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TTP #17- Corey Wallace aka Corcor the Herbivore on marathon training, being a vegan athlete, a positive force in the running community and much more image

TTP #17- Corey Wallace aka Corcor the Herbivore on marathon training, being a vegan athlete, a positive force in the running community and much more

E17 · Tourganic: Healthy Living on the Road of Life
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91 Plays8 months ago

Corey Wallace is a certified run coach, holistic nutritionist, sub 3 marathoner and overall huge positive force and leader in the running community. 

In this episode we go over ways to get into Boston + NYC marathons that you may not have known about, Corey's history and evolution into an endurance athlete, nutrition tips, how he trained for sub 3, his upcoming goals and why his voice is an important one in the craziness of the social media atmosphere.

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Transcript

Introduction to the Torgannic Pack and Corey Wallace

00:00:00
Speaker
Welcome to the Torgannic Pack. We all have our own personal journeys, but when you're running a race, you're all together. When you're a running group, you're all together. You all are trying to do the same thing, trying to build a better version of yourself. So in theory, like you're really not alone in doing the same thing. You're trying to build a better version of yourself. We need to think of ourselves as a community and not just a solo person running. Like I said, we all have our own journeys, but we're all doing it together.
00:00:30
Speaker
We are back. It's been a while, but certainly very excited to fire up the Torganic podcast again and share this episode featuring Corey Wallace, aka Corcor the Herbivore.
00:00:42
Speaker
Cory is a certified run coach, a holistic nutritionist, vegan athlete, and overall force on social media where he inspires, motivates, and fosters a great sense of community with his many friends and followers. While Cory crushes races going sub 3 in the marathon and qualifying for Boston, more to come about that in this episode, his message is super inclusive and positive for all runners and athletes, which I think is why he's had such a great impact for people on social media.

Marathon Entries and Vegan Lifestyle

00:01:08
Speaker
In this episode, we get into different and maybe unconventional ways to get into NYC and Boston marathons, why he went vegan, how he learned to dial in his nutrition as a vegan runner, training for a sub-3 marathon, qualifying, and then not for Boston, and a lot more. Hope you enjoy this episode with Corcor, the herbivore. So yeah, man, I've been looking forward to whether we're going to do it on the podcast or one day have a run together in New York or Philly.
00:01:34
Speaker
Yeah, that's one of the things I was really looking forward to when you actually did come into Billy. I'm like, man, it's a real missed opportunity on my end. I'll be back. I'll be back this summer. Yeah. I'll be in New York for Marathon. And then I knew you were running Boston soon, right? Yeah. Yeah, so am I. Yeah. So maybe we can meet up around that time period. Somehow, I still don't know how I got in.
00:01:59
Speaker
Yeah, both races you kind of found an interesting little back channel. Your New York story was really interesting. Can you talk for a second about how that happened? Because I feel like a lot of people don't know about the way you got into the marathon, which is pretty cool. Gotcha. Yeah. So I got in through, it was weird. I didn't even know it was really a thing. There was a way you can actually do a virtual marathon like the year before.
00:02:26
Speaker
like the next marathon. So pretty much what it is, is like, it's like sometime in June, you can actually sign up for a virtual marathon. It works with like, it was with like Strava and New York road runners. And pretty much what you do is, um, you sign up, it's like very, it's very limited spots. I think it was like a hundred spots or like 150 spots. Um, and you had to sign in like, it was kind of like a lottery system. And what you ended up having to do is you had to like sign on, wait in the queue,
00:02:52
Speaker
and have all your credit card information, everything ready to actually sign up for this thing. I'm pretty sure it was in June. I have to take a look at all my receipts and everything like that. What you do is you sign up for this. What you do is you run a virtual marathon within the same week of the New York Marathon.
00:03:10
Speaker
So like the upcoming one. So you sign up in June, you have to run a virtual marathon, 26.2 miles, doesn't matter how long it takes you, it has to be done in like one time period. It can't be done over like several days. But yeah, pretty much what you do is like, it's like the week of the marathon or the week before, like it can only give you like seven day time period to actually do it.
00:03:32
Speaker
And what you do is like you track everything through strava so whenever you're using your watch or whatever did you make sure I'll put all your data to that sure but yeah, I guess somehow I got in and like it sold out within like Within minutes. It was like not even we didn't even get to like 10 minutes and it was sold out But it was pretty it was pretty crazy how I didn't even know about it until like a week before I
00:03:54
Speaker
I actually had to do it and I'm like, oh, I guess I'll just try this out because the lottery is like, I feel like the lottery is hit or miss. Like you can either get in or you don't and it's like a lot of disappointment happens during that time period. I think very few people, yeah, very few people get in off the lottery from what I've heard. So did you do that marathon self-supported? I guess technically you could find another marathon
00:04:16
Speaker
at that same timeframe and do that as well. Or you could try to do a self-supported situation. Yeah, I originally was planning on doing it like a self-supported one. I was like, well, what kind of route can I do? But I ended up finding one that was like a local one. And it was like they were doing it. It was like the last time they were doing it. It was the weekend that I was planning on running it. And I'm like, well, this just works out. Like they had water on the course. I'm like, this is amazing. I'm like, I'll just do this. It wasn't necessarily like,
00:04:44
Speaker
It wasn't the best race, but it was a race. Yeah. I think it was only like, there was like 70 people who ran it, who ran the marathon. So it wasn't very big at all. Um, and the course was like, it wasn't the best either. But then again, like, you know, it is what it is, but, uh, it was like an out and back or a half marathon, but then you had to turn around and do it out and back again to do the full. So I had to do it twice. Yeah. Yeah.
00:05:09
Speaker
And it was, I think that weekend, it was the last weekend in October. And I think that day it ended up being close to like 80 degrees. And like, I was like dying like towards the end. I'm like, this is horrible. But I'm like, well, I mean, doesn't really matter. As long as I'm running the distance, I didn't care what my time was. I'm like, I'm just doing it for the virtual reasons.
00:05:30
Speaker
Totally. But yeah, I mean, it was, it was worth it. I mean, I'm really, I'm really pumped for it this year. And it's just, it's just a different way to get in there. I mean, I know you can do through charities, you can do lottery, obviously, you can do a bunch of other ways to get in, but it was just just a weird way of getting in that I was just like, Oh, I might as well just try this one out. Cause I know for me, the qualifying times are a little too quick and they got rid of the half marathon qualifying times. Um, unless you run like a New York one, I think.
00:05:54
Speaker
Exactly. Yeah. There's so much lack of clarity here because they kind of like dropped that. And like all my New York friends, running friends are kind of like, what? Because that was sort of a secret way to get into New York easier because it's not qualifying times are pretty tough, but their house is like, that's pretty doable. Right.
00:06:13
Speaker
And he said, oh, we're getting rid of the half marathon to qualify. But I think what you just said is right. Because I actually just did a local race and I went to NYR their little headquarters and I was like, so what is the deal? Because nobody really understand it. And I think you're right that you can still qualify with one of their half marathons, which I think
00:06:34
Speaker
would be, you know, like the NYC half, the Brooklyn half, the Staten Island half, maybe there's like, there's a couple others. I feel like they're all hard though. Right. I think those races have like, they're pretty, they're not easy. Yeah, they're not easy. They're not easy. But I will, I always say to people, I don't know if you've thought about this, but I feel like the NYC half is just like, if you're a runner, come to New York and run the NYC half. It is such an incredibly iconic course.
00:07:04
Speaker
I think that I ran that one. I ran that one last year. Yeah. That was, um, I think running up SDR. Yeah. I think I remember you were there. It was incredible. Like, but like also the same time period was cold. Like, Oh man, it's March, right? Yeah. Yeah. It's March. It's coming up. It's in a few, a few weeks. Yeah. But yeah, that was definitely a cool one.

Corey's Journey to Endurance Sports

00:07:27
Speaker
How did you get into running so passionately and, you know, why, I guess like an extension of that question is like, why endurance? What, what brought you towards like endurance sports, you know, that kind of mentality? Yeah. Um, well, I would say like, this goes back quite a ways. Um,
00:07:44
Speaker
When I was in middle school, I was like, oh, I want to run a track. I want to run 400 meters. This is all I want to do. And I didn't care about the mile and gym. I'm like, this is ridiculous. I don't care for this. And I always came in like, he was either dead last or very close to that. I wasn't very quick at all. I was just like, my brother was doing it. He's only 16 months older than I am.
00:08:06
Speaker
He was doing it. He was doing like 100 meter sprints. I'm like, I'm going to run the 400 meter. And that was terrible. But while I was in middle school, my older sister, I'm one of four. She's like, oh, well, why don't you try out for like, it's called like Running Club.
00:08:22
Speaker
go after, you know, after school, you just run for fun. And I'm like, no one wants to run for fun. I'm like, I don't want to do this at all. So I ended up signing up, I think it was like seventh grade or something like that. I signed up, it was like an after school thing. I'm like, whatever. I felt I was like, this is kind of fun. I'm like, I'm doing something like whatever. It's not soccer. I'm like, it's not punishment, you know, whatever. And then I got into into high school. And I found out there was a cross country team. I'm like,
00:08:50
Speaker
I was like, you know, just do cross country. I was like, they're only running three miles. Like, I can do that. That's not a problem. And I learned very quickly that it's a lot more than running just three miles. And I found out that I was the again, I was once again, the back of the packer. And it was one of those things where I was definitely like,
00:09:10
Speaker
It was this weird sensation. I was just like, I feel like I can do this. I feel like I can run fast for a long period of time. And I don't know what it was. I don't know. It was like a gateway. Because when I was in high school, I'm not saying I didn't have a lot of friends, but I didn't really have a way to actually really talk to people about certain things. I had a couple of friends that I was always talking to, but they weren't runners at all. I'm like, I can't really talk to you about, hey, I'm going to go on a run. I'm going to do this. But I had this.
00:09:38
Speaker
cross-country group i'm just like i talked about whatever um whether it be on a run or outside of that or whatever maybe i can always find a way to kind of communicate with them about what i'm going through and all this other stuff i'm so excited it was like a gateway to actually like learn more about myself and about like just fitness in general and learn about other people um so yeah freshman year was definitely like that was a bad year for me just because i like you're in a new school you know you're doing different things and you're trying to learn like
00:10:08
Speaker
what you want to do in life at that time period. Every year, I was actually in cross-country. I learned a lot more about myself and about training in general. I did track, it was like winter and spring track at the same time period. I knew that I was not necessarily a sprinter like I thought I was. As I started to actually run more longer distances, it was like this weird thing that just happened. I was just like, I think I can do this for a longer period of time.
00:10:37
Speaker
And it actually helped clear my mind. It like helped ease a couple of things. And I'm like, everybody always says like, you know, like running's my therapy and everything like that. And in a way, I feel like that's kind of how it was for me. I was able to actually just connect with just being outside, being in my environment, connect with my body in general. And I said, I learned a lot about other people at the same time period and what their struggles were. And like, the runners know, like you kind of like you talk about like,
00:11:02
Speaker
your bathroom stories and a bunch of other things so it's kind of like I had like different things I can actually connect with other people with and that was actually really nice to kind of learn that um and then like after that I think I mean in college I didn't really do too much like racing or anything like that but
00:11:17
Speaker
After I got out, I gained a significant amount of weight in college and even after college and I kind of like backed away from doing like running. I would run but not as often. And it wasn't until like I made a goal for myself to run my first marathon in 2014, which was the marathon.
00:11:34
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. So it was one of those things where I'm like, I kind of want to run my first marathon. I just want to do it to say I can do it. And that was that first one was a catastrophe. But um, yeah, like, I started getting back into it. I lost, I think I lost about 30 pounds, a little over 30 pounds.
00:11:52
Speaker
I got back into running. I found my passion for running again. I've never looked back since then. I was talking to my wife the other day about some of the pictures you see of me when I was during that time period. It's a different person. She was pretty much saying that I kind of looked older.
00:12:12
Speaker
When I was actually a heavier weight than I am now. And I'm like, that's interesting. I'm like, I never really thought about that. But yeah, I mean, it's just one of those things where I didn't really, I didn't really see myself as being an endurance athlete until after I started losing weight. And like, like I said before, like all throughout like high school and middle school and everything, it was kind of like a slow build for me. Like it was kind of that realization of like, Oh, like,
00:12:35
Speaker
I found my people I found something I'm actually somewhat decent at and I feel like this will help my fitness and I think that going through my first marathon I think that is kind of what kind of like kick started it a little bit for me um like 10 years ago um I think that's kind of what got me into doing more of it because I had finished my first marathon and like I said it was catastrophe but um
00:12:57
Speaker
is one of the things where I'm like, I kind of want to keep going to see what happens. And I ran a couple of halves here and there. And I was like, you know what? I want to run Boston one year. And I thought it was one of those times here. And I'm like, oh, you just walk right up and you just run it. You just sign up. I thought that was one of the things. I had no idea that you had to go through this whole qualification process. And that became like the driving force for me. I mean, I always thought about it like back in high school too, because people talked about it. And I'm like, no one wants to run a marathon. But I'm like, well, it'd be kind of fun to do that, like to run Boston because it's so historic. But
00:13:27
Speaker
Yeah, it was one of those things where like, it was always like in the back of my mind, like I always wanted to do that. But again, I didn't know you had to qualify. I thought you'd just like sign up online, like, you know, whatever. Clearly, that's not the case. But yeah, it kind of like skyrocketed. Like, it was, it was pretty much like after
00:13:47
Speaker
after my college years and after, like I said, I had gained a significant amount of weight. I think that's when it actually started to kind of like come back to me. And that actually is around the same time period when I became, when I went vegan.
00:13:57
Speaker
Uh, yeah, it kind of like coincided with each other at the same time period, which was interesting before you even hit on the vegan thing. Like, I think it's, you know, that's a cool story of your, you know, your history, your background, because I feel like your message, you have such a strong message online of positivity and inclusivity, you know, that I think really resonates with people, whether they're like two 25 marathon or a six hour marathon, or like, I think everybody can kind of come to your page and
00:14:27
Speaker
connect with you about your message. And I think maybe some of your past, like what you just mentioned about being like kind of a back of the packer when you're in high school and builds to your mentality today about running and also your sense of community.
00:14:42
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. That's one of the things, I mean, like running, I think I mentioned this to a friend of mine when I was out running like a little while ago. It's like you, yeah, you're running by yourself. Sometimes you're running alone. You're running on the treadmill. You're running on the park somewhere or doing, you know, whatever. But the thing is, is that you're never really alone when you think about it. Like there are other people out there that are doing the exact same thing. And I feel like that's one of the major things that people need to realize.
00:15:11
Speaker
When you're alone, you're not really alone. And like I mean, like I said, we all have our own personal journeys, but when you're running a race, you're all together. When you're a running group, you're all together. You all are trying to do the same thing, trying to build a better version of yourself. So in theory, like you're really not alone in doing the same thing. You're trying to build a better version of yourself and whether it be by yourself or with a community. And that's one of the things that like,
00:15:37
Speaker
I think it's getting better, especially on social media. It's getting better. A lot of people are noticing that.
00:15:44
Speaker
But I know there's a couple of still like still bad apples that are out there. There's like, oh, like I'm faster than you. Like you should be doing, you know, like that's a whole other story. But it's one of those scenarios where like, I think that we need to think of ourselves as a community and not just a solo person running. We all have our own journeys, but we're all doing it together. Yeah. And that's, that's, that's becoming one of the things that I'm like, very, I'm really trying to like, I'm trying to communicate that because we're all like, we're all just great people. You know what I mean?
00:16:13
Speaker
Yeah, it's like it's like coming from like my background. It's like a difference like knowing that I was the back of the pack or like I know what it feels like to be in the back and I know what it feels like to be running slow and It doesn't matter like what pace you're running. It doesn't matter like
00:16:29
Speaker
you know if you're coming to see like you said before like a 235 or 225 when I ran a six hour like you're all doing the same distance you're all doing the same thing same motion you're all moving forward so why wouldn't it be more of an inclusive thing why wouldn't it be more of a community sport we're all doing the same thing
00:16:45
Speaker
Yeah, I really think you've done a great job fostering that sense of community with your messages. Thank you. It's really awesome.

Going Vegan: Health and Ethics

00:16:51
Speaker
And so, yeah, you mentioned that you went vegan. Let's talk about, you know, why you went vegan or a moment. Was it a story? Was it a gradual thing? What happened there?
00:17:00
Speaker
Um, so I think it was like more, I think it was along the lines of when I started trying to lose weight. Um, like my wife, she wanted a, she wanted to just start running in general. She wanted to run like a 5k. Um, and she was like the same thing. She was like, Oh, I kind of want to lose weight at the same time. But I'm like, okay, that's fine. So we started doing that. Um, and then like for like health reasons, I feel like it was more of a scenario where like, I didn't really feel
00:17:22
Speaker
like 100%. I felt always like bogged down. I always felt like bloated at certain time periods. Again, because I was a little bit, I was overweight. But it was one of those things where like, I kind of wanted to see what would happen if I changed my diet up. So, and at the same time, we had like, we had two cats at the same time periods. It was like, you know, like we were just caring for them. We're like, Oh, like, why would you want to
00:17:44
Speaker
Why would you want to torture animals? Why would you want to kill animals or whatever? So that was something that was kind of like in the background, like a little bit, we didn't really think too much of that because we're like, wow, you know, like this chicken, you know, whatever, I'll eat this, you know, but so we started slowly kind of like, back off of like eating red meat, because I think that was one of the major things that were kind of like,
00:18:02
Speaker
kind of messing with our stomachs a little bit. So we're just like, Oh, we'll just kind of back off that. And then we were just eating like chicken and turkey and fish. They were just like, well, we're kind of tired of just eating the same things. So we're just like, all right, let's learn portion control and all that stuff. And we're just like, we don't really want to do a chicken anymore. Because we're like, oh, there's like different kinds of like, bacteria and all this other stuff that kind of comes along with this. We're like, Oh, we'll just cut that out. And we're like, Oh, let's just do fish. Like, I'm tired of fish. Like I don't want this anymore. So they were like, well, what would happen if we went vegetarian?
00:18:32
Speaker
Because at the point, I was still like, hey, I still want to eat a cheeseburger every once in a while. I want occasion or whatever. That was one of the things I'm like, I always wanted a cheeseburger. Like, whatever, once a week, once every couple of weeks, I think that's always what I wanted. And my wife was like, well, why don't we just try doing vegetarian for a little bit and see what happens? And we started doing that. And we were just like, oh, OK, this is not too bad. And then every Saturday afternoon, I was like, oh, I'm going to fire up the grill, have a burger.
00:19:02
Speaker
Then I was just like, I'm making this food for myself and I'm like, and my wife's making her own food. I was like, we're making two separate meals. I'm like, why don't we just do the same thing? And then again, like I said, when I would do like a long run on the weekend, I would just feel kind of like, I wouldn't feel like right at all. It just, it was like a weird feeling of just kind of like that, like feeling like sluggish.
00:19:23
Speaker
Um, so I took that out and we went vegetarian and cheese was the last thing that I kind of gave up because I was like, I like cheese and I want to have this. Um, that was definitely a tough one. Yeah. But, um, and this was also doing the time period where there wasn't a lot of vegan options available. Um, like as there is right now, like you didn't have the beyond burgers. You didn't have the impossible burgers. You didn't have all that other stuff. You had like bean burgers and it's just like, well, like they're not really the best. Like that back then they weren't really the best. Um, it's come a long way since then.
00:19:50
Speaker
But yeah, it's one of those things where like, as soon as we met, it was like, well, what happened if we just cut out everything and milk and cheese or whatever? So like, okay. And like, when I was younger too, like, not like younger, like high school days, but I used to break out like a lot. And I think a lot of it had to deal with milk intake or dairy intake. Because as soon as I cut that out,
00:20:13
Speaker
I actually started to not break out at all. My face started clearing up more and I started having like less issues when it comes to that. And then I started feeling like less sluggish. And I'm just like, this is a weird feeling. So I'm like, I'll just keep going with it. And I ended up feeling like I had more energy.
00:20:28
Speaker
And it was a bizarre feeling at that time period. I'm just like, I don't know what's happening. I'm going to go with it. And we're going to continue this path. And every once in a while, I'd have days where I'm like, oh, well, I kind of want to have a burger again. I'm like, nah. And then I was just like, all right, I'm done. Like, I don't want to do this anymore. And I'm like, I kind of just want to stick to just one thing. And I was feeling good at that specific time period. So we just kind of cut it out completely. My wife, she's been vegan longer than I have, maybe by like,
00:20:54
Speaker
I think she always says it's been a year, but i'm pretty sure it's like six months, but yeah, so uh, but yeah, some of those things were like she pulled it along a little bit. Yeah. Yeah. She guilted me into it. Um, but yeah, like I think it kind of like I think it took off from that point. Um, and also we visited like
00:21:16
Speaker
a couple of, like, animal sanctuaries at the same time period, we were just like, oh, like, this is a clip of where we were living. There were some that were near the area. And we're just like, oh, like,
00:21:26
Speaker
We could be eating these and somebody was like, no, let's just not do that. And we started to carry for more animals and we still have those two cats still. Um, we got, we got dogs. So we're just like, well, we like animals. We kind of want to protect animals. Um, so we kind of like moved into that realm also. So it just became a full on like vegan after that. Um, but it was, it was mainly, it was mainly more of one of those things where it was like a health kind of a thing where you were just like, you know what, we kind of want to feel better.
00:21:52
Speaker
And then that moment when we actually started to feel better, something kind of clicked a little bit. We were just like, oh, why don't we just keep doing this? But in the beginning, it was definitely tough because we couldn't find certain recipes. We couldn't find what to make. We were just like, I guess we're having rice or pasta again. We didn't really know too much about
00:22:15
Speaker
that specific lifestyle or what you can cook or like, Oh, I don't want to eat tofu all the time. And now it's like, we have learned so much about being vegan and what we can make that's actually plant based that yeah, some of our meals may seem similar, but they're all different. And the thing is, is that like, one of the things we didn't realize is that like, sometimes people offer tofu or like, you know, um, like tempeh, they offer just like plain.
00:22:40
Speaker
I think if you think about it as like chicken, you wouldn't necessarily eat chicken like just plain. You would add spices to it. You would add something to it to enhance the meal. I feel like that's the same way when it comes to tofu, tempeh, and all those other things. If you add seed in the right seasonings to these specific dishes, it makes a big deal and it changes the dish. It elevates it more. So we learned that all throughout this whole process.
00:23:03
Speaker
And it was one of those things where we were like, man, this food can actually be pretty good. And it's not just salads, too. We were able to eat certain things that were actually really delicious. And of course, we had the Beyond Burgers and Impossible, but we haven't had those. And it's been a little while since we had one. I mean, if we were to go to a party or to
00:23:23
Speaker
as some kind of social event and that's all it has. Okay, that's fine. But I think it's definitely changed, not necessarily for us, but just in general, the times we live in now. I think it's becoming something that's more commonplace, being vegan or being plant-based. And it's nice to actually see that's becoming a bigger thing. What advice would you give to someone who's thinking about making a switch, or maybe you have in real time as well, but what advice would you give to someone who would come to you and say, hey, I'm thinking about going vegan.
00:23:52
Speaker
I think it would be more like a find a good cookbook and make sure you introduce everything slowly. I think kind of going the cold turkey route, it's like no pun intended. But going that route is not necessarily the way to go. At least I don't see it that way because I feel like
00:24:11
Speaker
It's one of those it's I think it's kind of like um, like a new year's resolution You know like you set this goal and it's like i'm gonna do this and then the second you decide like Oh, I can't do this anymore. You just you just quit. You know what I mean? I think it's one of those things where if you slowly introduce it into your lifestyle It becomes more of a habit. Um, and the same thing when it comes to like running too the slowly you introduce this new thing The better you become at it. Um, so accept that there's a learning curve
00:24:37
Speaker
Yes. Yeah. Yeah. And I think that like, there's a whole, I think we need to change our mindset of like, it's not just like pasta. It's not just salads. There's a lot more out there available. I think you just need to find something that you actually really do enjoy eating and try to recreate it. You know, like it's more of like thinking outside the box, I guess, you know, which is always kind of fun. I mean, like it's all about experimenting. So it's kind of, it's kind of fun. Yeah. I see it that way.
00:25:07
Speaker
There's so much nutrition advice on your on your

Nutrition Optimization for Long-Distance Running

00:25:11
Speaker
I.G. You seem to have really dialed in. Like, of course, you know, in terms of training and inter-race fueling or, you know, during training sessions, but also just in general, is that like just is that stuff you've just kind of picked up by trial and error over the years or is there different sources you went to like books or whatever? Or is it just basically kind of like you've kind of dialed in what works for you?
00:25:35
Speaker
I think it was more of like, it was more trial and error. I definitely did get, I have two certifications, I think two different places for plant-based nutrition for endurance athletes. I actually just got one, I want to say like six months ago or eight months ago or so, I just finished that one. But that was like well after I had figured out what I was kind of doing like trial and error. And I found out like I didn't like these types of goos, I didn't like this. And I actually kind of like, it goes back to my first marathon,
00:26:05
Speaker
Um, I realized very quickly, this is part of the reason why I became a catastrophe. Um, I didn't feel at all during that race. Like I didn't know you needed to have fuel for this. I'm like, I don't want to eat something while I'm running. I don't want to have to go to the bathroom. So I chose not to have any fueling whatsoever, which was a bad idea. I do not recommend that at all.
00:26:22
Speaker
But um after I learned that or I had that if that mistake, um, I started just trying new things Um, I tried the goose and i'm like, I don't really like the taste of these then I went to something else I forget exactly what it was I might have done like chews or like the little beans i've done those before too And then I it slowly kind of like changed into like oh like when should I be taking these so i'm like, all right Well, maybe I should just take it when I go on a long run like I don't know So I was like i'm just taking just random
00:26:49
Speaker
random food, I tried applesauce, I tried the beans, I tried different things. And then it slowly changed into like, oh, like, what does this taste like? What does this taste like? So I tried to find things that actually were like, kind of like decent tasting. And when it comes to gels, which I think none of them really taste that great anyways.
00:27:08
Speaker
But I did find one recently, by Spring Energy, their awesome sauce is actually really good. It tastes like applesauce, which is nice. I use that one now, and I slowly started getting into carb counts when it comes to each one of the gels too, and trying to figure out exactly what really works well, and how many carbs are actually good for me personally. I know everyone's different.
00:27:33
Speaker
I ended up coming up with like, I think it was like 85 grams of carbs actually works really well for me. And that's two gels. Um, one that's from science and sport and one that's from, um, spring energy. And that works really well. Kind of like going back and forth between those two for your long run, you'll have 85 grams of carbs throughout the long run. Got it. Yep.
00:27:49
Speaker
Yeah, I've also done liquid carbs too, which I actually introduced that I think last year. And I started doing that more often too. Liquid carbs is a great way to actually get carbs into your system fast. And it's the liquid form. So you're kind of like hydrating at the same time period, which is actually really nice.
00:28:06
Speaker
So is it like a powder that you put in your water? Yeah, it's really weird. That one's from Scratch Energy. And those ones, I think it was like 100 grams of carbs for one serving. So I'm like, I can take one water bottle and go for maybe like an 18-mile run and be set.
00:28:24
Speaker
But then again, it's like, you know, like depending upon when I take it, you know, so it's like, it's really weird how like that science aspect really works when it comes to taking carbs while you're running. And like, I feel like I was actually better at taking in carbs for like, like liquid carbs. I was better at doing that than gels. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because just because it got in faster, the taste wasn't really an issue because it was going like right down. So.
00:28:51
Speaker
Yeah, and plus I can actually mix in, um, I can mix in electrolytes too, which was nice. So I would have a mix of electrolytes and carbs in the same water bottle and it would take care of pretty much everything. So it was really nice to actually have that availability of having that in there. So it's, it's one of those, I've been playing with it like trial and error for like the longest time. And like, I think I finally dialed it in. Um, I mean, of course I'll still find things that like, Oh, I want to try this or I want to try that too. Um, but like,
00:29:20
Speaker
For the most part, I think I know where I should be. Especially when it comes to racing too, coming off of Mesa Marathon, I knew it worked really well for me there, not other than the weather, but that sticker story. I know it really, really worked well for me there. I like the way I actually did take in my gels and my fueling, just because having that specific time period to do it, and having your watch actually tell you when to actually take it to, that's very important too. I did it every half an hour.
00:29:50
Speaker
Starting from the beginning of the race, like right at a half an hour, then you'll start. Okay. Yep. Yep. And I know like a lot of athletes do, um, every like four miles or so. Yeah. I'm like, I'm the person that's like, I don't know what I'm going to hit it for my every four miles. I'd rather just do it based off of time. Cause your body knows time rather than miles. So I'm like, okay. Like I think it's better to do it that way. I also do every 30 minutes, but I started an hour just cause I.
00:30:15
Speaker
I'm someone who's really struggled with trying to figure out how to fuel for marathons. I don't like to eat on the run. For a half marathon, I can easily PR and not take in any, but I know once you get up to those long runs, like 20 miles and of course a full, you really have to learn how to fuel. That's been a really tricky thing because I don't like gels.
00:30:38
Speaker
Right. Yeah. That's what I mean. That's one of the things that really did change me. I didn't like gels. That's when I switched over to liquid carbs. I'm just like, ooh. This actually seems pretty good. I mean, you have to carry a water bottle, which is not necessarily ideal. But when I ran mason marathon, I carried a water bottle with me. I didn't have any carbs in that. I had other stuff in there. But it actually wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. The training runs, that's when it became a little bit annoying because I was training throughout the winter.
00:31:06
Speaker
And like having gloves on and having that on, I'm just like, I can't like, yeah, it was very difficult to kind of move things around. So I'm like, I'm like, just wasn't good. But I mean, that is what it is. You got to train and everything.

Marathon Challenges and Weather

00:31:20
Speaker
So let's talk about Mesa. Congrats on the PR. Thanks. Thanks. Yeah. That's, that was, so it was rainy. Yeah. Yeah. That race. I feel like I went in with there with a big goal in mind. Um, I really wanted to hit two 52.
00:31:36
Speaker
Yeah, at least around your project. Yeah. Um, but like Mesa in general, like it's a beautiful course. And I think that the part that kind of got me the most, I want to say, I want to say it was the rain. I think it just kind of broke my concentration when I was actually running. Cause like, I was doing pretty good by mile 17 or 18. I didn't hit the wall at all. I think that the rain started coming in around like mile 18, mile 19. And it was like down point. It was like getting in my face.
00:32:04
Speaker
Yeah, it kind of like just broke me out of my concentration a little bit Um and kind of like to kind of go back to like I ran grandma's marathon in june When I hit mile 18 or 19 or so in that race, that's when I hit lemon drop hill So that was just like an incline i'm like, well, I know i'm gonna slow down this specific time period So i'll slow down a little bit and i'll pick up that time like later because it was a downhill after that well, the thing with mesa is that
00:32:29
Speaker
there was no uphill or downhill that you knew that you can actually slow down and then speed up later. It was flat during that specific time period. It was after mile nine. That's when everything started to flatten out some. There was no way to really get back into it after a certain time period for me. The rain broke by concentration. It being flatter at that specific time period, I'm like, this is not good.
00:32:55
Speaker
But I didn't really like, I didn't really hit the wall. I just kind of like, it just, it's hard to describe what happened. And I think I want to, I wanted to say it was the rain, but like, I can't really blame it on that because I've run in the rain before. Like my feeling was fine. My pacing was good. I just like lost concentration and like no mantras, no music, like nothing could get me back into where I was. I ended up being like, I think it was like, I want to say,
00:33:22
Speaker
maybe like 45 seconds or up to a minute slower than when I wanted to be like the back and like the last like four miles or so other race so it really broke in. Plus there was also like there was also long stretches.
00:33:35
Speaker
Of like like roads you would be on one road a single road going straight for like three miles And it got really boring because you weren't really looking at anything either So they're kind of like like man, like because the first half of the race is so beautiful. It's like it's Amazing like you're looking at like all the cacti and like it's like it's really cool being out there Yeah, but uh, yeah, I think that's yeah, I mean it was a good race either way like I mean like
00:33:59
Speaker
I still hit a two plus minute PR, which I feel like that's always a win. I think when you get to these time periods where you're in that sub three range, I think shaving minutes off, no matter what, one minute, two minute, five minutes, whatever, I think just becomes more and more difficult the faster you get. You know what I mean? So those PRs, I'll take it. Two minutes, I'll take it. That's fine.
00:34:24
Speaker
Totally. Yeah. I mean, last year in Boston, we got, it was like steady kind of rain on and off. And then for me, I can't remember exactly. I think it was around like mile 20, like the heavens just opened, you know, and it was just torrential.
00:34:40
Speaker
I was, that end was somewhat in sight, but, and then it's funny in, in, in town, we have two Brooklyn half's now. I don't know if you've seen that we've got like an NY run. There's a competing Brooklyn half's, but one, I do them both. And the one I did last year was Boston was on Monday. This was on Sunday after, but I was like, it started two blocks from my house. I was like, I have to do this race. I can't not do this. And man, from the second I stepped out of my apartment building.
00:35:10
Speaker
to the second I got home, just complete and utter downpour. It never stops. Like your shoes are like filled with water before you've even reached the corral. You know what I mean? Oh my god. It was insane. But you know. Wow.
00:35:26
Speaker
Those experiences, they can suck in the moment, but I feel like it's so good to experience those over a long arc of racing. You know what I mean? At the end of the day, I prefer that to what you described last October of 80 degrees and humid. For me, that's my nightmare.
00:35:43
Speaker
Yeah. High humidity, like NYC, 2020, 2022. Oh yeah. Yeah. It was 80 degrees and like, you know, it was just absolutely brutal. Like the rain, I don't know, gray skies in the 50, even if it's raining, I'll take it. You know what I mean? At the end of the day. Well, that's the thing. I would have preferred that if it was in the 50s.
00:36:07
Speaker
but we were in the low 40s in Mesa everybody in like they were they were like people that were living in the area they're like we've never experienced this at all like during race day or like we don't know what's happening like it was like they didn't know what to do and i feel like that's kind of like their downfall for that for this year's race for me so like
00:36:25
Speaker
I feel like there was a lot of things that were missing from this race that they normally do have. They normally have fireworks. They normally have a DJ play of music and everything. A lot of that stuff was missing from the race. That experience. I think the rain played a big part in that. It sucked. I want to go back just to experience all that stuff, not necessarily the PR, but just to experience everything that was missing from this specific race. Everybody was like, oh, last year was fine. I'm like, what the heck? I missed out.
00:36:53
Speaker
But that was the hand we were dealt. Let's talk about the 252 project because I feel like that's a goal you set and I think that's a cool

Setting Marathon Goals and Training Adjustments

00:37:05
Speaker
thing. What makes you have that goal or goals in general and declare them like that? What does that mean to you?
00:37:13
Speaker
well, I mean, honestly, I didn't want to share that goal at all. That was something I kind of wanted to keep private. But I'm also just like, well, you know, if I put it out there, if I just put it out, like, and just put it out into the atmosphere, or what does it people would say, like, put it out in the universe, that's what it is. You do that, I'm just like, well, if I do that, that kind of holds me accountable. You know what I mean? Like, it's one of those things where I'm like, all right, well,
00:37:33
Speaker
If I don't meet it, then I don't meet it. That gives me something to strive towards later, you know, whatever it is. But this is kind of like, for me, it was one of those like, not necessarily an end goal, but it was one of those things where I'm like, okay, if I hit this, I think I'm good with the marathon. Like, you know what I mean? Like, not saying like, I'm going to retire or anything like that. It's more of those things where I'm like, this is the goal I wanted to hit. This is where I want to be. And this is where I feel like I should be, or I can get to. And the 252 project was something that like,
00:37:57
Speaker
I knew it wasn't going to happen right away and if it did that would have been amazing but like I think it's just something when it was like a long-term project for me like
00:38:04
Speaker
It's going to happen eventually, and I know it's going to happen. My body is physically able to do it. It's just a matter of I got to find the right course, the right time of year, and I might need more time on my legs too. But the way I actually found out what I wanted to do with this specific goal, it was all based off of Boston last year and trying to get into the qualifying time really. So for grandma's marathon, I had broken three hours for the first time. I got 259, 56.
00:38:31
Speaker
And I'm like, all right. I was like, yeah, snuck in there. I'm like, all right. Um, but it was one of those things I'm just like, all right. So I'm good with Boston. Like I can get in there with no problem. Um, at the time period, my goal or my, um, my qualifying time was three Oh five. So I'm like, all right, there's no way the cutoff's going to be more than five minutes. I'm safe. I'm good. I'm not running another race between June and whatever the, the, maybe they announced, which I think it was like,
00:38:56
Speaker
It's like October or something. It was like around, I'm like, I'm not running another race. I'm good. Um, and then like I applied and everything like that. And I found out that, um, they had made the cutoff time. Actually my wife, she texts me. She's like, I guess we're not going to Boston. I'm like, what do you mean? Oh no, what a terrible text. Yeah. Yeah. And I'm like, my heart just sucked because I missed it by 25 seconds. And I'm like, well, that's not cool. I'm like, like, so that really just kind of destroyed me a little bit.
00:39:24
Speaker
running back that race. I could have just not gotten that water stop and I would have qualified or something like that. Yeah. There's so many thoughts that kind of went through my mind. I'm like, well, this is like, and I was kind of like in a little bit like in that like down mood. I'm like, wow. I mean, I did break three. I'm like, I had something to celebrate still and I still technically qualified. You did.
00:39:47
Speaker
I was like, all right, I still have that. I was like, just because I didn't run it or I'm not running it, it's fine. And then I think it was like a week later, I was talking to my coach.
00:39:56
Speaker
And I was just like, so when's the next race? And she's like, I was waiting for you to tell me this. I was like, I knew I had a specific goal in mind. I wanted to run the Boston Marathon. I'm like, I was so close. I was like, let's go for it again. I'm feeling good. I know I can do it. I was like, it'll be Boston 2025, but I know I can get in with no problem. And this is all based off of like,
00:40:21
Speaker
me knowing that they're going to change the standards yet again, just because that's what Boston does every couple of years or whatever, maybe. So I made up this goal of 252 because I was like, all right. So if Boston, the BAA decides to back up their times five minutes, like for me, it would be three hours I would need to get or sub three hours. Then if they had another goal or another standard or time period where they're just like, oh, we're going to have this cut off again,
00:40:48
Speaker
I was like, if they do another five minutes, I need to come in at 255. So I'm like, all right, 255, that's fine. But I'm like, everybody's getting more competitive. Like, why don't I just make it like something that's like so out there that I know for sure, if I get this specific time, I will get in no matter what. So I'm like, I'll just add another two minutes, like, whatever, like, why not? Or three minutes, right? So I was like, all right, so I'll make it 252, just so I know I have an eight minute buffer,
00:41:15
Speaker
If they change the standards from three out of five to three hours on that eight minute buffer Doesn't matter what nail at least I would know I get it because I know there would be no reason why they would have anything Higher than eight minutes. Although in I think it was like during the covet time periods It was like seven minutes or something like that because they that had the field kind of like I think it was like the field was only like like 11 000 people or something like that. I did that year in 2020
00:41:37
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. 2021 when they came back, they had that weird spring one and it was a really small field and it was strange. It was a rolling start, which was really strange within your wave or whatever you could just start. So it's kind of weird. You just sort of walked up to the start line and just go. It was sort of, it was a very strange experience. But, um, yeah, that's how I came up with that goal. I mean, it was one of those things where I'm like, I kind of wanted to hit that. And then, um, and I was training for Mesa.
00:42:06
Speaker
Yeah. And so how have you changed your training to achieve that goal? Or is this just something that you feel like as long as you keep taking the steps you've been taking, you'll achieve it? Or was there like, okay, in order to do X, we have to do YZ. You know what I mean? Yeah, I think it was more of that. Yeah. We, like my coach and I, we definitely changed the way we like scheduled our runs, how we did certain runs. Um, I think I did.
00:42:32
Speaker
More volume. We, I think we did. So we kept the same volume, which was really weird because I thought that you needed to have more miles on your feet in order to do certain things. And I know that everyone's different. Um, but the thing is, is that when I hit sub three for the first time, I think I topped out at like,
00:42:49
Speaker
maybe like 57 miles a week like that's my peak week yeah i think that's what it was um but i was doing a lot of like speed sessions i was doing like 800 repeats thousand meter repeats like 400 i was doing a bunch of those once and i did like yeah and i did a couple of like tempo runs too that were at marathon level
00:43:06
Speaker
And I did that too within certain runs and I did like fast finish long runs also. But when I did like this training block for Mesa, we changed the way we did things. I didn't do as much speed work. I only went through the track. I think I only went through the track like once to do, I think it was like maybe a thousand meter repeats or 800. I forget exactly what it was. And this was over like a 12 or 16 week cycle or something?
00:43:30
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, we did a um, I think we did a 16 week cycle maybe okay. Wow only the track once Yeah, yeah, so I wanted to track once um, but all my workouts that I was doing they were all marathon based Paste workouts. Um, I think I did a couple of like two mile repeats three mile repeats Um all at marathon pace and then I would have a long run with marathon effort in there at the same time period where I would have fast finished long runs and I did maybe I think I did one or two
00:43:59
Speaker
I did one 22 mile run and I did like three 20 milers. So the overall mileage was still very similar. I think I talked out at like 65 miles, I think, maybe. So it was very close to what I did for grandmas, but it was more specific to marathon pace. So my body knew what to do during that specific time period.
00:44:18
Speaker
my coach was pretty much telling me like, your endurance is there, your speed is there, we just need to build on your marathon endurance. So I'm just like, okay, like, how do we go about doing that? And we started doing more marathon effort workout. So that's one of the major things that changed. And I was very surprised. I asked her straight up. I'm like, listen, I have not been to the track in like months. I'm like,
00:44:38
Speaker
Should I be going there? She's like, I don't think you need to like, all right, let's just keep going with it and see what happens. Um, so, uh, it was actually very, it was an interesting way of doing it. And I actually kind of liked that approach because the thing is that your mind and your body get used to the certain paces like, okay, I got to hit this pace. It's got to be for this amount of distance. So if your body knows that it recognizes that when you're actually doing that during on race day, um, and for the first 13 miles of the race.
00:45:07
Speaker
I was just cruising. Like I was actually, I met up with, um, I met up with my other Instagram friends. I actually, she was running Mesa at the same time here. She was going for, um, for sub two 50. I was cruising along with her at like six 30 pace and we were chatting back and forth. And I barely could do that when I was actually out on the run, like a training run, like I'm like, I don't know what's happening right now. I'm like, we're talking, we're moving and we're going fast. I'm like, let's just go with it and see what happens. And, um,
00:45:34
Speaker
I think I kind of like, I think that all stemmed from doing all those marathon paced effort workouts. Like I, my body just got used to doing those runs. And it was more of the thing where it was like, I mean, the taper obviously came into play too, but like, I was just used to doing them over and over and over again. My body just knew what to do. And it just took over. Like my mind was just like somewhere else, like chatting my body was just like, well, we're doing this now. Like let's just go. Um, but, uh, yeah, it was just one of those things where I think that was one of the, that was one of the biggest changes that I made during this specific cycle. So.
00:46:04
Speaker
Which is interesting. I mean, like, I like having different things altered here in there. Maybe like my next training cycle, like not for Boston, but like maybe for my next PR attempt, there might be more like, um, like 800 meter repeats or like thousand meter repeats or anything like that. I mean, like my endurance is there and the speed I feel like was there too. It was just more of like, I need to work on my speed for longer duration. So I think that.
00:46:30
Speaker
probably for my next one, it might end up being closer to like 70 miles a week, or well, peak per peak week, I should say. Yeah, I get it. It's all trial and error when it comes to that. So, which is good. I like that. It's really cool. I love that what your coach suggested. I'm a big believer in really digging in on your marathon pace and really getting your body to feel what it feels like to run at that pace for extended periods of time. Don't save that for race day.
00:46:57
Speaker
You know, the first time you've ever tried to hit your marathon pace at mile 17 or mile 18, your body's going to be like, what's happening and crash. So yeah, like I helped coach a couple of runners last year and that, that was one of my main things for New York. And that was when I made things, it's like, find what your marathon pace is and really dig in on that on long runs. Get your body.
00:47:17
Speaker
used to what that feels like because like when I lock into it I'm like I do have a feeling like I can lock into this for a long time like this feels good it shouldn't feel like this is so hard right now you know what I mean like of course days you might have a tough day or whatever but in general over the long arc of a training cycle so yeah that's that's really cool to hear
00:47:36
Speaker
Yeah, it was definitely a change in pace for me, which like, I was like, I mean, week to week, I'm just like, again, another marathon workout. I'm like, here we go. I mean, like, I feel like you hit that point during certain training cycles anyways, but like, it was just very surprising to not to only see one track workout. And I'm pretty sure that track workout, I think that was like three weeks out from the race.
00:47:57
Speaker
I'm pretty sure that's what it was. It wasn't in the beginning, it wasn't in the middle. It was three weeks out and it was like, oh, I guess I have to go to the track now. I wasn't even supposed to actually run to the track because my track is usually, it's like two and a quarter miles away from my house. I would normally run there. She's like, well, I don't want to put that many miles on your legs. She's like, I'd rather have you drive there and do you warm up on the track. I'm like, ugh.
00:48:18
Speaker
So I had to like do like two mile warm up on the track and I'm like, dear God, this is terrible. And then do the workout and then do a mile cool down. I ended up being like, I think it was like how long it was. It might've been like eight miles, maybe total on the track, maybe, maybe a little less than that. But I'm like, man, this sucks. But I mean, I changed directions, which I feel like that helps. You said something a little while ago. So you think Boston might change their standards?
00:48:43
Speaker
Have you heard that? Yeah, I think that it's going to be, I think it's going to happen because a lot of people were actually qualifying for Boston very easily. I'm not going to bring up the fact that, I've heard some rumblings of people saying that the women's standards are a little too low. When you look about, for my age range, it's a 305 for male and I think it's like 330 or 335 for female. Yeah, I think it's 30 minutes.
00:49:09
Speaker
difference. Yeah, it's a big difference. I'm not going to get into that and like how people think it's unfair what I'm not going to get into that. But I think what they're trying to do is they're trying to get more female athletes to actually run it, which makes sense. But it's one of those things I'm just like, there was a lot of people who actually did qualify and didn't get in with a large buffer. And I think we have when you have like a buffer, that's five minutes, or let me rephrase that.
00:49:30
Speaker
Five minutes and 29 say whatever whatever it was Um when you have that large buffer, I think that's kind of what Determined what they're going to do for the following year And if you look at all the previous years, I think it was more of like It was like a one-minute buffer or a three-minute buffer. It didn't get that for the last few years. Yeah, it was smaller Yeah, yeah. Yeah, so I think that they'll change I think the last time they had it changed was um was four years ago So I think yeah four years ago was like 3 10 for my age range. Yeah
00:49:56
Speaker
Um, so I think that they'll change it again just to kind of cut down the field a little bit because they cut they cut a significant amount of people I think it was like
00:50:04
Speaker
It was an insane amount over 10,000 runners, I think they qualified and it's sort of harsh on all those athletes that thought they qualified and don't actually get into the race. So it may be in the end, it's better to make a little bit of more difficult qualification standard and not put everybody through that, that.

Qualifying for the Boston Marathon

00:50:23
Speaker
I know a lot of people were just kind of like, yeah, it's like, it's, it's really bizarre. I mean, like, I thought I had it. I thought I was in, I'm like, dang it. Like, yeah.
00:50:33
Speaker
Yeah, it was it was a real bummer and i'm like I yeah You know in the end it's you got redemption because you're doing it anyways Yeah, now it's actually like I don't know. I don't know how this happened, but I mean getting through poland spring I didn't even know it was a real thing You ready to take that back? I knew it back from last year because one of the guys I knew on instagram he got in that way I'm like, I don't I didn't know how he did it
00:50:57
Speaker
But apparently, Poland Spring had this giveaway. They were giving away 15 spots. And they were one of the actual sponsors of the Boston Marathon. So there was a contest online where it was pretty much a guaranteed entry into the Boston Marathon. You had to make a post about why you think you want to run this race, what it means to you, and a bunch of other things, too. And you had to tag a bunch of people, too. And I was just like, there's no way. Because there's people who actually would sign up,
00:51:25
Speaker
nothing wrong with them, but they were like, oh, like, you know, I'm overcoming an injury or like, you know, I have, you know, I'm supporting mental health or whatever. Like they had better stories than I did. I'm just like, well, Hey, here I am. Like I've always wanted to run it. I missed out by 25 seconds. Like pick me, you know, like one of those kinds of scenarios. And I'm like, there's no way I can't top any of these other stories from these people. Like there's no way. Um, but I ended up getting chosen for them. I'm like, I'm very thankful for that. Cause it was one of those things where I didn't really expect it at all.
00:51:55
Speaker
And I heard from a lot of my followers, and they were just like, well, you deserve to be there in the first place. And I'm like, yeah, that's a good point. I mean, I kind of got gypped. But except by 25 seconds, you're going to haunt me forever.
00:52:09
Speaker
Once you qualify next time and get in, that 25 seconds will disappear in your mind. Yeah. Which I'm hoping, again, I'm hoping that because I got 257, 22 at Mesa. So I'm still under that. So technically, I qualified again. And if they don't change the standards, then I'm still like almost eight minutes away. So I'm like, I'm still good. Yeah, that should do it.
00:52:33
Speaker
Probably a good part of why you got that Poland spring is because they recognize just how much you do for the running community and like the you know how much you provide an inspiration for people which is It's really great. And I think I'm grateful to have you up there and I think thousands of other runners are too So yeah, yeah, I'm really I'm really excited about that one. Like that's
00:52:53
Speaker
It's been something I wanted to do for a long time and just experiencing it. I'm not necessarily racing it because I feel like eight weeks from Mesa to Boston is not enough time to train properly for one.

Performance and Enjoyment in Close Marathons

00:53:06
Speaker
It's more of like a, like a victory lap kind of a thing. It's weird to figure out those marathons that are close together and what to do in that time period. I did, uh, I did an upstate New York one last year, which was October 5th. And then New York was four weeks later. And it's tough. You want to stay in your kind of peak marathon mode, but you don't want to get sluggish, but you don't want to over train. Then you're like, yeah, yeah. So it's a tricky little kind of balancing act to do in between when you have marathon close together. If you really want to try to PR on both.
00:53:36
Speaker
Yeah, I was thinking like I probably I'm gonna try to stay away from trying to PR from it Yeah, just so I want to try to I want to soak it all in. Yeah, cuz like I know my coach ran it She ran it like several years ago and she's like, I think she ran it twice I forget but she said that's the one thing that she really missed out on she's like I've always been racing it and
00:53:58
Speaker
She's like, I never really had a chance to actually enjoy it for what it was. And she's like, her mind was always on focusing on just one thing PRing or finishing or doing this. So I'm just like, I kind of want to take the approach of like, I want to have a specific time. Like, I want to be Q at Boston. So for me, that's sub 305. I'm like, I feel like I can do that. And if I don't, then, you know, whatever, it's going to be what it is. But like, that's one of the things I want to do. So I think that I think 305 is like,
00:54:25
Speaker
I think around like a seven minute mile or something like that. Kind of like, I think I can achieve that. Like for, for my training block in between the two races, I think I can achieve it. And if I don't, that's totally fine too. I mean, like I, again, I'm there to just experience everything and take it all in. Cause totally running Boston is something that a lot of people will want to do. And this is something that I said before, like that I've always wanted to do. So I think I told my coach a lot ago, I'm like, I feel like I'm kind of doing one of those things where I'm like, I'm checking out the course this year. And then maybe next year I'll actually race.
00:54:56
Speaker
scope it out. Yeah, yeah. So I am really excited about it. Cory, thank you so much for doing this. This has been so fun to get to hang and talk and catch up and learn about all your running and nutrition and all this stuff you have to offer, man. I'm so appreciative to have you. Thanks so much for doing

Conclusion and Farewell

00:55:13
Speaker
it, man.
00:55:13
Speaker
Yeah, thank you so much for having me on. It's definitely a pleasure meeting up with you, and hopefully we'll see each other soon. Yeah, I mean, I definitely should see each other in Boston, but... Boston, Philly, New York, we'll make it happen. Yep. Okay, man. Absolutely, yeah. Corey, thanks so much, man. All right, thank you. Have a good one. Thanks, brother. Have a great day. Yep, you too. All right, peace.
00:55:34
Speaker
Thanks so much for listening to the podcast. Thanks to Corey Wallace for joining. Please subscribe, leave a review, all that. And we will see you on the next one. Peace.