Run Club, Rankings, and Marathon Goals

It's been a while since I've posted a general update on my running. 2025 has been off to a strong start and I'm in an excellent spot with my training.

Run Club
I joined a running club/team: Light Horse Track Club! They are based in Northern Virginia and have just over 100 runners. The club is growing rapidly and I love the vibe: serious but also fun and chill! I haven't been part of a club since 2014. I do love running in a team environment and I think this group is a great fit for me. I already knew a bunch of the members, so it seemed like a natural fit. 

Alisa Harvey and me

The club hosted a fundraising gala in January and they asked me to speak in a panel discussion about women's running. It was an amazing opportunity. I shared the stage with Alisa Harvey, who is a local legend and Olympic trials runner. The discussion was moderated by Natalie Patterson and focused on various topics related to women's running. Alisa focused primarily on the physical aspects of her training while I focused primarily on the mental aspects.

I love getting dressed up and socializing and the gala was the perfect opportunity to do that. I bought a new pair of dress shoes for the occasion, which was a stark contrast to the workout shoes I live in daily! I had the opportunity to meet other club members and to chat with the ones I already knew. Best of all, it started at 4:30 and ended at 7:30. A runner's dream! We love our early bedtimes.

The club meets every weekend for long runs on the W&OD trail and has organized track workouts during the week. They also host track meets. 

Regional Runner Rankings
In my last post, I mentioned that I was ranked #1 in the 45-49 age group in the Regional Runner Rankings for the DC/MD/VA area. I definitely did not expect to come in first, but my 1:29:50 half marathon was quite fast for my age group!

This got me thinking about how I have managed to get faster over the past two years. I think it comes down to a combination of four things.

1. Self coaching. I know my body better than any outside coach and I have been running long enough to know what works and what doesn't work for me. I push myself on days where I think I can give more and I hold back on days when my body doesn't want to cooperate. Self coaching only works if you are really in tune with your individualized needs and you know when to push harder and when to pull back.

2. Ankle mobility. I struggled with ankle mobility for years and years. I did not have good range of motion in my ankles due to chronic Achilles tendonitis. I adapted by running at a very high cadence - 190 to 195 steps per minute during easy runs and 200+ during harder efforts. In the summer of 2023, I started putting heel lifts into my shoes so that the heel-to-toe drop would be greater and ease the strain on my Achilles. Within 8 weeks my Achilles tendons were virtually pain-free. It was amazing! My stride opened up. This is quite visible if you look at my Instagram videos from 2022 vs 2024. With a longer stride, I was able to run faster. 

3. Proactive physical therapy. Whenever something is nagging at me, I go to my physical therapist and we address it before it becomes an injury. I haven't had any major injuries since 2022, when I hurt my SI joint from doing a deadlift. Being injury-free and consistently training has helped immensely. 

4. Thyroid treatment. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in 2019 but I didn't want to take medication for it. I didn't think it was holding me back. In 2023, my thyroid labs came back with higher TSH levels, so I decided to try the medication. After a year of adjusting the dose with my doctor, my thyroid levels finally reached normal last spring. Last summer was the first summer that the heat didn't destroy me. Even though hypothyroidism is associated with being cold, it can also make you heat sensitive because your body's thermostat isn't working properly. 

Combine all four elements and that's why I have gotten faster after the age of 45!

Marathon Goals
I am running the Newport News One City Marathon in less than two weeks. I decided I would build on my previous training cycle by adding more speed work and sharpening my legs. My goal is to set a PR of sub 3:15. If I have a great day and everything aligns I think I can be pretty close to 3:10. 

I will also be running Boston, but that will be a "fun run" because I don't think you can have two "A" races so close together. 

So, that's my update!