erin

How did you learn about Charm City Run Training?

I've been buying running shoes at Charm City for a long time, I receive their promo emails and had an eye out for training groups In Fall 2020.

Which Charm City Run Trainings have you participated in?

• 5k virtual plan

• Half marathon group training

• Marathon group training

  The first training I completed was a virtual plan for a 5k that I ran in December 2020. After that, I decided to ramp it up a little, commit to a group, and go for a longer race, so I signed up for Dawn's Half Marathon Training Group. We only spent a few weeks of in person training as a group before COVID shut everything down, but I was able to successfully complete my first (virtual) half marathon -longest distance I'd run- on the NCR trail in May 2020, running faster than my goal time. Since that seemed to go pretty well, I ramped it up again and signed up for Full Marathon Training Group with Christin and Chad.

How did your Charm City Run Training Coach help inspire you?

Dawn was great about connecting with everyone individually about setting and planning out their goals, and it was a pretty big group, so no easy feat. When the pandemic hit, it was really tough, but she kept us in the loop, sending us motivation, training info and holding Zoom happy hours to help us stay sane and give us a chance to talk about our training. 

In marathon training, Christin could make a challenging workout or a long run not seem so overwhelming. I always felt comfortable checking in about nerves in preparing for race day, talking shoes or prepping for different problem scenarios like exploding Camelbak vests. She had experience working through different injuries and was reassuring and helpful with strengthening exercises and tips for injury prevention. And I could always count on Christin to promptly get the group rolling when it was time to warm up. 

Chad was coming off of a longtime high school coaching role so he brought a lot of experience and knowledge, working with us on dynamic drills, tips for workout progression and pacing, it's a long list. Chad's passion for the sport is evident and set the tone for our workouts and long runs. I was able to trust in my training on race day because I knew my coach had the experience to prepare us on many levels and give us a solid training plan. 

My coaches laid the foundation, building my confidence in believing I could succeed when I wasn't sure my body was capable. It's hard to describe the satisfaction of not just meeting your goal that you've been working for months towards, but then to find that you are able to exceed that goal. 

Why would you recommend Charm City Run Training?

I think I initially joined the training to educate myself, and to make sure I stuck to a training program, ultimately to avoid injury. It's definitely important to educate yourself when attempting to test your body in the marathon or really a race of any distance, but the Charm City Run Training Groups do much more than educate you. Running -and racing- tests your limits, mentally and physically, so on those days when you just aren't feeling it, struggling to get moving after a long day of work, or when the alarm goes off too early on Saturday morning, I knew the group was going to be there ready to roll, rain or shine. On those tough workout days, digging into the well feels a lot more possible when you have a team with you, supporting each other. 

There's not a better way to do it than by surrounding yourself with reliable coaches and a committed group of runners who are in it with you, plugging away, keeping you accountable, and in my case, showing up to cheer you on to complete your first virtual marathon on the NCR trail. Some of our group members were participating in another race, and some ran into injuries early in the cycle, but they still showed up and supported us that day, running part of the distance with us or biking alongside us. I was lucky enough to experience a successful training cycle and marathon, but even more to be doing it with this group, which made the experience so much more meaningful. And I even beat my marathon goal race time..

If you want to grow as a runner, support and be supported, and test the depths of your capabilities, I recommend joining a Charm City Run Training Group.