Finish Lines & Milestones: Episode 80

Here's a link to listen to this week's episode.

Guest: Jordan Huffman @jhuffman82

Show Notes: 

Jordan Huffman⁠ and I met through our running coach, ⁠Rachel Sinders⁠. Jordan just completed her 9th Marine Corps Marathon and still had the marathon hobble to prove it!

During this episode, sponsored by Athlete Bouquets, we talk about:

• The 49th Marine Corps Marathon
• How she ran 10 miles of the MCM and then snuck off the course to hide her first pregnancy
• Her first Indianapolis Monumental and her first non-MCM marathon
• Both of us contemplating running the 50th Marine Corps Marathon next year
• How she found running to find connection while her husband was deployed overseas
• What it’s like being a military spouse and how her husband has supported her goals from afar
• How it's hard saying goodbye to running strollers
• Her 76-year-old dad finishing the MCM skipping after taking a shot of Fireball
• Running a virtual marathon before an 8:30am soccer game
• How spectating and volunteering might actually be harder than running a marathon
• Meeting through our running coach, Rachel Sinders, and why we love working with a running coach
• Taylor Swift concert in Indy
• What it’s like having a husband who works for a commercial airline

If you enjoy this episode, be sure to subscribe, share and review!

Episode Transcript:



0:00

This is a Sandy Boy Productions podcast.

Welcome to Finish Lines and Milestones, a podcast that celebrates the everyday runner.

I'm your host, Ali Brettnacher.

Whether you're a season marathoner, half marathoner, ultra marathoner, prefer shorter distances or just getting started, if you run, you are a runner.

0:22

And every runner has a story.

Join me each week as I share these stories and we cross finish lines and celebrate milestones together.

This podcast is brought to you by Athlete Bouquets.

Celebrate the finish lines and milestones of the people you love by visiting athletebouquets.com.

0:40

Use code PODCAST for 10% off your order.

Hello and welcome to episode 80.

This is Allie and a warm welcome to anybody who might be new thanks to the Sandy Boy Productions Podcast Network.

I've known Lindsay Hyne for a number of years and I'm a long time listener of the all.

0:59

Have another podcast with Lindsay Hyne.

I was lucky enough to be #500 episode 500 of her podcast.

So if you'd like a chance to get to know me and my story a little bit more, you can listen to that or the very first episode of this podcast and episode 50 of this podcast.

1:18

So huge thank you to Lindsay and team again for bringing finish lines and milestones into the fold.

All of the everyday stories that I share deserve to be shared on a larger stage.

And hopefully and hopefully this will get more people to listen.

So thanks for being here and of course thank you to my listeners who have always been here since it was only 10 of you.

1:37

I appreciate you as well.

So now it is all eyes on next weekend for me.

On November 9th is the CNO Indianapolis Monumental Marathon.

Been talking about this for a while if you listen regularly, but I am going for APR.

1:54

The weather's looking good.

I've been checking it multiple times a day so hopefully it stays that way.

But I have run a sub 4 marathon ten years ago.

It'll be actually is my PR marathon.

So exactly 10 years later, I'm looking to come back and run another sub four and hopefully shatter that sub four.

2:12

So I ran a 357 something.

So I'm hoping to demolish that come next Saturday.

So really excited about that.

I am also really excited to have the opportunity not only to volunteer at our Expo, but to host and moderate the elite athlete panel.

2:29

And I just found out today that Sarah Hall is coming, so I am just mildly panicking and losing my mind that I have an opportunity not to just meet Sarah, but interview her.

I will also be joined by Erica Kemp and Stephanie Sherman.

2:45

So that'll be 3:30 on Friday at the Expo, followed by Cole Hawker, who is the gold medalist in the 1500.

He's originally from Indianapolis, so he's coming home to be part of marathon weekend as well.

So I'm so excited about that.

3:01

I'm I don't know what what I'm more excited about that or the race itself probably equal.

So hopefully I see some familiar faces there.

But thank you so much to the Beyond monumental team for that opportunity.

I am looking forward to it.

And turning then now to this week's episode and guest, I am lucky enough to be joined by Jordan Huffman.

3:22

Jordan and I, we met through our running coach, Rachel Senders of Rachel Michelle running, and we talk a lot about her experience as a military wife and military family.

So I wanted to make sure I started off by thanking her husband, Aaron, for his service to our country.

3:41

You know, and learning more about the dynamic of a military family.

It just gives me that much more of a perspective of how much those in our military who serve sacrifice for our country.

So huge thank you, Aaron.

And then this is not an advertisement for the Marine Corps Marathon, but it starts to feel like it when Jordan and I continue to talk about how we both want to sign up for next year's race, which will be the 50th anniversary.

4:06

So I ran in 2013 with my dad.

So it'll be, yeah, over a decade since I've done that race.

I have family out there.

So I'm really thinking about it.

So you let me know if you sign up, too, because let's make it a huge celebration.

So Jordan and I not only talk about her experience at Marine Corps this year, her dad ran, He's nearly 77 years old.

4:27

So we talk about a little bit about that and a lot about her, just how she found community and in running when her husband was deployed and building a community of others like her and using running as a way to to cope with having her husband gone for long periods of time.

4:46

And we also just talk about a lot about running, which is what this podcast is for.

So Jordan, thanks so much for coming on and sharing your story.

And I certainly know that you all are going to enjoy getting to know Jordan as well.

Hi, Jordan, Good morning.

Good morning.

Or is it afternoon?

5:02

No, it's still morning.

No, it's still morning.

OK, first of all, I'm surprised you're not still wearing your medal.

I actually thought about bringing up.

I thought about that this morning and then I forgot it on the counter.

My daughter has taken it over.

So it's the metal opens up like a Locket.

And so she's all in on that.

5:18

Yeah.

And it was for this year's theme was for women, so women in service.

And so it has a female Marine on the inside.

And so anyway, she's, she pretty much took it away from me as soon as I came home with it.

OK, off topic, sort of.

I just finished the women.

The book.

Yes, I talking about like women in service.

5:34

Yes, that was incredible.

Highly recommend anybody.

I did the audio book and it was so good.

It was about a woman, a female nurse who served in Vietnam.

So yeah.

I read that too.

Yes, it was so good.

Very heavy, tough topic, but really, really good.

I just love all the books that Kristen Hannah writes.

5:50

Yeah.

She was.

I couldn't remember.

So thanks for saying the authors name.

It's good.

Yeah, it's really good.

So we're talking about Marine Corps Marathon that you just ran on Sunday and it was your.

My 9th, it would have been my 10th.

So funny story, my third Marine Corps marathon, I was trained and ready to go and about a week before I had my husband and I have been trying to get pregnant for a long time and he was active duty Marine at the time and so he was coming and going.

6:17

So trying to plan a family around him being home and not being home.

And about a week before the marathon, I found out I was pregnant.

And I was like, Oh my gosh, what do I do?

And my doctor was like, you can run.

I mean, you've trained and you can run, but we've been trying for a very long time.

And so I was a little nervous and I didn't he was like, if something were to happen, you would probably blame running, even though it wouldn't be running's fault.

6:38

And so I decided not to run that year.

But I thought I'd be tricky because, you know, in in the beginning, you don't want your friends and family to know quite yet.

And so I was like, what am I going to do?

Everyone knows I'm running the Marine Corps.

Marathon fake leg injury.

Well, I I started the race and I ran for about 10 miles and then I veered off and went and got coffee and.

6:57

Really, that had to be hard.

It was, it was hard.

It was hard.

Well, it's kind of hard.

It's kind of nice too.

Yeah.

So it would have been my 10th but technically my 9th that I finished.

OK, so like 9 point whatever the math is on.

Yeah, 10 miles.

Yeah, that's really interesting.

7:12

So.

So did you?

Still, you weren't that sneaky because people are probably tracking you so.

So I did have a few people track me and I and I did have a few people reach out afterwards and I just tried to play it off and I think they probably knew, but they chose not to push me out.

7:28

That's too hard.

So because they.

Probably knew you'd been trying if you were close enough to be like, hey, what's going on?

Yep.

Exactly, so I I remember coming back to work the next week and just like pretending like I was sore and I think I pulled it off OK with my work.

That's really funny.

Well, like watching you walk in today was really funny.

7:44

You are still a little doing the marathon hobble.

I definitely am.

I actually felt like this morning I could come down the stairs a little bit easier.

Not so sideways but I did.

I have some dry needling done yesterday because my back was really tight and now I feel like I can't move my neck so I'm kind of like.

Oh, that's funny.

8:00

Yeah.

So I mean, it'll be by the weekend.

I should be, should be, I should be good to go.

I've done, I did dry needling once but actually when I was pregnant and it was because I was having all this nerve stuff but I have needles I struggle with so.

I like it.

It's like it hurts so good type of thing.

I can't do it.

I normally get it all throughout my training leading up to the marathon and yeah, I love.

8:18

It where do you get that done and is it a SPA setting or is it more like a PT or sport?

It's a chiropractic office actually OK, chiropractor office, but they have a sports trainer in there OK, So I go there and they work me over and it helps me get through the cross the finish line, so.

Wow.

OK, so how was the race?

8:35

It was great.

How was the good weather right?

Perfect.

Weather it was trending a little hot the week prior to I I've been watching you on social media track the weather.

So it's, you know, typical runner.

We're always watching the weather for the marathon.

So it was trending a little hot, which is kind of normal.

8:51

I feel like most of the Marine Corps marathons I run have been pretty warm, but a couple days out it actually shifted a little bit and it was cooler.

So it was about a high of 61 when we finished, which was for me perfect sunny.

Just Virginia was showing off with the beautiful fall weather.

9:09

So it was perfect.

It was great.

Awesome.

And how did you feel good?

Was it a good?

It took me a while to get into the marathon mode.

This year I ran a marathon.

Last year I ran the Indy Monumental for the first time.

Crushed it.

Yes, it was my first ever non Marine Corps marathon.

9:26

I remember us chatting about that like in the corrals in the morning.

Yes, and it was great.

It was so flat and fast and I loved it.

And I forgot how hilly the Marine Corps Marathon is.

Yeah.

So that was, I was like, oh wow, that hurt.

But I, it took me a while to get into a good spot with running.

9:43

I felt like this training cycle, Rachel, our coach, I kept telling her I just, it's just like, I'm just struggling to get there.

I'm struggling to get there.

Part of it was I had after the monumental last year in 2023, I'd qualified or done the time qualifying for Chicago.

So I gone ahead and registered for this fall to run Chicago originally.

10:03

But then come to find out, we had a big, my husband's still in the military.

We had a good friend that was taking command the weekend of Chicago, and it was something I just couldn't miss.

So I deferred.

But then for a few weeks, I was still running and training, but I had no marathon on the books.

And my husband kept being like, are you going to sign up?

10:20

Are you going to sign up?

And I just couldn't decide what I was going to do, if I was going to do indie again or Marine Corps Marathon.

You know, we have two young children, so finding childcare when we're both running the same race is difficult.

So I finally signed up for Marine Corps probably about a month out.

10:36

The whole time training, I mean, I was training the whole time.

I just couldn't make a commitment to what I was going to do.

So once I got there, you know, it all kind of clicked and I got, I got excited and I just, I love being in DC and it's holds such a special place in our, my heart and my husband's heart because he's a Marine.

10:52

And we've just done it so many times.

We always run into so many people, people we know that are going to be there and then people we don't realize are there and then are there.

So it was great.

Have you guys ever lived in DC?

I have not.

He did.

He lived in Quantico during like while he was after college, before he was when he was in like Marine School, which is called TBS.

11:14

So he lived there.

We actually got engaged in DC and we've just spent a lot of time there.

He went to school at the Naval Academy.

So like we were, we were college sweethearts, so I'd go visit him a lot.

And so DC just is kind of a special place to us.

Yeah, I, I do love it out there.

11:30

We have family in Alexandria, VA and I love Old Town Alexandria and they're so close and they're they just recently moved from their like basically they went from apartment to like starter home to now like what would be like here, if you can imagine in like Carmel, IN would be like they could probably have a house like four times the size, But it's just incredible out there.

11:51

And I ran the Marine Corps Marathon in 2013.

We talked about where you weren't there.

I don't.

Think I was there.

I need to go back and check, but I know I was there and my first was in 2010, OK.

And then I did 11 and then I think I would not do 13 so.

12:06

Yeah, it was.

I I remember the weather was fine.

I don't, I don't remember it being like great or horrible.

So it must have been fine.

OK.

And I ran with my dad.

Oh awesome.

Yeah, I ran with my dad this year.

Yeah, I saw that and he is held. 7676 going to be 77 in December.

Yeah, that's pretty amazing.

12:22

My dad is, oh, gosh, he was born in 56, which makes him 68.

So he is.

He's like, OK, I'm going to do one more marathon.

OK, maybe like one more.

So yeah, my mom's like rolling her eyes, like, OK, you're never going to stop.

That's.

Exactly.

My dad, in fact, on so he will be 77 in December and he keeps telling us that he wants to run a marathon through 80 and 80.

12:44

So when we got one at the Marine Corps Marathon, he was looking at the age groups and there were six, I think 680 year old runners and he his time beat all of them and he's like, I can do it.

I can still do this until 80 and the day after the marathon this the past week, they sent him his photos and he immediately sent it to the family and said who's doing this next year?

13:03

I'm like, I still can't even come up and down the stairs.

Like, can we?

Can I have a week?

Can I have one week to decide?

Yeah, but next year is the 50th anniversary and so I'm kind of interested.

I know I I just was on the phone with my husband on the way here and I said, you're going to laugh at me because a day ago I was like, I don't want to talk about a marathon again for a while.

13:21

And then I got the e-mail from the Marine Corps Marathon about registering early and how they are.

And I think I got this correctly.

They are not going to do the 50K or the.

Their focus just on the I saw that so. 30,000 they weren't all the pool runners just be 30,000 and you know they'll they will probably do it so special with being the 50th year.

13:40

So I'm like, I can't miss it.

I'm going to sign up.

Yeah, I don't know.

Oh my gosh.

Jay Idlejorg.

Jay is going to do it next year as well, and he was on this podcast earlier on.

He's got a run streak over 10 years.

He's crazy.

But.

And then there's another woman.

13:55

Jamika Edwards lives out in DC.

She's originally from here.

She's going to do it.

So I'm just kind of like starting to like visualize it in my mind like as fun that would be.

Coming to the decision, let me know because after doing it this many years in a row, I've got a lot of tips and tricks on getting to the start line and just kind of like how to navigate the whole system.

14:13

So we feel like we're kind of experts and that's, yeah, I struggle with wanting to do any other marathon because I'm like, there's something about the familiarity of just knowing what to do, what to expect.

So I can I can help you out with that.

Yeah, that's so nice.

Yeah.

Well, gosh, I can't believe how many.

14:28

So how many has your husband done?

So I in 2010, we were living in North Carolina.

He was stationed at New River, which is right outside of Camp Lejeune and he was deployed to Afghanistan for the first time.

And I was like, what am I going to do?

14:45

Like what am I going to do this whole time?

We didn't have children at the time.

I was young.

I don't know.

I can't remember if I had a full time job or not.

That is struggle with being a military spouse.

Every time you move, it's hard to find new employment.

So I think I was like doing something part time and a friend from back home who just lived in Indiana and was not wasn't connected to the military in any way was like, I'm going to sign them.

15:04

I'm going to run the Marine Corps Marathon.

And I was like, well, I should do that.

I'm married to a Marine.

He's going to be overseas.

I should do that.

So I've always been an athlete.

I grew up playing soccer, but more of a team athlete.

Not necessarily.

I mean, I ran to stay in shape for soccer.

And I, you know, I ran cross country in middle school.

15:20

I'd never been like a long distance runner.

So I signed up and ran it that year.

I was not fast.

It was my slowest marathon ever.

And I.

How?

What was it?

It was like a 550 like.

Just a mine was like just under 5 hours.

My first two actually.

Yeah, my first two were like in the five hour range, but you kind of just don't really know what to expect.

15:40

I don't think I probably put all that much into my training.

I remember doing long runs, but I think I'd run like two or three times during the week for like 20 minutes and I'd be like, I'm good, you know, like I was not good.

Not good.

So he did not run it with me that year and he'd never run a marathon.

15:55

And then the he was like, well, I want to do that next time.

I'm getting my years kind of confused.

If he was home, I don't think he did it the following year either because he was deployed back in Afghanistan.

So I think I did it.

16:11

I know for sure once without him, maybe twice.

And then when he had a break in deployments, he was able to do it with me.

So and then ever since we've as long as he's been home, although he, he did deploy multiple times in a in a span of about six years.

16:29

And so every time he would deploy, I would sign up and run the marathon.

It was kind of my thing to keep myself busy and it gave me some connection with other spouses that we lived near.

I always kind of used fitness as my way to connect with people.

So I made my friends and it was kind of our connection to each other.

16:48

We'd keep ourselves busy while our husbands, our spouses, were overseas.

Yeah, So did when you met your husband.

Is Aaron?

Yes, Aaron.

So when you met Aaron, did you know he was going down the path of joining the military?

17:04

So we were high school sweethearts at.

Least you're not even just.

College sweethearts.

Yeah, we were high school sweethearts.

We did.

We did kind of go our separate ways for a few years during college, but no.

And then he and you know, Indiana doesn't have a huge presence of military.

We have a few things we have like Grissom Air Force Base.

17:21

We have Fort.

Bend yeah, we have this Grissom because we we don't bite on the way to the yes.

I grew up in a family my my parents didn't serve, but of course my grandparents did because in the World War 2 air.

So I didn't have a strong connection to the military.

I was familiar with it, but I didn't I had no idea what to expect.

17:39

So no, I did not.

He was not necessarily interested in the military, but we did then date kind of off and on during his time at the Naval Academy.

So I, you know, had a glimpse of what life would be like, but nothing can truly prepare you for what that what that type of life's going to be like.

Yeah, and everybody, and I'm going to ask you a lot of like ignorant questions during this.

17:59

I love it for sure.

But does everybody who goes to the Naval Academy, do they all join the military?

Or can you go to the Naval Academy and and be continue to be a civilian and just gay?

Well funny you're asking this because I just as I was leaving my husband was actually on a phone call.

He is the local like Hamilton County, Carmel, Noblesville area blue and gold officer.

18:16

So he helps kiddos that are, are interested in going to the Naval Academy kind of go through the, the application process.

So I was, I was listening to him talk to the guidance counselor, I think at Noblesville High School.

But yes, everybody that goes to the Naval Academy, you owe, you owe six years of service afterwards.

18:33

So the Naval Academy does naval officers and Marine Corps officers.

So he went the Marine Corps route and is a Marine Corps officer.

He's no longer active duty, but he's still in the reserves, and he flies for the Marine Corps part time and then is an airline pilot for his civilian job.

18:51

Oh.

Yeah, OK.

That's.

I feel like I did know that, but I forgot.

Yeah, that's so cool too.

That's a whole subculture in and of itself.

Yes, we love it.

So.

So do you remember when he told you he wanted to go to the Naval Academy?

And how did you react to that?

19:06

Or you just like I.

Don't even know if I was like, you know, we were like young and.

Yeah, you're just like, OK.

Yeah.

And then I went to Indiana University, he went to the Naval Academy.

You know, 911 happened during that time.

This was all pre 9, pre 9/11, right?

So, you know, it was like war was not at the forefront.

19:22

So yeah, you wouldn't think about it the way you would.

Now, so he was a so was he a soph?

No, wait.

I was a sophomore in college.

He was at prep school.

So he went to a year of prep school before into the Naval Academy.

But yeah, no, I don't think I had any idea.

And again, even if I did have an idea, nothing prepares you.

19:40

I remember when I got married and my dad said, now you understand he's not going to be home a lot.

And I'm like, yeah, he'll be fine.

He'll beat me.

He's going to be a pilot, like so cute Top Gun, like this is great.

This is great.

He's my hero.

He really wasn't home a lot those first few years.

And that's where running and having a community came into play.

19:58

I bet I, you know, it's not an easy life and I bet it's all about how you look at it.

And I chose to take the positive route.

We had so many wonderful friends that became like family to us.

We had a great experience now.

Not everybody in the military comes out with a great experience.

It's, you know, it's very personal, but we had a great experience.

20:16

We loved it.

We wouldn't change anything.

And the people we met along the way, we are still so close to today and I'm just very grateful for.

That so yeah, I bet so because we can't talk about this the entire time maybe some how how many deployments did he have and how long in total so he was he deployed. 6 * 6 Four of those while he was on active duty and then two while he's in the reserve.

20:38

So he's now on the reserves and he was actually.

Still be deployed.

Yes, right.

And we're like, we're gonna.

He's he.

Reserves to me like sounds like retired, yeah, but I know.

He was funny.

We were like, he's gonna leave active duty and he went to grad school at University of Texas.

OK, Hook em.

20:54

And then he stayed in the reserves because we had children by this point.

It's like we needed the to, you know, have some form of employment.

So he stayed in the reserves and then they're like, guess what, you're deploying.

We're like, wait, what?

We left active duty.

So now since then, he's done 2 deployments.

21:12

Last fall was the second one.

And that's when I ran the monumental.

And again, I used that deployment in running as my way to I guess cope.

Yeah, I was like, what other word is there?

Scope so especially I used to think it was hard you know the first few deployments when I didn't have children I'm like oh I'm all by myself wow holy smokes having children and doing deployments is a whole new ball game.

21:35

Let's just say you're always lonely, but never alone.

You know, it's like your children also then also need the support.

So running is was my outlet and yeah, I've just always used running to kind of help me deal with hard things and.

Yeah, yeah.

Well, I love the cut out you have of Aaron.

21:52

It's hilarious.

Flat daddy.

That's great.

I've seen some pictures of you with him.

Yeah, that's gonna be hard, like missing major things.

But, you know, I think as you learned about that lifestyle, you kind of grew to expect that.

I guess so.

And I think it's taught us, myself and my children are how we can do hard things.

22:11

Like that's our family motto.

We can do hard things, love that it can't.

It's not always fun, but realistically we have a really great life and we are so lucky.

We have so many things that are afforded to us, and we've had so many cool opportunities because of the military, so I really think it's helped build resiliency in myself and then in return in my children.

22:29

Yeah.

Well, and then applying that resiliency to your point to running.

So when you found your community, was it, you know, it sounds like some military, other military spouses, did you have like Noblesville running?

Is there a Noblesville running club?

There's, well not that I know of.

We've actually talked about there's a little one, I think some like Little things, but nothing formal.

22:48

But yeah, every time.

So part of being a military spouse is you move a lot.

So every time that we would move, I would typically find my like place or my connection through running.

So most of our time we spent in North Carolina and that was where he did the bulk of his deployments.

23:05

And I had this wonderful group of girlfriends that lived in my neighborhood and we would meet three days a week at the end of our driveways at 5:30.

And we, our neighborhood was one big loop and we would run this 3 1/2 mile loop and then everybody would go back to one of just depended whose house that day and we would have coffee and then we'd all go on to work the day.

23:23

It was the best.

I mean, I have so many fond memories of those days and being with those girls.

And it was all prior to us having children.

So we had that that time and we would rotate, you know, who who was in charge of coffee.

We would rotate most of the time our husbands were gone at stair stepped at different times.

23:39

And so I ran in actually to my good friend Stacy at the Marine Corps Marathon this past weekend.

And her and I lived across the street from each other and we ran a lot together.

And we were reminiscing that every six months we would rotate putting the banner up outside of our house, the welcome home banner.

So like she would help me put the welcome home banner up, you know, six months and then six months later, her husband would be coming home.

24:01

And all those those were really challenging times.

You know, it was the height of the war we had.

I just have so many fond memories of the bonds that we that we built together and it I mean, it was running.

We would run and we would chit chat and, you know, it just kind of would help us start our day at, you know, those endorphins get you through like some of those dark moments and ever and then and then moving on every time then that we would move.

24:26

Then after we left North Carolina, we moved to Texas.

That's my husband left active duty and went to grad school.

But again, I found my group or my community through fitness.

And at that time I had children.

So it was a stroller workout class pushing the stroller, which is totally different.

Yeah.

But again, like we made, I made great friends and I think it, you know, running is so important, but it's also that community piece.

24:47

Like running for me has helped me find my community.

And then now we've moved a few other times in there, but now we're back home where we grew up in Indiana.

I mean, I already had a little bit of a built in community because I grew up here.

So that helped.

But also we've now kind of created our own little running community.

25:04

I run with my family a lot.

My sister and I are running partners.

So we run a lot in the mornings.

And again, so just bringing it back to those foundations of running, but using that to find my community and just community so important in life.

We just, we need people to help us get, you know, life isn't easy.

25:19

And so if you have a better community, you can or community around you, it helps you deal with some of those.

Yeah. 1000% do military families tend to live near each other?

You mentioned back in North Carolina, like being in the same neighborhoods, they just kind of have like, hey, when you know you're going to be deployed there, they tell you, hey, here are some of the places that you should look to live or.

25:37

Yeah, well.

There's so like in North Carolina, there's two big military bases where close to where we live, there was the air base which my husband was at and then there was the Camp Lejeune.

And you can actually live on base.

At the time, we did not live on base, but that's a wonderful community.

And they have like there's this great organization that does like Stroller Warriors and people are really involved in that.

25:56

And then just the pretty much all the neighborhoods around base are filled with military families.

So another really a great way, Yeah, another really great way to keep yourself in check.

You're like, oh, my husband's deployed for the 4th time.

You're like, oh, but Susie down the street, her, this is like her 10th time and she had three babies by herself.

26:11

So being in that military community, like kind of kept you grounded.

It is a little harder back in a civilian community, especially communities like Hamilton County where for the most part people go to work during the day and come home at night.

So that was a bit of a challenge the last two deployments that we've had.

26:29

But I'm lucky to have great family and a good community to help with that.

And my husband is super supportive.

He is like to talk about the ultimate pusher in a good way.

He is so always pushing me to be a better person and better runner.

And even though he'd be far away and deployed like that first marathon, I remember he sent me my very first garment.

26:49

It was a little the old forerunner.

It had a purple band with a what I.

Have that one.

You do?

Yeah.

Still I don't use it anymore.

It still works because I think I gave it to my best friend Alyssa.

OK, I was like here you need because she was the run without a watch.

Use her hold her phone and use a phone that makes me great.

Just have have this one please.

So he's always so great about that.

27:05

And like last year when he was deployed, you might remember this from the start line, the monumental, he sent me a new pair of carbon plated Hocus like the day before, which was so sweet.

He wanted me to wear, he wanted me to run so fast.

And then next that morning I was like, oh, it kind of rubs my foot.

I don't think I can wear these.

So I had to swap out.

27:21

But he has always just been super supportive.

He's not always home, but he's like, he supports my goals just as much as I do.

And we love to run together.

So sometimes, yeah, it depends on the type of workout we're doing, but we run together.

And then this year, since he was home training, and shout out to him, he had a huge PR at the Marine Corps Marathon.

27:39

I can't remember the exact time, but it was around 3:20, which was hot damned Yeah, really, really fast.

But we had fun training.

This year.

He's gone a lot.

So he trains on the road.

But when he was home, we do our runs together.

And on Sundays, we kind of came our tradition that the kids would.

Now they're old enough, you know, you kind of go through this like evolution.

27:56

You run without them or you don't have children and then you run without them because they're too little for the stroller, right?

And you're pushing them in the stroller and you're doing that whole thing.

And then for a few years they're too big for the stroller, but they're not old enough to stay home alone, you know.

So we've kind of now we're.

28:12

Getting bike running like I'm just entering the phase of like getting bikes.

So that was new this year and we loved it.

So that was our Sunday tradition, so we could run and the kids would ride their bikes.

And I loved it.

It was so fun.

It was a great way to get the kids incorporated into our running.

And this is they've never seen me finish a race and they.

28:29

But they have to hear me, you know, talk.

I got to go on my run.

I got to do my run, which I hope in the long run will be a good example for them.

And I think it will.

Yeah.

But it was so fun for them to be involved with the bike biking.

So on Sunday during the Marine Corps Marathon, miles 17 to 21 at the Marine Corps Marathon, for whatever reason, like, are just, I mean, any marathon, they're just hard.

28:51

Yeah.

And I called the babysitter and I was like, put the kids on the phone.

I need their.

I need them to get me through this.

I was laughing.

My son was like, I wish I was on the bike riding next to you.

So.

It was just great to have them as a part of the process this year, and I'm hoping someday that maybe they'll be runners, too.

29:08

Yeah.

I hope for that as well now.

How old are your kids?

They are in 3rd and 4th grades.

They're so close together.

Yes, 8 and 10.

My 8 year old will be 9 soon.

OK, OK.

And which one's the older one?

The boy.

The boy?

Yeah.

Boy and girl.

Grady.

I love that name.

29:24

Back to the stroller thing, I when I got rid of my Bob, I cried.

I there was no other no other piece of like baby equipment that I cared to get rid of like in my house.

But when they when I sold my Bob, which I probably held on to it way longer than I needed to, but I was like this piece of like this, this stroller got me out of the house and like gave me freedom and I just I loved.

29:47

My yeah, I gave my Bob to one of my best running friends.

Oh, so you can still see it?

You still.

See it I almost have asked asked her to borrow it because I think my 3 year old may yeah, she might, but I haven't still haven't pushed.

I kind of went to the point where the older one couldn't and I so just, yeah, the other one's not used to being in a stroller, so I just haven't even tried.

30:07

But I gave it to a friend so I can still visit it.

Or, you know, like we pushed together for Ainsley's Angels at the Mini last year or this year.

And so we joked about going on stroller runs to train, but we actually never did.

But we, I mean, maybe for next year.

30:23

I remember what I was going to say and it was that I talked to my girls ironically last night or the night before about how I was.

Mommy has a race coming up, so you know, I'm not, you know, I'm going to be gone.

And the more I have a big race so I can't well, mostly it's about not getting sick because my oldest is coughing right now and I'm like, can you cough in the other direction from me, please?

30:41

And like drink some water and stay away from me.

And I was like, Mommy has a big race coming up and the girls like, do we get to come?

And I was like, well, you know, maybe like if Daddy brings you out and they're like, well, Daddy has to bring us out, why wouldn't daddy bring?

I was like, well, you know.

Sometimes I actually feel feel for the spouse because I have I have done that.

30:58

When my husband's done a couple of Half Iron Man's, I saw that almost be the person running it versus it's hard.

Dragging the kids along, that is hard.

I feel like in a lot of ways it can be harder.

Yeah, I agree.

Your own time.

You are nobody else.

Like you're responsible for nobody but yourself and like hauling kids around a city.

31:17

Just like watch somebody run by really quickly.

Not just not that fun, yeah.

Really tough so and I remember my husband brought the girls out last time I ran the monumental full which was in 22 which was the shitty weather year where it was like windy and cold.

Rain.

I remember that.

One, and I remember seeing the girls and I remember just thinking, why doesn't Sydney have a coat on?

31:35

Yeah, like one of my first thoughts.

Sounds like a mom.

And then I was like, oh God, you know, he got them here.

So just, and I just remember, yeah, going up and like kissing my oldest and he had, you know, the she was, I don't know, like one at the time, my youngest and being like hi, bye.

Yeah, Yeah.

31:50

And then I'm like, thank you so much.

For that part is hard.

I remember Aaron did a half Iron Man in Austin when we lived there and I think same like a one year old and maybe an infant.

Mine are pretty close together and I had to get on this bus to get out to the site and I have these, the kids and the poster and the snacks and I'm like, I'm doing, I'm running it next year.

32:09

That's it.

I am not doing this again.

This is not fun.

No, the spectating is so hard and exhausting.

It's so funny because you're like, this sounds ridiculous.

I need a nap because I ran a marathon and my husband's going to be like, I need a nap because I hauled the kids around.

Yeah.

It's two years ago at the Marine Corps Marathon, I was running.

32:27

My husband again had trained with me, but he just kind of was injury, had some injuries the last few years.

And he he like about a couple weeks before I had a stress fracture and his femur.

So he didn't run.

So he followed us on the course.

And I remember we had that same little laugh, like it was really hard.

32:42

I'd like get on the metro and follow you.

And I'm like, I had to run.

But it it is actually hard to spectate.

Yes, 100%.

I think it's like its own sport, especially if you get good at it like trying to find your runner like in multiple spots and all of that.

I mean, at least in Indianapolis, it's a lot easier than like doing it in DC or Chicago or New York.

33:03

I can't imagine the good.

Thing about DC is if you get to the National Mall, we you go so many places, you can you can you.

Can double down.

Three or four times without even really moving, and then you can maybe pop in and go to the Smithsonian for a little while.

So.

My husband did that when I ran the Marine Corps.

Yeah, my husband was there.

33:19

My mom didn't come out, but a friend of like a former Co worker of mine came out too.

And so, yeah, they were at the mall and so they got to crossover and so they saw me when I rounded, like came on the other.

Side, which is about the Marine Corps Marathon, is the spectators.

There are so many of them.

I mean they're just everywhere and it just really helps carry you when you need except for when you hit that like mile 2021.

33:39

We go up on the Do you remember this part where you go up on the highway, like on a bridge?

So, but it's terrible.

I have a really great memory of that.

You do.

Somebody had doughnut holes at the bottom.

And I remember this doughnut hole tasting better than anything I've, like, ever eaten in my life.

You know, they say, oh, don't do anything new, Andreas, If something sounds good, like, I'm going to grab it, need it.

33:58

And so, yeah, I had this doughnut hole, and it was like, right before you went up onto the highway.

And I don't know why, but I remember thinking, like, this is amazing.

It's fine.

The wall doesn't exist.

Let's go.

Good for you.

Speaking of finding random things on the you'll get a kick out of this story.

So we ran the marathon on Sunday and it was my husband, my dad and I.

34:17

And then there was also two friends that we know from Noblesville that also were out running for the first time.

And we had finished and then we'd kind of cleaned up and gone back to watch my dad finish because he finished around the 6th hour mark.

And so we came back to watch him and we're cracking up.

He's like skipping over the.

34:33

Finish line like picture. 76 and like skipping over the finish line like this is hilarious.

Well, we go out to dinner that night and out of nowhere he tells us in the Uber that he took a shot of fireball.

I was gonna guess, actually, that's so funny.

It was.

34:48

I was like thinking either fireball or tequila.

Yes, he's like, oh, and you know, and he's not a drinker at all.

Like he might like have share a beer, but like he's just not a drinker.

And that the fact that he got a fireball shot and he's instead of even like taking a shot of it, he sipped on it for the mile.

35:04

I was like.

Oh, that's aggressive.

Growing up, that sounds terrible.

Aggressive.

Yeah.

Oh my God.

Just cracking up that that's what he did.

He waited like hours to tell us.

And that's really funny.

And he's like, so I was feeling no pain.

I know, yeah.

Maybe I should try that next time because I was feeling quite a bit of pain.

35:21

Yeah, I've never done that in a full marathon, but I have in 1/2.

I don't think ever fireball, but I've done tequila.

I almost feel like tequila is more aggressive.

I know, but I like tequila a lot.

Yeah, I've done that at the indie mini.

There was a specific place like as you're like, you left Speedway and you're kind of coming home.

35:40

There's always this family that would have a table out, which is now kind of, you think a little dangerous.

Who knows what's in it?

Alcohol.

Don't care.

Yeah, right.

And then once at the, I think it was the Carmel Half Marathon.

Yeah.

The Fishers Run Club Peter I lost his last name off the top of my head, but he had margaritas.

36:00

Like little cups of margaritas.

I think I could do it in 1/2 a full makes me a little nervous.

I just, yeah, I wouldn't want to like totally mess something, you know, because it's not like on my training Reds, I'm doing shots tequila so but you know, sometimes you just like whatever.

But I remember eating like the other thing I like is pretzels, popsicles, like sign me up for that.

36:20

But yeah, usually, usually I don't just grab random things, but sometimes and sometimes it helps you up over that hill to get onto the highway and then.

And then once you get over that hill, then it's OK because by the time you get into Crystal City, there's people again everywhere.

And, you know, you're almost finished.

And for me, in my head, when I get past that like 21 mile mark, I start like in my head, like, OK, 5 miles that's running from my house to Sarah's house, you know, in my, you know, you calculate all.

36:43

You're used to do at 5:30.

I'm just going to do my normal.

Yeah, you're like, I got this.

I can do this so, but just that you know that that part gets a little struggle getting up on that bridge.

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37:01

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Yeah, tell me what it's like to have a Marine husband and then run the Marine Corps.

It's awesome.

I mean, I think there's just something special about it now, I'm not gonna lie.

37:16

So I ran it.

I started running it in 2010, and then came 2020.

Well, obviously.

Or what's it what, a 20?

I guess it would have been 2021, yes.

You did a virtual right.

Yes.

So it was cancelled like rather marathon.

It was virtual, the two of us, My husband and I ran it before dawn.

37:34

I remember seeing somewhere before 830 soccer game.

We are those people.

So my, like my child had a, my daughter, I think had a 830 soccer game.

And I think we had something else that weekend.

And we were like, let's just get it over with.

Let's just do it.

So we woke up at like 330, stepped out, and we were those parents that showed up in the soccer field like, oh, we just ran a full marathon.

37:51

They're like everyone's rolling their eyes.

And I was like, I hate you.

Yeah, but we got it done and it was OK.

Well, then the next year, I don't know if your listeners will remember, but the Marine Corps Marathon, a month out, cancelled again two years in a row, went virtual.

38:08

Oh, I do remember.

Really.

Frustrated a lot of their patrons, really frustrated them.

And so we were, we were salty.

We were real salty about that.

That was.

Yes.

And I had told myself after year one virtual marathon, never again.

I will never do that again.

38:24

And then I'm like, well, shoot, I'm guess I'm doing it again kind of the same thing.

We just wanted to get it over with.

It was my grandmother's 102nd birthday that day.

We were like, all right, let's just get up and get this over with.

So and I, we left So back to my Marine husband.

38:40

We did not speak for like the 1st 18 miles because we were both so grumpy and you know, just like you're just irritated and grumpy.

And I think finally around mile 18 was maybe at like 4:30 in the morning.

By this time, we finally warmed up and we we got that one behind us, but that was awful.

38:57

So then I was kind of frustrated with the Marine Corps Marathon after that and.

And so that's when you that's when you turn to monumental.

Yeah, yeah, I did it one more time in person.

I went back in 2022 and ran in person and I again, I was, I felt like they kind of, and I know they were coming back and they probably had lost, you know, finances were an issue.

39:17

But I was kind of just after 2022.

I was like, I think I need a break from the Marine Corps Marathon.

I'm frustrated with it.

I mean, that's when I did the indie Monumental.

But I went back this year and I don't know, like once you're like the same, once a Marine, always a Marine.

I'm obviously just a Marine Corps spouse, but it definitely holds a special place in my heart.

39:36

And being back there this year, I love it.

And next year's we talked about is the 50th.

I'm really, I'm really interested in that.

Well, and so my brother-in-law who lives out in Alexandria and my sister-in-law, they're both big runners.

She doesn't run as much right now because he's he's doing all the marathons right now.

39:52

So she's kind of letting him have his time.

He's getting ready to do the JFK 50.

Hauler.

Yeah, I have a friend that's husband has done that.

And then he just did London and he was supposed to do Berlin, but then ended up deferring, which I think was probably good because that's a lot in a year, yes.

40:08

But yeah.

So I'm hoping that maybe like they'll, maybe they could do it for the 50th.

Make it whole.

Like a whole.

Yeah, I feel like we're gonna have to, we're gonna have to do it just again, my husband being a Marine, we've done it so many years in a row.

And I'm just, I think they're really gonna put on a special show.

I they've already, they talked about it at the start line of this year about how special the 50th would be.

40:27

And then we've already gotten a lot of emails.

So yeah, well, probably I'm kind of a glutton for punishment.

I'm like, I'm not doing that again.

And then I get bored and I'm like, oh, sure, I'll sign up, Let's do it.

Maybe this year I'll take my kids so they can experience.

I've we when we were out there this past week and they do do a kids fun run the day before a mile fun run.

40:45

And I was like, oh, wouldn't that be so cool for the kids to get to see that?

Yeah, I think it'd be cool.

And I work for post 911 veteran nonprofit and in the past they've always had a team.

They didn't have a team this year, but.

It's called.

What's the name of it?

Hope for the Warriors, hope for the Warriors.

41:02

Yep.

So we work with Post 911 veterans and military families and we in addition to a lot of the programs and services we have, we also have a sports and rec or a team hope.

And so that's cool.

A lot of the things, same things of the I've used to survive, I guess being a military spouse has been community and physical Wellness and we incorporate a lot of that into our team hope.

41:26

And so we have team members that participate in all of the Armed Services.

This is like, you know, the Air Force Marathon, the Army 10, Miller Marine Corps Marathon.

And so I think for the 50th, I'm hopeful that we'll we'll bring having a team back, which makes it makes it special because then I have a lot of my colleagues there and a lot of the service members that we work with either hand cycling or running.

41:47

So yeah, I think it'll probably be on my calendar.

Oh yeah, I know I need.

To make sure it's not on Halloween though, that's the one there.

It's always so close to Halloween.

I know, so I need to double check that.

So when you run or when when Aaron, your husband would run, do you designate that you're a military spouse or a Marine?

42:04

I do say that they they ask when you when you fill out your application or your entry form about it.

And I'm actually a member, so I don't know if other marathons do that, but after you run a certain amount of time, run the race a certain amount of times, you get to be in a club.

So I'm in like the Marine Corps Marathon Club.

42:20

So after five years I get automatic.

Doesn't want to be in a club, no.

Right, I love being in a club.

A great idea.

I think your bibs a different color.

I think need to write that down for Indy.

Yes, I think it's after.

I think it's five years, don't quote me on that, but I can go back.

I can check and yeah, so then you get like when you check in, I actually have a picture on my phone.

42:40

So when you check in, you scan your code and then your name comes up and it says like like my husband said, like Marine and then mine said like military family member, which is kind.

Of fun.

That's really, that's really fun and.

There's nothing like being at the start line.

And so my husband was AV 22 pilot.

42:55

He's no.

Longer.

What does that?

Mean it's a Osprey pilot.

It's like it looks like a.

Transformer.

It's like.

Half up, half down propellers.

He doesn't fly that any longer.

Now he's in the reserve and he's transitioned to a a little King Air jet thingy.

But at the start of the Marine Corps Marathon, the Ospreys did the fly over, and so nothing like getting those little chills as they.

43:14

Yeah, I mean, that's gonna be over just thinking about.

It yeah.

And even while we were running this year, the presidential helicopter, Marine One was flying up and down the Is it the Hudson?

Whatever.

The.

Potomac, Potomac.

That's it.

Yes, should know that from George.

You should know that from I've run, I've run along.

43:29

Yeah, the.

Helicopter was flying up and down and there's just, you know, always something cool to look at and again, having these.

Connections like it is.

It ends at the Iwo Jima Monument, which is the Marine Rough.

Because it's straight up the.

Hill Yeah, it's straight up the morning, but I don't know at the end.

I'm so tired.

43:44

I'm so happy.

Just.

Get me up there, I'm up.

And you know, sometimes, like changing the way like your body hurts so bad, but something about going uphill, like takes pressure off as I don't like.

To tell myself that I'm like, I need a change in elevation to like for my muscles.

To be, I think I got the exact same time this year as I did two years ago.

44:02

Like down to the second.

That's crazy.

Yeah, it was at 335325 and I'm pretty sure I had that exact same time.

That would be two years ago.

Isn't that weird?

I know for sure I got a 353 my second my seconds could be but still.

Even like within that's, I mean it's still pretty locked in.

44:19

Yeah.

I just remember getting, you know, you get your medal from.

I don't know if it's just is it only the Marines that are there?

Yeah, I would assume.

So the Marines from Quantico, the, the ones that are in like Marine training TBS, they work the marathon.

So they're they, my husband did that when he was Oh, that's cool.

44:35

That would be so cool to get a medal.

From your yeah, that would be really cool.

So he he did that however many years ago while he was in training.

But they it's a really long day for them.

So I tried to make sure and say thank you because I just remember my husband complaining about how what a long day it is.

You know, you're up at like it's 2:00 in the morning and they're out there all day.

44:51

Yeah, you talk about that like how we talked about like spectating is hard.

I feel like volunteering.

Boring.

You stand there.

It's like.

Yeah, volunteering is hard.

I mean, I've done that for for indie races now and I haven't done like the early morning setup kind of stuff.

But even just like manning a water station, Yeah, for a kids race, I was like, this is exhausting.

45:08

So I really do try to be like say thank you to all of the support stuff out there because I have also same like we might, I hope for the Warriors.

We have used to have a run series and I used to help plan it in Jacksonville, NC.

It's the hardest job.

I feel so bad for race directors because runners aren't like the easiest.

45:27

You know, we're super nice, but they're also, we're like kind of notic.

Yeah.

Like we have like our really like things that we're really like.

Well, I'll never watch that.

I was 20.

Six, I'll never forget when Monumental had chocolate milk at the finish line.

And if anybody who knows me like I chocolate milk, like I need that, I want that right at the end.

45:43

And I Remember Remember going up to the thing and the lady was like, this is only for the full marathoners.

Oh, OK.

I wanted to tackle her.

I should have just been like did.

You write a comment.

Did you write back?

A comment.

I remember when I joined our board, I was like, so I'll never forget.

And this year when I did and they're like, yeah, we got some feedback about that.

46:01

Yeah, I bet they did.

Yeah.

We, we after this, this race on Sunday, they didn't have any sort of like foil blanket or jacket or anything.

And the thing about the Marine Corps Marathon is you're it's really hard, like most people have to take the metro home.

There's no great parking situation.

46:16

So people are kind of just there.

They did have the merchandise tent set up with 25% off.

And I don't know if that's why they didn't give out anything but.

That's mean we were all.

Freezing.

Thankfully our hotel wasn't too far, so we did go back and get get something.

But I could hear all like a collective of all the runners being like frustrated that they were.

46:36

Yeah.

And I'm like dealing with runners.

Like you said, they're happy because they have endorsements, but they are kind of particular.

Right.

Like I need my certain things for sure.

Yeah.

Like if I remember it was I think 22 when I ran the full, they didn't have Pechanga, Sun King, like didn't bring Pechanga.

46:51

And I was like, that's my beer from Sun King.

So like, why don't you have?

That two years ago at the Marine Marathon they did not have, they only had Athletic Brewing, which I like Athletic Brewing, but my husband was like, I want a real beer, right.

This year they had the beer back so they must have had feedback on.

That harsh words yeah yeah it is I it's one of those things where you think about like everybody should have to work retail be a server at a restaurant just to understand what you.

47:15

Can't please everybody.

It's never.

Going to happen.

And like, same thing, if you're a runner, before you complain, you should, you should.

You should volunteer and at least understand.

What it's like to be on the other side.

To be on the other side, I've really certainly come to appreciate that a lot more, which I which is really great.

47:31

It's given me a different perspective on how hard these events are to execute.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Like people are getting not mad, but like I've been on the Facebook Group A lot trying to answer questions and somebody it is kind of, but mostly I just only with the people who seem nice enough.

47:47

But like someone's like, I can't track myself.

Like why can't I track or like find my bib number?

And I was like, I asked our team because even I don't read all the emails, sorry, but they were like, Oh yeah, you can't do it until the race starts and you can't find the people until like the night before until they.

48:03

Go loaded in like until they go over the like the.

Well, they have to like load all like get the final people like get the final lists of athletes and then they load it in and then you can do it because we're not Chicago or New York or these big races because people are like well for Chicago, I could do it like 2 weeks in advance and I'm like well I get it I wish I could start loading people in, but like just how anyway, that was great story yes.

48:28

So I also wanted to make sure we talked about our connection.

Well, I guess I it was the first time we met either at I.

Think.

Athletic Annex.

OK, it wasn't at the marathon.

No, it was athletic it.

Was before that because that's how I knew who you were when we we met up with Rachel our running coaches like group.

48:45

But yeah, Athletic Annex, which is a local run store here in Central IN.

I get myself in way too much trouble every time I go there, yeah.

Especially their new Clay tourist store is so nice and it has so much apparel.

It's definitely trouble, especially now that I don't work at a running store and get a discount.

So yeah, so we had that run with Rachel.

49:02

I met you and Sara Stewart.

Yeah.

Do you still?

Do you run with Sarah?

I, we don't, we just our schedules don't line up, but we, we see each other out there often because she lives in the neighborhood across.

OK, OK.

Yeah.

Yeah, and then you and I found out I maybe when we met at Athletic Anise, we were just chatting about something, realized Wawasee.

49:17

Yeah, maybe you posting about it on Instagram, I think.

OK.

And you're like, wait, I go there too.

So Lake Wawasee is in northern Indiana, about 2 1/2 hours N from where we are.

Did you grow up going there?

I.

Forget yeah OK my stepmom's family has had a cottage there like their whole lives and then my family just started you know my my my dad purchased the home from my late grandmother and anyway we go yeah we spend a lot of time there and I love going on runs up there especially now that they have the new in the last few years you know they've connected it so we can go all the way around the lake from the side that we live on so it was so fun that day that we.

49:54

Met, I know we actually got to share some miles up at the lake, although this that was it's not this summer as the summer before, wasn't it?

Before, yeah, we didn't make it crazy as often this summer.

It's been.

Harder and harder now that our kids are.

Doing stuff.

Older and sports in Noblesville we do an adjusted summer calendar so we only have 8 weeks of summer.

50:11

I didn't realize really fast.

Yeah, we get a two week fall break and a two week spring break and so it really cut into my wawasee and especially my training.

We, you know what, in years past I think you do it too, the 4th of July run, the 8 miles run.

We've done that and we just just hasn't worked out in the last couple of years.

50:30

Yeah, I've joked about it on this podcast, talking about what they have for prizes.

Like that week, they're still like, it's, it's like at the cottage, it, it ends up in a drawer and then it stays there forever.

And we've had some really funny things like, and there was one year our whole family, everybody but my brother was just hilarious because we all ran.

50:48

My dad placed, my two sisters placed, I placed and my brother was the other one and he and he didn't and we have this picture and we're all holding up like our T.

What you want?

And he's in the background.

That's so funny.

But yeah, that's always kind of a fun.

I, I think that like thinking about, you know, awards for races, I just always look back.

51:05

I'm like, it's so fun to see what you're going to get because it's a random, just like a ton of random stuff like live plants.

I got a, a Lantern this year.

Last year I got an inflatable pool.

It was like amazing stuff, like either it's going to be in a drawer or.

51:20

It's got a bag of like nail Polish, a nail Polish remover.

It was like there's toothbrushes in toothbrushes or something.

I think I finally heard that this year they like partner with a shelter of some sort and so they must get all these like a surplus of donated items that.

They love it.

They are able.

To look into it, it's so wonderful.

Yeah.

51:36

This is definitely not a knock on them.

If anything, it's like, I love it so much, yeah.

It's a great, it's a fun run and yeah, but I've loved working with Rachel the last.

This was my second year, right?

I random how I I don't know how you got I.

Was going to ask you how and like when you started and was she your first coat running coach you've ever?

51:53

Had so I had one other running coach a few years ago.

Every time I like I really wanted to break 4 and so every time that I've had a coach, I've been able to break 4.

So I had a a friend who was a coach coached me the first time and then she she moved on and wasn't doing it any longer.

52:09

And I happened to be at my kids had swim team and I was talking to a friend who is a fitness coach and I was telling her that I was she was asking me what I was doing.

We were just talking working out and stuff and I was telling her I was wanting to find a new running coach.

52:25

And she's like, Oh my gosh, I have this friend who's like, you know, a great friend of mine who's a running coach and we used to run together and our kids were in preschool together and it was Rachel.

So she connected me with Rachel.

Well, then once I connected with Rachel, it was like she coached Sarah Stewart, who lives across the street from me.

52:41

And we just had so many connections and it's just been fun.

AI just love the accountability.

I, I need somebody.

I'm pretty disciplined and I'll like, I'll get the run done, but just knowing that there's somebody out there like that's kind of also keeping tabs on me helped a lot.

53:01

So and then it was so fun to meet you and a couple other people, especially that night at the Athletic Anise and it's just been fun to track everybody.

Yeah, I love the idea of, you know, you mentioned this earlier on, like being more of a team sport kind of a person.

I grew up playing soccer too, and like, I like having, I didn't know that having a coach would lead to this more of a community kind of aspect too.

53:24

And I think it probably depends on your coach where you live.

Like we're lucky enough that we have such, I mean, we have a lot of great coaches here in town, but you know, that we have Rachel who's like close, like she lives super close to me, which is really nice.

So yeah, I just unexpected.

Back to that like community, it's like an unexpected community.

53:42

I didn't think that hiring a running coach would then open me up to all these runners in the community.

And we have, you know, in Hamilton County, we're so lucky a we have, there's a lot of people that are running and then I just feel so lucky every time I'm out running on a trail.

I can run from my house all the way downtown Noblesville, all the way downtown Indy with never leaving a trail.

54:02

I'm like, I like diving.

Went to heaven around here.

I feel so shout out to Noblesville parks.

I'm in Hamilton County parks for keeping our trails so nice.

I just it's such a great place to live and run.

We really are lucky.

And I joke, I've joked about this recently where our like, I swear in Carmel like they pave our sidewalks and then they repave them and then you're like, is this necessary?

54:22

No, but you're like, we are so spoiled and you go.

Other places and you're like, Oh my God, I have.

To run on a sidewalk that's uneven.

Right.

Like I can get so and everywhere we live up on Moore's Reservoir and so I can run the whole lake and like I have lake views the whole.

Time on these beautiful paths.

54:38

Yes, and right now the bridge by my house is actually shut down because there's two bridges that go over the lake.

One has had a pedestrian path, but the other one has not.

But they're they shut down just like you're saying.

They they pave the sidewalks over and over and they're building me a new pedestrian path.

And I'm so excited because it's going to give me access to the other side of town.

54:56

And I'm just so grateful to live in a place that we have those opportunities because I've lived places where I've had to run on country roads.

And I not that that's not beautiful, I love it.

But I just, it's scary with people driving fast and being out there by yourself.

So I felt very blessed to live in Hamilton County.

55:12

Yeah, I just, I recently, I don't know if you saw this, I lost a high school friend of mine last weekend too.

So sorry.

He was I, I found out that he was running with traffic, which made me so mad because I'm like, what were you thinking?

Like when it was dark and he was yeah, but they were likely speeding like it was 45 miles an hour on this country Rd.

55:31

But yeah, it is scary.

And I used, I used it's a train up at Wawasee all the time.

And I would run on these country roads thinking, thinking nobody's out here kind of like this is so safe because there's like nobody here.

But now you think about it and I'm like.

And just being a.

Ducted.

I could have gotten run over like all the time like now.

55:48

I don't know that I would.

I don't.

I haven't done a long run up there in a long time, but I wouldn't really want to because it's not not very safe.

Same, I don't trust cars and I also just being a female runner.

I think there's no reason.

We live in a wonderful, safe place and I feel very, I do feel very safe here, but I would I'd prefer to be on the path where there's other people.

56:08

Yes, 100%.

So I was going to tell you the story about How I Met Rachel and I think I've been working with her 22 at least two years because she coached me when I ran the 2022 Monumental Marathon.

It was the first time I did a full marathon after having a coach and I remember finishing and feeling like, OK, like I don't feel like I have to go to the medical test.

56:30

I feel like I'm like, OK, not like feeling good.

But but I met Rachel through a friend of mine, Teresa Wyrick.

Teresa is actually the reason I started this podcast and she's still never been on it, which I if you're listening Teresa like, OK, it's time now.

56:46

But she, you know, she just, she was doing these Iron Man's as a new mom anyway.

So she's like, Hey, I have a friend I want to introduce you to.

She's a run coach and you know, she wants to know if you want to do like a giveaway with her for athlete bouquets, right?

57:02

My, my business.

And I was like, OK, sure.

And I remember then Rachel being like, oh, do you know, doing a giveaway?

Hey, would you like to like, I'd be happy to do like coach you for like free for a month so you can.

And I was kind of like, I remember initially saying no, because I was like, I don't need a coach.

57:17

I know what I'm doing.

I go out and run.

That's hard, right?

Oh, actually.

I had no idea.

Well, first of all, I had no idea that run coaches were for like average normal people.

I always thought that you had to be, like, more of an elite athlete to have a coach.

And then I just thought, yeah, you just go out and run.

57:34

And so it opened me up to learning about taking easy, like having easy days and doing all these different workouts.

And yeah, I can.

I cannot sing Rachel's praises enough.

Rachel Senders, rachelmichelrunning.com.

So if anybody out there needs a running coach, highly recommend.

57:50

She coaches virtually as well.

We're lucky enough that we have her here, but she has virtual athletes, too.

But yeah, I'm just so lucky I got to meet her and now I'm I, I don't know what I would do without.

Her yeah, back to my first marathon when I was much younger, you know, like 28 and I it I ran almost a six hour marathon again.

58:08

I had no idea.

I was like, I can figure this out.

I've been an athlete my whole life.

Well, here I am now at 42 in my last year at 41 I ran a 342.

So it definitely incorporating in the speed work amazing.

The just it it makes a huge difference.

Yeah, I'm really excited to see what I can do at Monumental.

58:27

I don't know what it's going to be.

Rachel hasn't given me the plan yet.

We're getting coffee on Thursday of next week, which will be a couple days before the race, and she'll give me the plan, which then I'll like, obsess over and like, have anxiety about, but in a good way.

I feel like the last two year or the last last this year and the last time they were in the Marine Corps Marathon, I get there and I'm like, I'm just going to be like, I'm just going to take it easy and just enjoy and just like have fun.

58:50

And then the night before I'm like, get this competitive streak where I'm like, I want to win.

Not like, win the whole race, but like, I want to beat all the people I'm there with.

You know, like the last couple years, my husband's had some friends there that have done it.

And I'm like, well, I want to beat them all.

I get this, like, weird competitive thing.

59:06

I'm like, probably should have done this like a few weeks ago, not the night before, because then I get myself all psyched out.

Yeah.

It's hard, even if you're doing it for fun, not to have some sort of.

You get there at the starting line and you just like all of the like the energy and just the people.

59:21

And so, yeah.

Yeah, it's going to be.

It's going to be fun.

And right now the weather is looking good, so fingers crossed.

That's huge.

That is like, yeah, that's huge, yeah.

So are you doing, are you doing any other races this fall or I?

Don't have any other races planned.

59:38

I think I'm I typically after I do a full marathon, I kind of enjoy the next few months of doing some other type of exercise.

I love I.

Can appreciate that.

Yes, I love this.

I go to a Pilates, a Pilates class in Noblesville and it our teacher's a physical therapist and she's a lot about like functional movement.

59:53

And I just feel like after the pounding on the pavement for months, it's kind of nice to do something different, work on my strength.

So I'm going to enjoy going to her classes a few times a week.

So just probably do some nice easy jogs with my sister and then after the holidays, I'll figure out what my spring plan is going to be.

1:00:11

Probably the men.

Well, I you know what, again, now with having kids that are a little bit older that play sports, it's harder for me to do those Saturday mornings.

You gotta probably give up to go into a game.

Yeah, because my husband also runs, my dad also runs.

You know, it's like we can't all do it because somebody, I have to get somebody to a soccer game or to a lacrosse game.

1:00:29

So that's true.

That has been a challenge.

I didn't do any other races this fall besides Marine Corps.

I normally like to do Fort Bend, and they normally like to do.

It's enough with other fall race that I've done.

Well, Geist is now in the fall.

OK, Yep.

But again, the sports got in the way.

And you know, I do think there's something to be said about putting your body in the uncomfortable like that race mode at least once or twice before the marathon, so you kind of remember.

1:00:52

What it feels like when it hurts.

Yeah, and I don't.

And I, I didn't remember that hurt feeling because, you know, after a year it's like childbirth.

I'd kind of forgotten about it.

Yeah, yeah.

Well, how long do you typically give yourself off after a marathon?

1:01:08

Without doing anything.

Yeah, well, it's funny, like I, I'm kind of this what, day four or five and I'm already antsy.

Like I can tell I haven't done anything.

I've gone on a walk the last couple of mornings.

This morning I actually did a Peloton roller stretch class.

1:01:24

Oh, those are hard.

I've done those with Hannah.

Yeah, it.

Hurt.

But it was a good hurt.

I would say by next week I'll be, I'll definitely go to Pilates next week and I'll probably go on a jog in this week too, just to light something.

I just, I have a lot of energy and for me to focus, like to sit at, I work from home and so I I'll run in the morning really helps me kind of like focus my day.

1:01:50

So yeah.

Yeah, yeah, I feel like Rachel usually gives me a week off, so thanks, Rachel.

Yeah, for.

That you're almost there or she like makes you.

She's like, you know, like, kind of makes me take it off just in the same way that, like, having a coach makes you take it easy.

Yeah.

Because, you know, I know some people don't listen to their coach and then they're like, well.

1:02:10

It's I hate you.

I always listen to.

I do too.

I'm like, I'm in.

I'll rest.

And I learned to really love my rest days and my like, easy run days.

Like I really like it.

Tomorrow I have an easy 10 Miller on the calendar and I'll do that with a friend of mine, Becky.

And it'll be hard for us to run easy because when we get together, we like at the start of a workout last week, we were like, we need to slow down next mile, we need to slow down again.

1:02:35

And it's like.

Hard.

How's the end of your training site?

You're like, I only have a 10 Miller today.

I feel like my running friends are like, you're so annoying.

Really.

You only have a 10 Miller?

I'm like I run my long runs on Fridays because my.

Husband travels.

Yeah, my husband travels during the week and my kids are at school and so I, my kids get on the school bus at 7:00 AM and I normally start work around 9:00.

1:02:57

So I yeah, so I'll get my long runs in on Friday and I will be happy to have my Friday mornings.

Yeah, back, yeah.

Moving forward through the holidays, because by the end you're like, OK, but when you get that 10 Miller in there at the end, you're like, oh, this is no big deal.

1:03:12

I know in no time.

Yeah, how weird.

And then I get to go.

I we talked about Taylor Swift.

Oh yes.

Oh, and that's going to be like running a 10 mile run.

So I said it's my first time.

Yeah, my first marathon.

I've been wearing the boots.

I'm going.

To wear I would say.

What are you wearing for shoes?

I got these.

This is bad.

Sorry.

1:03:28

Yeah.

You should wear sneakers.

Well, I should, but I got these really, really cute silver ankle cowboy boots.

They're the heels are really minimal and they're comfortable.

Like they're nice.

They're not target cowboy boots, which is a whole other thing.

But I love Target.

Comments.

But I do too.

1:03:43

But I can't.

Well, and I can't.

I just can't.

I have to have comfortable shoes.

So yeah.

So I've been wearing around the house.

Did you get tickets in the lottery or did you okay?

My niece and my sister did too, and.

Yeah.

Are they?

Well, they're local.

They might be the only local people I know that have got that got a code.

1:04:00

I swear that they just gave them to everybody.

And they got a, she got a code and she got like good seats, like hundreds.

That's incredible.

That's four.

Good.

Seats.

And I'm like, Are you sure you don't want to sell those?

But she's so excited.

Yeah, they're going to go down real early tomorrow.

That's so excited.

Are you tomorrow or Saturday?

1:04:16

Tomorrow, OK.

Yeah, they're tomorrow.

They're going to go down at like 3 and then try to be early in to get the good merchandise.

I'm not even.

Yeah, I I don't care about the merchandise.

OK.

I don't think my friend does.

Hopefully not, because I don't want to stand in line.

Yeah, I don't want to spend my time there standing in line.

1:04:33

We probably won't go in until closer to Showtime because we're doing cake bake.

OK.

Which is like this incredible restaurant here in Carmel.

You see, they just opened up in Disney World.

Yes, I did see that.

So anyway, so we're doing that and then we'll go down.

Yeah, I'm just, it's like, yeah, it'll be a marathon in and of itself, so.

My husband was in New Orleans until last night for he was there for drill for his reserve unit, and then he flew into Indy.

1:04:55

He's like he was leaving.

He's like, I can't get away.

Yeah, he was leaving 1 Taylor Swift location.

And then he texts me.

He's like, is Taylor Swift this weekend?

I'm like, it is.

He's like, that's why these flights are so crazy.

Yeah, yeah, that's that's right.

So yeah, OK, real quick, Speaking of flights, your husband works for Delta Airlines, right?

1:05:12

So what's that like having a pilot?

Has been amazing.

I love it.

We, we already love to travel.

We've always like big, big travellers and we love to see the world.

So I've said before, because of his military career, we've had some super cool opportunities.

Like he was in Spain during right during COVID and I took the kids and we were able to go to Spain and we actually took a boat to Africa and went to Morocco.

1:05:35

That's really cool.

That was super cool.

And then this past year he was in in Germany.

This past fall it was in Germany and I took the kids and we hit a few countries.

And so we've always loved to travel.

That's awesome.

We even are the crazy people.

We took our kids to Vietnam when they were three and four.

And so now working for the airlines is like a dream because we can fly non Rev, which is like basically standby.

1:05:56

And we are not, not everyone loves to do it because you don't always know if you're going to make it to be very flexible.

That does not scare us.

That actually thrills us.

So we it's.

Like a game.

Yeah, it's like a game.

So this year, 2, two times we've just for three days gone to Europe and it's great.

1:06:12

We love it.

We like, love showing our kids the world.

We feel so lucky that we have that opportunity.

And then, of course, as always, since we're runners, our favorite way to explore a new city is to run.

So for our anniversary over Labor Day, you know, we're both still, like, in the middle of our training cycle for Marine Corps.

1:06:29

And we flew to Amsterdam, and we needed to get a long run in.

So we actually decided to stay in a hotel right outside the city, like in a National Park, just so we could run.

And it was like, it's the best.

Like we could just explore and be like, really immerse ourselves into the culture and the people.

1:06:44

So yeah, we love to travel.

We love to run.

We love to eat all the things.

Yeah.

All the things and our kids are, yeah, 7:00 and 3:00.

So we're getting to the point where it's like, OK, I feel like I could take, we're almost done with diapers.

I feel like we could take them places now, like more easily.

But I got to, I stayed abroad in Europe in college and got, I ran a lot at that time.

1:07:01

And so I, I did that.

That's what I did to explore.

Yeah, I love.

That's what we love to do.

That's my favorite.

Yeah.

I love.

It's like my dream day on a vacation is to like wake up, go on a run, find a cute cafe to have coffee, good coffee, then start my day like it's just the best.

Then I feel like I got to see everything by foot.

1:07:18

And.

Yeah.

So it's it's been a great he started working for the airlines.

I think it'll be two, two or three years this November.

It's hard to keep up because he then he went back on military orders for a while.

But if it's into our lifestyle perfectly, he's super happy.

He loves it.

Although training for the marathon, he did a pretty intense training plan this season and there were a lot of times he didn't know what city he was going to be in when he and so he'd be.

1:07:42

Couldn't plan.

Couldn't plan so and he doesn't know where he's staying.

So, you know, we've talked about how Hamilton County has these wonderful run pass.

He would be in these cities that don't and maybe aren't safe or maybe 150°.

So he did so many long runs, which I think you.

Do I did a 17 on the treadmill was it?

1:07:58

It was horrible.

Yeah, he did a lot of treadmill runs.

And then do you know how bad those clothes stink after being in a suitcase for a few days and coming home?

It's.

Terrible.

Yeah, it's terrible.

It's good thing he's cute.

And you're like, I'll keep you, I guess.

It can be challenging sometimes because we have to navigate like our, our run plans with kids, but it is nice that we share the same, the love of it, the love of running.

1:08:19

And we really, I feel like, you know, busy parents that work.

We don't always have the opportunity to go on dates on Friday, Friday nights and Saturday nights, but our dates are our three hour runs in the morning.

And we, you know, there's a lot to talk about in three hours.

We can really get a lot out there.

Yeah, that's so cool.

I love that.

1:08:35

I love that.

Oh, man.

Gosh.

Well, I don't want to stop talking to you, Jordan, but.

I have to well, thank you so much for having.

I feel honored.

I feel like you went to, you said that you didn't think having a run coach was for amateurs.

And I'm like, that's how I feel about being on a podcast.

I'm like, I just run a marathon.

It's not that big.

1:08:50

It's just a marathon, I know.

Oh my gosh.

It's for my mental health.

Yeah, but it's so cool.

And I love like learning about, Yeah, being a military family.

I could talk to you about that for hours just because I don't.

Yeah, I don't have much experience there.

So thank you for sharing all that and I have two final questions for you.

1:09:08

OK, so first one is what is your favorite running song or mantra?

OK, I already know the mantra is this.

Kind of embarrassing, but I'm going to my sister's a left because I love on my long Friday runs to listen to James Taylor.

I love James.

1:09:23

Taylor I don't know, something about getting in that meditative state and then just having that like that music.

So I listen to James Taylor a lot on my long runs.

I know that's like doesn't really make sense.

Most people listen to like hype up songs every once in a while.

Since Post Malone's new album has come out, I will listen to his.

1:09:40

But I just like that, like slow, like get me in my meditative state.

Yeah, just like relaxing.

So yeah, that's my, I can see that.

That's really funny.

Or my songs.

Yeah, OK.

We got what do you have a favorite?

I'm trying to think of what my favorite 1 is probably Caroline that I was just thinking of that.

One on my mind, Mexico fire and rain.

1:09:59

Yeah, all of them are just like, I just like to run and kind of forget where I, you know, how many miles I'm in and just, yeah, put on cruise control.

That's good.

And then we can do hard things.

We can do hard things.

Family mantra.

Do you have any other ones that you use?

We can do hard things is probably my biggest one.

We use that a lot like I mean is anything is like.

1:10:16

Put on your.

Shoes, yeah, we can do more.

Hard to get to school.

Yeah, we can do hard things.

We can make this so.

Yeah, that's a good one.

That's a good one right now.

OK.

And the next milestone or finish line we talked about no more finish lines you signed up for this year, but 50th, I'm gonna have to say 50th.

I'm gonna have to say the 50th Marine Corps.

1:10:33

Mayor OK, like I really want to and.

Now I'm saying that on air, in the public, so publicly recorded, I.

Know.

How long do how long until this comes out tomorrow shoot okay?

Sorry, you can't change your mind now.

We'll just get our phones out after this and just we'll both, we'll both register and then any other big milestones.

1:10:51

So you've got a 10 year old, got a double digit 10 year old.

Nothing.

I'm trying to think what we have.

I don't know, this actually is like I'm, I'm actually happy.

This is like a chill year.

We like we're either making my husband the last few years, every two years we've had a big change.

1:11:07

We either moved or he has started a new job.

And so he started a new job at the airlines 2 years ago and then he deployed again.

And so this year I just like, would like to keep it like super simple, like let's just like enjoy our being home and all together as a family of four.

1:11:23

And so we have nothing big coming up and I'm OK with that.

Because.

That's not always the case.

Right.

Yeah, I totally appreciate that.

Well, thank you, Jordan.

It was so much fun getting to know you a little better.

And thank you, of course, of course.

And thank you to everybody who's listened.

And Happy Halloween.

Happy Halloween and happy running perfect.

1:11:42

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Brett BRATT under score runs.

Looking forward to seeing you next week.