Woman Up 2016

This past fall, the coach at Hilliard Davidson High School, Nate King, asked if I would come talk to his team.  I excitedly said "yes"!  I love chatting with young women in the sport, and seeing the fire in their eyes when you talk about something that really makes them tick.  I was a bit nervous, and wanted to say the "right things" and "be inspirational" blah, blah, blah.   They seemed to like me a a week later when I came back to run with them, so I went to as many meets and practices I could, and loved watching them thrive.  One afternoon at practice, Coach King handed out packets of information for the week ahead, during a meeting. And SLAP right across my face was something I had needed to hear for a long time. 

I stood there listening as he told the girls to think like "beginners", not to allow the limitations that come with "being an expert" to slow them down.  Holy crap?! I am guilty!  I wanted to shout. But that would be inappropriate, so I stood there listening as he reminded them to dream big and set goals, both realistic and chase worthy.  Not to settle and let the past define who they could become over the course of the season.  
I recalled the incredible possibilities I saw in running.  I remembered the first real feeling of being a bad ass. The first time I let myself chase down a dream. It was the final curve of the conference championship 800m my freshman year. I was in 3rd place when a girl from West Branch came up on my shoulder, I said to myself "I won't let her win". I moved wide and ran as hard as I could for 150 meters.  I passed the two other girls in front of us, pushing with all I had not to let the girl on my shoulder out run me. I won that night. I beat a handful of girls I didn't think I could.  I decided in that moment I was better than I believed I was, and I was going to let myself dream and chase. I may have been a bit over confident. But it allowed me to dream big. I wasn't a stellar High School athlete. My PR's were 20:01 in XC, 59.9- 400m, 2:16- 800m, 5:20- 1600, and 11:28- 3200m. 

Go Dukes! 

It was enough to get me a scholarship at the University of Akron. Unfortunately I had some tough breaks. I was injured, overweight, and not very fast for a large part of my time in college. Even when I did run "well" in college, times of 4:34, 4:58, 10:51, and 18:00.03 (yes that's right who can't find .03 seconds) for the 1500, mile, steeple, and 5k respectively,  were hardly a reason to keep running and postpone a "real" job. There was something in me that just knew I had much much better days ahead. I believed with every fiber of my being I could be a great runner. I refused to give up on that dream, much to the chagrin of my close family and friends who believed I should probably get a "real job"--no thanks! 

Go Zips!

The crazy belief I had in my dreams lead me to qualify to 3 Olympic Trials, finish in the top 15 in a number of USA Championship races, and run PR's I guarantee my High School and College coaches never would have bet on.  But after nearly 20 years of competitive running, and coaching I had started "thinking like an expert", and not in a good way.  I had taken something very important out of the equation.  I began thinking X in practice = Y in race. That was what I ran by. I still loved running and believed I could get faster. But I was missing a huge part of what made me the runner I am today, and will make me a better runner in the future. The part where I DREAM BIG, and TAKE CHANCES!  So one of my goals in 2016 is to change the equation.

 X in practice = Y+possibility in race. 

Thank you Hilliard Davidson XC for reminding me what dreaming big looked like again. Getting to be a part of your XC season was so much fun, and very exciting, you ladies showed me how to "think like a beginner"(in a good way) and believe in the possibly of my dreams, to take the chances that will give me a better opportunity to succeed. I am excited to chase big goals and watch you chase yours in 2016! #womanup2016

Cheers to dreaming big like this girl did! And once again Go DUKES!!

Getting To Know CED Jess Style

Meet Jess Odorcic

Jess and her son Max

At the urging of her step dad, Jess started running in 1996.  While most of us joined our high school Cross Country and Track teams, Jess signed up for local races. After racing a 5 miler, Jessica was approached by a peer who asked her to consider running for the Cross Country team that fall.  After talking with the coach Jess joined the team at Riverside High School in Painesville OH. She found success and continued running in College where she competed at Ohio University and Wright State University.  While at Wright State, Jess would become the 2000 MCC XC Conference Champion, and still holds the school record in Cross Country for both the 5k, and 6k distances.  She would become a 2 time 5k MCC Conference Champion, and is still the school record holder in the 5k indoors, as well as the 1500, 3000, and 5000m outdoors. Jess continued racing locally after college, and joined CED in 2012.  

At the 2013 Akron Half Marathon she ran 1:14:22 to qualify to the Olympic Trials Marathon.  I remember her crying after the race.  I thought they were tears of joy.  Jess has a somewhat hard exterior, she has a pretty smile that hides how tough she really is as a person, mom, and athlete.   Behind those eyes was a sadness I couldn't have begun to understand.  Two days prior to this race, Jess was being urged by her husband, Tommy, to race despite having received the news that the cancer they thought was in remission was back, and had metastasized to many other places. On June 28, 2014 Tommy passed away.  Jess has continued to train, and race at a very high level despite overwhelming sadness, and having to take on a new life as a single mom.

I caught up with Jess to ask a little about her story, as well as why she choses Cleveland Elite Development. 

Lets start with the easy questions. 

Q. Jess, what brought you to join CED?

A.  "I joined CED in February of 2012.  I had decided to train for my first marathon and needed some direction but I wasn't sure where to look.  I happened to be on Facebook one day and I saw Laura Pizmoht had posted about CED so I called her and asked what it was all about.  She gave me Glenn's information and I asked him if he would consider coaching me to run a marathon and he agreed."

Q. How has being a member of CED is beneficial in attaining your goals? 

A.  "I enjoy having a team and a coach because it adds structure to my weekly running schedule.  I feel like I am held accountable and I don't want to let my team down by not completing my runs."

Q. What are those goals?  Short term and long. 

A.  "Right now my goal is to make it to the Trials without any injuries and so far, so good!  My secondary goal is to run my fastest marathon at the Trials.  Considering I have only run one other marathon and that was a 2:51, I think I have a good shot at meeting that goal :-)  After the marathon we will see what happens but I would like to focus on shorter races like 5k and 10k."

Q. What types of workouts are your favorite and why? 

A.   "I love doing 400 repeats on the track and I also don't mind doing mile repeats.  For some reason both those workouts really sit well with me mentally."

Q. What types of workouts are the hardest to you, and why do you still suffer through them?

A.  The toughest workouts for me are tempo runs that are over 5 miles.  I'm getting better (partly because I now have someone who bikes with me) but something about a long tempo makes me nervous.

Q.What is your favorite running quote?

9.  "It's supposed to be hard...the hard is what makes it great!"

Q.I  f you could go back and meet yourself your sophomore year in HS (or your 3rd year running if you didn't run back then) what wisdom would you impart on yourself as an athlete?

10.  "Stretch more and strength train because you need injury prevention!  I was, and still am, injured a lot!"

Have no fear, Elliptigo is here to help Jess stay healthy!

Q. What is your favorite race?  Why?  What mental tips can you offer for racing this distance well?  Any specific training workouts or block of workouts that you think make you well prepared to tackle this distance fast?

A.  "My favorite race distance is the 5k.  For me it has become like a sprint.  I just go as hard as I can and know it will be over very soon!  The last time I raced a 5k was in September and I just remember thinking that I wanted to break 17 minutes and to do that I would just go out as hard as I could and hold on because what's the worst that could happen?  It's only 3 miles!"

Q.What do you think about when you run?  

A.  "My thoughts when I run vary.  If it is a long slow run where I don't have to pay attention to pace, I normally plan out my day.  Make a mental shopping list or think about what Max and I can do today.  If it's a track workout or tempo, I just focus on getting through the workout and make sure I am hitting my paces."

Ok, now for the tough stuff.  Thank you for your willingness to share a bit about your journey.

Q. You have shown amazing strength and courage to continue training and racing at a very high level after the loss of Tommy in 2014. Can you tell us how you do it?

A. "Basically, everyday is rough for me.  I think that people see a happy, smiling person and assume that I am okay but honestly I think about Tommy all day.  It's hard not too.  I have a hard exterior and don't like to show emotion, so when Tommy passed away I tried to go back to my routine as quickly as possible, which meant that I was back to running and competing almost immediately.  Running was and still is my therapy.  It relieves stress and helps me to focus on what is important in life.  Max is my whole life so I figure that if he doesn't see me upset and crying, he won't be upset.  I know that I need to be a good role model for him and that he needs stability in his life so I am doing my best to make sure he has that.

 After losing Tommy to cancer, I gained a new perspective on life.  Watching my husband deteriorate they way he did was awful and I would never want anyone to have to witness what I did.  I saw how fragile life really is and that you can go from being 100% fit and healthy, to a shell of your former self in such a short time.  So I decided that I need to live my life to the fullest.  Of course I thought about giving up my running career all together and just focusing on making sure Max grows up a happy little boy, but I knew deep down that Tommy would want me to continue running and would probably be mad if I gave it up.  And also, that I would be setting a good example for Max through running and staying physically fit.  Max is my driving force.  I want him to grow up knowing that you have to be determined and dedicated to get what you want in life.  That's what Tommy would have wanted and that's how Tommy lived his life.  Tommy was intelligent, strong, very stubborn, and got what he wanted in life because he worked hard for it.  He never took "no" for an answer and I can already see a lot of Tommy's personality (as well as mine) in Max.  Some days I feel like Max is a "mini me" of Tommy.

That being said, my approach to running has changed.  I now know that there is more to my life than training and racing constantly.  Running is still very important to me but I used to be so focused on being the best that I never stopped to smell the roses.  This past year I ran races that were enjoyable for me.  Sure, I didn't win most of them but I competed at a very high level and got to experience new things in the running world."

Q. You are a single mom now.  How has that changed the ability to get in training?

A.  "Being a mother to Max and making sure he grows up to be a respectful man is my main focus.  He is my whole life and I wouldn't have many reasons to smile if I didn't have him.  I am fortunate to have a wonderful support system around me who help on a daily basis to take care of Max while I'm running or pick him up from school, etc.  He goes to preschool 3 days a week now, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  So on those days, after I drop him off in the morning I have about 2 hours to rush home and get my run done before I have to go back and pick him up.  My Mom also helps by picking him up from school sometimes so that I don't feel rushed to get my run in or especially when I have a strength training session planned with takes about an hour or more.  When Max doesn't have school my stepdad, John, will take care of him while I run.  It works out really well because my parents live less than 2 miles away from me.  John is great with Max.  He is an outdoors kind of guy so he takes Max for walks, hikes in the woods, and does "boy stuff" with him.  Which is something that Max needs, and I can't always do for him."

Q. Is there any advice you would give to people in a similar situation?

A. "My advice is to do what makes you happy.  I wasn't sure if running was still going to make me happy after Tommy passed away.  I thought it might have been too emotional for me.  In fact, I ran a 5k race less than 2 months after his death and I remember being at the starting line thinking "what am I doing here...shouldn't I be curled up in a ball somewhere crying my eyes out?"  But then I saw my Mom and Max and I knew that everything would be okay and that this is what I needed as well as what Max needed.  He needed to see me happy because if I wasn't happy, then he wouldn't be either.  Of course,there were plenty of runs where I would cry but running is also my therapy.  When I went to see a grief counselor after Tommy passed away, she told me that running was my happy place and that I should continue.  Part of me feels selfish sometimes because of how intense and demanding our training is and I do think about taking a break.  Again, I go back to doing what makes me happy and stopping every now and then to assess if what I'm doing right now is making me happy."

Jess is the quite, get shit done, gal on the team.  I have never heard her complain, and she always brings her A game to every workout, and race. Her strength is inspiring.   

Nicole Camp, Jess, and I after Johnny Cake in 2013

That introduces you all to the 5 members of CED who have the Olympic Trails qualifying standard!  Follow my blog for updates as the race gets close, and if you have any questions for CED'ers send them my way!

Follow Jess on Social Media

Facebook-Jessica Kuhr Odorcic

Jacksonville Half Marathon

Jacksonville Florida has a half and full marathon every year, either in late December or early January.  This year on January 3rd runners would take over highway 13 and chase down times they had dreamed of, share miles with friends, overcome things they didn't know they were strong enough to, and finish in spite of pouring rain, and chilly temperatures.  This year did have something different to add to the excitement however.   Richard Clark Fannin, the elite coordinator of the USA 15k Championships, held at the Gate River Run in March did something remarkable.  In October he realized there were a lot of men and women on the cusp of attaining the 2016 Olympic Trials Standard, and he wanted to give them a pancake flat course, fast ladies and gents to help pull the pace, and a chance. Nearly 100 elite/sub elites answered the bell, and flocked to Jacksonville 6 weeks prior to the Olympic Trials Marathon to take a shot at meeting the standard of 1:15 or faster for women, and 1:05 or faster for men. Many of the athletes already had the standard, but saw this as an opportunity to help others, run fast, and be a part of something bigger than ourselves.  

I originally signed up to be one of the athletes chasing down the sub 1:15 standard, and three Cleveland Elite Development ladies were coming to help me the best that they could.  With the new amendment to the standard (see details here) I obtained the qualifier, and wanted to do something to help others this weekend in Jacksonville.   

It felt strange to not have the nerves of needing to hit the qualifier looming over me.  My only real nerves of the weekend came from the lack of nerves I was feeling! haha!  The other 3 Cleveland Elite Development ladies, Beth, Ellie, Jess, and I shared a room, and talked about hoping to be able to help someone out there and end up running a fast time because of it. I wasn't sure what that would look like, and knew I would have to play it by ear, and see what I could do.  I was excited to spend some time with Heidi Greenwood, and Nicole Camp as well.  It was nice to catch up with so many friends that live too far to train with these days. 

Race morning came, and the bus was late. We did a quick warm up, changed our shoes, and jogged to the start line.  It was still dark as the gun went off on this drizzly, chilly 7:00am morning.   

Everything was pretty compact for a minute or two.  I found Jess, and then the lead pack.  After about 600 meters, Jess and I caught up with them and tucked in.  We were slow through the first mile in 5:52, and the pack made a big move.  I knew I couldn't respond, and handle that pace so Jess and I fell back a bit, 5:39 saw us through the second mile, and I knew I was in over my head.  I backed off a bit letting go of the dream of running with the lead pack and cheering ladies along as they punched their ticket the the trials.   Instead I would be encouraging if anyone came back, remind them to give their best, and stay tough. 

Beth and I around 5k

Beth caught up to me during the 3rd mile, and we laughed at my thought that 5:40 was in my wheelhouse right now.  18:04 through 5k was solid, but I was not feeling very good. 

I had to make a decision here.  I told myself I would be tough, and run with passion knowing how lucky I am to be in the position I was in. The next 3 miles flew by and I hardly remember them, 5:49, 5:47, 5:49.  I caught up to Rosie Edwards about 10k in and smiled at the clock when it read 36:1x knowing that was my fastest 10k since having the kids. Then something very strange happened.  Usually in a race there is a point where I have to fight off a total crisis of confidence, and today it was the opposite. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt I could run 5:45-5:55 for the upcoming miles. I just knew I would do it. I was having a blast. 

Catching up to Caroline White and trying to pull her along. 

Mile 7 was 5:57, and I Rosie and I both sped up, we caught up to another Ohio lady, Molly Watcke, and encouraged her to come with us.  The next few miles passed so quickly again 5:51, 5:52, 5:52, 5:54.

I told myself it was 12 minutes of hard work to the finish line.  My stomach started to hurt, and I panicked for a split second.  I realized it was not my stomach threatening to ruin things, but that I was shivering so much my back was aching! This rain was chilly. Just 12 minutes I reminded myself. 6:00 for the 12th mile was the slowest on the day, and it was time to push to the finish. 

As we turned onto grass I saw Nate Jenkins cheering, and shivering under a mylar blanket and asked how Melissa (his wife) had run. Unfortunately he informed me it was not her day.  

Asking questions mid race lead to this series of awkward race photos. HAHA!

Moments later I would click 5:48 on my watch of the 13th mile and kick as hard as I could to the finish line. 1:16:46. My second fastest half marathon, and the fastest since 2009.  

1:16:46!

I smiled and quickly asked how the ladies in front of me did. 14 women had punched their ticket to Los Angeles that morning! 14!  I was so excited for those ladies.  My fellow CED'ers raced well too, Beth ran a PR of 1:15:22, Jess ran a solid 1:16:10, and Ellie a new PR of 1:17:28, of which she had dreamed of the exact time the night prior!! I learned that Erin Osment, a fellow Oiselle lady had run 1:14:18, and at 22 years old she too would be in LA!  What an incredible weekend.  Thank you Richard for giving us all a unique opportunity to come together as athletes to help and support one another in such an inspiring way! In 20 years of competitive running I have not seen anything like this. I feel very luck to have been a part of the weekend that was the 2016 Olympic Marathon Trials Project.

I am feeling a lot more confident after this race. Feeling rough at the beginning, and getting into a good groove, and letting the fitness come through. I can not wait to get to Los Angeles, where I have big goals!  I am not sure on a time or place goal just yet.  I know I want to be under 2:43, but I believe I can run well under that. I want to run the best race I have in me on that day!  

Lesson Learned...Never Give Up!

On October 18th I stood on the starting line of the Columbus Marathon, my legs and mind strong and ready to compete.  I knew today would be my day. My teammate Kelsi agreed as she text on her drive down, to tell Ellie and I she had saw a shooting star, and knew it was going to be an amazing day. As we lined up with a few last moments of nervousness the song "Thunderstruck" played, and Nicole Camp excitedly ran up to me and confirmed it was going to be my day.  She reminded me of my senior year at the University of Akron at the MAC meet when Toledo (the team Nicole ran for) pulled up blazing this song.  They were feeling what would prove to be over confident their ability to win the meet.  Only to be handed their asses by us in a score of 41 to 64. I smiled and reminded myself to be smart. That day, things took a turn for the worse around 19 miles, and I made a decision to have no regrets, and I pressed as hard as I could, running 2:44:44.  I had up 1:44 seconds short of the Olympic Trials standard. See my Columbus Marathon recap here.  I could have just as easily relented in the final miles and run 30 seconds slower. I had no idea just how valuable being relentless would turn out to be.

Pushing for the finish line at Columbus

My heart felt broken, and despite my current lack of an OTQ I couldn't shake the feeling that I would be on the starting line in February.

On December 6th I held my breath, and hoped with all my heart that Sarah Robinson (an incredible woman who works for Oiselle, and has always been a huge supporter of mine) would snag the OTQ.  I received a text telling me she had made it running 2:42:36.  My eyes welled with tears of joy for her.  My tears would later turn to ones of envy.  In those moments I knew I had to take another shot at the trials standard.  I bought my plane ticket to Jacksonville the following day, and confirmed I would be racing on January 3rd.  I started mentally preparing to run 5:42 pace for the half marathon, until I could physically no longer run it, or until I crossed the finish line in Jacksonville.  Make it or die trying would be the moto I would remind myself of day in day out.  I couldn't handle wondering what if any longer. The battle lines were drawn.

2008 Austin Marathon my first marathon, and OTQ 

December 10th we took a trip to Westernport Maryland to visit my family.  We were staying with my grandma, and cell service was spotty at best.  I received some texts saying that IAAF had changed their Olympic qualifying standard to 2:45 and there was rumor that USATF may follow suit. I held back from letting myself get my hopes up. Later that evening I would whisper to Ryan the rumor, and I said "you know what that would mean?" he tentatively confirmed he understood.  He also didn't want me to get my hopes up, for fear of watching me struggle more wishing I had the Trials standard.

Nolan loved playing on the rocks.

Corra cuddling with Mamaw

Friday the 11th I went out and did a 10 mile tempo run, when I returned, I was talking to my grandma. I saw my phone light up out of the corner of my eye, and went to pick it up. As I looked at my phone, a familiar wave of emotion washed over me. One from the past. The same paralyzing feeling I had when I would watch my little brother, Seth, race. People around would often offer me help.  I knew I would be fine as soon as he finished. The color would come back to my face, and my legs would regain strength.  For whatever reason my heart held his goals very close. Seth hasn't run competitively since he graduated High School, and he is now getting ready to start on his Doctorate degree next year.  I assumed the next time I would feel this way would be when my kids are chasing down their goals.  When I will be the terribly embarrassing mother they wish I wasn't.  Yet here I was, standing in my grandmas kitchen, the walls closing in, my chest heaving, my knees weakening to the point I feared I would fall.  I was standing trackside cheering for my brother, all over again.  I couldn't hold back the sobs.  USATF had adopted the new standard, and through the pixilated backlight of an iPhone I had just become a three time Olympic Trials qualifier.  My grandma looked terrified, as I struggled to speak. I repeated "it's good, it's good".  When I finally could, I explained myself, and grandma hugged me and said she was proud. I called Nicole still tentative to believe what I was reading, and unable to look anything up online.  She confirmed that all of her calls were in fact to congratulate me! I felt altogether full of disbelief. The luckiest girl in the world had struck gold again. My heart hurt for all of the women just on the other side of 2:45, and my face beamed with excitement that I would be lining up next to 4 other CED members (Beth, Jess, Kelsi, and Ellie), as well as former Clevlanders Nicole, Kaitlin, Heidi, and my mom crush, Sarah in Los Angeles.  My dreams were back on track. I wrote in my Grandma's Marathon Race Recap that I wanted a fairytale ending to my last year and a half.  Well I guess fairytales all have struggle, a battle or two, and a plot twist. Turns out mine is was no different.

How my heart felt in my Grandma's kitchen

While I am still reeling with excitement and disbelief, it is time to lace up and train for a marathon (can you even believe this?)!  I have a lot of work to do, but to answer one of the questions a number of people have asked, I am not too far out of things.  I have been running 60-70 miles a week, with 2 workouts, and a long run around 15-16 miles.  So I have a solid base. I am excited to embrace the pain, and fatigue en route to the start line I have dreamed about for nearly 4 years.  I can not wait to enjoy every step in L.A.  When it gets tough out there I will remember what an amazing decision it was to push hard at Columbus, despite knowing things weren't going to plan.  Lesson learned, NEVER GIVE UP!  I am beyond excited for this opportunity!

The start of the 2008 Olympic Trials. I am bib #61

Getting To Know CED Ellison Style

Meet Ellison

Ellie, Ron, and their family

Here is the 3rd edition of my blog "Getting To Know CED". For those of you who have not read the "Beth" and "Kelsi" editions, here is a quick refresher. CED stands for Cleveland Elite Development. It is a team coached by Glenn Andrews and run by a lot of hard work, big goals, and ladies (mostly) with full time jobs, full time medical school, and a combined total of 7 kids under the age of 9! This week I chatted with Ellie Hess (aka Ellison) about how it all started, and where she hopes to go.

Ellison started "jogging" during her junior year of High School in Mayfield Ohio. She claimed to be running to get in great shape for volleyball, basketball, and softball, while it may have been more to escape some turmoil at home. In her oversized cotton t-shirts (because they were cool back then), basketball shorts in tube socks she would struggle to run sub 8 minutes for a mile to be on the volleyball team. Running was such a passion of her and her teammates that she recalls them building a bridge over a stream to shorten their 2 mile loop their coach made them run. Haha. Ellie is married to her high school sweetheart, Ron and they have 4 kids between the ages of 2 and 8 years old. She is always on the go, and I am always impressed by her seemingly endless energy, and competitive drive. Ellie was a math teacher prior to having kids, and now as a full time mommy Ellie says her family loves to hike, ride bikes, go to the park, and swim. All things I am sure Ellison can turn into a fun, and cut throat competition at any moment!  Ellison found her real passion for running after joining the track team at at John Carroll University her sophomore year, where she became "the most decorated athlete in women's track and field history". Ellie would become a 2 time XC All-American in Cross Country finishing as high as 12th her senior year, and 4 time All-American in Track (in individual events) where she would finish 3rd, 5th and 2nd her sophomore, Junior, and Senior years respectively in the 3k steeple, and 3rd in the 5k. After a long hiatus from training to start her and Ron's family Ellie decided to come back to run competitively. She joined CED.  

Ellison's PR's
3k steeple- 10:23
5k-16:59
8k- 27:45
10k- 35:11
1/2 Marathon- 1:17:50
Marathon- 2:42:48

Ellie ran her first marathon this fall in Columbus, she ran a fast enough debut to qualify to the 2016 Olympic Trials. I caught up with her and here is what she had to say.

Ellie competing in the Steeple while at John Carroll

Q. What brought you to join CED? 
A. "After my youngest turned 1, I felt like I was getting in pretty good shape.  Before considering having another baby, I wanted to race (not just run) the Akron Half marathon.  I was hoping to join the team for workouts, but, with 4 small kids and a busy husband, I wasn’t sure I could commit to really being a member of the team. I told my husband that I would join for the 8(?)weeks leading up to the half marathon, then we could consider another baby. A year and half and plenty more races (no baby) later, I’m still here…clearly I love being a part of this team!!"

Q. How do you think being a member of CED is beneficial in helping you to 

meet your goals? 

A. "I thrive on the group dynamic.  I love people and being a part of a team. I truly never thought I’d get this opportunity again after college. I am so inspired by my teammates and seeing their successes makes me hungry for more. It also helps that the members of CED are not only awesome runners, but awesome people too!"

Q. What are those goals?  

A. "Currently, I’m trying to get ready for the Olympic Trials.  I’d love to run a PR!  Long term, I just hope to stay healthy and keep training and setting PRs while I’m young enough to do so."

Q. What types of workouts are your favorite and why? 

A. "Hmmmm, above all I don’t like to work out alone. I think I prefer track workouts over tempos. I like the control and predictability of the track. When I run a tempo I’m so worried about my pace and if the GPS is wrong or if I will lose too much time up a hill. I feel much more relaxed on the track."

Q. What types of workouts are the hardest to you, and why do you still suffer through them? 

A. "I don’t love long tempos with no pace changes or breaks.  I’m not good at zoning out, I get bored and distracted! Also, I struggle to run more than 10 miles without company these days!"

Q. If you could go back and meet yourself your sophomore year in college what wisdom would you impart on yourself as an athlete? 

A. "Your body can do more than your mind thinks it can – don’t be a wuss!"

Q. What is your favorite race?  Why?  What mental tips can you offer for racing this distance well?  Any specific training workouts or block of workouts that you think make you well prepared to tackle this distance fast? 

A. "I LOVED the steeple chase in college! I’m not sure any race now can compare to the fun I had racing the steeple chase. I loved the thrill of the water jump, the hurdles and surging in between.  Oh man, I am not qualified to give any running advice.  I like to be told what to do! The best advice I can offer is 'find a good coach'"

Q. What do you think about when you run?  

A. "I am a very transparent person, so sometimes I talk without thinking first.  When I run, I analyze past conversations and realize that my word choices may not have matched what I was intending to say.  So I spend a lot of time wondering if I’ve offended people over the past 24 hours and whether I should apologize!  When I run in the morning I think about what I need to accomplish that day – try to keep my kids calendars straight and stuff like that. I get a big time runner’s high, so I usually end my run on very happy things…thinking about how much I love the people in my life and how lucky I am."

Q. Can you tell us a little bit about the Columbus Marathon, and what it felt like to cross the line in Columbus knowing you had qualified to the Olympic Trials?

A. "The Columbus Marathon was a crazy, amazing, terrifying, painful, and

stressful experience!  It was my first marathon, so I didn’t quite understand what I was in for, but I had a LOT of respect for what goes into a 26.2 mile race.  Truly, advice from my teammates was almost as important as my training leading up to it.  Nutritional preparation, pacing strategy, and general counseling on how my mental and physical state would fluctuate was so helpful.

To describe how it felt to cross the finish, I really should start with how I was feeling after the first half of the race. We had a fantastic group through about mile 16.  I really thought, at the half way point, that the OTQ was in the bag.  Then our group dissolved and mile 18 hit me like a ton of bricks.  My pace slowed from 6:0? to 6:20.  Mile 19 was 6:32.  Seeing an old friend, Dara Ford, picked me up and I squeaked out a 6:07 and a 6:05 (20 and 21).  I started passing some guys and feeling good. Then mile 22 was a painful 6:14.  I was scared and running with everything I had, and with no idea if I had banked enough time or not.  Mile 23 was 6:09. At this point my body is screaming.  I want to be done.  The bottoms of my feet are aching and I’m running though mud.  Mile 24 is 6:27 which scares me more. Then 6:30 for mile 25. I feel like the OTQ must be slipping away but I can see Sara up ahead (she was running in 2nd place and had broken away from our pack around mile 17) and people are telling me I can pass her.  So, I push ahead and do so. Half a mile to go and I am terrified.  I can’t tell how fast I'm going but it is as fast as I can go and I have no idea if I will make it in time.  A quarter of a mile to go and I see Justin screaming in my face, "dont look at your watch, RUN," so I book it. I see the clock counting down at the finish, no sense of how fast I'm actually moving just hoping I can beat it...then I do. What a freaking relief!  I close my eyes and melt into the guy at the finish and end up in a wheelchair.    

So many emotions! Of course, I was relieved, but I also felt incredibly lucky.  I made it by 12 seconds, half a second per mile.  Just thinking about that makes my stomach churn.  I had spent the last 30ish minutes completely uncertain of whether or not I would run under 2:43 until the moment I crossed the line.  So it didn’t even register with me at first. Once I got back in the tent I called my husband and my kids and I could stop the tears.  

I knew I worked hard to get here, but I couldn’t help but feel like it was luck that I qualified - almost like I didn’t deserve it because it was so close.  I could have just as easily run 12 seconds too slow.  Either way, here I am, and I am incredibly grateful.  AND I plan to work my ass off to run as well as I can in February!"  

Ellie and I competing at the Columbus marathon (Ellie in pink bra, ear band, and blue shoes), where she would punch her ticket to the 2016 Olympic Trials running a 2:42:48 debut. 

We are very glad Ellie decided to stick around after the Akron half marathon, She offers us a lot of no BS as she is never one to miss miles or a workout despite juggling a very busy schedule. We can count on Ellie to always come through the first split of any workout ahead of the goal time...well ahead of the goal time, and she will ALWAYS remind us to "suck it up" if we are being a wuss. Ellie is the most overtly competitive runner of the group and we love her for it! Thank you for all your "WTF's" and "get over yourself's", our group is stronger because of you! You deserve to be on the starting line at the trials, and we can't wait to see what you are capable of! Ellison will be racing the Olympic Trials alongside the other 3 members of CED who have qualified in February. We will all be cheering for a new PR and a maybe even a dip under 2:40!?!

Ellie competing for CED at Club Nats XC 2014

Stay tuned to my blog to get to know more CED'ers, and follow them chasing dreams on the roads of Los Angeles this February!

Follow Ellie via Social Media

Facebook- Ellie Hess

Instagram- elliehess44

Getting To Know CED Kelsi Style

Meet Kelsi Nutter

Kelsi, being a goofball with boyfriend Michael

Kelsi started running in 7th grade when she joined the track team in her hometown of Painesville Ohio, where she ran for Gilmour Academy. When asked about her early days running Kelsi says "I thought I was going to be an Olympian in the 200 because I was the only 7th grader on the 4x200 meter relay! I joined the cross country team the following spring to "stay in shape for track".  I'm not convinced I loved distance running at the time, but I liked being good at something so I kept at it!"
She continued running in college at Wright State University.  While at Wright State fate intervened and brought Kelsi and I together.   I became her coach her senior year of college. Kelsi tested me, and was the first athlete on the team I would have to yell at. When I arrived at Wright State, Kelsi was struggling to run under 22 minutes for 5k. I knew she was much better than that, and tried to instill confidence in her ability.  One year later when she won her heat of the 5k at All-Ohio in 18:41, I cried like a fool. Kelsi is currently in her first year of podiatry school, loves beer, coffee, and hanging out with her "awesome nieces".

Since Wright State, Kelsi has continued running and joined CED in 2013.  Since joining, she has run a PR for every distance, and has qualified to the 2016 Olympic Trials in the marathon. 

Kelsi's PR's

3k- 9:49

5k-16:56

8k- 27:30

10k-34:37

Half Marathon- 1:17:05

Marathon- 2:41:28

Kelsi Breaking 3 hours for the first time at the Boston Marathon. 

I asked Kelsi a few questions about where she is now, how she got there, and her goals. 

Q. Kelsi, what brought you to join CED?

"It's actually a small world! Becki Spellman was my coach in college and is legitimately the only reason I am still running today.  She somehow encouraged me to stick with it despite having only broken 19 minutes in the 5k one time!

When I moved back to Ohio after 2 years in Boston, I wanted to take running a little more seriously so I reached out to Becki to see if she happened to know anyone I could train with. Little did I know, she was living in Cleveland and said I should check out CED!

After talking with all of the girls about Glenn's coaching and their experience with CED, I knew I had a big decision.  They ALL were faster now than in college, something I never thought was possible.  I had to ask myself if I wanted to continue as a mediocre runner, or if I wanted to take a chance to try to be my best.  Since glenn and becki had faith in me, I knew I should have a little faith in myself, so I joined!"

Q. How do you think being a member of CED is beneficial in helping you to meet your goals?
"Every single athlete on CED is an inspiration to me and motivates me to be my best.  Additionally, Glenn pushes us to our limits and never lets us settle.  Without them, I would have no idea what potential I had and I would have no idea how to push myself and dig down deep.

Glenn and these ladies strive for greatness on a daily basis and it's contagious! You can't be around them and not want to be a better runner."

Q. What are those goals?  

"I never thought in a zillion years I would be competing in the Olympic Trials. With the trials in February 2016, my short term goal is to stay healthy and happy in training so I can run a sizable PR in February!

Long term - Keep on loving the sport!  The sustainability in this sport makes me really nervous.  When you compete at a certain level and experience certain successes, you want those feelings to last forever. Sadly, they don't.  As you age, there's a natural regression in race results.  I'm 26 so I know I have a little while, but a long term goal is not to be selfish and be grateful for all of the opportunities I've had.  When the improvements stop (and hopefully they never do ;)) I want to still love running and all it has done for me."

Q. What types of workouts are your favorite and why?

"Oh gosh! It depends on the training cycle I am in.  My last big training cycle I loved the long (10 mile) unbroken tempos.  If I was going to race a marathon, I knew I had to build strength- mentally and physically.  Fortunately, Glenn is a genius coach and knew that to build that strength weekly 10 milers at marathon pace were a necessity.

Each week I felt stronger and more confident.  When I finally got on the line at Grandmas, I knew that I was the strongest I had been from those tempos. It's really hard to focus that long! So it was good to practice focusing and working hard for extended periods of time."

Q. What types of workouts are the hardest to you, and why do you still suffer through them?

"Long runs! Even easy day long runs have always been a challenge for me.  I would venture to say it's the monotony of the long run that I struggle with.  I suffer through them because I've never heard of someone being a successful distance runner without the weekly long run.  Doing things you find challenging builds character.  That's at least what I tell myself when I'm lacking motivation."


Q. If you could go back and meet yourself your sophomore year in HS, what wisdom would you impart on yourself as an athlete?

"Probably something along the lines of "SUCK IT UP", compliments of Ellie. But seriously,  the daily grind can sometimes seem like "too much" or a "waste of time" but the daily grind is what makes the difference between good and great. I would tell myself to "run hard and run long.  But never outrun your love for running"."

Q. What is your favorite race?  Why?  What mental tips can you offer for racing this distance well?  Any specific training workouts or block of workouts that you think make you well prepared to tackle this distance fast?

"I might be a little bias, but I would have to say the marathon is my favorite because my best training and racing experience came during the marathon.  I learned so much about myself and mental toughness during training.  Glenn had us do 10 mile unbroken tempos week after week after week to really get into the groove of longer efforts at marathon pace.  This made me mentally and physically stronger each week. I got to the starting line ready to zone out and focus for 26.2 mile."

Q. What do you think about when you run?  Everyone asks, so we might as well share!

"People do love this question! High mileage = lots of time to think. I think that's what makes runners so special.  We think A LOT and I like to tell myself that's what makes us so insightful ;) My boyfriend gets nervous when I get home from a run and say, "you know what I was thinking?!".  He knows something really silly or crazy is about to come out of my mouth.

Since I am in podiatry school, I spend a lot of time studying.  When I get out for a run I like to review the things I studied that day.

I also like to reflect on workouts and recent races.  Sometimes when I'm having a bad stretch of training, I like to think about the moment I felt after I reached a goal.  It helps remind me why I do this (sometimes) tortuous sport and give me perspective.

I also like to think about ways to save and rule the world... Although I'm still working on the details of that."

Kelsi (3rd from left) a member of the 3200m State Championship team in 2007 (9:13 for a state record at the time)

Kelsi Racing as a Wright State Raider

Kelsi racing XC along side CED teammate Beth Herndon

Kelsi moments after becoming a 2016 Olympic Trials Qualifier

I know I speak for all of CED in saying that Kelsi has helped us to reach our goals and have no excuses!  She has come so far in the past 2 years despite having full plate outside of training. She keeps us laughing, and hands us our butts if were not ready to go in a workout or race. Kelsi, I couldn't be more proud of you! CED is lucky to have you as a member!  I can't wait to watch you chase down another PR in Los Angeles this February!   

Follow Kelsi on Social Media

Facebook- Kelsi Nutter

Twitter- @kelsimarie13

Instagram- Kelsi_marie1

Check out my blog soon for the next edition of "Getting To Know CED" next time it will be Ellison Style!