Run717Coaching

Janine is on FIRE right now. I worked with her last year for her first marathon, and she came back because she missed having a coach- and what a week she just had.

Two PRS in one week.
Last Tuesday she hit the track for a mile time trial and ran a 7:34, her fastest mile ever.
Then on Sunday she ran the Philly Distance Run and dropped a whopping 20 minutes from her time in her twenties! That's incredible. She paced beautifully and ran a strong 2:06 even with some leg issues that we're addressing.

What's the main difference?
Running consistently and being a part of a running club. Surrounding yourself with faster runners elevates your own running.

Janine is positive, outgoing, and most of all a hard worker. I know she will get a sub two half. I can't wait to see what else she accomplishes.

Dale ran the Air Force Marathon and walked away with a 30 minute PR - 5:17! This one means a lot. What did we do? We prepared!

His first marathon was a classic newbie experience - not enough long runs, inconsistent mileage, and no real rhythm. This cycle was different. He committed to consistency, building his long runs brick by brick and showed up week after week. Taper week threw a curveball with a non-running injury so things looked a little bit different. Thankfully we made the smart call to be to conservative, protect the fitness he built, and let the body settle.

Race day added another challenge with the weather alert (it got hot) but he ran smart. Yes, he slowed a bit- blame the heat- but he handled it so much better than last time. Breaking the marathon into smaller chunks kept him focused and steady.

And all of this post prostate cancer. Dale, your resilience is unreal. So proud of you. The Best is yet to come.

Do you fade in a marathon?
Let's talk about someone who didn't: Carlos!

Another throwback to Sydney, where Carlos absolutely crushed it. He's one of my longest running athletes- not oldest in age, but oldest in years coached- and that history matters. Cycle after cycle, I get to know him more deeply. We've been through a lot together, and there's a special connection because we're both former band,
kids and total math nerds.

Carlos's superpower is pacing. Every 5K was within 10 seconds. That level of control comes from months of practicing patience early in long runs. Marathon success isn't just about being tough at the end. It's about holding back at the beginning so the end stays strong.

Training in the Texas heat meant adapting- splitting speed workout over 2 days and it worked. He recovered quickly and logged as fastest 10 Mile time since 2022 right after this race.

Now we build toward the Valencia marathon. The momentum is real!

Melissa H crushed the BIH half marathon this weekend and I couldn't be happier for her. BIH is no joke- hills, gravel sections, even some grassy stretches. It's a true strength course. And despite all of that she walked away with a 10-minute PR on that course. Absolutely incredible.

What I love most is that she's already thinking ahead. She's planning to run it again next year and now she's wondering just how fast she can get on a faster course. And honestly, that curiosity is where big breakthroughs start. Everyone loves a fast course, but there's something special about running hard on a challenging one- you learn grit, rhythm, and how to stay composed when the terrain doesn't help you. This cycle, we focused on consistency, improving cadence, and shifting long runs from miles to minutes, a lifesaver during the brutally hot summer. It kept her steady, healthy, and it clearly paid off.

So what's next? Recover and then sprinkle in some short races to work on leg turnover and speed. That's how we set up another PR for next year. And the best part about repeating races? You get to see your growth in real time. Proud coaching moment.

Wicked Fast Marathon weekend in the Poconos! 🏃‍♀️💨

A HUGE congratulations to Steph Demi on her FIRST MARATHON! 🎉

And what a debut it was — just over 3:25, which is a Boston Qualifying time! Whether that ends up being enough for the Boston cutoff is still to be determined, but regardless… this was a massive success.

I’ve absolutely loved coaching Steph. She’s the kind of athlete who doesn’t just want to know what we’re doing — she always wants to know why. She believed in the process, trusted the training, and consistently put in the work.

Going into her first marathon, we had tiered goals:

🥇 Goal #1: Finish a marathon.
🥈 Goal #2: Fitness suggested around 3:25.
🥉 Goal #3: With good weather, we thought a ~3:20 might be possible.

And Steph gave us plenty of reasons to believe that 3:20 was within reach. She even ran a very impressive solo half marathon tempo workout, which had me thinking we might be able to chase that sub-3:20 on race day.

But as we all know, weather matters.

The temperature was great, but the rain came down — and when you’re racing on a rail trail, rain can turn things into a pretty muddy mess. 🌧️

Steph never panicked.

She stayed calm, trusted the plan, and ran an incredibly even-paced marathon — especially impressive for a first-timer.

A first marathon.
A 3:25-ish finish.
A BQ time.
A tough, wet course.
And a race executed with maturity way beyond what you’d expect from a marathon rookie.

Whether Boston says yes or no, this was a huge win. 🥳

I’m so proud of her and so excited about what’s ahead. If this is what Steph can do in marathon #1, I absolutely cannot wait to see what happens when we get another one under her belt.

Congratulations, Steph! You earned this one. Now we get to build on it. 💪🏃‍♀️

Sydney Marathon flashback with Denise H. 🇦🇺

Months of training went into this one. We made a point of getting off the treadmill and onto the roads, gradually increased weekly mileage, and things were going really well this cycle.

In fact, Denise put together three solid PRs during the training cycle — all signs pointing toward a potential marathon PR on home turf in Sydney.

And then… marathoning happened.

Sometimes you can do everything right, and luck still isn’t on your side.

As a coach, I always feel awful when an athlete gets injured. But I also have to remind myself that this happens to everyone — even the elites. Marathon training is demanding, and the marathon itself is a long way to ask your body to perform.

Denise powered through and finished another marathon, even though it wasn’t the PR day we had hoped for.

Still, I’m choosing to be thankful for those three PRs she earned along the way. Those count. That progress is real. 🙌

Marathoning is tough. You control what you can: the training, the mileage, the fueling, the recovery, the preparation. But there are things you simply can’t control — the weather, race-day circumstances, and injuries.

The goal is to put yourself in the best position possible and then roll with whatever the day gives you.

Now the focus is on getting healthy, staying optimistic, and looking toward Chicago. 🏙️🏃‍♀️

One race doesn’t erase months of progress.

We’re not done yet. 💪

Sometimes the hardest part of building toward a big goal is not knowing if the work is actually paying off.
Meet Katie Conrad, all the way out in Utah. 🇺🇸

Katie and I are working toward a sub-3-hour marathon—26.2 miles at roughly a 6:52/mile pace. It’s a tough goal that requires consistency, hard work, patience, and, yes, a little luck.

And sometimes progress is hard to see while you’re in the middle of building.
Katie has a demanding job, is an involved mom, and still finds a way to show up and put in the work. Today, we finally got some pretty undeniable evidence that it’s paying off.

1:22 half marathon.
3-minute PR. 🔥

That’s not just a fast race. That’s the result of months of work, consistency, and believing in the process even when the results aren’t immediately visible.
Katie, this one is a big deal. And I have a feeling it’s just the beginning.
Keep building. The results will come. 💪🏃‍♀️

Congrats to Johnny Cleghorn on a huge 5K PR!

Shin splints can be stubborn and frustrating - we reduced mileage, added strength exercises, this required lots of patience. We finally got a handle on them, even though it meant postponing a marathon. It's okay to feel sad about that... But last weekend gave us proof that the fitness is still there.

Ben and Tim's 5K -> rolling hills -> 2nd in age group + NEW PR 18:39. That is sub 6-minute Pace and the best part? His shins held up to the challenge.

No September Marathon, but eyes are now set on Philly. The momentum is building.

Not every race is a PR... And that's okay. Nicole ran the Honey Run 5k on Saturday and while it wasn't her fastest ever, it was full of wins.

Coming back from an injury can make racing mentally tough- especially when you know a PR isn't on the table. But she showed up anyway, and she pasted it beautifully: each mile faster than the last. That's control, patience, and determination.

Keep showing up. Nicole. Progress isn't always loud but it's always happening.

Meet Tim M! - teacher, long distance commuter, and a zero excuses athlete. He gets up super early to train, makes the most of limited weekday time, and shows up with consistency that inspires everyone around him.

This Saturday he ran the York Rail Trail 10 Miler in 1:31:40 - smashing his PR by EIGHT minutes. Huge momentum heading into his goal race, Detroit Half Marathon - 8 weeks away.

I often encourage athletes to race before their target event. It builds the morning ritual, race day confidence as well as mental strength. It can also give solo runners an extra push hard to replicate in training.

Goal for Detroit is sub 2 - and he's close. We aren't done building fitness. Fall weather is coming and training gains take time to show up!

Way to go Tim.