience that and get
across the finish line too, soWell now that we're connected,
maybe I'll have more inspirationor be a little braver, not so
shy to come out and just give ita shot.
Speaker 1 (29:22):
Yeah, they won't push you away, I promise.
Very good.
Do you have any other words ofwisdom that you'd like to share
with the audience?
Anything we didn't touch onthat you'd like people to know
about you?
Speaker 2 (29:38):
You know not.
I think we all have theopportunity to find some joy in
movement, opportunity to findsome joy in movement, and I
think we lose it as we get older, maybe thinking about how much
(29:59):
I think, about how much wedanced as little kids, right, or
just moved to music orotherwise, and so I would
encourage people to find thatjoy in movement again.
We spend a lot of our timesitting.
We have young people spend alot of their time sitting in
learning situations and soreally remembering that our
bodies were meant to move andthere is no.
(30:23):
You have a this kind of body orability, right, like, oh, you
should run Cause you have arunner's body, or you're built
like a gymnast, or you're builtlike a.
Everybody can move and anymovement should just be
celebrated and rewarded.
(30:44):
And so I think it's, it'sgetting past the.
You know, I remember that moment, standing at the top of a hill,
the sun was coming up, cause Ilike to run, I like to watch the
sun come up.
When I run, I'm a morning, I'mnot a morning person, but I can
be a morning runner.
Um, and I remember justthinking like what if I ran?
You know, like it just.
(31:05):
And so find that what if?
In your life and just meet it.
And of course you and I aretalking about running, because
that is the podcast.
But whatever your what if is,don't dismiss it.
We're so quick to dismiss ourideas before we even get to the
question mark of what if we'realready on to.
(31:25):
That will never work.
I could never do that.
That's not possible.
Don't let dreams be endangeredspecies right?
Just find that what if and gotoward it.
Just go toward it.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
Yeah, I love that.
That's great.
Don't let dreams be endangeredspecies, because, yeah, I talk
to a lot of people and a lot ofthem say, oh, I'm too old for
this, no, you're not.
Find what it is you love andmake it happen.
Your lot of people and let themsay, oh, I'm too old for this,
no, you're not, you know, findwhat it is you love and make it
happen your version of it, likeyou said there's, you know, it
could be your version of running.
I've talked to a lady and shecalled it wogging.
(32:02):
She wasn't quite jogging, shewasn't quite walking, she was
probably walking.
I know right, that's great, youdo you?
Speaker 2 (32:09):
Yeah, that's probably what I look like at the end of
my half marathon.
Sometimes I think I'm walking.
Speaker 1 (32:15):
That's all that matters.
That you finish, though it's atthe end.
That's all that matters.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
So yeah, don't count yourselfout before you even got in the
situation.
The game, the dream, don't takeyourself out of it.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:33):
Wise words.
Thank you so much.
All right, well, it was greatto have met you and I'm sure
I'll see you in the pastsometime.
Thanks for being on the show,oh my gosh, it was my pleasure.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
Thank you for all that you do for the running
community as well.
We need each other.
Speaker 1 (32:48):
Absolutely Thanks.
Bye-bye now, bye.
Community as well, we need eachother Absolutely Thanks.
Bye-bye now, bye, all right.
Well, thanks for listening tothe episode.
I hope you enjoyed it.
Please continue to follow,share and rate the program.
If you're needing that coach,reach out to me.
(33:08):
There's a button in the shownotes that you can contact me
directly.
Share it with a friend.
If you think their story needsto be on the podcast, I'd love
to hear from them.
So thanks again and have agreat day.
Hello and welcome back to Over the Next Hill
Fitness Podcast.
I'm Carla Coffey, your coachand host for today's program.
This episode is brought to youby Coffey Crew Coaching.
If you need a personal coachfor personal training or running
or what have you, if you justneed to get mobile, look me up.
You can email me, carla, atCoffeyCrewCoachingcom.
(00:22):
You can find me in the shownotes.
There's a little button thatyou can push and that will
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Or if you have a question thatyou would like answered on the
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Also follow, share and rate theprogram.
(00:45):
That really helps me climb upthe ladder a little bit.
It's also brought to you byHydraPatch.
If you haven't tried HydraPatch, you really need to.
There's a 20% discount in theshow notes that you can use to
give it a try and see if youlike it.
Especially with the warmerweather coming up here all over
the world, finally kind ofgetting out of winter, it's
(01:08):
great to help keep you hydrated.
You still need to drink, but itreally helps in those hotter
days.
So today we're going to betalking to Beth Giles.
We had a lot of fun recordingthis, as well as after Beth, and
I find that we have a lot ofpeople in our circle together,
so that was kind of fun to touchbase upon that.
(01:30):
But yeah, listen to the storyand I hope you enjoy it.
Welcome to the show, beth.
It's great to have you here.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Thank you so much.
It's an honor, a pleasure.
I'm very excited to speak withyou today.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
I'm excited too, so let's get into it.
When and what made you startrunning?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
This is an interesting story, great
question, obviously, and onethat I really like talking about
with other runners as well.
I did not start running untilthe, I should say I didn't start
running consistently until thepandemic.
So turn back time or don'tright Until it was about January
(02:10):
2020, maybe even sooner, maybea little bit into 2019.
And I think there were a lot ofpeople at that time that had
what I call hairline anxiety,right, like a hairline fracture.
It's a little bit of anxietyrunning through you that is
manageable and doesn't affect orimpact your daily life.
(02:30):
But there was something aboutthe fear of the pandemic, and I
remember the news story.
I'm located in Wisconsin and Iremember the news story where
they were setting up a makeshifthospital.
At then it was Miller Stadium,amfam Field, where the Brewers
play in Milwaukee and that forsome reason, took me back to
(02:56):
watching MASH growing up, orjust the idea of this makeshift
hospital, and I thought, youknow, we had all transitioned to
working at home and I knew Ineeded something to get out of
the house and something to helpme stay calm and know that.
You know, we just needed totake one day at a time in this,
(03:21):
and so I started walking.
I would just, you know, get upin the morning and walk.
We had a little motto.
We were saying with ourcolleagues that your feet need
to hit the street before yourbutt hits the seat.
And so I was walking in themorning, and then walking on
breaks between meetings, andthen that's when people are
(03:42):
putting hearts in their windows.
So I was watching the hearts inthe windows on my walking path
and, as funny as this sounds, myfeet just wanted to go faster
(04:07):
the downhills.
And then I would start countingI'll run for this many steps and
then walk for this many steps.
And I started playing all theselittle games in my head, which
also gave me something else tothink about for a while.
And then it turned to what if Ididn't walk?
Then it turned to what if Ididn't walk?
What if I just ran?
And it was there where I reallyfound my bliss, I really found
(04:33):
my peace.
I found a space where I wasable to breathe, where I was
able to know that some way oranother, we were all going to
get through this.
And there would be anotherchallenge after this in my
personal life, in our collectivelife, as a world, as a society
(04:57):
in my professional life, and sorunning became for me, and so
running became for me the spaceto get through those challenges.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Yeah, we call that running off the crazy.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Yes, that's a great way to say it yes, absolutely,
Absolutely.
And now you find yourself, Ifind myself saying at times when
I can feel it inside me likethis live wire, and I'll say to
my colleagues or my family or myfriends like I just need to run
, Like I just, you know, yeah, Ireacted, you know, more
(05:33):
dramatically about that than Ishould have, because I just need
to run.
Or I can't decide what to orderat a restaurant because I just
need to run, I just need tocenter my head.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Right.
So when you're driving and yousee a path and people are
running on it, do you getjealous and go oh, I could be
running right now.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Yes, absolutely Like.
Look at that, Look at that.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Yeah, I also judge distances.
Like oh, if I break down here,I totally can run from here,
right.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Or you just think about it.
When your GPS says, you know,in 0.7 miles, I'm like oh yeah,
I got that.
You know, or it's 10 miles too.
I'm like, okay, so it's a, youknow, 6k between here and there,
or 10K, six miles, 10k.
You know, you're always doingthe calculations in your head
and how far and what would ittake?
So my the yoga studio that Ilove is about eight miles from
(06:24):
here.
So I'm like someday, one day,I'm going to run to yoga and do
yoga and then someone has topick me up.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
And it's Uber home.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
So it's.
It's really become that copingmechanism for me in a lot of
ways.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Yeah, so now have you run eight miles before.
Is that, or would that be alonger distance for you?
Speaker 2 (06:47):
No, I have.
So that you know, running tostay calm, running to cope,
turned into what if I ran in anorganized situation, which was
another big hurdle for me.
Because I am hurdle for mebecause I am, uh, I I like to be
in a comparison space.
(07:08):
You know, for better, for worse, mostly worse, but you know
this person, that person, so Iknow it's about beating yourself
.
Um, so I realized my golf watchcould also be a running watch,
so I started watching my timesand I started watching distances
and I started with the five Ksand I went to the 10 Ks and then
(07:32):
we, uh, my husband and I,really enjoy Door County,
wisconsin.
It's a little peninsula part ofWisconsin.
It's just great, and I wouldsee signs when we were up there
for the Door County HalfMarathon and they closed it's
one of the only times theyclosed Peninsula State Park,
which is a beautiful, beautifulpark.
It's very hilly and I'm like Iwonder if I could run the Door
(07:55):
County Half Marathon and thatgives us a reason to go to Door
County.
So I have run it twice nowthat's in the beginning of May
every year, and it is, it ishilly and it is phenomenal and
it is beautiful and so, um it,it.
(08:16):
I do love.
I think our question of the daywhere I go to yoga, we have a
question of the day, and ourquestion of the day the other
day was what's something you dothat's brave?
And I thought to myself, uh,taking starting lines every time
I take a starting line, I haveto, I have to bring my brave
self there to know that you'llstart and you'll finish and
(08:39):
it'll you know, it'll look likewhatever it looks like in
between, but you'll start andyou'll finish.
And so I do love, I love theevents now.
I love the races.
I love the events.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
That's great.
How long into your walking andthen running was it before you
did your first race, do youremember?
Speaker 2 (08:58):
I think it was the first turkey trot.
So I think I started walkrunning in like January,
february, and I think I turkeytrotted that November and I
remember not thinking I wasgoing to make it.
And then we were getting towardthe end and I saw the ambulance
which just parked at the endand I thought, well, that's the
(09:21):
end and it's right there, so Ishould keep going.
One way or another I'll getacross the finish line and I'll
be okay, or I won't.
And medical professionals arealready there, um, but I did, I.
I got through it, I ran thewhole way, um, and then that was
the first.
(09:41):
That was the first race.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Okay, and do you do that same one every year?
Now, I do.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Well, I have.
We've been going a fewdifferent places for
Thanksgiving so it hasn't alwaysworked out timing-wise.
But even there are some yearsthat I ran that turkey trot the
morning of Thanksgiving and thenwe'd go back up for the weekend
to Door County.
And they have a very funnyversion of their marathon.
(10:10):
It's sponsored by One BarrelBrewing Company I don't know if
I'm allowed to say that and theymove the decimal point, so it's
a 2.62 mile run.
Some years it's snowy, someyears it's nice.
It is downhill going out andthen uphill coming back, but it
is fast and fun and it finishesat the brewery and it's just a
(10:35):
great race.
So sometimes I do two thatThanksgiving weekend, two little
ones.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
Oh, that's great.
I love that moving that decimal.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Oh my gosh.
Yeah, it is just hysterical,and so that's what they say.
It's just a fun run, but that'stheir version.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Now, does your husband run with you?
He does not, but he has thebackpack on with water and
flip-flops for after and freshsocks and really shows up on the
sidelines for me.
So you know, hears me say, Isee him at mile 10 in the Door
(11:13):
County half marathon and everytime I say this is hard and he's
like and you're almost doneRight, and sometimes it's just,
you know, just hearing peoplesay that.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
So yeah, yeah, and if it wasn't hard, everybody would
do it.
As they say right, yeah,exactly, exactly.
So now halfs.
That's your go-to.
Do you like the half distance?
Is that your favorite?
Speaker 2 (11:36):
I think 10K is my favorite, but I think that's
just because I haven't.
It's hard to carve out all thegood time to prepare for a half.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
So, they.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
they're always a little bit of a struggle for me
and, of course, the one that Ichoose to run is, um, the
elevation is just bananas, likethe first year.
The people who I was startingwith they were like is this your
first half marathon?
I was like it is.
And they're like and you chosethis one?
Like this one.
Did you read about it?
(12:09):
Do you know?
I'm like, yep, yep, I know whatI'm in for, absolutely.
And I was so proud of myselfthat first time because I ran
all the hills and people werewalking and I'm like, hey, look
at me, I'm running past you.
And then I got to like mile 11and I was like where's the exit
strategy?
Like I'm not going to make itthose last two.
So I think you know 10 Ks.
(12:29):
I feel confident all the waythrough.
I have a little bit left in thetank.
At the end I can find a littleenergy, you know, when I see
that finish line.
But the half marathon, that's.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
those are the I love the distance, but it is not
comfortable for me at all.
Yeah, so have you done it forthe last five years then, since
2020?
Speaker 2 (12:53):
No, no, it took me a long time to build up for that.
I've only done 23 and 24.
So I've only done two halfmarathons.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
And are you signed up to do it this May?
Speaker 2 (13:03):
I am, we'll see.
I'm struggling with a hamstringinjury, which is fine, it's
going to be fine.
It's just interfered withtraining.
I had to take some time offthat I wasn't counting on.
So there's another opportunity.
There are two races here inMadison, one in August and one
in November, and they both havehalf marathon options.
So I might just have to bump it.
(13:24):
Bump it back a little bit inthe calendar year, so yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
Well, isn't that funny.
We hadn't talked previous, andI'm in Madison as well, are you?
Yeah, all right.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
So I don't know if I explained to you where Door
County is, or anything like that.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
The listeners aren't all from Madison but, it's a
small world.
That's great.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Absolutely Well.
Maybe I'll see you in Novemberor August if you race in Madison
.
Small world, that's great.
Absolutely Well, maybe I'll seeyou in November or August if
you race in Madison.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
Yeah, and we've probably seen each other on the
paths.
I bet at some point.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
So that's, yeah, that's fun.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
So what was it like for you, um with learning
hydration at the extendedmileage of a half?
Was that challenging to learnhow to hydrate to go from 10K to
half?
Speaker 2 (14:10):
A hundred percent and I'm I'm a terrible hydrator.
I will just admit that I waslaughing.
This morning I was listening tothe latest um nobody asked us
podcast and Kara Goucher wasgiving Desmond in a hard time
about hydrating.
I just don't.
I really Desland in a hard timeabout hydrating.
(14:31):
I just don't.
I really I don't get thirsty, Idon't.
I don't like the feeling ofsomething in my stomach when I'm
running.
So it it is very hard for me totake in fluid, and you can get
away with that in a 5k.
You can get away with it in a5k, you can get away with it in
a 10k.
I'm not advocating for that,dear listeners.
Please don't do this.
(14:51):
But you can't in a halfmarathon.
I can't.
I don't.
I mean maybe if you're I don'tknow if you're not me.
So I really had to teach myselfand the person that helps me
with running distances and sortof coaching had to say like if
you've got to walk to get itdown and walk while it gets
through you, then then do it.
(15:13):
But you can't or or at leastyou know swish it around in your
mouth and spit it out, but youcan't not.
I did a Ragnar race in Michiganand it was like the hottest
weekend on record in Michigan.
There was no way it should havebeen this hot.
It was ridiculous.
And I was running my secondloop or whatever, and I, that
(15:38):
was one where I really I was outthere and I didn't bring a I
don't even have a camelback orany, even a handheld, like I
just don't, I just don't like todrink, um.
And so my team was like no, yougot to take this.
It's so hot out, you have totake it.
I'm like okay, okay.
So I took it and I had neverbeen, uh, happier.
(16:02):
They, they all had this secretplan to like we're not letting
her go without water.
I thought it was going to bethis big fight and they're like,
please take this.
And I said okay, and they'relike, oh, thank goodness.
And I have to really convincemyself to take that sip of water
.
So I don't know, it's hard forme but it makes a huge
difference.
I know, you know, logically, Iknow right, you got to eat the
(16:25):
sport beans, you got to drink,or whatever.
I know, you know, logically, Iknow right, you got to eat the
sport beans, you got to drink orwhatever.
You have to drink the water.
But it's hard.
I would rather just go right bythat that aid station and deal
with it at the end, but I'm theone that wakes up in the middle
of the night with the charleyhorses on the foot cranks.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
Yeah, and you know when you think about it.
If you think about your car,you know, know you got to keep
fluid in it, right?
Right right yeah, it's the samething with us, you know but
yeah I know it's hard.
I have a couple athletes thatare I'm just now saying hey, um,
do you have water bottles?
Because you know are youdrinking on, you know, at the
mile mark just trying to getthem.
The same way, you know it'slike you got to do it.
(17:04):
You just you know you have, youhave to, or you you can finish,
but you'll finish stronger ifyou stay hydrated.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Yeah, I mean, you just don't, you don't feel
terrible, you know.
I mean there are times, evenwhen I've gone, tried to go, you
know, all out on a 5k and get,like you know, my personal best
or whatever, and I'll just be,you know, having to put my hands
on my knees at the end, and youknow, just cause I, you know,
and of course there's not an aidstation usually on a 5k, but
(17:34):
it's the hydration all the waythrough my training that I just
haven't attended to and so, um,it shows up.
You know there are things thatI could do to to be more, uh,
efficient and effective.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
For sure, yeah, because you've got to train your
gut to accept it too, you know,so you don't notice it, like
you said, feeling it sloshingaround, I mean, if you drink too
much, obviously.
But even just those sips, youknow, an ounce here and there
will help.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
It could train your stomach to feel it feel better
with it.
So what has it been like withyour family and you training and
aside from your husband, do youhave children that are
supportive or non-supportive oranything?
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Yeah, we, we don't have children.
So I think one of the it wasfun to share my experiences with
my mom.
As she aged, I would bring herthe little medal that you get,
even for the little races.
It's interesting to hear yousay training and I just kind of
think to myself.
I'm just a recreational runnerthat likes to do things, but I
(18:39):
do have that mindset of knowingwhat I want to watch, timing and
pacing and all those things.
So it would be fun.
We'd go see her where she wasliving after the race at
Thanksgiving and put the medalon her neck and she'd show all
her friends there that look whatmy daughter did.
And so it was fun.
(19:00):
And she has passed now.
But that is another time in mylife that running really helped.
I actually, when I knew whenhospice got involved, I would
run and I would say to myself inmy head there will be a day
that you will be running andyour mom will no longer be with
us.
And it was like training myselfto accept that and see that
(19:24):
with running as the staple, likerunning was the through line.
That's what was going to bethere for me as that situation
happened in my life, and so ithas helped me.
You know, carving out time, youknow, even just with the husband
and with my job, is difficult,but I also think it has had a
(19:47):
profound effect on how I cancope with things in my family
life and finding that time away,you know, when we're all
together and I can feel, youknow, overwhelmed with peopling,
it's like, oh, I'm just goingto go for a run.
And you know, sometimes eventhe people say it's like, oh,
I'm just going to go for a run.
(20:07):
And you know, sometimes eventhe people say, oh, I'll come
with you.
And it's like, sometimes I evenrun and I get out there a while
or a ways and I'm like, oh, itfeels maybe like a little bit of
a walk there.
I'll take the edge off what Iwant to do a little bit so I
could have had company.
But the point was to get in myown headspace and work through
some things and calm down.
(20:28):
So I think my family benefitsfrom that part of my running.
Speaker 1 (20:35):
Agreed Some of the shirts that you can see.
You know I run so I don't killpeople.
Yeah, it's kind of true.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
Yeah, I'm just a better.
I'm a better listener, I'm abetter partner and I'm a just a
better person when I can get outthere and get some mileage in.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
Yeah, yeah, it's so good, like as I mentioned at the
beginning, to run off thatcrazy.
We need that and everybody hasa different thing, like some
people bike, some people draw us, you know whatever.
Whatever it is for you, yougotta find that and it has to be
like just yours and it's nice,you know whatever whatever it is
for you, you got to find that.
And it has to be like just yoursand it's nice, you know, cause
I run with a group of girls onthe weekend sometimes, but
(21:14):
during the week I'm okay runningalone.
That's my time, you know, and Ineed that.
We all need to find something,whatever it is, to just kind of
decompress.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
Yeah, absolutely.
And you know, and I wentthrough this injury and they
were looking at it and talkingabout physical therapy.
First, you know, are we MRIingit and then is it physical
therapy, is it this?
And I kept saying there wassomeone on my primary care
physicians team who is a runner,that I get to see every now and
again, and so I made anappointment with her and I was
(21:47):
like, look, this is aboutrunning and right, this is also
about, you know, it's aboutphysical wellness, but it's
about my mental health, like wegot to fix whatever this is,
because I have to get back outthere Like there's so, um, it's,
it's.
It's nice that that running isthat for me and that other
(22:11):
people are feeling that as well.
You know, I had the opportunityto be a soulmate for Girls on
the Run.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
And that was a wonderful experience, a really
fun fundraising experience andsupportive experience from that
particular organization.
And so it was great, too, tosee that they talk about that
with young girls who are gettingso many messages about their
body and society and bullyingand all the things that they're
facing.
Now that you know, we laughabout like thank goodness I were
(22:41):
in cell phones when I wasgrowing up, but it's I think
it's just harder to be a youngperson these days and using
running in that way to teachyoung women or any young athlete
that it's a way you can processand a way you can feel proud of
yourself.
And again, it's about taking astarting line and crossing a
(23:03):
finish line.
When you get to a point thatyou're paying attention to time,
that's great, but it's alsogreat to just get out there and
it really will.
Running is something that, whenyou invest in it, the return on
investment, I think, for yourbody and your mind is amazing
and tenfold.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
I agree.
Yeah, I am a volunteer coachfor the girls on the run.
This will be my third or fourthseason, I think and you know,
it's not really about therunning.
They do run, but it's moreabout the lessons that they're
learning, the things that we'redoing with them to help them
cope with bullying and all that.
So, yeah, and then the onesthat come back and coach as well
(23:45):
later is it's pretty amazing, Iguess a lot of them do, which
is oh cool, yeah, so you'reright, we, you know, if you have
family members or you knowsomebody that needs an outlet,
even if it is just a walk,because they don't run the whole
time.
You know, especially in thebeginning of the season, a lot
of them aren't, you know,conditioned, but just walking
(24:06):
the fresh air, getting out thereand getting the stuff out of
their brain.
So, yeah, it it's, it's a goodorganization.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
Yeah, yeah, I was in the 5k.
It was maybe in 2023.
Is that when I was a soulmate,I think 24.
Um, but it was the, the 5k outin Verona, wisconsin, and the it
was so hot.
I remember it was, like, youknow, again one of these record
(24:32):
heat days and they werescrambling to put up another aid
station and, man, it was just ahot one and you know, we were
fine, but some of the girls were, you know, like you know,
really really needing the waterand it was just unfortunate.
But everybody got across thatline.
But, yeah, it was just one ofthose days where it's like, oh,
really, does today have to be?
(24:53):
In the 90s?
We ran for a while on blacktopand you could just feel the heat
coming off the blacktop.
Yeah, I had to change.
As soon as I got done, I'm like, oh, get this off me.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
Yeah, those are the days when I like to freeze my
water pack that goes on my backand wear it Even if I'm not
drinking out of it, at leastit's frozen.
Or I have a bandana that I'llfill with ice and let that drip
down your back, you know there'snothing bad yeah.
Just some kind of waterdripping on you, yeah, and when
I run the neighborhood I alwayslook for the water sprinklers.
(25:28):
You know I'm like who's notwatering their lawn today?
Come on.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
I know right, where can I run through?
I did ask someone once.
I'm like, can I just runthrough that really quickly?
It's like knock yourself out.
I'm like thank you.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
Yeah, I've done that too.
It's the best.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
It is.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
And it reminds you of being a kid.
Look at you a little weird, butthat's all right, I'm okay with
that, because I am a littleweird.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
So who cares?
So you do maybe have DoorCounty.
If not, you're going to hit oneof the Madison halves.
I hope to, and if 2025 is justa year of 10Ks, then so be it.
I have to be in this for thelong haul.
So if that's you, uh, myphysical therapist is a runner
as well, so she's really honestwith me about you know when to
push and when to back off alittle bit.
So, uh, we'll see, but therewill definitely be a couple once
(26:22):
, once, uh, summer gets here.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
So you're good.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
And then what's after that anything um that.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
You got your eye on that you'd like to accomplish
after that.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
No, I mean, I don't have marathon aspirations.
If I did, it would be Chicago.
But I think, you know, I lovefollowing the big marathons.
I love I put the Boston app onmy phone and watch the winners
come in and I love that.
But I think half is it for me.
I can get there, I can getacross that line and I just feel
(26:56):
proud of myself, but I thinkthat's all I have in the tank.
I don't.
I don't think I'm a marathoner,so yeah, that's okay.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Not everybody has to be just finding you know what
makes you happy.
That's, that's where it's at,right there.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
Yeah, I love.
We went down the documentaryrabbit hole um over winter break
for um, all the ultras rightand the all the documentaries
about the ultras and the Barkleyand all these things and it was
just fascinating and I wouldwatch it a hundred times and I
would crew for someone.
For sure I would love to crewfor someone.
(27:30):
I will never do anything likethat, um, but it was.
You know, it is just cool.
The places that this sport cantake you is just just phenomenal
.
Speaker 1 (27:42):
So they keep extending the distances.
It was like uh, two, 50 and nowthere's a 300, and it's like
those miles are insane 50 andnow there's a 300 and it's like
those miles are insane.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
Yeah, I'm always, at the races that I go to, really
impressed with the people, um,who push people in the
wheelchairs I don't know thatI'm strong enough to do it, um,
and I talk with them and they'realways like, well, we switch
off and it doesn't matter andyou know, just come and join um.
So maybe one day, someday, Iwould like to do some things
like that.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
Yeah, I push for Ainsley's Angels here in Madison
.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
Yeah, that's exactly the organization.
I didn't know.
I'm not affiliated with them,so I didn't know if I could
mention it, but those are thepeople that I see at the race
and they're always so friendlyand wonderful.
But I feel like you just haveto be faster than I am or have
greater strength.
I don't.
I don't know, but maybe I'llgive it a try this year.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
There's been times when we've pushed and we did two
people pushing and there werethree of us, and then one person
would move out and the otherone would move in, and we just
circled around like that,because if it's a hilly course
or if the person you're pushingis is a little bigger, then it
just takes more effort and thatway you're not getting as tired
(28:56):
as quickly yeah, it works.
They make it work and sometimesthere's like five or six people
on a team, depending on.
You know the amount ofvolunteers and then you know
you're pushing 10 minutes andeven if you're just walking it's
totally, totally fine.
So yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
Yeah, just helping them to experience that and get
across the finish line too, soWell now that we're connected,
maybe I'll have more inspirationor be a little braver, not so
shy to come out and just give ita shot.
Speaker 1 (29:22):
Yeah, they won't push you away, I promise.
Very good.
Do you have any other words ofwisdom that you'd like to share
with the audience?
Anything we didn't touch onthat you'd like people to know
about you?
Speaker 2 (29:38):
You know not.
I think we all have theopportunity to find some joy in
movement, opportunity to findsome joy in movement, and I
think we lose it as we get older, maybe thinking about how much
(29:59):
I think, about how much wedanced as little kids, right, or
just moved to music orotherwise, and so I would
encourage people to find thatjoy in movement again.
We spend a lot of our timesitting.
We have young people spend alot of their time sitting in
learning situations and soreally remembering that our
bodies were meant to move andthere is no.
(30:23):
You have a this kind of body orability, right, like, oh, you
should run Cause you have arunner's body, or you're built
like a gymnast, or you're builtlike a.
Everybody can move and anymovement should just be
celebrated and rewarded.
(30:44):
And so I think it's, it'sgetting past the.
You know, I remember that moment, standing at the top of a hill,
the sun was coming up, cause Ilike to run, I like to watch the
sun come up.
When I run, I'm a morning, I'mnot a morning person, but I can
be a morning runner.
Um, and I remember justthinking like what if I ran?
You know, like it just.
(31:05):
And so find that what if?
In your life and just meet it.
And of course you and I aretalking about running, because
that is the podcast.
But whatever your what if is,don't dismiss it.
We're so quick to dismiss ourideas before we even get to the
question mark of what if we'realready on to.
(31:25):
That will never work.
I could never do that.
That's not possible.
Don't let dreams be endangeredspecies right?
Just find that what if and gotoward it.
Just go toward it.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
Yeah, I love that.
That's great.
Don't let dreams be endangeredspecies, because, yeah, I talk
to a lot of people and a lot ofthem say, oh, I'm too old for
this, no, you're not.
Find what it is you love andmake it happen.
Your lot of people and let themsay, oh, I'm too old for this,
no, you're not, you know, findwhat it is you love and make it
happen your version of it, likeyou said there's, you know, it
could be your version of running.
I've talked to a lady and shecalled it wogging.
(32:02):
She wasn't quite jogging, shewasn't quite walking, she was
probably walking.
I know right, that's great, youdo you?
Speaker 2 (32:09):
Yeah, that's probably what I look like at the end of
my half marathon.
Sometimes I think I'm walking.
Speaker 1 (32:15):
That's all that matters.
That you finish, though it's atthe end.
That's all that matters.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
So yeah, don't count yourselfout before you even got in the
situation.
The game, the dream, don't takeyourself out of it.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:33):
Wise words.
Thank you so much.
All right, well, it was greatto have met you and I'm sure
I'll see you in the pastsometime.
Thanks for being on the show,oh my gosh, it was my pleasure.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
Thank you for all that you do for the running
community as well.
We need each other.
Speaker 1 (32:48):
Absolutely Thanks.
Bye-bye now, bye.
Community as well, we need eachother Absolutely Thanks.
Bye-bye now, bye, all right.
Well, thanks for listening tothe episode.
I hope you enjoyed it.
Please continue to follow,share and rate the program.
If you're needing that coach,reach out to me.
(33:08):
There's a button in the shownotes that you can contact me
directly.
Share it with a friend.
If you think their story needsto be on the podcast, I'd love
to hear from them.
So thanks again and have agreat day.
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