Technology
Services
Resources
Welcome to part two of the Centro on the Run series! We are sure that by now you are all in the groove of this series and are keeping a very good pace. We wanted to give you the inside scoop on our runners, how their recent races went, and how they are preparing for upcoming races. We did a short interview with each runner to see on how things were going.
Now’s the time to maintain your stride, keep breathing, and snag a water cup from an adoring fan as we continue with our next leg of the race: Centro on the Run, Part 2.
The Centrons who recently ran in a race answered the first rounds of questions.
What was the last race you competed in?
Amanda: Burchfield: The Chicago Marathon on October 12th
Carrie Mathos: The Chicago Marathon on October 12th
Erin Peralta: The Baltimore Marathon on October 18th
Hank Rooney: Tough Mudder on October 11th
How well did the race go for you?
Amanda: It went very well for me and I set a new personal best!
Carrie: Not quite as well as I was expecting. I felt amazing after my 20-mile run, and was expecting to finish the 26.2 in about 5 hours and 15 minutes, but I hurt my leg exactly 2 weeks before the race. I did a little physical therapy the week before and was able to run, which was great, but around mile 4, my leg started bothering me again. I made it to mile 18/19 before I had to walk and then my leg just was not having it. I kept trying to run before I finally had to accept the fact that I was walking to the finish line. So, I walked and walked and walked some more and about an hour after my goal time, I finished.
Erin: I rocked it until mile 18 but I hit the wall hard and came tumbling down. I finished under 4 hours but I was 11 minutes off my Boston Qualifying time.
Hank: It is always a fun race so of course it was a blast!
Did you have a special moment during your race that inspired you to keep running?
Amanda: I saw two guys running with prosthetic legs, a blind runner, and a cancer survivor. They gave me motivation to keep going. We also started behind 3 guys from NYC carrying the “Flag of Honor” with the names of everyone who lost their lives on 9/11.
Carrie: So many! Seeing my family at various points was amazing- I think I got teary every time. When I had to start walking, I saw my best friend, who came in to run it with me. I’d been ahead of her the whole race and would see her family just before she would, but at mile 20, they saw her first and she let them know I was injured and so they stayed put for me. When I saw them, I started crying and without hesitation, her sister jumped in and started walking with me. We walked for about two miles together, sometimes in silence, other times we were having laughs. She held my hand, caught me when I almost fell and reassured me that walking was perfectly fine. We saw my family in Chinatown and I started crying again. My sister thought I was going to have to drop out and was prepared to carry me on her back to the finish line, but when she heard I was just going to walk to the end, she was incredibly happy. Seeing my family and knowing that I had a lot of supporters who I couldn’t let down helped me keep going. At Mile 26, I said hello to my family again and then I heard “Carrie!” and I turned around to see a gal I’d gone to grade school with! She also sustained an injury and was running slow, trying to finish strong, so I gave my leg another chance and it held out for me the last .2 miles! I literally got to throw my hands in the air and run across the finish line, which was a great feeling! I’m not sure that I would’ve been able to run those last .2 without her.
Erin: When I saw my kids at mile 13!
Hank: Just hearing the crowd cheer and seeing everyone covered in mud kept the race very fun and light hearted for me. It was pretty east to keep going hard since everyone around me was having such a great time.
How are you feeling post-race?
Amanda: I can finally walk down stairs! J
Carrie: Pretty good! I’m itching to get running again, but my leg still has other ideas.
Erin: Physically great. Emotionally, annoyed.
Hank: Sore. Nothing more needs to be said!
Any plans for your next race?
Amanda: I’m retiring from long races (at least for a couple years). Plan on doing some fun obstacle course races next year.
Carrie: YES! I want to do another marathon and finish in my goal time. Maybe not next year as I want to wear sandals again in the summer (4 bruised toes kind of makes me a little self-conscious), but I definitely want to do another.
Erin: I’m debating as to whether I should leverage the 5 months of training I have under my belt and run Philly in a few weeks to try and qualify. I have until Sunday to figure it out.
Hank: I am looking into some longer races in 2015, but nothing is certain yet!
The Second round of questions are for the runners who have upcoming races and we thought it would be a great idea to see how their preparations were coming along.
Upcoming Race
Michael Legat: Disney Avengers Half Marathon on November 16th
Michael Mahler: Santa Monica Christmas Run (10k) on December 6th
Michael Thill: Turkey Trot in Long Beach on Thanksgiving Day, November 27th
How is your race preparation coming along?
Michael L: Unfortunately, I’m shut down at the moment with an ankle injury. So unfortunately, Rehab is the new training.
Michael M: I am currently in the stage of “thinking about training”…which comes just before “oh shoot, I should have started training two weeks ago”. But otherwise I am running 2-3 times per week, which is okay. Most of my runs are in the 2-4 mile range so I need to begin working in a long run at least every other week.
Michael T: The race is a 10K so I’m keeping my running steady and am using this preparation to run another half marathon in San Luis Obispo next year. I finished the race in 54 minutes last year so my goal is to come in under that and then congratulate myself by gorging in a Thanksgiving feast!
How excited are you for your upcoming race?
Michael L: I’m doing everything I can in order to be healthy and ready to go for this. So I guess you can say I am excited!
Michael M: Pretty stoked! Last year it rained during this race, which was not ideal (especially for SoCal). I am really looking forward to the potential of better weather which will make the race much more enjoyable.
Michael T: Very! My mom flies in from Dallas every year to run the race with me, and the course is right along the Pacific Ocean where you run next to downtown Long Beach and the RMS Queen Mary.
What are the goals you have set for yourself for this race?
Michael L: My initial goal was to finish under two hours; my new goal is to actually run the race.
Michael M: My main goal is to beat my time from last year. I am finding that this goal becomes increasingly more difficult as the years pass.
Michael T: Wake up. Complete the race. Eat Turkey. Nap.
Words of Wisdom from a Runner
Everyone always says how amazing it is that I run marathon, but the truth is, anyone can run a marathon. Really. Yes, it’s hard. Yes, it’s long. Yes, it takes dedication. But what doesn’t? It’s like life – take it one step at time – and don’t quit!
Thanks for joining us for part two. We are half way there! Be sure to stay tuned for part three.