A late signup that shakes up the race…welcome back Valery!
This is the final post in our 2018 blog series of One Tough Runner contenders.
ENDURrun: What is your runner profile?
Valery: I started running at 39….the summer before I turned 40….and signed up for a fall half marathon as a birthday present to myself. After that, I was hooked. I will run anywhere, anytime, but my favourite is on the trails or exploring somewhere totally new.
What are your 2018 goals?
Goal is to have fun and to push yourself. Enjoy the experience and have fun with the Endurrun community.
What are you most looking forward to?
Post run laughs and chats. After suffering through an event or stage….it’s so fun to catch up with everyone and compare notes and share our stories. We all do the same thing…the commonality is the running but the experiences can be infinitely different. Oh….and the food….and the massages….and the occasional post run beer.
How did your training go?
My training has been up and down a bit. Road, some speed work and (my favourite : trails). A little bit of everything, really. Some hip issues have been messing with me a bit but I’m hoping I’ve done enough training to get me through the week without any flare ups.
Do you have any advice to Rookies?
Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. Fuel properly. Hydrate. Eat all the food. 🙂
What are you most nervous about?
Mother Chicopee maybe? She’s a mean ol’ thing. Lol. My biggest fear is reinjuring myself.
What is the most important part of the ENDURrun identity that appeals to you?
The camaraderie. The dedication you see from all aspects of the running community…..not just from the runners themselves. The volunteers, spending hours setting up and dismantling. The friends who work tirelessly with the food…cooking and prepping, Volunteers at the aid stations, along the course as marshals and cheering squads. The Schmidt family for everything they do over the course of the week. The most important part of Endurrun is that it embodies the spirit of belonging and acceptance and exemplifies ‘community’.