Hi everyone,

It’s January again, which means it’s time for another Women to Watch issue. As in years past, I put out a call to readers of the newsletter and others in the running community asking to hear about the women they have their eyes on for the year ahead, whether it’s for their race results, activism, storytelling, community-building, or any other contributions to the running world. I love working on this issue because of the range of responses that come in—and I always learn about at least a handful of new folks who weren’t on my radar. (And it’s always fun to see the repeat nominations, too. Looking at you, Carolyn Su!) 

Somehow this is the fourth (?!) iteration of Women to Watch. If you want to check out the lists from the archives, here they are: from 2021, 2020, and 2019. And big thanks to everyone who submitted a response this year. If you didn’t but would like to add someone, go ahead and reply to the newsletter. I’d love to hear more picks from all of you!

The Picks

“I’m excited to watch Sara Vaughn as she transitions to the marathon (what a fun debut at CIM) and with the support of a major sponsor (finally). And as a mom of four kids, she’s adding to the narrative that women’s athletic careers aren’t limited by age or phase of life. Mostly, I find my attention is drawn more and more towards runners who are doing more than just running, like Mary Ngugi who started the Women’s Athletic Alliance after the murder of Agnes Tirop to support women athletes in East Africa suffering from domestic abuse and to support up-and-coming women athletes, and Carolyn Su who continues to proudly show the beauty of a diverse running community, to take up space in that community, and to show how freaking hard it can be. And joy. I want to see more joy in running as a whole. I still can’t get over watching Alexi Pappas dancing through the streets of New York City during the marathon. I want more of that!” —Christine Yu

“Alysia Montano: She is running her first marathon in February with Every Mother Counts, which I think is SUCH a rad transition for a world class medalist in the 800 meters, and we are also racing The Speed Project together. (LA to Vegas!) in March. So much more ahead for her, but I continue to be inspired about how she has let running grow with her, adapted, and inspires us all to do the same.” —Alexi Pappas

“I so admire the women in running who are paving their own way, making space for themselves rather than relying on legacy publications or brands to open their doors. A few women who stand out for me in this way are: 

Carolyn Su, Diverse We Run: Carolyn has taken a passion project and built a platform celebrating the incredible diversity of the running community. Not only does she celebrate runners from communities that have been historically excluded, but she does so with incredible empathy, encouraging her subjects to be authentic and brave. 

Emily Abbate, Hurdle Podcast: Emily is building an incredible community of women through her Hurdle Podcast and celebrates running as the transformative tool it can be to live a richer life in every way. Her positive energy is infectious. 

Nell Rojas: I loved watching Nell crush the Boston Marathon this year after a consistent, steady, and relatively unheralded rise through the ranks. Her social media channels are exactly what you want from an elite-runner—approachable, relatable, and fun. I love that she's a coach too. I could probably spend another 200 words extolling all the incredible women coaches that shined in 2021—more please in 2022!” —Lee Glandorf

“I’m sure this won't be a unique answer, but I’m really excited to see what Molly Seidel does this year. She’s somehow managed to over-deliver in every single marathon she’s run, and this summer offers the unique opportunity to compete in the World Championships at home in the United States. Eugene is undoubtedly going to be home to a lot of special moments, and I’m looking at Athing Mu, Sydney McLaughlin, and Dalilah Muhammad to lead that charge. I also hope that Sha’Carri Richardson can recapture some of her fire and be at her best for Worlds. Track and field needs her star power! (If there are any editors reading this who want on-the-ground coverage from Worlds, I would love to work with you!)

I’m also excited for the future of Starting Line 1928, a new oral history podcast series featuring interviews with the pioneers of women’s running. The name is a reference to the 1928 Olympic Games, the first in which women were allowed to compete in track and field. We’re on Instagram, too! It’s an entirely volunteer-led project; if you're interested in contributing, get in touch at startingline1928@gmail.com.” —Johanna Gretschel

“I’m excited to watch Zoë Rom as the new editor-in-chief of Trail Runner magazine. Zoë has a firm commitment to the environment, sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and I’m looking forward to her making waves in that space. Additionally, she’s also a rising star in the sport of ultrarunning with her eyes on Western States this year. Cheers to strong female leaders in the ultra/trail running space!” —Amelia Boone

“Alison Mariella Désir: activist, communicator, mental health advocate, and in ‘22: book author! Alison’s book is promising to be exactly the message we all need to absorb—about inclusivity and the white supremacy baked into the running world. 

Dinée Dorame started a wonderful podcast last year, Grounded, and really established herself as a unique and gifted storyteller and interviewer. I can’t wait to see the direction she takes with year two of her podcast!

Lauren Fleshman: we all know Lauren as an athlete, coach, and founder/entrepreneur. She’s also adding “book author” to her CV in ‘22. Lauren’s book will be a recipe for fixing girls’ and women’s sports. Here for it—the combo of Lauren’s brain and writing chops will be amazing!” —Sarah Lesko

“​​Megan Roche is a “woman to listen to.” Although she’s experienced a terrifying setback of heart problems, her podcast with her husband David, Some Work All Play, continues to shine light on the fun and scientific parts of running. I’m uncertain about a lot going into this year, but one thing is for sure: Megan Roche is not slowing down in 2022.” —Clare Gallagher

“Ashley Davies: A running and community leader here in Seattle. Co-founder of @run_csrd here in the PNW. CSRD has grown in popularity and power, in large part because of Ashley. CSRD is also known as being one of the most diverse, welcoming run crews around. I go as much as I can, purely so I can be with a wide range of runners. Men, women, all backgrounds, pursuits, running distances. While it may seem simple, having a true leader who shows up at almost EVERY regular run with energy, enthusiasm, and a welcoming energy—it’s truly a feat. Especially during the past few years. I so appreciate these consistent, small but beautiful efforts. It’s really what running is all about, the journey over the destination. Ashley embodies that. The world needs a million Ashleys.

Courtney Carter: Courtney has been a longtime teammate, but seriously, this woman is legend. A few years ago, we were at a race together, and she kidded me about being recognized at the expo. But when she and I went to the restroom, a woman stepped out, looked straight at Courtney, and said “Oh my god, are you EatPrayRunDC?! Can I get a picture with you?” Which I gladly took for them, the woman not even glancing at me. And hey, as it should be! Courtney is radiant and inspiring. She always brings her true self, expansive humor, and no BS straight talk. I seek her out for advice all the time, on business and life. I think the lesson is that we have a lot of everyday heroes around us. Badass runners yes, but also women leading big lives, with interesting jobs/pursuits, and unique backgrounds, And big voices! It's lovely. More of that please.

Faith E Briggs: Faith is a documentarian and has done some STUNNING work, much of it in the active and running space, that combines storytelling and community and powerful ideas in a way that just draws you in. Specifically, the piece she was commissioned to do (by Brooks Running) about the Prolyfyck Run Crew in Charlottesville, and how that community rallied after the white supremacists revealed themselves there. In the sport of running (and everywhere), we need a retelling, an untelling, an excavation of what’s been there all along. Someone like Faith is exactly what running needs, as we have so much to learn about the true history of the sport.” —Sally Bergesen

“I would like to submit two women—both Oiselle professional athletes who are incredible both on and off the track/roads:

Rebecca Mehra: Mehra is not only a talented athlete, she’s also someone whose work will change the sport of running and the world. Outside of being a professional athlete for Oiselle, she works part-time for Galanda Broadman, supporting the firm and lawyers with various cases and related work. This includes numerous cases related to tribal law, as well as police and prison reform cases. You may have read about this case in the news recently. GB is representing Emanuel Fair. Rebecca is also the first athlete to serve on the USATF Foundation board. She has been working on creating language for the new maternity grant that the Foundation is offering for athlete-mothers. 

Jenna Fesemyer: Jenna is an incredible athlete and activist and definitely one to watch. In 2021, she competed in the Tokyo Paralympics, London, Chicago, and Boston marathons and then took 4th place in the New York City marathon. Jenna is a champion and advocate for people with disabilities and seeks to normalize what it means to be an athlete with a disability. I have no doubt that Jenna will be making top podium finishes in the next few years as well as creating more possibilities and leveling the playing field for disabled athletes.” —Alison Mariella Désir

“The first person who comes to mind for me is Ashley Davies, runner, coach, co-creator of the most inclusive running group in Seattle, and an all around amazing human being. Read an article she recently wrote here, and hear her on this podcast. 

A duo in coaching in Portland (though they coach different teams!) that’s making waves in coaching education, specifically with working to keep girls in running, is Marie Davis Markham and Robyn McGillis. Their Wildwood Running camps are inspiring for coaches and athletes. 

Not new, but continuing to be inspiring, Carolyn Su who created DiverseWeRun and is involved in some other cool running-related activities and opportunities.

Kristen Doornbos: Artist and woman with a disability making a line of cards specifically for runners called Paper Trails Greeting Co. She’s finding her voice and sharing what running and life with a feeding tube is like while also running her small business.” —Meg Gayman

Who’s missing?

I’d love to hear about others who aren’t listed here. If you have a pick you’d like to send along, reply to this issue or send me a message on Twitter.

Drop me a line

I want to hear from you! Tell me about what you like here, what I missed, and what’s going on in your running life. (You can also follow the Kick on Twitter, and on Instagram. And I’m on Strava here.) Thanks for reading, and enjoy your miles. 

Molly 

Hi everyone,

I wanted to pop into your inboxes one last time before the end of the year. I’m writing to you from New Hampshire, where I’ve been spending the holidays and also doing some very cold, very hilly running. I’m such a sucker for romanticizing the grind of winter training, so excuse me while I do. But there’s something perfect to me about ending the year (and starting a new one) with these kinds of runs. They give the shapeless days a little structure, these days that are somehow very short and very long at the same time. It always takes me an extra nudge to get out the door when I’m home for the holidays—it’s frigid outside and probably snowing, it’s so cozy and wonderfully lazy in the house, and someone is making french toast or eggs or eating chocolate for breakfast next to the fire and telling me you can skip running this one day. But it only takes me two minutes of being out to remember why we keep doing this. (And I’ll have the french toast and eggs and chocolate when I’m back, thank you.)   

Soon it will be back to the routine and I’ll be nostalgic for these runs until next Thanksgiving. In the meantime, I’ll be soaking up these last few days of running in the in-between. 

 Recommended reading

• Our annual anti-resolutions from the Outside editors: “Here at Outside, we’re all for pursuing your best self. We also believe that the path to fulfillment is paved not with relentless discipline, rigorous training plans, or—God forbid—diets but with joyful abandon.” (Including my admission that I’ll never be a morning runner and I’ve finally embraced it.)

• This Roger Robinson essay on racing in old age is a delight: “Those who choose to retire at their peak may think they evade the losses time brings, but they can only look back, not forward. They miss this ongoing journey, which truly is an exploration of the whole of life, its last 6.2 miles as well as the first 20.”

• I edited this piece from Fritz Huber a few months ago on how Strava shapes our running narratives, and I still think about it almost daily. 

• In which Alex Hutchinson predicts that next year’s biggest health trend will be “reembracing the normal, the quotidian, the unremarkable. After a period of disruption during which—by necessity—we explored new and possibly better ways of doing things, we’re starting to pine for the old familiar ways.” Plus a whole bunch of other predictions for next year from health and fitness experts. 

• My uncontroversial, definitely correct winter running take. (If you disagree, here are Hutchinson’s timeless tips for running in frigid weather.)

• Bonus non-running-related read: I recently revisited Helena Fitzgerald’s essay from last year about this period between Christmas and New Year’s, and it’s still perfect. If you don’t subscribe to her Griefbacon newsletter, I can’t recommend it enough. 

Coming soon: Women to Watch 2022

I’ll be putting together another Women to Watch issue of the Kick in January. Here’s last year’s edition to jog your memory—start thinking on your picks! Here’s a bit more info from last year’s callout: I want to hear about a wide range of women, and they don’t all have to be focused on racing or performance—I also want to hear about the runners you’re admiring for their activism, their creative pursuits, or their leadership in the running community. I’ll be putting out a call for submissions on Twitter later as well, so spread the word and send me your picks!

Drop me a line

I want to hear from you! Tell me about what you like here, what I missed, and what’s going on in your running life. (You can also follow the Kick on Twitter, and on Instagram. And I’m on Strava here.) Thanks for reading, and enjoy your miles. 

Molly

Hi everyone,

Whew, it has been a very long while since I slid into your inboxes. But the Kick is still alive, I promise! I’ve been training for Boston for the past several months, and we officially hit the one-month-out mark this weekend. One of the strange but lovely side effects of all the races delayed by the pandemic is that so many major marathons are happening so close together this year. I love looking at my Strava feed on the weekend and seeing so many people in the meatiest parts of their marathon builds at the same time. Today, I ran half of my long run with a friend who’s training for London and then at the end I passed by a friend who’s training for Chicago and felt a little swell of camaraderie. (Or maybe I was just happy to be finishing my long run.)

We’re also entering the indisputably best time of the year for running. (Forever known as cross country season, no matter how old you get.) I’m a particular baby about summer running, and this is my first time doing a real marathon build in the depths of New York’s muggy season. We’ve finally started to get some reprieve in these past few weeks, and it’s always fun to remember on those cooler days that the hard, sweaty work from July and August has been going somewhere.  

I recently revisited this ode to fall running by Fritz Huber that I edited several years ago for Outside, which includes this perfect line: “When the cooler weather starts to trickle in, post-equinox, the effect is pure magic. You are faster, and it all somehow feels easier. Fall is nature’s EPO.” Not the worst conditions for the final push of a training cycle. 

Some links to hold you over

I’ll be bringing this newsletter back at a more regular frequency again soon, but in the meantime I wanted to share a few stories that you may have missed during my hiatus:

• This piece by Christine Yu, on running’s cultural reckoning with abusive and negligent coaching, took many months of reporting and editing and is one of the stories I’ve been most proud to publish at Outside. 

• Even though Aliphine Tuliamuk’s Olympic marathon last month didn’t go as anyone would have hoped, there’s a whole lot more about her in this profile by Latria Graham that is worth reading if you haven’t. Latria really wanted to tell Aliphine’s story in a way that felt different from the previous profiles of her, and she delivered. (This piece is also in the summer print issue of Outside.)

• From the recent archives of Alex Hutchinson’s Sweat Science column: on how your menstrual cycle affects your injury risk, how exercise affects pregnant women, and what determines which marathoners get heat stroke.

• Today was the 40th anniversary of the 5th Ave Mile. Fritz Huber wrote about the history of the race here. Earlier this week, he wrote about some Gen Z runners who want to bring some fresh energy to running media.

If you’re also in the final weeks of a training build, good luck and enjoy! 

Drop me a line

I want to hear from you! Tell me about what you like here, what I missed, and what’s going on in your running life. (You can also follow the Kick on Twitter, and on Instagram. And I’m on Strava here.) Thanks for reading, and enjoy your miles. 

Molly 

Hi everyone,

It’s that time of year again! In 2019 and 2020, I sent out special editions of the newsletter highlighting some of the running women who are poised for big things in the year ahead. With very little official racing this year thanks to the pandemic, I was especially interested to hear from readers and others in the women’s running community about who they’re looking out for in 2021. Unsurprisingly, there was a lot of overlap in the responses this time around (everyone loves Aliphine!), but I love that this edition really highlights something I’d been hoping to accomplish with the previous iterations, too: most of these responses aren’t about performance and racing. The women most of you are excited to follow in 2021 are the ones who are speaking out about injustice in the sport (and beyond), pursuing ambitious creative projects, or using their platforms to talk about things other than race results. Of course, as fans of the sport, most of us are eager for high-level racing to return so we can also talk about race results. But the women we admire in this community aren’t one-dimensional athletes, and this year has given us more opportunity than usual to get to know other sides of them. I, for one, hope that continues long after large-scale races return. 

Thanks to everyone who submitted a response this year! If you didn’t but would like to add someone, go ahead and reply to the newsletter. I’d love to hear more picks from all of you!

The Picks

“I cannot wait to see Aliphine Tuliamuk in the Olympic games. She stands to break barriers, racing newly postpartum and as the first Black American woman to represent in the marathon in the Olympics. I was able to see her electrifying performance in Atlanta but was disappointed at the lack of coverage for it; I hope that the media is prepared to get it right this time. Knowing Aliphine, she will come back even stronger and once again amaze all of us with her performance. The post race kiss with her baby girl will be priceless! My other pick is Gwen Berry and all the women athletes who will use their podium moments at the Olympic Games to keep the conversation and attention on issues of anti-black violence and social injustice. Despite significant setbacks on account of her protesting, Berry is determined to be victorious in competition. I believe that Berry’s performances in competition and in protest at the games will set the standard for what it means to be an athlete activist and I hope that it sends a signal to sponsors that supporting athletes who dare to use their voices is not a risk but a must.” —Alison Désir

“Dinée Dorame, one of our Tracksmith Fellows, is a Navajo runner based in New Mexico who’s drawing inspiration from her culture's tradition of storytelling, distance running, and connection to create her own platform. She's launching the Grounded podcast in January. The show will explore the unique relationship between the runner and the land, diving into conversations around community and the histories behind the places we run. Grounded aims to uplift Indigenous runners, while also providing a space for learning about the intersection of land, movement, and wellness. I’m so excited to listen, but also to see this continuing trend of women runners making their own spaces and changing the sport through creativity and connectivity. She's one to watch!” —Lee Glandorf

“I’m excited for a lot of athletic performances (will Sara Hall keep shooting for the moon? Will Keira D’Amato keep redefining what an amateur can be?). But I’m really interested to see athletes make their marks outside the racing arena, especially as long as we’re all stuck in this interminable pandemic waiting room. Alison Désir’s activism, Lauren Fleshman’s memoir, Alexi Pappas’s filmmaking, Tianna Bartoletta’s blog—they all translate the work we put into our sport into something that stands for more (and bring constructive attention back to women’s sports in turn). They’re just a few of the women who in my opinion make female runners some of the most interesting athletes out there. I can’t wait to see more of it, and to help make sure the rest of the world does too.” —Lindsay Crouse

“Waverly and Rebeka are New York City’s runner power couple. I met Rebeka Stowe at Nike's Moonshot training camp where she effortlessly led and inspired hundreds of runners of all abilities. I ran with Waverly Neer in the Orchard Street Runners 10k and can confidently say she has pushed me more than any other runner ever has. Alone, they are decorated distance runners, but as a couple they are unique: both train at a high level, thrive in their careers, and bring energy and mentorship to the New York running community. I will be eagerly watching what these multifaceted women bring to 2021.” —Sasha Whittle

“I’m really excited and encouraged by the many women runners who are using their platforms to discuss racial, environmental, and economic justice. There are several that keep me inspired on the daily but one that stands out is Peyton Thomas: she is only 24, ran an impressive 2:42 marathon debut, and then followed that up with a 2:42 on the super tough OT course in Atlanta a couple months later. Aside from her running accomplishments in 2020, Peyton has been working with Protect our Winters on environmental justice and Get Out the Vote initiatives (and I’m sure many other things we don’t know about). I’m grateful for her voice.” —Caitlin Phillips

“Everyone. I know, it's a cop-out answer, but that's the first thing that comes to mind when I think about the women to watch in 2021. Heading into an Olympic year after a year like 2020 when everything was on pause, it feels like anything is possible, just see Keira D’Amato! There's a sense that everyone is itching to race and raring to go. We got a peek at that during The Marathon Project in December and I can’t wait to see what goes down at the Olympic Trials and the Games this summer.

One runner I'm excited to watch is Dinée Dorame. She’s part of the first cohort of Tracksmith Fellows, which supports runners and their creative projects. Dinée is launching the Grounded Podcast in January, digging into the intersection of running, land, and community and I can't wait to listen to her conversations with other runners. 

I’m also really excited for Aliphine Tuliamuk and her partner to welcome a new member to their family. While all eyes will probably be on her to see how she's able to manage the quick turnaround between giving birth and he Olympics—and I hope she does amazing—I’m more excited about the seeing the conversation around women, parenthood, and sports continue to evolve, that sports and parenthood aren’t mutually exclusive, and that there's so much more to athletes beyond just splits, podiums, and PRs.” —Christine Yu

“Alison Mariella Désir is a stranger to few in the outdoor advocacy space now, but she’s just getting warmed up. Runners have long held onto the ideal that we are a safe and inclusive space for all, and 2020 (and leaders like Alison) helped us see that significant work still needs to be done for this to ring true. While it is encouraging that so many people have committed to listening and learning, Alison is the kind of leader who won't let us stop there, and in 2021 I expect she will be a key figure in holding the outdoor industry accountable in shifting from good intentions to enduring change.” —Lauren Fleshman

“Jordan Marie Daniel—or Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Daniel—is not only a fantastic runner that I admire, but an incredible human being to learn about over the last year. Jordan's voice is strong, unapologetic, and exceptionally necessary for this unpredictable year that was presented to us. She educates the masses through her social media presence and community work, and raises awareness about the Indigenous, Black, Asian, LGBTQ, non-binary communities and beyond. Through her work, many benefit from her words to be better allies for marginalized communities and makes me proud to advocate in this space.” —Latoya Shauntay Snell

“I would say Colleen Quigley, who has become a close friend of mine—mostly because she supports me for my efforts and ambition on and off the track! She is truly pushing herself to admirable places as an athlete, but also off the track as a role model and leader in sharing her endeavors as a whole person. She’s not under the radar by any means, but I have truly loved getting to know her and felt grateful for how she feels like a peer in my chasing many dreams, competitive running and otherwise.” —Alexi Pappas

“I love that Jordan Daniel is using her running to raise awareness for indigenous rights and issues. I hope to see more in the running community follow her lead in running to highlight causes, and I'm happy to see people finally embracing that runners can and should do more than simple run fast and win races. We are humans with unique voices that should be applauded!” —Amelia Boone

“Right now, I'm really inspired by Aliphine Tuliamuk, winner of the Olympic Marathon Trials. I mean, c’mon. Who wins the Trials, makes the Olympic team, then oh yeah, has a baby while the world gets through a pandemic, while creating a solid plan to be back in shape for Tokyo?! She did what works for her, and created her own timetable. It reminds me of the mantra: Let sports be a support system for life, not the other way around.” —Sally Bergesen

“I'm really excited to follow Aliphine Tuliamuk’s journey this year. She's due to give birth to her first child in January and then will compete in the Olympic marathon for Team USA in August. There's a few elite runners who have pulled off incredible performances in a similar timeframe (Kara Goucher finished fifth at the 2011 Boston Marathon seventh months after giving birth to her son, Colt), but it’s pretty rare to rush back to elite competition that quickly, and all the more unique due to the circumstances of COVID: she won the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon, then chose to pursue her personal goal to start a family after the Olympic Games got postponed to 2021. Aliphine and her NAZ Elite teammates are pretty transparent about their training and active on Strava, so it will be fascinating to see her progress back into marathon shape this year. I have some personal interest in this as well since more than a few of my runner friends also got pregnant this year, including two OTQ marathoners who actually have January due dates just like Aliphine—shout out to Cate Barrett and Allison Cleaver!” —Johanna Gretschel

“Diversity advocates Alison Désir (Run 4 All Women) and Verna Volker (Native Women Running) of course jump to mind, but to that short list, I'd add their lesser-known co-leaders of the Running Industry Diversity Coalition. Martha Garcia, the Director of Global Brand Creative and Communications at HOKA ONE ONE; Shannon Woods, Senior Manager Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at Brooks Running and Robyn Goby, Vice President of Development, Fleet Feet. The patience, persistence, and grit it takes to bring about real change in an industry steeped in the habits and mindset of racism is monumental. While their work is less visible—though becoming more so, check out this podcast with Martha and Shannon—it's no less important than the elite performances we fans love. Let’s be sure to support and cheer on these behind-the-scenes voices.” —Michelle Hamilton

“Peyton Thomas! She ran in the Olympic marathon trials, collegiately at Baylor, and also runs trails! She’s finishing her PhD in marine biology and is a brilliant environmentalist and activist in Wilmington, NC. She helped out with Protect Our Winters’ election PSAs this year and helped start a Sunrise Movement chapter in Wilmington. Let’s be real: she qualified for the Marathon Trials, wants to run a mountain 100-miler, studies climate change on baby shark muscles, and finds time to volunteer for climate justice—I think she’s the coolest. 

I’m also excited to read Addie Bracy’s forthcoming book, Mental Training for Ultrarunning. Granted, I’m biased because she’s one of my best friends, but for anyone running ultras, mental training is in many ways more important than physical training. I want to learn the science behind our best and worst habits in the last stages of a 100-miler. I want to train my brain to work more pragmatically and efficiently in the craziness of a long race or run.” —Clare Gallagher

“There’s no way to pick just one. There are so many women in this sport that I'm basically proactively inspired and energized by for this next year—to see them rising to the tops of their games in 2021, or just continuing to be unabashedly themselves. 

At the very front of my mind is Aliphine Tuliamuk. She’s going to the Olympics!! And having a baby between now and then. That’s incredible. I have no doubt that she’ll demonstrate in style (and potentially while wearing beanies) that women are able to 1) create life and 2) be elite athletes nearly at the same time. She’s one of my favorite follows on Twitter and I can’t wait to cheer her on in Tokyo, or however she decides to see what she’s capable of in 2021. 

Then there’s Dana Giordana—who’s big bet on quitting her job to be able to train full-time has rewarded her with an amazing breakthrough on the track—the Olympic Trials standard in the 5k with a blazing 15:18! She worked her way back from injury last summer/fall (2019) to come back swinging and take down a PR. I’m excited to watch her this spring and summer! 

In what I believe—though I could be wrong—was Sarah Cumming’s debut 50-miler this fall, she came in second place. Sarah is a master of the marathon, so seeing her make the switch over to longer distances makes me pumped to see what she can get done in that arena. 

Alison Désir is someone I’ve enjoyed watching make things that seem difficult or impossible happen anyway. Not just in 2020. She’s been accomplishing this type of feat for many years, and I’m sure that 2021 will be no different. My eyes are always peeled to read any writing from her and I'm hoping that 2021 will bring the chance to read more! 

Kate Grace is another athlete I have loved getting to keep an eye on for the past few years. I'm always learning new things from her—like this tendon health gelatin recipe she posted on her Instagram that I still haven't managed to replicate in a way that tastes better than flavorless gum. I also loved getting to see Kate’s line of thinking around the idea of tithing and being conscious in how she allocates her money. It’s a topic I wish more people felt comfortable talking about, because I think it'd normalize the idea of thinking critically about how and which organizations and communities might need support.” —Jeanne Mack

Who’d we miss?

Like I said at the top, I’d love to hear about others who aren’t listed here. If you have a pick you’d like to send along, reply to this issue or send me a message on Twitter. 

Drop me a line

I want to hear from you! Tell me about what you like here, what I missed, and what’s going on in your running life. (You can also follow the Kick on Twitter, and on Instagram.) Thanks for reading, and enjoy your miles. 

Molly 

Hi everyone,

Here’s one more issue for 2020. Of course, this year changed everything about our lives, and running was no exception. One of my all-time favorite issues of the newsletter was this one from April, where many of you wrote in about how your relationship with running was evolving during the pandemic. That was only two months in, and we’ve all gone through our own ups and downs since then. Thanks to all of you for reading and supporting the newsletter during this wild year. 

It’s been two years since I started this project, and it’s so rewarding to see how many of you are still showing up, reading, and spreading the word about the Kick. I hope to send you many more issues of the newsletter in 2021, and I’m cautiously optimistic that there will be much more racing and running news to cover next year! Until then, enjoy your miles.

It’s time for Women to Watch

For the past two years, I’ve done an annual “Women to Watch” issue of the newsletter each January to highlight some of the women in the running community who are poised for big things in the coming year. (Here’s the 2020 version, and here’s 2019.) I love hearing from newsletter readers and other voices in the women’s running world about who they have their eyes on. If you have a pick for 2021, send it my way! I want to hear about a wide range of women, and they don’t all have to be focused on racing or performance—I also want to hear about the runners you’re admiring for their activism, their creative pursuits, or their leadership in the running community. I’ll be putting out a call for submissions on Twitter as well, so spread the word and send me your picks!

Aliphine is having a baby!

If you’re a reader of this newsletter, by now you’ve probably heard that Aliphine Tiliamuk—the U.S. Marathon Trials champion—is pregnant. But I still can’t resist sharing it here. I love how open Aliphine has been about her decision and about how she plans to approach her post-pregnancy training for the Olympics next summer. I can’t wait to follow along as she gears up for both motherhood and the Olympics.

Sara Hall is still on fire

At the Marathon Project in Arizona last weekend, Sara Hall ran 2:20:32 for the win, becoming the second-fastest American woman marathoner ever. She was shooting for Deena Kastor’s American Record (2:19:36), but still managed to set a new PR for the second time this year. This opinion piece from Lindsay Crouse is a great read on what the rest of us can learn from Sara’s perseverance and approach to training—both during the pandemic and throughout her career. I particularly appreciated this quote from Sara: “We can be an instant-gratification culture, but I’ve had to cultivate a long-term approach to my career. I figured as long as I could keep working on my craft, chipping away, finding joy in the mundane, then that had to be enough.”

Alexi Pappas opens up about depression

I’m a longtime fan of Alexi as an athlete and of her creative work. Her new book, Bravey, is out in January, and it covers some heavier topics that don’t always come through in her often-upbeat social media presence. In advance of its publication, she collaborated with the New York Times on this video about depression and mental health in sports. In both the video and the book, Alexi details her own experience with serious depression after the Olympics, and makes the case that athletes should treat their mental health with the same attention and care as our physical health. 

Debunking the mythology around the Tarahumara 

Earlier this year in the newsletter, I shared a piece I edited from Alex Hutchinson on new anthropological research about the Tarahumara—the Indigenous population of Mexico’s Copper Canyon who have been mythologized and exoticized since Born to Run. ESPN has now released a new 30 for 30 documentary, The Infinite Race, which also seeks to challenge the mainstream narratives about the Tarahumara. Fritz Huber reviewed the film in this piece I edited for Outside. As Fritz puts it in his review: “Irma Chávez, a Tarahumara activist and moral conscience of Ruiz’s film, regards the barefoot running industry as an insult—an attempt to profit off a misconception that the Tarahumara run with minimalist sandals because of alleged performance benefits, rather than out of necessity. This, in Chávez’s view, is consistent with a long legacy of external forces projecting their narratives on her people.” Whether or not you read Born to Run, these pieces are worth your time.

Other recommended reading

• This episode of This American Life has a beautiful segment about Ahmaud Arbery. (The episode is all about 25-year-olds, in honor of the show’s 25th anniversary.) The segment, reported by Mitchell S. Jackson, is adapted from his piece for Runner’s World from this summer.

• Every year at Outside, we poll some experts in the health and fitness world for their predictions about what’s to expect in the coming year. Here’s the latest iteration, featuring predictions from Christine Yu, Alex Hutchinson, and many others.

• Des Linden is everyone’s new favorite race commentator. 

• On his Outside column, Alex Hutchinson wrote about new research on what “running power” really measures and whether we should care about it.

Drop me a line

I want to hear from you! Tell me about what you like here, what I missed, and what’s going on in your running life. (You can also follow the Kick on Twitter, and on Instagram.) Thanks for reading, and enjoy your miles. 

Molly

Hello everyone,

I’ve been meaning to send you all another newsletter issue for a while now, but I think we all get a free pass for falling behind in 2020. 

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’ve been craving racing so much more in the past two months than I was earlier in the pandemic. I think it’s the season, to some extent. Last year at this time I was tapering for CIM, and for many years before that I was either in the thick of marathon training or coming off the tail end of cross-country season. Now that I’m coming up on a year since my last race, I realized recently that I haven’t gone this long without racing since I was in elementary school. I haven’t gone after any time trials or virtual races during the pandemic, but I may have to cave pretty soon. Every few days I feel the itch for an all-out effort creeping up on me while I’m out on a regular old training run. (I tried to explain this feeling to a non-runner friend a few days ago when she innocently asked me about “how running is going”—I don’t think she got it.) In a weird, cheesy way, it’s kind of a comforting feeling. Left to my own devices, with a million reasons not to think or care about chasing arbitrary times over meaningless distances, that’s still what I actually want to do. Or maybe I’m just far enough out from my last painful racing memories to trick myself into believing that—who’s to say.

This is a long and earnest way of saying: Now that we’re coming up on the end of 2020 (somehow), I’ve been thinking a lot about how my running friends and peers have changed their attitudes about racing over the past year. If you have thoughts on this topic that you’d like to share, I’d love to hear from you! (Possibly for a future issue of the newsletter, TBD.)

Seeking the fastest shoe in the post-Vaporfly era

I recently worked with Alex Hutchinson on this story for Outside about the Canadian marathoner Malindi Elmore and her unconventional approach to signing a new shoe contract. Before joining Saucony, she took the brand’s Endorphin Pro shoe to a lab to test it alongside the Nike Vaporfly and see how they stacked up. I won’t spoil it for you, but it’s an interesting look at all the considerations that many pros have to weigh when it comes to shoe deals. As Elmore told Alex: “I don’t think Nike has done enough on so many aspects of doping scandals, women’s rights, and other social justice issues, so I felt torn between wanting to run in the fastest shoes on the market and not wanting to financially support the company.”

Tracksmith announces their fellowship winners

Last week, Tracksmith announced their first class of fellows, selected from about 350 applicants. The fellows will each receive a one-year grant to pursue a running-related creative project. It’s encouraging to see such a diverse mix of projects and people in this group, and I’m looking forward to seeing the work they produce!

Catching up with Tierney Wolfgram

In another piece I edited for Outside, Fritz Huber interviewed Tierney Wolfgram, the 17-year-old who recently set a U.S. junior record in the marathon (2:31:49!) Fritz and Tierney discussed her record-setting run, along with how her training has evolved over time, and the potential risks of early success for young athletes. “I guess you could say I’d gotten addicted to the success that my running had brought me,” she says in the interview. “That kind of morphed running into being pretty much my whole identity, which is something I would struggle with a lot. When I didn’t have a good run or workout, my whole day was bad just because that was my whole life.”

Running industry mentorship program 

Alison Wade, who writes the Fast Women newsletter, recently put together this spreadsheet to facilitate mentor/mentee relationships in the running industry. (The idea is to provide mentorship to women and other people from underrepresented groups, but anyone can sign up to be one of the mentors!) I think this is a great idea, and I wanted to pass it along to the readers of this newsletter, in case you’re looking for mentorship or would like to offer any services as a mentor.

Alison Désir: Outsider of the Year

I had the pleasure of editing this year’s edition of Outside’s cover package on the Outsiders of the Year, which highlights the people who changed the outdoor world in a significant way in 2020. The package features a wide range of athletes, activists, and outdoorspeople—one of whom is the incredible Alison Désir. You can check out Christine Yu’s profile of Alison and the rest of the package here, or in the December issue of our print magazine. 

Other news and recommended reading

• I loved this interview between Anne Helen Petersen and Emily Contois about gender, food, body image, and much more. It’s not specifically about running, but I think it would be of interest to many people who read this newsletter.

• Andrea Huser, a Swiss ultrarunner, died after taking a fall on a run this past weekend. Condolences to her friends and family, and the entire trail running community who knew her. 

• Keira D’Amato set a new 10-mile American Record at the “Up Dawg” race she created in Washington, D.C.

• Kurt Streeter on how his experiences of running while Black have evolved over the past year. 

• Alison Wade of Fast Women has also put together a list of women’s running books—a great resource for holiday gifts!

Drop me a line

I want to hear from you! Tell me about what you like here, what I missed, and what’s going on in your running life. (You can also follow the Kick on Twitter, and on Instagram.) Thanks for reading, and enjoy your miles. 

Molly 

Hello everyone,

We’re officially in the best weeks of running weather. Every year at this time, it feels like a different layer of running fitness comes out of hiding after months of the summer slog. With so much bad news and unpredictability this year, it’s a comforting constant that could almost trick me into believing that we’re heading into a normal season of fall racing. I hope you’re all soaking it up as much as I am. 

The ultra that banned the phrase “Black Lives Matter”

I recently worked on this Outside piece by Fritz Huber about a dispute in the ultrarunning community over a team named Black Lives Matter. Ben Chan, the runner at the center of the piece, raises some really compelling, important points about what it means when white runners insist that running should be a “refuge” from serious discussions. And as Fritz puts it in the story: “There are members of the BIPOC running community who could not insulate themselves from the reality of racial injustice even if they wanted to.” 

Caster Semenya lost her appeal

Earlier this month, Caster Semenya lost her appeal to compete in the 800 meters at next summer’s Olympics. This is merely the latest hurdle Semenya has faced after years of controversy over her gender and her ability to compete against other women. As in the past, it sounds like Semenya is determined to fight the decision however she can, but it’s not entirely clear what that will look like at this stage. If you’re interested in reading more about the various arguments on both sides of this debate, this is a really thoughtful piece from David Epstein—author of The Sports Gene—on how his views on Semenya’s case have changed over time.

Inside an FKT attempt on the Appalachian Trail

Portland-based runner Liz Anjos recently completed her AT run/thru-hike, which initially began as an FKT attempt. Fritz caught up with her in this Outside story about what it was like to attempt a speed record during a pandemic, and how Liz reevaluated her goals along the way. (She ended up falling off record pace early on, due to a nagging injury.) To be honest, I’m a little tired of hearing about FKT attempts at this point in our brave new world of pandemic racing, but I was intrigued by Liz’s attempt and eagerly followed along with her progress on Strava. 

Gwen Berry gets the NYT op-doc treatment

This is a really powerful video of Olympian Gwen Berry (another Lindsay Crouse project!), talking about her experiences with Rule 50 and protesting on the world stage—and the consequences that followed. “I’m ready for Tokyo 2021 and my next podium,” Berry says. “And when I get there, I want to be able to raise my fist and my voice without being punished.” 

More college runners speak out about abusive team cultures

This spring, a group of alumnae from the Wesleyan women’s cross country team spoke out about a culture of disordered eating and inappropriate coaching on their team. Last month, the Times covered that story, and the coach (John Crooke) resigned around the time of the story’s publication. 

Also in August, a group of women runners from University of Arizona came forward about a “rotten culture” on their team, and last week, another group of their teammates stepped up to support their allegations. (The details of the UA story are wide-ranging and more difficult to summarize than the Wesleyan case, but essentially amount to neglectful/abusive coaching, including allegations of public weigh-ins and food tracking, and encouraging athletes to train while injured.) From my vantage, there seems to be a slow cultural shift happening in the running community around these kinds of issues and coaching practices. I’m sure we’ll see more athletes come forward from other programs, and I hope more positive change will come from it. 

Other recommended reading:

• I loved this story from the Atlantic about Lottie Dod, “the world’s first female sports superstar,” which also offers some analysis of issues that still persist in women’s sports today. 

• I worked with Christine Yu on this Outside piece about period tracking and athletic performance, including her first-person experience testing a few tracking apps. As I mentioned in the last newsletter, there’s still so much we don’t know about how periods affect performance, but some researchers are doing some compelling work on the subject. And if you’re curious about tracking your period as part of your training, Christine has some helpful advice. 

• An ode to the New York City Marathon, which was born 50 years ago in Central Park.

• A case for not counting your running mileage, courtesy of Alex Hutchinson. 

• ICYMI: Runner’s World’s September cover story is about Alysia Montaño. 

• A few more lovely running comics from Edith Zimmerman!

• Oiselle’s Womxn Run the Vote relay kicks off tomorrow. They’ve raised $260,000 for Black Voters Matter.

Drop me a line

I want to hear from you! Tell me about what you like here, what I missed, and what’s going on in your running life. (You can also follow the Kick on Twitter, and on Instagram.) Thanks for reading, and enjoy your miles. 

Molly 

Hello everyone,

For all the obvious reasons, it’s been a little while since I popped into your inboxes. But the running world has been surprisingly busy over these past several weeks! Unbelievably, some serious racing has picked back up again lately, and a lot of pro women have run some incredibly fast times in controlled settings like time trials and intrasquad meets. And from my vantage, it also seems like the number of amateur runners I follow on Instagram who have hopped on the virtual racing train is steadily growing. (More power to them!) For the rest of us, ‘tis the season for slogging through the late-summer heat just because we feel like it. Don’t forget to enjoy it.

We still don’t really understand periods and exercise

I’ve worked on a handful of stories at Outside about the underrepresentation of women in scientific research, but it never ceases to amaze (and frustrate!) me that we still really don’t understand how the menstrual cycle affects athletic performance. I recently worked with Alex Hutchinson on this piece about a new meta-analysis of the existing research in this area. In the end, it mostly highlights what we still don’t know—and the researchers conclude by calling for more, better research on the menstrual cycle and exercise. “The problems with taking decades of research on mostly male subjects and simply assuming that the conclusions can be applied to women are clear, and people are certainly talking about them,” Alex writes in the piece. “But translating that new awareness into action, and identifying specific ways that women should train and compete differently than men, remains a challenge.” Deep sigh.

More on running while Black

I’m a longtime fan of NPR’s Code Switch podcast, which focuses on race and identity. They recently put out this video episode on Instagram (featuring Alison Désir!) about the dangers of running while Black, and how running’s overwhelmingly white roots have led to present-day racial divides when it comes to runner safety. The piece is really well done, and packs a lot of information into only 8 minutes. (ICYMI: I’d recommend checking out pretty much anything that Alison does—she’s doing so much important work in the sport right now.)

Tracksmith’s new fellowship program

Tracksmith is launching a new fellowship program aimed at creatives in the sport. Of course, like some of their other recent initiatives, it’s a great marketing strategy for the brand. But I also think it has the potential to fund some really interesting work, and it’s encouraging to see them taking an innovative approach to fostering different types of talent in the running community. They’re looking to support 3-5 projects—you can get more info and apply here. I’m hoping they’ll get a diverse pool of applicants to choose from. If you’re thinking about applying, consider this a nudge of support from me!

A new training resource for Black runners

RunGrl recently launched The Relay, a training resource for Black women distance runners, featuring expert advice from coaches and athletes. On top of being a great service for Black athletes, as it’s intended, I think this could also be a useful tool for writers and editors in the running media space who are looking to (finally) diversify their sources for training stories. 

Rethinking the Tarahumara mythology

If you read Born to Run a decade ago, this other Outside story from Alex Hutchinson is a must-read. Alex usually focuses on sports science in his column, but this piece looks at some new anthropological research on the Tarahumara runners and the mythology that surrounds them. The researchers basically argue that the narrative around the Tarahumara has perpetuated racial stereotypes and doesn’t properly acknowledge why they are such good ultrarunners. As Alex puts it in the story: “Societies become good at the things they value, and the Tarahumara, rather than possessing some exotic hidden superpower, simply reflect that truth.”

Other recommended reading

• This is a lovely little comic by Edith Zimmerman about an unexpected love of running, and letting go of expectations. 

• Christine Yu is writing a book about female athletes! I’ve worked with Christine on a bunch of pieces for Outside, and she’s the perfect person to write this book. I cannot wait to read it. 

• How Oiselle is committing to anti-racism.

• Liz Anjos is attempting an FKT on the Appalachian Trail...

• ...and here’s a data visualization from FiveThirtyEight of the FKT boom. (And a followup from Fritz Huber for Outside.)

• Thanks to Emily Singer and InsideHook for including the Kick in this list of the best “single-operator” newsletters! I appreciate the description that this newsletter is “more about running culture than races or competition,” which is a nice summary of what I’m going for.

Drop me a line

I want to hear from you! Tell me about what you like here, what I missed, and what’s going on in your running life. (You can also follow the Kick on Twitter, and on Instagram.) Thanks for reading, and enjoy your miles. 

Molly 

Hello everyone,

It’s been a very painful few weeks, particularly for Black people in this country, since the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. (And the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, and many others, before that.) In this issue of the newsletter, I wanted to use this space to highlight some Black women in the running world so you can follow them on social media. While most of us like to think of the running community as a diverse and accessible one, we still have a long way to go—especially when it comes to whose stories get told and celebrated. As Alison Désir wrote in her recent piece for Outside about Ahmaud Arbery’s death: “There is a deep divide within the running community across racial lines, one that we do not address.” 

There are many different ways to take action during this time, but amplifying Black voices and listening to Black people—not only when they’re explicitly talking about their experiences with racism—is a non-negotiable one. And it’s only the first step in remedying that divide. The list below is far from complete, and it’s meant to be a starting point. I’d love to hear other recommendations from any of you—send me an email or reply to this tweet if you’d like to suggest someone who isn’t listed here. (All suggestions welcome, I’m not only looking for pro athletes or women with large social followings.) 

Follow these women

Aisha Praught Leer: Twitter and Instagram

Ajeé Wilson: Instagram

Alison Désir: Twitter and Instagram

Alison Staples: Instagram

Aliphine Tiliamuk: Twitter and Instagram

Allyson Felix: Twitter and Instagram

Alysia Montaño: Instagram

Angel Piccirillo: Twitter and Instagram

Athing Mu: Twitter and Instagram

Black Girls Run: Twitter and Instagram

Courtney Dredden Carter: Twitter and Instagram

Dannielle McNeilly: Twitter and Instagram

Diverse We Run: Instagram

Faith Briggs: Twitter and Instagram

Kamilah Journét: Twitter and Instagram

Latoya Shauntay Snell: Twitter and Instagram

Marielle Hall: Instagram

Mirna Valerio: Twitter and Instagram

Peyton Thomas: Instagram

Sanya Richards Ross: Twitter and Instagram

Sashea Lawson: Twitter and Instagram

Shayla Martin: Instagram

Susan Clayton: Twitter

Sydney McLaughlin: Twitter and Instagram

Tianna Bartoletta: Twitter and Instagram

Recommended reading

Marielle Hall on racial bias in the running world. Angel Piccirillo on being Black in America. Kamilah Journét on being more than “your Black teammate.” Alison Désir talks race on the Keeping Track podcast. Courtney Dredden Carter on the change she wants to see in running culture. New York Times readers on running while Black. A thread of Black-owned running businesses.

Drop me a line

I want to hear from you! Tell me about what you like here, what I missed, and what’s going on in your running life. (You can also follow the Kick on Twitter, and on Instagram.) Thanks for reading, and enjoy your miles. 

Molly 

Hello everyone,

By now, I hope I can safely assume that everyone reading this has heard about the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia. While the shooting took place in late February, the media coverage took a long time to follow. I personally didn’t hear about the incident until the New York Times covered it in late April. But even after that, it took until last week (when the video footage of the shooting started circulating on social media) before I started seeing extensive media coverage and widespread reactions on my social feeds. 

Last week, Alison Désir, the founder of Harlem Run and a leader/activist in the running community, took to Instagram to voice her frustration about the lack of coverage of Ahmaud’s death by the sports and running media. In the days that followed, as prominent voices in the running community amplified Alison’s message, stories about Ahmaud’s death also began appearing in outlets like Runner’s World. (Of course, I am also part of the running media. At the time of Alison’s posts, I’d been part of conversations at Outside about how we would cover the shooting, but had not assigned any stories about it yet.) At the end of last week, I reached out to Alison and was lucky to work with her on an essay for Outside about Ahmaud’s death and racial divides in the running community. I knew—based on Alison’s previous activism in the running community and her recent posts—that she’d have a very valuable perspective to share. What she ended up writing was even more impactful than I’d expected.

As Alison puts it in the piece: “For too long, the running community has pretended as though it were possible to keep politics out of running. As if, somehow, running is the great equalizer where people can come together and compete on an equal playing field, transcending all markers of identity. The truth is, when I go for a run as a black woman, that in and of itself is a political act and one that puts me at risk—fearing for my life. As long as we live in a world steeped in white supremacy—and we do—being a black woman will never be separate from my identity as a runner.”

Alison’s story is powerful and heartbreaking, and she also takes the time to outline how white members of the running community should respond and change our behavior in light of incidents like this one. Her piece contains an important message for everyone in the running world (and beyond), and I hope you’ll take a few minutes to read it. 

Because this is so important, I wanted to devote this whole issue of the newsletter to this story. But I’ll be back soon with a regular issue. (If you’re new here or ICYMI, check out the last issue, about running during the pandemic.) 

In the meantime, take care of yourselves. 

Drop me a line

I want to hear from you! Tell me about what you like here, what I missed, and what’s going on in your running life. (You can also follow the Kick on Twitter, and on Instagram.) Thanks for reading, and enjoy your miles. 

Molly 

Hello everyone,

A few weeks ago in this newsletter, I wrote about how lucky we are if we’re still able to run during this period of uncertainty. In my work at Outside over the past several weeks, I’ve edited pieces about people running backyard ultras and ambitious time trials during the pandemic, and my Instagram feed is full of people tackling virtual races. But in my personal life, I’ve also heard from plenty of runners who are just getting out there to shake out and stay sane. All of these responses make sense to me in their own ways, and now that most of us are over a month into staying at home, I was curious to hear from other runners about how our sport is fitting into their lives these days. 

I put out a call and heard from a bunch of different women—you can read most of their thoughts below. As with other crowdsourced issues of this newsletter, it was fascinating to read the range of responses from different people facing similar circumstances. Taken together, I think this is an incredible reminder of the many purposes that running can serve in our lives: a release, a challenge, a distraction, an hour of normalcy in chaos.

Thanks to everyone who contributed! If you didn’t contribute and have thoughts to share, please feel free to reply to this email. I may include additional responses in a future issue. I hope everyone is staying well as much as possible right now. 

Amelia Boone

Oddly enough, my running has thrived during the pandemic. I’m using this time to work on the thing that has escaped me for so many years: durability. I’m doing that through consistent but lower mileage. So I’m looking at this time as a gift to be able to build a base without any races or events looming on the horizon that cause me to push training in times when I maybe shouldn’t. I've always loved running for the process, and this is the best kind of process-oriented time! 

Johanna Gretschel

I’m using mileage goals to keep me motivated and get me out the door every day. I am still pretty new to marathon training, so this seems like a good time to experiment and see how my body feels at higher mileage. For the next three months, my company has enacted a mandatory one-week furlough period for all employees. My April furlough is next week, and I’ll be attempting to run 100 miles after hitting 70 miles per week for the past month and (hopefully) 80 this week. I’m mostly taking it easy, and just enjoying the chance to be outside, so I don’t think there’s a huge injury risk. I am terrible at solo tempo runs and time trials, so the virtual race trend doesn’t really motivate me, but I did sign up for a virtual 5k to benefit my running group’s meetup bar. Details are here if you want to participate from wherever you are quarantined! And, yes, I am looking for a fast 5k route in Austin, Texas, so please DM me if you know of a good one.

Lindsay Crouse

I’ve generally run by myself in recent years—my non-corona travel schedule is nuts, and it helps me avoid injury—so that’s not a big change. But this period has felt like a reset in other ways. What do I do when performance is struck from the equation? When I have a goal race I’ll sometimes run upwards of 90 miles a week, and it’s very consuming, which I enjoy, but this has been moderating in a welcome way. (It helps that I’m in NYC, the COVID epicenter, so I have every incentive to stay inside.) So I’m running whenever I want, as far as I want, as fast as I want. I don’t even know what that is, because I never bring a watch. It's like a vacation that breaks up the day (and reminds me to shower). 

Arianne Bennett

Running has never really been a meditative or mentally restful activity for me—it has always felt like a parent I fight with constantly, but deeply want to impress. During COVID-19, we’ve stopped arguing. Running has become the one part of my day when I can be sure I’m not doing anything wrong, or worrying about what comes next. 

Rebecca Fishbein

I’ve been a runner for more than half my life now, but for the first time in decades, I’ve started doing cardio dance videos at home instead of running outside. My usual running spot is a popular Brooklyn park, and it’s still crowded, even as deaths in New York continue to rise. This makes running, my stress-busting activity, stressful. It also, frankly, makes running feel selfish to me, since I know I can work out at home and avoid potentially putting vulnerable people in danger. But I’ve also avoided running outside because somehow doing a normal, beloved activity makes me miss normalcy even more. It’s almost easier for me to accept that life is at least temporarily different if I change all my habits. We’ll see how long this holds.

Sally Bergesen

Running as metaphor: I have been feeling like we're at Mile 13... race distance unknown. And because the duration is ambiguous, every mile feels longer, harder, and mentally draining. What race are we running? How much farther? Will there be water, aid, bathrooms? And how do we avoid feeling like we signed up for a 5K but are entered in an ultra?

Dana Liebelson

One of my last long runs before the pandemic: 2014, 17 miles, raining, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. An electric pain runs down the side of my leg; I ignore it. It grows sharper. I am “training” for a marathon. Really, I refuse to taper, stretch, cross-train, slow down, stop, listen to my body. I am trying to run from everything. By the time I limp home, I am crying. A few weeks later, I finish the marathon, but I don't run again for a long time. 

When COVID-19 spreads, the gyms close in Wyoming, where I live. The prospect of running outside makes me nervous. The virus, a wintry mix in spring, an elevation of 7,165 feet. The first time I go out, I run for a minute, then stop, gasping. I walk. I run a little farther. My IT band twinges. I walk home, stretch. I go out a week later. I am alone, and I feel lucky. The Wyoming sky is so blue. 

OK, I think. So this is running. 

Michelle Perri

Before the pandemic caused theatre (along with so many fields) to halt over a month ago, I was working an average of 60 hours a week Off Broadway. Suddenly my industry all but disappeared. The only semblance of normalcy I’ve had is getting out to run every afternoon. Some days are really good, but for every few good runs there seems to be a really bad one that follows. I’m learning to practice extra grace and a whole lot of gratitude. Grace for when a run feels irrationally hard—does anyone else feel as if sometimes the stress of the world is on their shoulders during this time?—and gratitude that (solo) running isn’t canceled. Gratitude, too, that I have a body that is healthy and able to pound pavement. Running has helped me apply the same grace and gratitude I give myself on the run to the situations and people around me during this time.

Sasha Whittle

I got my first GPS watch a year and a half ago. Before that, I had relied entirely on a Timex and routes I knew all the mile markers on. Once I got my first Garmin, I found myself heavily relying on and anticipating the vibrations and numbers on the screen. I left New York City before anything was shut down, with the full intent of coming back 3 days later. I left with a small bag: a laptop, one pair of jeans, two running outfits, a sweatshirt, and no Garmin charger. It became apparent very quickly that the few days would turn into months. I waited a bit to order a new charger, and spent two weeks running off a Timex again. I found great joy and freedom in not knowing if my last mile was 7:55 or 8:23. 

A lot has changed over the past month—I’m part of a virtual racing series. I ran a mile PR that probably would have made me cry if I had seen it on a finish line clock in place of my watch. Without the ceremony of a race and within the mess of the world, the time felt anticlimactic and, frankly, meaningless. 

Emma Spencer

I’ve pushed off the start of focused training in favor of maintenance workouts, so that whenever races start back up I'll be ready to go right into training. It’s been nice to have running take a backseat in my daily priorities, but it’s also uncomfortable to put goals on hold. I do find this moment valuable as a way to reflect on my relationship with running, to keep the parts I like and let go of what isn’t serving me. But I also love to be working toward a goal with my running. I love the confidence that builds up over the course of a training block where you realize that your big dream is more and more possible, and then getting the chance to live up to that goal on race day. Once the world is finally safe and healthy, I’m looking forward to focusing on working hard for my next big exciting goals.

Shannon O’Neil

My running has been different lately, to say the least. I had four races on the calendar this spring, all of which were canceled within a week of each other. Around that same time, I suffered a nasty flare-up of some tendon issues that have haunted me on and off over the past year. I watched the running world struggle to grapple with our new reality—planning virtual races and querying whether it was necessary to run with a face mask—while I struggled to get up and down the stairs without pain. The weeks crept slowly by. I adjusted to full-time telework. I canceled my wedding, which was scheduled for May. I grappled with feeling like everything was being taken away from me, including running. I grappled with guilt for mourning such relatively privileged losses. I did hours of PT and told myself that at least it was something.

And then the injury cleared up (as they tend to, when given adequate care and rest). I cautiously jogged my way through a mile of walk/run intervals, and it felt like just as big of an accomplishment as any of my marathon finishes. Yesterday, I ran four miles without pain and had to duck into an alleyway so that I could cry tears of gratitude and relief without worrying my neighbors. Who knows what the coming weeks and months will bring, but today I'm thankful that at least running isn't canceled.

Carly Gill

I’m trying to listen to how I truly feel each day—especially after all these years of training really hard. If I don't feel like running, I accept how I am feeling and don’t go out. If I feel like running, I go out there (carefully) and enjoy the heck out of every step and soak up every breath of fresh air that I am so grateful for. During all of these unknowns, running gives hope and immense joy. I’m doing my best to keep the pressure I can put on myself out of that, now. :) 

Marissa Lemar

Running before the pandemic required no thought and no planning; the biggest consideration was picking a weather-appropriate outfit. Now I have to make sure I get a run in before 5 o’clock, when all my teleworking neighbors shut off their laptops and head outside, crowding the sidewalks. Now I have to listen for runners, walkers, or bikers coming up behind me because I can’t be sure they’ll practice enough social distancing for my liking. I can’t fully turn my mind off during a run like before. 

Alexi Pappas

I am focusing on my little weaknesses, the secret ones, the smaller ones, the ones that will ultimately help me have a killer finishing kick or at the very least, to be more durable during what will eventually be a big marathon buildup (which I had to delay due to the virus). In short, I am doing more drills, less mileage!

Caitlin Phillips

I haven’t been doing much lately running-wise, and any sense of routine or consistency has gone out the window. At first running felt really indulgent and I felt a little timid doing it... but then I also realized how much my sanity relies on movement, being outside, having this time to process things. Last week, after an emotionally challenging day, I had (a very irrational) thought that I just wanted to run very long and very hard and ended up on Lafayette Street during what would be rush hour, running down the middle of the empty road in the sun and though I eventually ended up crawling my way to the end of the 20-miler and then feeling like I was going to throw up for hours after, I think it’s a run that will stick with me for a very long time. 

Maria Grace

I’ve never “needed” a race to stay motivated—I just love running. I don’t mind waking up at 5am and getting miles in before my husband and toddler get out of bed. Since the pandemic, my goal has been to keep my running routine as much as possible, so there can be something consistent in my life. While I have maintained the miles, I often wake up more physically and emotionally drained than ever before, and my runs have shifted to the afternoons or evenings instead of first thing in the morning. In the end, though, continuing to train with long runs on weekends and workouts on Tuesdays has been grounding and life-giving, and I plan to continue as long as I am able.

Monica DeVreese

I have definitely pulled back on the intensity of training and I am now focusing on really building a solid base for hopefully any fall races that may happen. Also, just getting out the door and taking a break from the computer screen and homeschooling my kids is EVERYTHING right now. Running has always been an outlet for me to get into a clear headspace, but now more than ever it gives me that little rejuvenation I need to keep my head up and mind straight for my family, friends and employees.

Leigh Anne Sharek

This pandemic as a whole has been about adapting. Adapting to working from home, to staying in more, to not running with other people. Our lives have changed; we are required to now live a new normal. I initially thought that this quarantine would allow me more flexibility to work and run and prioritize recovery and self care. However, my job duties have changed a lot to support the medical examiners and what they need on the front lines of this crisis. I handle cases where people in NYC have passed away, from COVID or other causes. I speak to police officers, doctors, and family members to allow these cases to move forward. It has been a lot, and I have found that, not surprisingly, running is how I balance my feelings and anxiousness toward what I am doing for work. Being able to go outside, and breathe fresh air, and feel my lungs and heart and legs, makes me so grateful and appreciative for the fact that I can. I have always considered running a priority and a huge balance to my career—but man, I feel that more than ever right now. So I have been running every day, working out when I feel like it, not putting any pressure on myself at all. I hope everyone is doing well and taking care!

Elle Mannion

Running has always been important for my mental health, but over the past few weeks it’s been imperative. When I wake up in the morning and run, it’s a way to start my day with a glimmer of normalcy before the daunting coronavirus reality sinks in. I had a calendar chock-full of spring races and some time goals I was working toward, but now I’m mostly running for the fresh air and to feel sane. I’ve begun running with a buff as a mask, and have been getting out even earlier in the morning to avoid crowded streets. It’s been fun to run in the middle of a deserted city street and pretend I’m out in front of a big race—I can't wait for the day we can run in groups again, but for now I'm happy to do my part and run alone. 

Heidi Caldwell

I’m embracing the freedom and solitude of pandemic-age running. With no race on the horizon, I’m running as much as I want, when I want. I’m lucky to live in northern Vermont​, where roads are quiet and I don't have to worry about avoiding other humans. Now that my schedule is super flexible, it’s been fun experimenting with different times of day to run—I oddly like the mid-day run best! I’m trying not to run too much during the week, so I can go on a fun long adventure over the weekend, biking to new roads and exploring from there. Being “forced” to adventure from home has given me a newfound appreciation for our local roads and the place I live.

Emma Veidt

I am a senior at the University of Missouri, and I run on my school’s running club. My team races competitively across the country, and my teammates and I were so excited to run our final collegiate race together at nationals. Now, our races are canceled, and so are our daily club practices. Because I don’t have any races to train for and teammates to run with, my running routine has gotten a lot less structured. I run purely for the pleasure of it. I leave my apartment without a distance or pace goal, and after running competitively for so long, it is a little freeing. But because I no longer have my pack of strong teammates hitting the trails with me, I tend to put off my runs until the end of the day. Instead of running every day with my team, I now run to take a break from homework or just to clear my head.

Veronica Jackson Graziano

I’ve learned that I’m really motivated by racing and running as a social event. I see some people on Strava and Instagram racking up workouts, miles and virtual races, and I just cannot muster the motivation for that right now. I’m currently running about half my weekly mileage from peak marathon training. I go back and forth feeling disappointed in myself, to feeling like I’m doing the “right” thing by giving myself a mental and physical break. But I’m really hoping that will change soon, because unfortunately, I think we’re in this for the long haul, and I know that pushing myself on the roads does make me feel like a stronger and happier person.

Becky Wade

I’ve gone through 3 distinct phases in the last 6 weeks. The week after the Marathon Trials, I was trying to recover as quickly as possible for the World Half Marathon Championships in late March… until that was canceled a week later. My focus then shifted to the track, with an emphasis on the Olympic Trials 10K in June… until that was killed a couple of weeks later. So finally, my coach and I decided to use these next few months to get stronger through hills, speedwork, and more time in the weight room. It took about a week for me to shift from bummed and aimless to relaxed and motivated in a different, non-urgent way. I hope to be both stronger and fresher whenever races do resume.

Morgan Meaney

Running has always been an outlet for me, and the activity I’ve fallen back on. That seems to be the only part of my routine that hasn’t changed—I still look to running as an important way to clear my head after being cooped up indoors. The actual activity, though, has shifted. Before this all happened, I’d wave and smile at passersby, or have a quick chat, but that is entirely off the table and I find myself actively avoiding interaction while out on the roads. I miss those small chats or comments in passing, and I miss the random conversations with the people I’m sharing the roads with. You never know who you’ll meet out there, and that is one of my favorite parts of running. 

Obviously, my mindset has changed as well. All of my spring races were canceled (I was supposed to run my sixth marathon in Pittsburgh in May), so I took a massive step back. Now I really try to just step outside, take a deep breath, and enjoy the physical activity and spontaneity of running, while maintaining a regular routine. No day is the same and that’s what excites me about running. Running in the spring is an absolute joy, so stopping altogether to prep for fall races was not an option. Taking in my surroundings and enjoying the act of running is the key right now, and it’s working wonders!

Drop me a line

I want to hear from you! Tell me about what you like here, what I missed, and what’s going on in your running life. (You can also follow the Kick on Twitter, and on Instagram.) Thanks for reading, and enjoy your miles. 

Molly 

Hello everyone,

I hope you’re all staying healthy and sane during this time. (Sorry to get earnest in your inbox, but here we go.) For the past few months, I’ve been training for Boston. Once the news of the postponement came out, it seemed like the only option other than a true cancellation. With so much more at stake right now than racing, I felt even less disappointed than I expected to. (I’m sure it will hit me later. Maybe on a 20-mile run in August.) This is a scary, strange time to live through. But as the news becomes more and more overwhelming—and as our daily lives continue to look dramatically different than they did just a few weeks ago—I’m feeling so lucky to still be able to run each day. We may not have races to train for, or be able to share our miles with others, but we still have the privilege of doing something that we love during a time when many people can’t. I’m trying not to forget that! Of course, if your race has been canceled or postponed and you’re feeling gutted about it, I understand. We’re allowed to be disappointed about the things we’re losing. I think it will come and go in waves. For now, I’m doing my best to remember why I do this sport, and to feel solidarity with the running community as we all experience the same frustrations and fears. I hope, if you’re able, you’ll do the same. 

Running through the pandemic

In a piece I edited for Outside, Fritz Huber wrote about running for its own sake during this time. As he put it: “Fortunately, racing and running are not the same thing.” I also worked with Fritz on this piece about runners getting creative about the lack of races right now. Spoiler alert: it includes one guy’s decision to stage his own marathon time trial by running 15 loops of Prospect Park in Brooklyn. To each their own! 

I also loved this piece about Des Linden in the New York Times, on how she’s adapting to the Boston postponement and the pandemic. Even if coronavirus hasn’t (yet) disrupted your racing plans, this is a great read. And yet another reminder that Des is in a league of her own. 

The Times also published this great piece on the pandemic-induced running boom, written by Talya Minsberg: “Yes, you used to roll your eyes when we woke up before the sun rose or ran home from work or spent hours on the weekend logging double-digit miles only to fall asleep on the couch in the afternoon. But you get it now, right?”

When will they decide to postpone the Olympics?

For a few days, when the major sports cancellations first began, each one was met with surprise (and/or relief): No NCAA spring sports. No spring marathons. NBA season suspended. But once it became clear that everything needed to be canceled, it was more shocking that some things hadn’t yet been called off. Of course, the elephant in the room right now is the Olympics, which are supposed to begin on July 24 in Tokyo. 

In recent days, the call from within the running world to postpone the Games has gotten much louder. USATF released a statement on Saturday advocating for the Games to be postponed, following a similar statement from USA Swimming on Friday. Also on Saturday, Jacob Riley (who finished second at this year’s Olympic Trials marathon) posted on Instagram that he’s in favor of a postponement, and Molly Seidel (the runner-up in the women’s marathon at the Trials) joined him with her own post. According to a letter to athletes today from the IOC president, the IOC is giving itself a four-week deadline before announcing whether the Games will be postponed. (They say cancellation is not on the table.) Hours after that statement, the president of World Athletics, running’s international governing body, wrote to the IOC and also called for the Games to be postponed. I can’t imagine how frustrating and nerve-wracking this must be for the athletes who are currently training, and I hope the IOC decides to postpone much sooner. The clock is ticking. 

Listen up

Self-promotion feels weird right now (and always!) but several months ago I went on the Lane 9 Project’s podcast to talk about this newsletter, women’s sports narratives, eating disorders in the running world, and lots more. It’s been a while since we recorded, and a lot has happened! But it was a fun conversation, and if you want to give it a listen, the episode is here.

Quick hits

• A few weeks ago, 26 alumni from the Wesleyan women’s cross-country team spoke out about a culture of disordered eating and injuries on their team. Their testimonials are powerful and heartbreaking, and I highly recommend reading them. 

• I’ve been thinking a lot about how the self-isolation and the pandemic are affecting people with or recovering from eating disorders. This Buzzfeed story gives a good window into the experiences of a few people in that position. (Not strictly running-related, but very relevant to many in the running community.) 

• ICYMI: Lauren Fleshman sold her book proposal! She’s launching a virtual book club (email list) where you can sign up for updates and participate in some of her research. I signed up for the list immediately. 

• Jeanne Mack on the letdown she’s feeling after the Trials.

• Here are five places in Oakland where you can run with social distance.

• What happened when Molly Seidel stopped trying to be perfect.

Thank you for tweeting

Drop me a line

I want to hear from you! Tell me about what you like here, what I missed, and what’s going on in your running life. (You can also follow the Kick on Twitter, and on Instagram.) Thanks for reading, and enjoy your miles. 

Molly               

Hello again! 

It’s already been a week since the Trials. In the days after the race, I found myself wondering about the amateur women—many of whom spent years training and preparing for that day—and what’s next for them after achieving such an enormous goal. Nearly all of us have experienced the post-race comedown, but the historically large field at this year’s race and all the (deserved!) hype around it made me particularly curious to hear from the women who are living in that post-race feeling right now. After I put out a call on Twitter, I ended up hearing from a wide range of women in last Saturday’s field. The variety in their responses fascinated (and inspired) me, and it should come as no surprise that all the energy from last Saturday isn’t going anywhere. 

Thank you to everyone who contributed! I was overwhelmed by the response on a tight turnaround. You can read many of the responses below. (Note: these responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity. You can read the full responses, including some that didn’t make it into this issue, here. I’ll continue to update that doc with late responses as they come in!)  

Veronica Jackson

What’s next for me? Well, I feel lucky enough to be taking on my 7th Boston Marathon in a few weeks. I’m prepared for the recovery and shortened build-up to perhaps have some hiccups, but in my mind, nothing beats Boston (well… perhaps now the 2020 Trials take that top spot) and I just can’t imagine not being a part of my favorite running day of the year. Assuming weather and health are on my side, I'm looking for a big PR (currently 2:41:48). After Boston, I have no idea what my running goals will look like in the short-term. But after proving to myself at the Trials that I belong up with women who have run 2:35-2:37 marathons on faster courses, I’m excited to expect a lot more from myself over the next few years and hopefully move into being consistently a part of that faster tier of women I’ve admired from behind for so long. Regardless of what happened this past weekend, I would have been trying to improve going forward, but getting 63rd place is giving me a bit more confidence to make my goals faster and gutsier.

Heidi Caldwell

Qualifying for the Trials was the big goal. Running at the Trials was a celebration of being healthy, strong and fit! Now I feel like I’ve found the elusive “running nirvana”: I feel satisfied. I am proud of my PRs and what I’ve accomplished on the roads. Running will always be a love of mine and an integral part of my life. For now, I am excited to head out for a run and go as far and as fast as I want, with no set agenda. In the immediate, I am holding myself to no running for the month of March and plan to enjoy as much spring skiing as I can! Mountain running is my favorite, so I’m ready to get back to the trails and do some epic traverses this summer. Maybe I’ll get into doing more mountain or trail races and chasing FKTs. Whatever it is, I have no doubt I’ll find myself chasing another big running adventure soon!  

Cate Barrett

I’ll probably change my mind, but I’m not sure I want to train for 2024. The whole build up to the Trials was not nearly as much fun as qualifying. Qualifying was sexy, but the Trials was overwhelming. Being in Atlanta, seeing pros everywhere, I got really psyched out. Everybody kept telling me just to have fun, but I wanted to perform so badly. Yes, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime, but it seemed like a “HAVE TO” rather than a “GET TO.” I knew that would make it less fun but I just couldn’t get out of that headspace.

The experience reminded me that I need to get back to having goals that are personally fulfilling to me, rather than what I think other people would be impressed by. Qualifying for the Trials in one sense was one of those outwardly impressive goals, but I started trying early enough that I knew I didn’t have to do it at any certain race. So the results were allowed to be a little bit more open-ended, and the training was more “let’s see what happens.” With the Trials, it felt like I only had one chance to get it right—and that was stressful.

I’m really not sure what’s next. I will probably try to have competitive goals in the future. I feel like I have plenty of upside for the marathon (vs chasing down my college PRs on the track). But I’m not hungry to do another marathon yet. Maybe a fast fall half. I’d love to do Club Cross with my running club. I am also a huge social runner, so if my friends are training for a certain race, as long as it’s not a marathon, I might do that. We like to do destination races once or twice a year. 

Caitlyn Tateishi

To be honest I keep going back and forth with my running goals now that the Trials are over. I qualified in 2018 so it’s been a long time focusing on one event. The past four years was a continuous marathon training cycle. Sometimes I think I want to just focus on shorter races and other times I want to jump back into trail ultras. It’s also been less than a week so I know I should enjoy my running break and what I want to do next will eventually become clear. 

I am excited to spend more time in other aspects of the sport. I’m going to be volunteering at DC’s Cherry Blossom 10 miler in April. I will also be concentrating on coaching my friends to their big running goals. In the immediate present I’m going to enjoy spending more time with my husband, dog and friends who were all patient and supportive during this buildup! 

Anonymous

After pouring so much of my (and my family’s) time and energy into running the Trials, I feel like it’s time to put that aside (temporarily!) and try to grow my family. It’s not easy to step away from this sport, especially at such an exciting moment with so many women fired up and running fast, but I think the timing is right and I hope to qualify again in 2024. 

Kerry Allen

I’d heard from a friend who ran the 2016 Trials that it can be a really big emotional comedown after the race, and I’m definitely finding that to be true. It feels like there is an Olympic Trials-sized hole in my heart, so I’m doing some thinking on how to fill that. In some ways, I think it will be impossible to fully replicate the excitement of the Trials. It’s such a singular event—all of America’s best marathoners running the same race on the same day—and the word “Olympics” really grabs the attention of non-runners in a way that I don't think many (or any) other races can. It’s a long way off, but I already feel pretty certain I’ll try to qualify and race the 2024 Trials. And in the meantime, I have unfinished business in basically every race distance from the mile to the marathon, and I’ll just tackle whatever excites me first.

Carly Gill

Post-Trials, I am feeling super happy and grateful!!! Even though I didn't have the race I had envisioned at the Olympic Trials, it was such a beautiful day out there full of inspiration, grit and determination! I am so glad I finished despite stomach pains, and I know that's something I can be proud of for the rest of my life!

Looking ahead, I feel like I’m just getting started. At the Trials, it was the first race that I felt like no one could say I didn’t belong. I’ve struggled with self doubt in the past, but there’s no denying that I qualified and earned my spot. Goodbye, imposter syndrome! This amazing experience inspired me to look around me at the amazing women I am surrounded by, and to dream even bigger!

I feel more motivated than ever to hone in on details and work on becoming an even better athlete (and person) while having so much fun the rest of 2020. I think I used to put a limit on how much more I could improve and think I would stop eventually. But, I am still so young and new to running! Qualifying for Trials felt like such a huge pursuit, that I thought 2:44:59 would be it. Then I ran 2:42 last year. Could I ever be better than that? Now, I say why not dream even bigger? 

What’s next? I’m running the NYC Marathon on November 1st. I am extremely honored to be accepted into the professional women’s field. It’s my home field race, and I am eager to be as fit and ready as possible to run my streets in celebration and in awe of what this sport and city has done for me! I ran the NYC Marathon in 2016, as my 2nd marathon and the first time I broke 3 hours: I finished in 2:59:01 as the 60th female. It was a huge turning point for me. I’m pumped to return!

Between now and November 1st, I want to put myself on as many start lines as possible. I have identified some areas I can improve upon, mainly nutrition, recovery and mindfulness... as well as more racing experience. So, for the next few months you will find me back in the gym with my strength coach, Lena, running for fun and eventually back to workouts and long runs, racing all sorts of fun races in the spring/summer/fall, and working on my weaknesses! BUT FIRST, a nice break post-Trials and a whole lot of celebrating!

After 2020, I want to continue to improve and will probably want to run another flat course. I plan to return to Boston for redemption, maybe in April 2021. Then perhaps Chicago? I’d love to run that and London soon. Only time will tell. And if I’m still having fun and enjoying the process when they announce the 2024 Trials standard, I'll most likely give it a shot. Why not? 

Haley Chura

My background is in swimming and triathlon, so qualifying and running in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials was a pretty big out-of-the-box goal. I was nervous about stepping outside my racing comfort zone and how my community would perceive this unusual and lofty goal, and what might happen if I fell short. My decision surprised a few people, but I was mostly overwhelmed with support. Running down Peachtree Street as part of the historic women’s field was possibly my best experience in sport. I hope that memory gives me the courage to follow more unconventional paths in sport and in life. I plan to return to triathlon this summer, but I already have a few local running races on my calendar. I’m also so excited to cheer for Aliphine, Molly, and Sally in Tokyo/Sapporo. I feel so invested in their races since I ran the same course, in the same conditions, and not too far behind! 

Jeanne Mack

I’d say that my first reaction post-race was that I wanted to go again. I think I told someone that I was going to race Berlin about ten minutes after finishing. It was probably because having a disappointing performance feels even worse when you know you’re in much better shape than you raced. So I guess I wanted to get another crack at racing in a way I could feel good about. A do-over if you will. Now that the dust has settled a little, I obviously won’t be racing another marathon any time soon even if I’d like to. I’ll channel that energy toward trying to get back on the track a couple of times this spring and hopping in some fun road races over the summer. Mostly, I want to strike the elusive balance of not racing at the cost of my health, but allowing myself to remember why I love running and find chances to race more than I have these past 6 months as a way to stay sharp.

Leigh Anne Sharek

The day after the Trials, I received a text message from a good friend and fellow Olympic Trials finisher Lauren Perkins. It said “general feeling this morning seems to be along the lines of a restless ‘now what’. Immediately followed by “Did you sign up for the BAA 5K?” LOL. But she was echoing my thoughts exactly. There was a huge build up of training and anticipation for this race, and then all at once it was over. There is residual excitement from the race and soreness in my legs, but this gigantic THING is no longer in front of me, it’s behind. I feel like I am floating untethered in running purgatory. 

So what’s next? About 2 minutes after crossing the finish line last Saturday, my teammate Jeanne Mack said, “I really want to run Berlin.” To which I replied, “I don’t ever want to run again.” It was a grueling race that I fought to finish. While I am happy to have had the experience and proud of myself for finishing, I didn’t perform as well as I know I can. What Jeanne felt right away, and what took me a few more days to realize, is that there is some unfinished business with the marathon. But before I tackle another 26.2, which will probably be in NYC this November, I am going to focus on shorter distances. I want to break 1:15 in the half this year, and break 16:45 in the 5K. I want to continue to build Brooklyn Track Club, especially the women’s team. I want to show up to the Olympic Marathon Trials in 2024 with a dozen BKTC women qualifiers! I want to continue to be a positive and hopefully inspiring woman in the running community. 

What the Olympic Trials taught me is that so many women, from all different walks of life, are working hard to achieve their goals. We are balancing careers, families, and personal lives, all while giving running our best. I am 31, and nowhere near slowing down. My best times and races are ahead of me. The next 4 years will inevitably hold races from the mile to the marathon, challenges in the delicate work/life/running balance, tremendous growth with Brooklyn Track Club, and dozens of unforeseen experiences. I can’t wait!! 

AnnMarie Kirkpatrick

Going into the Trials, I had a build-up that was full of setbacks. I’ve always had really great training segments leading up to marathons, so I guess I was due for something less than ideal! I knew I would run at the Trials no matter what, but I had to adjust my place/time goals. I ran a hard, but slightly conservative race in Atlanta and felt within myself so I would be able to recover quickly to bounce back and run the Boston Marathon.

Anna Dalton

The first thing I’d note about the Trials as a non-professional woman, is that it was a very unique experience in that it was hard to have a specific goal for the race. In any other race I do, I want to run a certain time, finish in a certain place, or have something else that usually has a clear path of how to achieve it. At the Trials, I wanted to finish better than I was ranked and compete well, but those goals were much less concrete than I am used to.

In the past, I’ve also experienced a pretty big let down after “A” races. When I qualified for Trials, something I'd been aiming to do for several years, the week after the race I was a little depressed. I’d put so much into the race, and then I’d done it, but the aftermath felt empty and I wasn’t able to immediately figure out what the next 14 months before the Trials would look like. That hasn't been the case after the Trials. I am still happily reliving memories of the weekend. I think a big part of that is the lack of concrete goal going into the race, I did finish better than I was ranked and I moved up as the race progressed, but the experience felt less about being super competitive or trying to PR, and more about smiling at the crowd until it hurt so much you couldn't, and fully soaking in the experience. 

As for what’s next, I am trying to take a true break from running. Training through the depth of winter was challenging, and I need a mental and physical break. Then, I plan on doing a few local road races in my hometown of Anchorage, Alaska, and after that spend the rest of the summer doing trail races. I don't plan on running another road marathon until after the 2024 Olympic Trials standards are announced, and frankly I hope to never again run such a hilly marathon. I’m a rhythm runner at that Atlanta course was about as ill-suited to me as could be possible. 

Emma Spencer

Post-race I flew out to Utah and Arizona to do some hiking—surprisingly, I think the hikes helped my legs recover faster! I always get excited about my next goal as soon as I cross the finish line, and then need to take a little time to make sure it’s really the right goal to chase. Right now I’m deciding between heading to the track to try and break 33:00 in the 10k, or staying with the marathon this spring and going for a big PR—I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in, and that Trials course wasn’t a PR day (for most of us, some people had incredible races there). Longer term I plan to stick with the schedule I’ve had the past few years, one marathon a year and a lot of US Championship road races. My hope is that the excitement around the Trials leads to increased interest in those Championship races as well. They’re a lot of fun, there’s tons of depth in the field, and it’s a cool circuit with a points system.

Bridget Zapata

Qualifying for the Olympic Trials was a huge milestone in my running career. I ran 2:42:56 at Grandma's Marathon in 2018. However, in the last few miles of my qualifying marathon, it hit me that qualifying was just another step toward my ultimate racing goals, and racing in the Olympic Trials would not be the last milestone in my career. 

My Olympic Trials performance was not what I wanted. I am grateful for the entire experience, but my performance made me hungry to push harder and aim higher. I have a lot more to give to my running and am setting bigger goals for my next 4 years of racing. 

I'm racing the Berlin Marathon in September with a goal of running sub-2:37. I'm not sure what my focus will be after Berlin, but I’m committed to getting significantly faster for the 2024 trials regardless of any changes that might be made to the qualifying standards.

Allison Goldstein

Both mentally and physically, I knew I needed a break from the marathon, even before I qualified for the Trials (which I did in November 2019). So back in October I signed myself up for the SOS Triathlon, which will happen this coming September. I figure it'll force me to “cross train” with purpose! Whether or not this benefits my running long-term is TBD, but it will be a relief to go back to a sport where “just finishing” is a goal for a while.

Allie Schaich

Beyond racing, all of the “Trials hype” over the past year or so has truly changed my outlook on running. Hundreds of women, myself included, found ways to fit 90+ mile weeks into our packed schedules that include demanding full time jobs (for the athletes who not only work but are also raising kids—you’re the most impressive of all). I’m not fast enough to be a pro runner, but being unsponsored comes with a huge benefit—I get to do this completely for me. The only pressure to perform is internal, which enables me to enjoy running so much more.

I like racing, but I find the most joy in the overall build-up and training process. This training cycle has taught me to stop limiting myself based on previous times—and it’s made me really excited to keep going. I love comparing workouts from the beginning of a training cycle to the end and seeing the progress I’ve made. A few weeks ago, I hit paces in a 2 x 3 mile workout during one of my highest mileage weeks that I couldn't even hit while fresh during a track meet in college.

Unlike shorter distances where you can race every week or two, the marathon is different because you're training for months and running thousands of miles to prepare for a race that will all be over in (hopefully) a little over two and a half hours. The week before the Trials, I sat down with my coach and two teammates to talk about race/fueling strategy and my coach's advice was that we all three needed to have something on our race calendars post-Trials so that it didn't feel like there was a huge void when we woke up on Sunday. I’m planning on running the NYC Marathon in November, as well as the USATF 10 Mile Championships (as long as I can get accepted!) in October as a tune up. I’d like to race a bit more during the next cycle—both for the physical benefit of a great workout and the mental benefit of coming out stronger from both the good races and the bad. 

Shari Eberhard

After the Trials feels a bit like after the Olympics, I imagine. I was not a contender to go to the Olympics, so the Trials was “it” for me. For two years, I thought about qualifying and once I qualified, I thought about the race. There was a long and intense build up and it almost felt like the trials were always far away. And then it came and went. And now it’s over. What an incredible weekend! 

What next? It took me a week after the race to mentally rest. My body recovered after a few days. I am so thankful to have been 1 of the 500 women on that start line and to finish. And this has given me confidence and a fire in my soul. I know I can run faster. My plan is to run another major marathon—either New York or Boston. But in the meantime, I have a score to settle with the half marathon. 

Adriana Piekarewicz

It’s definitely a weird feeling to be coming down from such an emotional day! My coach is making me take some mandatory time off, which is also contributing to my post-marathon blues! Right now, I’m just trying to embrace the feeling of achieving a lifelong dream and not look too far ahead. A lot of people are now asking me “what’s next?” Honestly, I am simply trying to embrace this moment and not take it for granted. These kinds of accomplishments don’t come around often and I don’t want to jump to the next thing without appreciating this feeling for all that it is worth. It’s hard not to have high hopes and new goals, but for now, I am taking some mandatory and necessary rest that I think both my mind and body will thank me for in the long run. Who knows what lies ahead, but I do know one thing. I know that chasing big dreams is what makes me feel most alive and I can only hope that I have the opportunity to continue to do what sets my soul on fire.

Holly Clarke

I’m definitely enjoying post-Trials recovery, although it’s hard to shake the itch to run. Luckily, with 8 teammates to hold me accountable, we’ve been getting in the pool and going on long walks to recap the phenomenal day that Saturday was! 

This race was definitely sitting in the back of my mind since I qualified at CIM in 2018. I thought that once it was over, I would feel depressed because I knew that this big event we had all been putting hours of work into would come and go in a flash (or ~2 hours and 45 minutes 😝). 

In all honesty, I wouldn’t consider myself “a marathon runner.” I was a cross country girl in middle school, high school, and college. I love the grit of XC, alongside the team camaraderie. But after last Saturday’s race I now have a new love for the marathon, which I’d never think I’d attain! Long story short, looking forward, I’ll be focusing on some shorter races to tune up for this Fall’s XC season. USATF XC Nationals are in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, which is my team’s backyard! As a team, we’re all gearing up for a big XC season and a solid showing at Nationals. 

As for marathons, I’m a one-marathon-a-year type of girl, so I'm going to give the bod a rest for 2020 and probably hit Boston and/or Berlin in 2021! I have some unfinished business in both the Boston and NYC marathons, so I’ll be back with a purpose.

Kate Sanborn

The big day is over! *sad face* It truly was a “big” day, but I think it was more than just a day. So much went into this one day—months and months of mileage build-up, workouts, early mornings, late nights, recovery/refueling, positivity through adversity, and about 3 pairs of running shoes. Though one day has come and gone, my outlook on running and competing remains steady—run fast, free, and fearless. The fast and fearless parts are pretty straightforward, but for running free I simply mean running for the purity and  the raw love of nature’s greatest art form. Running really is an art as you create a stronger and faster you with all of the work you put into it. Race day is just the day you take a step back from the painting and say, Ah, what a masterpiece.

I approached running in such a large event like the Trials in just my second marathon the same way, and that’s exactly how I plan to approach the rest of my races in my career. Since I am only 22, I have about double my age left in prime marathoning years. Keeping that perspective in mind—it’s truly all about prioritizing those 3 f’s (fast, free, and fearless) because that’s what keeps it fun for me. I have yet to pick my next marathon, but I definitely plan on making “the big dance” in 4 years at the next Trials. The motto is JUST. KEEP. MOVING. UP. Move up in every race. Move up to the next level in running (professional level). I sat down with my coach this past week during post-marathon recovery to talk about how the race went and where we think I can get next—we were both extremely happy with my performance as I nearly PR’d in much rougher conditions than my qualifying race in Richmond back in 2018 (granted it was very windy that day too). However, we both know I have so much more left in the tank (I mean at least another great 22 years) and think Top 50 or even 30 is in reach the next go around. Whatever the goal the plan is to be in it for the long run (pun totally intended). 

Andrea Toppin

Since the Olympic Trials ended, it’s been a whirlwind of emotions. This race has been all of the HYPE for me since I qualified back in 2018. I’ve felt all sorts of things: failure, relief, happiness for good health, anger, sadness, and so many other emotions. One race doesn’t define me, and I will be back. I am currently planning races for 2020. I’ll meet with my coach this upcoming week to go over my goals, what areas of training I can strengthen, and what my timeline looks like in terms of qualifying for the 2024 Olympic Trials. Right now I am thinking: US 25k Champs, Pittsburgh Half, Grandma’s Half, US 20k Champs, US 10 mile Champs, and hopefully... possibly the NYC Marathon. I really want to do Chicago and Boston next year and more world marathon majors in the future. It’s been a week since that crazy race and the amazing weekend. My DNF is still a tough pill to swallow, but I am looking at the positives of it all. I am 100% healthy. The legs feel GREAT. I am stronger from that experience and I have the fire to compete again. Like my friend and Oiselle teammate Becki Spellman told me, “You’re a great athlete. Saturday didn’t take away from that.” I’ll be back. As Des Linden would say: “Keep showing up.”

Drop me a line

I want to hear from you! Tell me about what you like here, what I missed, and what’s going on in your running life. (You can also follow the Kick on Twitter, and on Instagram.) Thanks for reading, and enjoy your miles. 

Molly

Hello again!

It’s a very exciting time! At long last, the big day is almost here. I wanted to sneak into your inboxes one last time before the Olympic Trials this weekend. There’s been an enormous amount of great storytelling around the Trials this year, with a staggering number of stories coming out in the past few weeks. It’s impossible to keep up—which is a great problem to have. Not too long ago, it would have been very hard to imagine an overwhelming amount of coverage about women’s marathoning! I’m optimistic that all the attention that this cycle has brought to women’s distance running isn’t going anywhere. 

Rather than attempt to give you any kind of comprehensive overview, here’s a selection of Trials-related coverage that I think is particularly worth your time. And please send me your favorites that I may have missed! (I’ll be back soon with a regular issue after the Trials. In the meantime, you can follow the Kick on Twitter and on Instagram for updates between sends.)

The value of an impossible dream

In case you somehow missed it, Lindsay Crouse wrote an excellent op-ed in the New York Times a few weeks ago—a version of that phrase may or may not appear in every issue of this newsletter—about her experience chasing the OTQ. Lindsay didn’t ultimately run the standard, but she writes beautifully about what she got out of the process, both in running and in life, and about how women’s running is evolving right now. There are too many great lines to quote, but here’s one: “It’s a new model of competitive female leadership: We’re seeing each other win and challenging ourselves to keep up. Last year, it even trickled down to me.” Shortly after that piece came out, I edited this followup from Fritz Huber at Outside, where he interviewed Lindsay about the story and about the Trials standards more generally. 

It’s about time

Sasha Whittle, a runner and producer based in New York, was also chasing the standard this fall. (She ultimately ran 2:51 at CIM, in her marathon debut.) Along the way, she put together a unique audio project that chronicles her journey and her relationship with running more generally. Before you jump to the conclusion that it’s a podcast (it’s not!), here’s how Sasha describes it: “It's an intimate window into my life as I tried to qualify for Olympic Trials in my first marathon. It's messy, emotional, and not unlike a romantic comedy. At times, it sounds a lot like a wiretap on my life and relationships as we talk about the ups and downs of this style of life. At the end of the day, it's kind of an ode to the life of a distance runner.” You can check it out on Spotify here.

Why are American women faster than ever?

I loved this interactive treatment from the Times on hundreds of the amateur women in the field. This anecdote, about 30-year-old Starla Garcia, was one of my favorites: “She figured that was about as fast as she could go. Then she heard another runner, Carly Gill, who ran 2:42 in Berlin in September, on the “Ali on the Run” podcast, and thought: “Why am I selling myself short? Why can’t I believe in myself that much, too?” Such a great example of the power of following along with other women’s stories as they chase the same goal.

The field, by the numbers

The Atlanta Track Club did an amazing job compiling and presenting these qualifier stats. (And the athlete bios page!) Poke around here to see the data on qualifying times, home states, and more.

Straight down the middle

If you’re looking for a crash course in the top women racing this weekend, Erin Strout and the Women’s Running team have you covered. They’ve put together an impressive collection of interviews and short profiles of the top contenders in the field that you can check out here.

Quick hits

The NYC Distance Project’s road to Atlanta. The tale of Jenny Spangler and the 1996 Trials. On Megan Youngren, the first openly transgender athlete to compete at the marathon Trials. The complicated science of aid-station bottle service at the Trials. Three friends, one goal.

Drop me a line

I want to hear from you! Tell me about what you like here, what I missed, and what’s going on in your running life. (You can also follow the Kick on Twitter, and on Instagram.) Thanks for reading, and enjoy your miles. 

Molly  

Hello again!

A bunch of you are new here since the last issue—welcome! (If you missed it: the latest issue was the 2020 “women to watch” edition. You can check it out here.) It’s been an exciting start to the year so far, so let’s get into it! Also: just a reminder that you can always keep up with the Kick on Twitter and Instagram between sends. 

The OTQ window is now closed

Last weekend was the final call for aspiring OTQers, and most of the last-chance runners went after it in Houston. It’s been so inspiring to watch hundreds of women achieve this goal—and still inspiring to watch a bunch of other women swing big and fall short—in the past few years. The growing wave of sub-elite women marathoners has been a huge source of motivation for me personally, and their goals and accomplishments have led to so many great stories about the sport in the past few years that will only continue after the Trials in Atlanta. 

Can LetsRun ever really change?

The nastiness on the LetsRun message boards has long been a topic of discussion among female runners. (The debate bubbled up recently in light of Mary Cain’s story and Leah O’Connor’s subsequent call-out). At the beginning of 2020, LetsRun announced some changes to the boards—including one that would make it more difficult for users to post under multiple usernames. In a piece I edited for Outside, Fritz Huber looked into what those changes might look like, and also spoke to Sally Bergesen and Sarah Lesko of Oiselle to hear their opinions of the message boards and their reaction to the changes. As Fritz writes in the piece: “While the conundrum of the LetsRun boards isn’t likely to be resolved any time soon, Bergesen says that she is encouraged that women in running are increasingly taking matters into their own hands, by creating their own media to redirect the narrative of their sport.” 

Listen up

I’m not a regular listener of the Rich Roll podcast, but I tuned in for the two most recent episodes: with Lauren Fleshman and Lindsay Crouse. The interviews are long, but I highly recommend listening to them in tandem—there’s so much great stuff in them about the future of women’s running, storytelling in the sport, and the role that both Lauren and Lindsay have played in elevating the conversations about female athletes in our community and beyond.

Rebecca Mehra’s mysterious shock

Last June, pro runner Rebecca Mehra had a very bizarre experience: in the middle of a tuneup workout on the track, she felt like her speed had been zapped from her legs. As it turns out, she had gotten an electric shock a few days earlier from a broken oven—but it hadn’t occurred to her that the incident might be affecting her training. (Eventually, Mehra bounced way back and went on to have a breakout season.) In a piece I edited for Outside, Alex Hutchinson spoke to a few experts about what might have happened to Mehra on the day of the shock. 

Another woman to watch

(This one didn’t make it into the previous issue, so I wanted to include it here. If you have any other additions you’d like to send along, shoot me a note!) 

“Alison Désir is a movement starter. First there was Harlem Runs, then Run4All Women, and her latest is the @globalwomxnruncollective, where the mission is to help unite womxn-led run crews all over the world (regardless of location, affiliation, or sponsor). What’s clearer than ever is that women runners need common ground. Going into 2020 and the future, we will only reach our greatest power and potential if we keep from being siloed from each other—whether that’s because of geography, age, ethnicity, or brand sponsors. And we say that as a brand sponsor. Alison truly unites different women, and that is a gift and super power.” 

—Sally Bergesen, CEO of Oiselle

Thank you for tweeting

Drop me a line

I want to hear from you! Tell me about what you like here, what I missed, and what’s going on in your running life. (You can also follow the Kick on Twitter, and on Instagram.) Thanks for reading, and enjoy your miles. 

Molly               

Hello again!

Last year I sent out a special issue focused on the 2019 “women to watch” in the sport. 2019 ended up being a huge year for women’s running. In terms of performance, yes, but perhaps more significantly because of the conversations that took off in our community: about pregnancy and pro athletes, disordered eating and abuse, doping, and more. After such a game-changing year, I wanted to bring back the same conceit. Below, you’ll find a bunch of women—some newcomers, and some of the usual (deserving) suspects—whom you should probably keep an eye on this year. If last year is any indication, a whole lot could happen over the course of 2020, and we expect these women to be leading the charge.

The Picks

“I'm excited to watch Nell Rojas run at the marathon Trials. Her trajectory in an incredibly short time at the marathon distance is something that should turn heads, and I think the trials course will play to her strengths. She's also just an incredibly talented multi-sport athlete who works hard and flies under the radar.” —Amelia Boone, professional ultrarunner and OCR world champion

“In 2020 I'd watch any woman in running who's using her platform to make positive changes in the world. We saw a surge of this in 2019—Allyson Felix not only stood up to her former sponsor, Nike, for its parental leave policies, but she testified on the Hill about the black maternal health crisis in this country. Alysia Montaño also called out the industry on abysmal maternity leave policies and she also continues to use her voice for clean sport initiatives, having lost a fortune to dopers in her career. Kara Goucher saw her long and arduous time as a whistleblower in the Alberto Salazar-USADA case come to a pretty successful ending with his four-year coaching ban—now she continues to call attention to the problem through the Clean Sport Collective. Mary Cain wants to help create training and educational programs so that coaches know how to properly communicate with and the guide the careers of young athletes. Nikki Hiltz advocates for a younger generation of LBGTQ runners who might feel uncertain or scared—like she once did. Clare Gallagher will spend the year running in areas where voters have a choice to elect environmental champions and talk about the importance of protecting the earth.

While it's an Olympic year and many athletes will put their heads down to focus on performance, I hope that they also realize that the once-in-four-years attention on the sport is also an opportunity to keep pressing on the issues they feel are important. It's just as inspiring to watch as racing.” —Erin Strout, Women’s Running senior writer

“My woman to watch is Ladia Albertson-Junkans. I have been following Ladia Albertson-Junkans the last couple of years after she won Way To Cool 50k. She not only crushes it on the trails, but she also has the OTQ in the marathon. Watching (from instagram) Ladia expose herself this past year in dealing with the grief from the passing of her best friend Gabriele Grunewald showed so much strength and courage. She has helped myself and I know so many others in sharing how to give and get hope. I’m so excited to watch her rip it on the trails again this year (I’m betting she gets a Western States Golden Ticket again) and I know she will continue running on hope and inspire all of us to be Brave Like Gabe.” —Monica DeVreese, co-founder of rabbit

“Trail runners Abby Levene and Abby (Mitchell) Hall out of Boulder. Both run for Adidas, placed 5th and 4th respectively at TNF 50 this year. They’re humble, hardworking, genuine. (I've been best friends with Levene for almost a decade, we ran together at Princeton). Seeing their rise in the trail running world has been beautiful, like clockwork on the outside, but there have been so many bumps (for Levene, injuries) and life events (Hall just got married, works as a full-time graphic designer at Training Peaks). They keep it real. They know that results take more than a nice kit and a few good runs; they are not afraid to get dirty, sweaty, wrecked on the trails and pushed outside of their limits on alpine ridgelines. I know I'm better because of them and seeing their work materialize into race results has been really beautiful. Not that results even matter, but they already know that.” —Clare Gallagher, professional ultrarunner and environmental activist

“Tianna Bartoletta is absolutely captivating. She is an overwhelming athletic talent and three-time Olympic gold medalist, fighting physical battles to get back to peak form. At the same time, she is amazing at sharing her opinions and story. She doesn't shy away from controversy. Tianna is a great writer; her writing borders on poetry and comes straight from the heart. You can't help but root for her. I'll be the first one jumping out of the stands to cheer for her when she makes her 3rd Olympic team.”
—Dr. Sarah Lesko, corporate development, Oiselle

“It's clear that if we want more balanced coverage about women's running we need more female storytellers and creators. 2019 demonstrated that women are ready to make their own space to tell the stories everyone needs to hear. Whether that's Lindsay Crouse taking running to the New York Times opinion pages, newsletters like The Kick, Fast Women and Power Plays driving engaged communities, or new podcasts like Keeping Track providing independent platforms for discourse. If the number of women racing the Marathon Trials is any indication, we're only at the beginning of a huge wave for women's elite and amateur running. In 2020 I'm excited to see new voices join the chorus and for these established storytellers to take up even more space in an Olympic Year.” —Lee Glandorf, Tracksmith head of comms

“If you're looking for an underdog to root for, Elinor Purrier is your girl. The perennial NCAA bridesmaid made a huge splash during her first year as a pro in 2019, qualifying for the world final in the 5k and achieving the world standard in both the 5k and 1500m. She's already a sub-15 5k runner, and expect her to join the sub-4 club soon; with that mid-distance speed, she will be dangerous at the Olympic Trials come June in Eugene.” —Johanna Gretschel, freelance running journalist

“When I moved to LA this year, Ashlee Powers helped show me the many trails and gems of places to run in LA, and I learned about her entrepreneurial path to her success as a runner today. After a college career plagued with injuries, Ashlee created her own CBD bar, Ashlee's Powers, and was finally able to train healthy and qualify for the 2020 Olympic Trials in the Marathon by using her own products!! I have loved watching her grow as an athlete and business woman and look forward to cheering her on this year!!” —Alexi Pappas, Olympian and filmmaker

“I’m really interested to see how Allyson Felix and Mary Cain race this Olympic year. Convention says athletes should focus on the game, that anything else is a distraction. Last year they did precisely the opposite of that, and this year they are attempting uncommon accomplishments—Felix to make potentially her last Olympics, Cain to make her first. Each would be remarkable comebacks in their own right. So I’m curious to see how speaking up for themselves off the track winds up influencing how they perform while on it. And I’m curious to see whether those backstories boost the number of people paying attention.” —Lindsay Crouse, New York Times editor, writer, and producer

My own picks, and who’d we miss?

My own list double-dips into many of the names mentioned above. A few to call out: Lindsay Crouse’s reporting has sparked many of the crucial conversations that have rippled through our community this year. Mary Cain’s openness about her experience at the Nike Oregon Project is having an immediate impact on younger generations of girls and women in the sport. The sub-elite women marathoners—like Veronica Jackson, Leigh Anne Sharek, Carly Gill, Natalie Severy, and hundreds (!) of others—who are grinding away to train for the Trials next month while balancing regular jobs or school are reminding the wave of women who are right behind them to keep pushing hard on their goals. I could go on forever, but I want to hear from the rest of you! Send me the names you don’t see here, or weigh in on Twitter with your own picks. 

Drop me a line

I want to hear from you! Tell me about what you like here, what I missed, and what’s going on in your running life. (You can also follow the Kick on Twitter, and on Instagram.) Thanks for reading, and enjoy your miles. 

Molly               

Hello!

I wanted to slide into your inboxes one last time before the end of the year to send you one more issue and say thanks for following along as I got this project off the ground. I started this newsletter in mid-December 2018 after mulling it over for a while. 2019 has been a huge year for women’s running media (and for the sport), and it’s been fun and rewarding to contribute to that in a small way. That said, it’s also been a very busy year for me personally, and I’m hoping to spend more time on this project in 2020 than I ended up being able to over the past several months. 

In other personal updates, I’m also in the recovery period from racing CIM 3 weeks ago, and planning to run Boston again in April. (If you’re in the same boat, say hello!) Please send good winter running vibes, motivation to get out the door, more NYC-based running partners, etc. In the meantime, here are some stories to tide you over until the first issue of 2020. Thanks for reading!

The running stories of the decade

So much has happened in the running world just this year that it’s a tall order to zoom out and examine the narratives that defined the sport across the 2010s. Still, we asked Fritz Huber to do that for Outside, and here’s what he came up with: Caster Semenya’s story forced an ongoing debate about gender in sports, we saw the rise and fall of the Nike Oregon Project, the Vaporflys (in all their controversy) were born, and more.

Des goes for the double (but really the triple)

Earlier this month, Des Linden announced that she just couldn’t choose between running the Trials on February and running Boston in April—so she’s going to do both. (And ideally run the Olympic marathon this summer as well.) Yes, it’s a little bit of a crazy idea. But of course, this is what we all love about Des. I can’t wait to see her get after it.

OTQs at CIM

As usual, CIM was a big day for anyone going for the Olympic Trials standard. But this year was extra exciting, since it’s getting down to the wire with the Trials coming up in February. In this piece I edited for Outside, we caught up with four runners who just barely snuck in, including Jenny Donnelly and Ann Mazur on the women’s side.

Send Lauren Fleshman your ideas!

Lauren recently tweeted that she’s working on a book proposal after the reaction that followed her powerful New York Times op-ed from November about girls’ bodies and sports. (If you still haven’t read it, seriously get on that.) She’s looking for all kinds of ideas from the running community and beyond, so let her know what you think should be covered! 

Further reading and quick hits

Kara Goucher and Sally Bergesen discuss the state of the sport. A lovely piece about Rob Krar, mental illness, and running. Meet the new elite squad in Flagstaff. The story of Annet Negesa, an intersex runner who had surgery in order to keep competing—and has suffered many consequences. The new wave of athlete moms. Katelyn Tuohy is headed to NC State. And ICYMI: Paula Radcliffe is Jordan Hasay’s new “mentor-coach.”

Called out

Drop me a line

I want to hear from you! Tell me about what you like here, what I missed, and what’s going on in your running life. (You can also follow the Kick on Twitter, and on Instagram.) Thanks for reading, and enjoy your miles. 

Molly 

Hello everyone,

It’s been an eventful few weeks! Lots of running news lately (both good and bad), and last weekend was packed with NYC marathon-related activities. I didn’t race NYCM, but I’m in the final month of training for CIM—good luck to anyone else who’s in the same boat! Let’s get into it.

Mary Cain tells her story

Of course, the big news in the running world (and beyond) this week is Mary Cain’s story in the New York Times about her experience with the Nike Oregon Project and Alberto Salazar. In the Times’ video, Cain describes a culture of abusive behavior from Salazar, including an obsessive focus on her weight. Once again, the reporter and producer behind this piece is Lindsay Crouse, who was also responsible for the Times’ excellent recent coverage of Nike’s treatment of pregnant athletes.

Mary’s story is devastating, and I hope her courage leads other athletes to come forward with their experiences. Her case is certainly not an isolated one. At the same time, it’s also been heartening to see the reaction to Mary’s honesty—both within the running world and outside it. (Nike’s response, on the other hand, is far from encouraging.)

Shoutout to Lindsay!

I’ve sung Lindsay Crouse’s praises many times (in this newsletter and elsewhere), but it’s been exciting to see the broader running and media communities recognizing her great work over the past several months. She’s done a handful of followup interviews about her reporting since Mary’s story dropped: here she is on an engaging episode of the Keeping Track podcast, and she was also featured in a recent issue of the Power Plays newsletter by Lindsay Gibbs. (Which you should subscribe to if you don’t already!)

New York City, baby

Even though it feels like a lifetime ago, it’s only been a week since the New York City Marathon. The headlining women’s results were Joyciline Jepkosgei’s win (in her marathon debut) and Des Linden’s top American (6th place) finish. But one of the most interesting storylines to come out of the race was the stellar performance by a handful of masters women in the elite field. Nancy Kiprop, Sinead Diver, Roberta Groner, and Kate Landau are all 40 and older, and they all finished in the top 15. In a piece I edited for Outside about these women’s performances, Fritz Huber talked to Diver and Groner about the race, and about what it means to be “young in running years.” (For what it’s worth, Diver has gotten a lot of media attention over the past few weeks and has pushed back against the commentary on her age.)

Change comes for the Diamond League

In the middle of an otherwise eventful week, the Diamond League announced changes to the 2020 program, and will not feature the 200, 3k steeplechase, discus, and triple jump in most meets. The cited explanation was a desire to optimize the competition for a 90-minute broadcast window. Understandably, a lot of athletes (and their fans) are not pleased. From where I sit, the decision to cut the steeple seems the most shortsighted and disappointing—the event is completely different than anything else on the program, several of the top athletes have significant fan bases, and there’s been so much recent excitement on the women’s side of the event over the past few years. Individual meets will still be able to decide if they want to include additional events outside of the broadcast window, and I’m sure we’ll be hearing a lot more from the affected athletes before the 2020 season is underway.

Quick ones

I loved this New Yorker video with 86-year-old marathoner Ginette Bedard. What the elites have to say about the Vaporfly debate. Camille Herron set a new 24-hour running record. What it takes to print 30,000 marathoners’ names in the newspaper. And a great thread from Lauren Fleshman. 

Called out

Drop me a line

I want to hear from you! Tell me about what you like here, what I missed, and what’s going on in your running life. (You can also follow the Kick on Twitter, and on Instagram.) Thanks for reading, and enjoy your miles. 

Molly

Hello everyone,

It’s been a while since I sent this newsletter! Fear not, it’s just been a busy few months, but we’re back in action after a needed break. There have been a huge number of developments in the women’s running world since I last sent this—here are some of the highlights, and more regular issues are coming soon. As always, if you’re looking for more timely updates between sends, you can follow the Kick on Twitter, and on Instagram. 

Shalane retires, transitions to coaching

The big news from today is that Shalane Flanagan announced her retirement, and she’ll be moving into a pro coaching role with the Bowerman Track Club. Erin Strout wrote a lovely piece about the news for Women’s Running, and we also covered it on Outside. It’s hard to overstate the influence Shalane has had on the sport during her career, and it’s really exciting to have a female athlete of her caliber in a coaching role. (Earlier this year, Fritz Huber wrote a story for Outside about how the BTC is the best in the game—I’m eager what else they can accomplish with Shalane in her new role.)

Maggie Guterl wins Big’s Backyard Ultra

Earlier tonight, ultrarunner Maggie Guterl became the first woman to win the infamous Big’s Backyard Ultra, where the goal is to be the last runner standing. To win this year’s event, Maggie ran a whopping 60 laps—250 miles.

What’s next for the women’s marathon record?

By now, you’ve surely heard that Brigid Kosgei set a new women’s marathon world record in Chicago earlier this month. Her time of 2:14:04 crushed Paula Radcliffe’s long-standing record, but a combination of factors—mostly the ongoing debate around the Nike Vaporflys, and the shady history of Kosgei’s agent—have meant that the reaction over the past few weeks has been mixed at best. In a piece I edited for Outside, Fritz wrote about all those factors, the equivalent of a sub-two-hour marathon for women, and how fast we can expect the women’s record to get.

What happens when we study mostly men 

Last year, Christine Yu wrote a longer story for Outside about the underrepresentation of women in sports science research. This is a huge issue that comes up all the time, and Alex Hutchinson recently revisited it in the context of a few new studies. As Alex puts it in the piece: “The bottom line is simple: there’s not enough data on women to figure out the answer. The same thing is true for a staggering number of other questions, and it will remain true until scientists start testing more women.”

Every woman runner knows the man who won’t be passed

If you’re reading this newsletter, you’re probably all too familiar with a particular breed of male runner who has a habit of turning training runs into races with strangers. A few months ago I aired my grievances about this on Twitter, and the graphic artist Aude White reached out about how she thought the concept would make for a great comic. Aude’s sister Anne-Laure is a runner in New York, and they collaborated on this piece about the experience of being on the receiving end of these unsolicited competitions. This one is from a little while ago, but you shouldn’t miss it!

Quick ones

An episode about testosterone and female athletes, on the Hormonal podcast from Clue. Jeanne Mack on “the anatomy of a PR” for the Strava blog. Caster Semenya opens up for the Player’s Tribune. The Orchard Street Runners 10k in photos.

Called out

Drop me a line

I want to hear from you! Tell me about what you like here, what I missed, and what’s going on in your running life. (You can also follow the Kick on Twitter, and on Instagram.) Thanks for reading, and enjoy your miles. 

Molly               

Hello everyone,

It’s a sad week to be a women’s running fan. On Tuesday night, beloved pro runner Gabe Grunewald died of cancer at age 32, and the whole running community is feeling the loss. There are certainly enough tributes to Gabe from recent days to fill an entire newsletter, but you can read a few of them below, along with a handful of other updates. If you’d like to donate to Gabe’s foundation to support rare cancer research, you can do that here. Runners in a few cities, including Portland and New York, have also organized upcoming group runs in Gabe’s honor.

Brave like Gabe

Over the past several days, Gabe’s husband Justin posted heartbreaking updates on his Instagram account as Gabe’s condition worsened, and the entire running community has shared their fond memories of her on social media. Gabe has been very open for years about her experiences with adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare cancer, while continuing to compete at a high level, and it’s clear she will leave a lasting legacy on the running world.

There have been many excellent stories published about Gabe in the past 24 hours (you can read Outside’s here), but I loved this one from Sports Illustrated’s Tim Layden: “As a runner, Gabe was a kicker, always full of run at the end. Her coaches always tried to get her to stick her nose in the race a little earlier. She stuck her nose in this one from the gun. Even more, she dragged the rest of us along.”

Mini but mighty

The New York Mini 10K—the oldest women’s-only race—took place this past weekend in Central Park. In a competitive pro field, Sara Hall took the title after battling it out with Steph Bruce in the final stretch. In a piece I edited for Outside, Fritz Huber wrote about the history of the event and its role in the evolution of women’s running. The race was first conceived in 1972 as a “mini distance event” more suitable for women than a full marathon (oof), but has since developed into a highly competitive showing of some of the very best athletes. As Fritz put it: “There’s a gratifying irony in the fact that a race that was originally conceived as an abridged version of the marathon now regularly features several of the best marathoners in the world.” Indeed.

Semenya won’t quit

Perhaps unsurprisingly, there have already been more developments in the Caster Semenya case since last issue. Earlier this month, Semenya filed an appeal against the new IAAF regulations on female athletes’ testosterone levels, and the Swiss supreme court has temporarily suspended those rules. This means that for now, Semenya is cleared to compete in her usual events again, though it’s unclear how long this will last. For more context, you can read the Outside piece on this development (also by Fritz) here.

Allyson Felix’s Nike story

I mentioned the New York Times’ reporting on Nike and pregnant athletes in a previous issue, and a few days later Allyson Felix also spoke out and shared her story. If you missed this when it first came out, I highly recommend taking the time to read it. “What I’m not willing to accept is the enduring status quo around maternity,” Felix wrote. “I asked Nike to contractually guarantee that I wouldn’t be punished if I didn’t perform at my best in the months surrounding childbirth. I wanted to set a new standard. If I, one of Nike’s most widely marketed athletes, couldn’t secure these protections, who could?” (Lindsay Crouse, who produced this story and the other related coverage, has also been posting frequent updates on Twitter about the outcomes of her reporting on this issue.)

Eunice Kirwa suspended for doping

A few weeks ago, 2016 Olympic silver medalist Eunice Kirwa received a provisional doping suspension. It’s no surprise that several top American women were devastated by the news (though perhaps not shocked) that two-thirds of the Rio podium was dirty. (Gold medalist Jemima Sumgong was already suspended for doping in 2017.) Shalane Flanagan and Steph Bruce, among others, took to Twitter with their disappointment:

Quick ones

A few other related stories I’m reading: The ultrarunning domestic workers of Hong Kong. The ascent of Shelby Houlihan. Phoebe Wright’s personal history at Penn Relays. The rise and fall of feminist sports coverage. Emma Gee is the only out LGBTQ athlete at BYU.

Called out

Drop me a line

I want to hear from you! Tell me about what you like here, what I missed, and what’s going on in your running life. (You can also follow the Kick on Twitter, and on Instagram.) Thanks for reading, and enjoy your miles.

Molly