Kickoff
Before we started the training, I met with my coach, Alex Kleinerman to discuss goals and current workout routines. I hadn’t trained properly for races in year even though I ran five half marathons in 2025. Highlights of what I shared with her include my activity goals for each week:
3x weekly hot yoga
3x weekly strength
Wish to run 4-5 times per week
Would like to fit in rowing and hiking
Creating a Foundation
Week 0 was a “watch and see” what a typical week looks like, so that Alex would have more information from me to assign my first week. Week 0 fell over winter break so I had the luxury of a lot of extra time!
Based on that snapshot, Alex built a structured weekly rhythm around my existing habits to include Monday hikes, Tuesday track, yoga, and strength.
Training Highlights
Some key things from this building phase include a slow shift from about 30 miles a week to almost 40 miles a week. I had a small brush with potential injury. One week in the mid-winter after a track workout, I awoke with a sore left foot that got worse throughout the day. Several years ago I had a stress fracture and this felt similar. Unwilling to end up in a boot again, I told Alex right away. We adjusted quickly, gave it rest, and I came through without losing fitness.
In speed work, I shifted from a state of anxiety to confidence during workouts. The last time I did any speedwork was before Covid, and I was anxious then too. On the drive to one session this year I told Scott that I’d rather be heading to surgery than speed work. Following an exposure therapy approach, I’ve made subtle shifts. I do the 10 minute warm-up alone so I can run the pace I feel I need. I’ve also taken some turns pacing my group instead of always being paced, and due to people’s schedules, I’ve had the chance to run with various group sizes - as small as 2 of us. All of these things have helped build my confidence. I now mostly look forward to the speed workouts!
My attitude toward hills shifted in this phase of working with Alex. She suggested that I seek out hills on my workouts whenever possible. A couple of my regular neighborhood routes include some hills, but when I run them, I often walk up the hills. The immediate mindset shift of attacking hills once Alex told me to do so was great! I stopped treating hills as breaks and barriers to success and started treating them as part of the work.
Long runs became an intentional workout instead of just miles. Most focused on long, slow running without a pace focus, but as the weeks progressed, Alex added parts of my run where I would focus on hitting a pace or doing a hill pick-up. That shift showed up clearly on race day. Now I knew how to change gears without overthinking.
Spring Break Tradition
This is Xander’s last year of college. Each year, the Syracuse Half has coincided with his train back to Boston following spring break. This year was no different, so we signed up for a weekend of lasts. Each year has been subtly different, but one thing the years all have in common is the wild weather. Our race experiences have included excessive heat, ice and snow, and for this year, the possibility of cold rain.
Race Morning
Working with Alex prompted a change in race morning approach. Old me would have rolled up to the start at the last minute. Now my pre-race prep is a 10 minute warm-up run. This tweak motivated me to do the Jack Daniels leg swing progression. It also meant I’d be running in the rain that was arriving pre-race. Scott, Elizabeth, and I headed out a bit after Xander for our shorter warmups and immediately hit rain and wind. I really dislike rain, so I prepared for misery. But then, almost like an oasis, we saw the bus terminal - an area under cover that was perfect for running loops. Elizabeth and I settled into a comfortable warm-up, stopping in the bathroom at the terminal at the end and then heading to the start. Amazing. Luck was with me today.
Racing Syracuse
Alex asked me to run on the edge of uncomfortable for the first 10 miles and then race the final 5K. She said if I wanted pacing advice that she recommended marathon pace of 9:20 to 9:35. This is a new to me strategy - I’ve always tried for even splits to slightly negative splits, but typically end up with more of a progressive slowdown over the miles.
Ready to go with my watch set for this pacing, speed sparkles from Elizabeth, and a positive start line vibe and I was ready! Elizabeth and I wished each other luck and soon we were off. Syracuse created a new course this year, so all my familiars were gone. Today this was good for me; no routines to settle into or prior traumas or successes to recall. I looked over the course enough to know what to expect.
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Race Highlights
I should have trusted my gut and skipped the jacket. I kept it on for many miles before shoving it into my shorts pocket. The crowd carries you and timing mats matter. These are things that big city races offer that really help. In winter weather running, I can’t easily see my watch, and when I do look I often can’t process what it is telling me while I’m running. The timing mats for this race were at 1K, 5K, 10K, 15K, and 20K. Each one offered up some reinforcement. This is going well - running by feel is working.
It is time to talk about the lone hill and the 20K timing mat. Shortly after mile 11 is the hill. It looks tame on the elevation profile, but with tired legs and the full sun that had decided to reveal itself, it felt HARD. Halfway up the hill I decided it was time to take my shirt off. The following steps included many minutes of trying to shove my shirt into my other pocket to no avail. Maybe Scott or Xander would run their cooldown on the course and I could toss it to them?
Post hill I settled into a comfortable pace. By then my feet had started to hurt badly due to incredibly tight shoelaces. In my focus on foot comfort and the tossing of my shirt back and forth from hand to hand, I had accidentally settled into a survival mode instead of racing the final miles thinking. Thank you, 20K timing mat. You’re not running as fast as you can. You need to run faster. So faster I ran. My body remembered the speedy parts from long runs and the strides at the end of easy runs. I could do this. Soon, I saw the finish line in the distance and then I saw the finish clock. It was closing in on 2 hours. Strides were essential. I ran as fast as my little legs could go, clocking in at 1:59:16. I hit a sub-two half marathon following the strategy Alex presented. As I finished, a guy finishing with me was filming us. He told me that I inspired him to make it through and kick to the end!
Post Race
Every year of this return to college train ride has been stressful so we made sure to be consistent and make this year full of stress too. Xander noted that we are nothing if not consistent!
But, before I get into that we had all the post run fun! Elizabeth and I ran our recovery run together, and the rain started just as we headed into the hotel. Wow were we lucky! We cleaned up and Scott ordered Xander’s Chipotle bowl for his 9 hour train ride back to Boston. Upon arrival, we parked for Xander to run in and grab his bowl. He texted. They don’t have food. What? No food? After a fast pivot, it was Collegetown Bagels for the win. We delivered Xander to his train with just 9 minutes to spare.
Final Thoughts
Hiring a coach was a really wise move. Working with Alex is so wonderful! I enjoy being accountable to someone besides myself. For the first time in years, I didn’t just finish a half marathon race, I tried my best and I know there’s more ahead.
It was my daughter, Elizabeth, inspired this for her dad and me. She hired Alex to help her train for her marathon and soon her brother jumped on board. After years of inspiring our kids in fitness, it is so much fun having our kids inspire us to grow!
13.1 mi in 01:59:16 // 916 of 2462 overall, 20 of 90 age group, 9:06 pace// strava
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