Looking For A Coach? Try RYR Coaching!

2017 was an incredibly difficult year for me and my running. I suffered an almost paralyzing depression and while running was something that helped me out of difficult times in the past, this time it only made it worse. By June I had put on about 15 pounds and was really struggling with my running. The year before I was running fast (for me), qualifying for the Boston Marathon for 2016 and 2017, but now I was struggling to run a 5:00 marathon. I had had enough. 

Thanks to great friends, I started working little by little to drop the weight, and get my love of running back. By December, I qualified for Boston at the Tucson Marathon, but only with a 13 second cushion which was surely not enough to actually get into the race, but it felt like a huge victory.

After I posted about my victory, I got a lovely message from Holly Garcia congratulating me and offering the services of RYR Coaching, the coaching business she runs with Stephanie-Jake Anderson. I know these great ladies as I often pace on the pace team they run as well. She said that a coach would help me keep motivated to get to where I wanted to be, and that was a BQ with at least a 5 minute cushion at the Revel Mt. Charleston Marathon at the end of April.

I had not had a coach since high school. Any training I did I did on my own or with Jeff Galloway Training when I first started my marathon training, but I never had a real personal coach. I thought this would be a great opportunity to get some structure in my training and I signed on as a client!

Holly and Stephanie! RYR Coaches!

I did a short interview with Stephanie to answer some basic questions I had about their coaching program:

1.  What made you decide to start coaching?

Stephanie:  I have been a personal trainer to 10+ years and absolutely love helping people achieve their goals. I decided to take my love of helping others and my love of running and combine them. Holly and I talked about getting certified for quite sometime and finally did it last February. We’d seen the difference that following a good plan could make and wanted to share that knowledge with others.     

AWP:  That's great! To be a good runner, you must do more than just running. Your personal training background would invaluable when it comes to teaching other parts of training like strength and cross training.

2.  How do you decide what training plan is compatible for runners you coach?

Stephanie:  Each plan is completely individualized. We look at each clients current mileage, speed, PR etc. and go from there. We have our clients check in each week and depending on how the previous week went we adjust their plan as needed. 

AWP:  I love it! Every plan does not work for every person. I love that you customize it for each client.

3.  How do you deliver your training plans? 

Stephanie:  We do all of our communication online. We give our plans on a weekly basis. That way we can make changes as needed.   

4.  Do you provide a cross training plan as well? Can you help a client with a nutrition plan?

Stephanie:  We write cross training and rest days into each plan. We aren’t currently certified as nutritionists but offer what advice and help we can. 

5.  Life is crazy! How do you handle unexpected issues in your client's training?

Stephanie:  We are always adjusting our clients schedule as needed. We provide encouragement and support to help them get the workouts done and suggest solutions to issues that may arise.

AWP:  Oh! I appreciated this! I didn't really foresee throwing a 100K and a 50 mile  ultra marathon into my schedule before my "A" race, but when it happened I was a little nervous, but you adjusted my plan to ensure I had the recovery I needed to continue to reach my goal.

6. Tell me about a client that made the most improvement after coaching.

Stephanie:  We just finished training someone for Boston. He is an amazing athlete and was always fast but would die the last few miles of his races. He came to us to help him have a positive experience at his first Boston marathon. He had an amazing training cycle and improved his 5K time by a lot. We write 5K threshold runs into each plan and his time improved each and every time. Although the racing conditions weren’t ideal at Boston this year, he went and got a very respectable time. The best part was that he finished strong and still had something left in the tank...something he had never had before. He greatly improved his speed and endurance.

AWP:  That's awesome!

7.  People sometimes think they can't get a coach because of the cost. Some coaches charge a lot of money. What are your fees?

Stephanie:  We charge $60 per month!

AWP:  I thought coaching was a lot more. That is reasonable. $60 per month is worth every penny when it comes to getting that PR or BQ!

  

So I went through Stephanie and Holly's program and how did things go? Things went great! The training plan was awesome and not only did a reach my goal of qualifying for Boston again, I qualified with close to 10 minutes under! THANK YOU Holly and Stephanie! I am so grateful for your guidance.

Boston Bound!

Holly and Stephanie were a huge reason I reached my goal and know they could help you too! If you would like more info on RYR Pacing contact them through their Facebook Page or their website.

#138- The Flying Pig Marathon!

In doing my 50 State marathon quest, there was only one race I wanted to do in Ohio, The Flying Pig in Cincinnati. this race stayed on my radar for a couple reasons:

1. I have heard nothing but great things about the race itself and the great swag they give out to the runners.
2. I LOVE pigs!! I used to collect pigs when I was younger until I just didn't have the space for them any more, but I love them!

I signed up for this race shortly after registration opened. With race registrations getting more and more expensive, I could not believe how inexpensive this race was, so I bit the bullet and registered.

I left Salt Lake City on Saturday morning, so I didn't get to participate in the other races like the 1 mile, 5k and 10k, but I got to the expo with plenty of time to pick up my race packet.

This race set the bar high form the beginning. When I got off the plane, I was walking through the airport and I saw a statue of a big flying pig with a medal around its neck. Right in front of it was a Flying Pig Marathon welcome lounge where people were giving out little bags of candy to the runners. I have never seen anything like that at any race I have traveled to.

The flying pig at the airport sporting his bling!

My friend Ed Childress was a doll and came and picked me up at the airport. It was raining and the expo was about a 30 minute drive away. When we got to the expo, Ed let me out and I ran in while he found parking.

Piggy Balloons!

This is the 20th running of The Flying Pig Marathon!

Finish line or finish swine? 😁

There were lot of flying piggies everywhere!

The expo.

First thing I did when I got to the expo, was pick up my number. In order to get my t-shirt I had to walk through the expo to the opposite end of the hall. I was quickly diverted by this long line at the one of the sponsor booths. P&G was giving out laundry bags that you could fill up with samples of a lot of P&G produced items. There was everything from mouthwash and tampons to laundry detergent and facial cleanser. The line was moving fast so I jumped in.

In the line I ran into fellow Marathon Maniac and Facebook friend, Jeff Davenport, who invited me to a group dinner at a lovely pizza restaurant called MediCi  which was just a couple blocks from the expo.

Ed found parking and made his way back into the expo. After I got the P&G swag, I made my way to the back of the hall to pick up my t-shirt. I also saw these really cute race posters, so I got one of them. We didn't have a lot of time to look around, so we headed towards the exit, when Ed asked me if I got my blanket? I didn't know we got a blanket! We went back to the where the t-shirts and posters were and there they were. I showed the volunteer my bib and walked away with a really nice travel blanket!

Ed and I at the expo!

20 years of flying piggies!

Selfie with Pheidippieds pig!

Pheidippieds pig

We once again made our way for the exit, when a announcement came on saying that all of the official Flying Pig merchandise was 50% off including all the Asics running gear! I had to at least look. 😉  

OK, so I bought a few items, but for 50% off, how could I pass on all this cute stuff?

We finally got out of the expo, put our bags in the car, and walked over to MediCi for dinner with a few Maniacs and Fanatics. The pizza there was fantastic and very reasonably priced. My entire bill was only $12! We got there just in time to watch the Kentucky Derby as well.

Fun pre-race dinner!

Roz was sitting directly across from me at dinner. Then I recognized her. We were both trying to get photos with that flying pig at the airport, so we offered to take each other's photos! Small world!

Flying pig on the side of the building!

As anyone who travels a lot to races, you know that one of the biggest expenses it staying in a hotel. One way I have cut down on that expense is using Airbnb. When I registered for this race, the first thing I did was look for a place to stay. I went on Airbnb and found this little basement apartment in a really cute neighborhood, walking distance to some great restaurants and pubs, but about 20 minutes from downtown. Hotel rooms downtown were $200+ per night, but I got this place for $163 for the entire weekend!  The place sleeps 4, but it was perfect for 2 people. Ed was staying with family a little further out, so Saturday night I let him crash in one of the beds. It was a really great find!

The hostess, Cera was so nice. She and her family lived upstairs, so if there was anything we needed, she was close by. She was also a runner! She was running the half, so Ed offered to give her a ride to the start with us. I have met really nice people and save a lot of money doing Airbnb.

The cute little kitchen in the Airbnb I rented. Complete with snacks and coffee!

The bedroom with a really comfy bed!

The living room. The couch folded out to a huge bed. The place has a large TV too.

The other side of the living room.

Once we got settled into the apartment, I got my race stuff ready and Ed and I watched a movie, then I hit the hay.

Flat Angie ready! It's the Flying Pig, I had to wear pink!

I got a great night's sleep and we were up and out the door at 5:15AM. The Maniac photo was at 6:00AM, but the aerial photo of where the picture was being taken did not indicate what street the meeting place was. The stadium was big and round and since we are not looking at the stadium, from up top, we walked and walked and we could not find the photo location. Luckily, we found some Maniacs at the near the start and got a good picture.   

A few Maniacs at the start!

The start!

Selfie at the start.

The race started at 6:30AM, so we didn't have to wait forever to start. I got to the bathroom and checked my drop bag and we were off!

Now, I heard the race was hilly, but this race didn't give you a few miles to work up to the hills, they started pretty much from the start. There were a lot of bridges on this course.

Running over the first bridge!

So fun to see Larry Macon out there! (Photo Credit: Seth Kramer)

Cincinnati has so much cool art around the city! This piece had a dog in it, so I had to get a picture of it! 💖 

Now I have run marathons with exceptional crowd and community support like Boston, New York City and Chicago, but the support at the Flying Pig was right up there. There were so many spectators  cheering and holding hilarious signs, people in pig hats and and fun makeshift aid stations all over! It was a blast! 

LOL!

On another bridge getting some nice views.

Runners crossing one of the many bridges.

A shot of the stadium.

HELP!! I am being chased by a shark! (Side note: Karen Murray and I saw him towards the end of the race and vowed the we would NOT get beat by a shark! LOL!)

There were some cool buildings in Cincinnati.

The spectators and volunteers were AMAZING!

ELEPHANT! 💕

This hill was brutal! It felt like a trap! LOL

Selfie with the "King"!

This was probably the only flat part of the course!

I love this sign so much!

I wanted this pic to look like I was wearing this huge fez. Didn't quite get it. Ha!

Flying pigs and Twizzlers!

I. CAN'T. EVEN!! No words to describe the CUTENESS!!💓💓💓💓💓

Santa and the Easter Bunny even showed up to support us! 

I guess I will stick with the Marathon!

I break for puppies, piggies and cute firemen!

Iced cold Mimosa shot? Don't mind if I do! OK I had 2 or 3 of them. LOL!

So glad to see my friend Dan two weekends in a row!

I literally had to cross the street to take a picture of these sweet ladies at the senior home out there with their piggy hats and cowbells cheering the runners on! So freaking SWEET! This was so something my mom would do! 😭💖

Bagpipe guy!

Well you know, what can I say? LOL!

Love it!

Beer stop!!

I don't drink alone!

I hoped this sign would make me look skinny!

Sign holding is hard too!

OK! I need to talk about the aid stations. I only ate one gel the whole race! Why? Because the aid station were a cross between an ultra marathon aid station and Costco on a Saturday! So many good snacks!!

I have NEVER seen an entire aid station that (besides water and sports drink) had only Girl Scout cookies!! They had signs with what cookie they had in front of them. I went for the Samosa of course!

You are never to young to volunteer at a race! These cute little guys had their little wheelbarrow and shovel out there picking up cups and orange peels! So sweet!

I saw my NYC pal JC on the out and back. I asked him why he wasn't running slow like me this weekend? He is so much fun!

Chewy said it perfectly!

Cute kids handing out bacon at one of the many bacon stops.

This neighborhood was decked out!

So was their emcee!

The DJ's kept the music pumping!

I can never pass up a trampoline!

The Blues Brothers aid station was great!

Around mile 20 I hooked up with fellow Maniac Karen Murray. We had a great time getting through those last hot miles. I am learning more and more, running fast is hard, but so is running slow. I am still tore up those last 6 miles no matter how fast I run. It really help to find a race buddy to get through the miles.

This place was so cute!

One of the best things at this race, was the bibs they gave to the first time marathoners. They wore them on their backs and it was so much fun to encourage them in their last miles to the finish.

Karen and I at the "Finish Swine"! Right after this was taken, we were interviewed on TV!

I finished a full hour slower than my time at Mt. Charleston last weekend, but it was so worth it! I had a BLAST!

After I finished I made my way to the finisher's area and grabbed a piece of pizza and a cold beer. The marathoners got these amazing jackets, but the line was so long, I grabbed a seat, and ate my pizza while it died down a little.

When I got my jacket, I went and sat down next to this water fountain where little kids were playing at met this nice girl named Kari and her mother. Kari had run the half and they were waiting for a friend to finish the marathon. You meet some of the nicest people in this sport!

Me and my new friend Kari! (Photo Credit Kari Melkonian)

I knew Ed had finished, so I tried to make my way back to the buses where our drop bags were. I was going to meet him there, but between getting lost and seeing old friends, it took a while before I found him. 

On the walk over, one of the first time marathoners Karen and I were cheering on stopped me an told me how much it meant to her and they we really helped her push towards her first marathon finish. That was AWESOME!

So great to see Abbi (she and I are the only 9 star Maniacs and we will have to kill you if we tell you how we got there), Ruth and Sandy! I haven't seen these ladies forever!!

Camille and I run in the same circles in Utah!!

So great seeing Maniacs everywhere! I haven't seen Kino forever either!

When I finally found Ed, we headed back towards the Airbnb. Then he had a brilliant idea...DAIRY QUEEN! We made a quick 6 mile detour for ice cream. It was so good!

Sundaes and Blizzards hit the spot after a marathon in the heat!

We went back to the apartment grabbed showers and took naps. Our Airbnb hostess recommended this old bar and burger place called The Gas Light Cafe. It was just down the street and they had really great burgers. My Utah friend Camille joined us and we had a great post race dinner!

Camille and I at the Gas Light Cafe

After dinner Ed drove Camille to her hotel and went to stay with his family closer to the airport as he had a super early flight. I made a cup of tea, relaxed on the sofa and watched some HBO. The perfect ending to a near perfect day!

Yep, The Flying Pig did not disappoint on the swag!

You can't see it in the above photo, but this is the front of the jackets we got.

This just might be my favorite medal! I love that little piggy butt!

I am so glad I came to this race. Not only did I knock off another State, I had a total blast doing it! If you are looking for an amazing Ohio race, The Flying Pig is the race to do!