Heidi, pictured above, winning the Steamtown Marathon for the second time in a course record of 2:39:48 (chip time). We’re excited to introduce her as the latest addition to the Run SMART coaching staff. To date, she is the 11th coach to join the staff.
Meet Heidi Peoples:
We’re proud to announce that Run SMART Advisory Board members, Matt Byrne and Matthew Rosetti, have officially opened The Scranton Running Co. We support them in their mission to build a healthier and more active community in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
They’re off to a great start! Check out their Team Survivor. It’s an incredible story. If you ever run the Steamtown Marathon make sure to drop by and say hello – they’re right across the street from the expo!
Congratulations to Alex Gardner and Tom Klimek for making their Boston qualifying goals. Alex shattered her marathon PR today at Chicago, running 3:38:22. That’s a 16 minute drop from her previous best at Chicago last year! Tom brought his marathon PR down 8 minutes, running 3:05 today at Steamtown. Both Alex and Tom deserve a lot of credit for executing their race plans meticulously. Look forward to more results from both as we move towards Boston.
Question: How to pace the Steamtown Marathon
Run SMART Coach: Don’t buy into the hype that you have to make up some time on the downhills early in the race. I would definitely advise against trying to bank some time early to make up for any slowdown later in the race. The key is not to get too excited in the first 8 miles where most of the elevation drop occurs. At the same time you don’t want to stomp all the way down the hills in the very beginning. Focus on shortening your stride a bit an shuffling down early, leaning slightly forward for less impact, less breakdown of the legs, and then be very mindful of the fact when your cruising slightly downhill. You should be using that time to conserve energy and relax at paces you’d normally work a little harder at. If you’re way ahead of pace but feeling great early I don’t see that as technically a good thing. The downhills can drag you out too fast and then that’s when the uphills at the end get their reputation. If you pace well early without trying to make up for potential lost time later you’ll be fine.
"I've enjoyed a giddy three years of PR after PR as a newbie masters runner. I was initially skeptical about remote coaching (don't coaches stand at the finish line with a stopwatch?)" - Everett H.
