Trail Roots Member Spotlight: Haley
Haley has been running with Trail Roots for nearly a year, and has had some significant improvements! We took a few minutes to check in with her on her recent training block for Twin Cities. Training through the Texas summer is no joke, and she ran through it all. Haley tells us some of her hardest and most rewarding points of her marathon training below:
- WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO TRAIN FOR TWIN CITIES MARATHON?
I WAS LOOKING TO RUN MY FIRST MARATHON BEFORE MY BIRTHDAY LATER IN OCTOBER, SO CAMERON AND I STARTED OUT WITH A GIANT LIST OF LATE SEPTEMBER/EARLY OCTOBER RACES. TWIN CITIES HAD EVERYTHING WE WERE LOOKING FOR: BIG BUT NOT TOO BIG, GREAT COURSE, AND LIMITED EXPECTED TRAVEL COSTS. IT WAS A PRETTY METHODICAL, LOGICAL SELECTION PROCESS, HAHA.
- WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY DURING TRAINING? WORST MEMORY?
THE LOW POINT OF MY TRAINING WAS PROBABLY MY FIRST 15-MILE RUN. THAT WAS THE LAST TIME CAMERON AND I TRIED TO DO A LONG RUN TOGETHER, HAHA. I HAD A BIG COMPLEX ABOUT SLOWING HIM DOWN, AND I DIDN'T TAKE ENOUGH NUTRITION WITH ME, SO MY BLOOD SUGAR GOT PRETTY LOW. WE ENDED UP STOPPING IN HEB ONCE FOR A BATHROOM BREAK AND STARBUCKS TWICE FOR SNACKS. IT WASN'T MY PROUDEST DAY.
MY FAVORITE TRAINING MEMORY IS A HARDER ONE, I MOSTLY HAD A NICE TIME WHILE TRAINING. I REALLY LIKED THE PEOPLE I HUNG OUT WITH DURING MY LONG RUNS. I RAN A LOT WITH JULIA, WHICH WAS REALLY FUN, AND I DID A FEW LONG RUNS WITH ADRIANA WHICH WAS GREAT BECAUSE SHE REALLY PUSHED ME. THEY'RE BOTH REALLY STRONG RUNNERS WHO KNOW A LOT MORE THAN I DO, SO THAT WAS SUPER HELPFUL.
- WHAT WAS THE BEST PART OF THE RACE? HARDEST?
GOOD QUESTION. THE HARDEST PART OF THE RACE WAS DEFINITELY JUST PUSHING THROUGH. MY IT BAND STARTED HURTING AT MILE 15, SO I RAN ABOUT TWO HOURS ON AN UNCOOPERATIVE KNEE.
THE BEST PART OF THE RACE WAS THE CITY AND CROWD SUPPORT. YOU RUN FROM MINNEAPOLIS, AROUND FOUR LAKES, ACROSS A BRIDGE OVER THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, AND THEN TO THE CAPITOL BUILDING IN ST. PAUL, AND THERE ARE PEOPLE LINING THE COURSE LITERALLY THE WHOLE WAY THERE. THE CATHEDRALS RING THEIR BELLS AS RUNNERS PASS, WHICH REALLY JUST MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE THE WHOLE CITY IS WITH YOU.
- IF YOU WERE GOING TO GIVE ONE PIECE OF ADVICE FOR ANYONE WHO WANTED TO TRAIN FOR THIS RACE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? OR WHAT IS THE BIGGEST LESSON YOU LEARNED FROM TRAINING FROM THIS RACE?
UM, LET'S SEE. SO THERE'S A HILL FROM MILES 20-23, IT HAS ABOUT 200 FEET OF GAIN, BUT WHEN I STARTED TRAINING I HAD IT IN MY HEAD THAT IT WAS MORE LIKE 400 FEET, SO I TOOK IT PRETTY SERIOUSLY IN TRAINING AND I TRIED TO BE SERIOUS ABOUT WORKING HILLS IN, AND I DIDN'T EVEN REALLY NOTICE IT IN THE MOMENT.
- WHAT WAS YOUR POST RACE MEAL?
TWO BEERS. THEN A TON OF LIFE SAVERS GUMMIES. THEN THREE MORE BEERS AND THE LARGEST FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH EVER MADE.
- NOW, WHAT'S NEXT?
IT TOOK 23 HOURS FOR ME TO ACCIDENTALLY SAY "MY NEXT MARATHON" OUT LOUD. I WANT TO PR MY HALF AT 3M FIRST AND THEN RUN MY NEXT MARATHON IN THE SPRING. ANYTHING TO KEEP FROM HAVING TO TRAIN THROUGH NEXT SUMMER, HAHA.
- WHY DID YOU START RUNNING?
I WRITE SOFTWARE, SO I SIT ALL DAY, AND I GOT TIRED OF HEARING PEOPLE CALL SITTING "THE NEW SMOKING." I STILL SIT ALL DAY BUT AT LEAST I FEEL A LITTLE LESS GUILTY ABOUT IT.
- WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE THINGS TO DO OUTSIDE OF RUNNING?
I'M ALWAYS LOOKING FOR A GREAT BEER, A GREAT CUP OF COFFEE, OR THE PERFECT PASTRY/DOUGHNUT. THAT SOUNDS LIKE AN EXAGGERATION, BUT I THINK I HAD NINE DOUGHNUTS IN MINNEAPOLIS AND SAINT PAUL OVER THE FOUR DAYS WE WERE THERE. I ALSO REALLY LOVE GROCERY SHOPPING. LIKE IF I COULD SPEND ALL DAY BROWSING A NICE GROCERY STORE, I'D DO IT. I'M ALSO REALLY INTO FLOWERS. I DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MAKING FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS BUT I LOVE GOING OUT, BUYING FOUR OR FIVE KINDS OF FLOWERS, AND SEEING WHAT I CAN DO!
- I SEE YOU ARE ALSO AN OISELLE TEAM MEMBER, WHY OISELLE?
I LIKE THE OISELLE RUNNING CLUB BECAUSE IT'S ONE OF THE ONLY BRANDS THAT'S MADE AN IMPRESSION ON ME FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO WOMEN IN SPORTS, AMATEUR ALL THE WAY TO PROFESSIONAL. PART OF THE COST OF THE CLUB MEMBERSHIP GOES TO SUPPORTING THEIR ATHLETES AND THEIR CHARITY EFFORTS TO KEEP YOUNGER GIRLS IN SPORTS, WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME. I'M NOT SUPER INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY THEY'RE BUILDING, BUT I CARE A LOT ABOUT WOMEN SUPPORTING WOMEN.
SPEED ROUND: CHOOSE ONE:
- PIZZA OR TACOS?
YES.
- BEER OR WINE?
BEER.
- SPEED WORK OR LONG RUN?
SPEED WORK. I'M NOT AS FAST AS I'D LIKE TO BE BUT I'M SUPER COMPETITIVE, AND THERE ARE SO MANY FAST PEOPLE AT OUR SPEED WORKOUTS, SO IT'S ALWAYS ASPIRATIONAL.
- COLD WEATHER OR HOT WEATHER?
HOT WEATHER FOR REAL LIFE, COLD WEATHER FOR RUNNING.