Bio
As humans and as athletes, we often struggle to see ourselves objectively. As athletes, some of us need a gentle push while others need to be pulled back. Some of us have a lot of natural speed, while others have a lot of endurance. But it can be difficult to figure out exactly what it is you need in any given season. Having a knowledgeable coach who can analyze the missing pieces, give unique insight to guide you towards your long term goals, and provide the short term pushes and pulls as needed is absolutely invaluable for long term development.
It wasn’t until I hired a coach of my own that I came to understand why all the plans in the world hadn’t gotten me to my dream marathon time yet. This lit a fire for me, and I worked to learn more about the science behind the sport while simultaneously working to develop as an athlete myself. I ran my first marathon in 3:57; yet I recently ran a 17:59 5K and 1:23 half marathon. This happened through methodical and intentional development (and believe me, nothing about it was perfect!). I don’t believe in impossible, and I don’t believe in telling people that they can’t accomplish X, Y, or Z. You deserve to chase your dreams with fervor and enthusiasm – let’s work together to smash some personal bests!
Q&A With Heather
How long have you been running for?
10 years
How long have you been coaching for?
4 years
What is something you’re looking forward to right now?
Getting through my second surgery of the year, starting rehab, and getting closer to running pain free in the new year!
If you could only listen to one musical artist for the rest of your life, who would it be?
It’s a coin flip between Fleetwood Mac and Rilo Kiley.
What has been the best thing that has happened to you this year?
It’s a toss up between being at the finish line of Phoenix Mesa and being at the Olympic Trials. Maybe I’m carrying some bias since I miss “real” races so much – but the joy of being surrounded by friends and badass athletes is really second to none.
What has been the worst thing that has happened to you this year?
Finding out my first fasciotomy for chronic compartment syndrome was unsuccessful and will require another surgery.
What is your favorite workout, and why?
I love cruise repeats — anywhere from 4-7 minutes at threshold intensity with a short walk or light jog recovery. It’s a great way to get a lot of exposure to LT without it feeling as mentally overwhelming as a straight tempo run can sometimes feel.
Tell us about a time an athlete surprised you.
So there are a lot of stories I can think of… but one of the most recent is Kelly Valco in the McKirdy Mile. Her first mile was a 5:33, which was 2 seconds faster than what VDOT predicted. I was already pretty blown away at that, because it can be so difficult to race a mile well in the first event of the season, much less when you’re doing it solo. Because she nailed it the first time, I honestly wasn’t sure if she’d see a huge improvement over the course of the 8 week block. But she just crushed her workouts and responded really well to the training, and ended up with a 5:21 in the last mile! It was a huge improvement that I really didn’t see coming, and it was one of those fun Covid silver linings — we probably would’ve never worked on that type of speed, or known she could run that fast in the mile, if the year hadn’t played out as it did.
You’re at mile 16 of the Boston Marathon. You’re about to poop your pants. If you keep going without stopping, you’re guaranteed to win. If you stop, the outcome is unknown. What do you do?
10.2 miles of poopy pants is nothing; let ‘er rip and keep going.
Describe yourself in one word.
Anxious. LOL.
What has been the highlight of your athletic career to date?
It wasn’t the fastest marathon I’ve ever ran, but when I qualified for Boston for the first time in Dublin 2016… that was pretty much the most amazing day I’ve had to date.
What is your favorite race?
The Boilermaker 15K in Utica, NY. The course is challenging but a lot of fun, the crowds come out like crazy for it, and the post-race party is second to none. Free Saranac beer, live music, a flyover, did I mention the free -unlimited- Saranac beer? The entire day is just such a blast, I’d run it every year if I could.
Most recently binged TV show?
The Great
Would you rather be an unknown superhero or famous villain?
Famous villain
