The Hobby Jogger Podcast
Welcome to The Hobby Jogger Podcast, where elite athletes and ham-and-eggers lace up their stories. We explore the common ground that running creates from the world-class runner to the hobbyist hitting the pavement, trail or treadmill. Expect a blend of inspiration, laughter and the shared joy that makes every step count. Join us on this journey, where every run is a story worth sharing.
The Hobby Jogger Podcast
E54 | Finding Strength: Grace Myers Tells Her Story
When Grace Myers laces up her running shoes, she's not checking her GPS watch or loading up on the latest sports nutrition—she's tapping into something more fundamental. On this episode of The Hobby Jogger, we meet a runner who qualified for Boston Marathon without using a single calorie of race fuel, who pushed strollers through training runs until the tires literally wore out, and who found her way back to the trails after surviving a terrifying assault.
Grace's running journey spans over two decades, beginning as a 13-year-old running loops in her parents' yard. Her unconventional approach continued when she qualified for Boston Marathon at the challenging Akron course, only to miss the adjusted qualifying time by one second. In a remarkable twist, Sam Adams Beer Company offered her a sponsored entry—though COVID ultimately transformed her Boston experience into a virtual run around her neighborhood.
The conversation takes a powerful turn as Grace courageously shares the story of being assaulted during a run just over a year ago. With remarkable candor, she discusses how this traumatic experience changed her relationship with running without breaking it. "I didn't want that taken from me as well," she explains, describing how important it was to remain the same person her children had always known despite the trauma.
Today, Grace has found renewed joy in trail running, recently tackling the challenging first leg of the Laurel Highlands Trail relay and contemplating her first 50K ultramarathon. Drawing strength from her Polish heritage and the example of her grandfather who ran into his seventies, she embodies a resilient spirit that sees running not as a competitive pursuit but as a lifelong companion through all of life's challenges.
Whether you're a seasoned runner or just beginning your journey, Grace's story reminds us that running offers not just physical benefits but profound emotional resilience. Subscribe now to hear more inspiring stories from everyday athletes finding extraordinary strength through running.
Thank you for joining this episode of the Hobby Jogger. Welcome back everyone. I am once again joined by my co-host, mr Rob Myers. Rob, how are you doing today?
Speaker 2:I'm doing well today. I'm looking forward to talking to somebody that's very close to you and that you're very close with.
Speaker 1:That would be very accurate, rob. Yes, I am. We do have a guest on who is very close to me, both living wise, and just as a friend. She is my friend. She's also a mom. She's a runner, now certified trail runner. On to the show, episode 54's guest, grace Myers. Grace, how are you doing this wonderful evening here in Akron?
Speaker 3:Hello, I'm doing great. I'm so excited to be here.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, we're excited to have you. I mean, it's been a while since I've seen you last.
Speaker 3:I know right. Yes, we are very close in proximity here, with nearly a shared driveway.
Speaker 2:Yes, and I just have to say to the audience no relation, even though our last names are spelled the same no relation.
Speaker 3:Spelled correctly might.
Speaker 2:I add.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, no relationship between Rob and Grace. Well, I guess it would be Bill. Your husband would be the provider of the Myers name. So, yeah, and no relationship there either. But yeah, thank you so much for taking time. I know three little ones. They do keep you very busy. I, you know, I get to experience that on a daily basis, and thanks to your mom for bringing me, you know, cinnamon bun today.
Speaker 3:I know, yeah, it was just a really good day for us. Coffee, cinnamon buns.
Speaker 1:It's good over here. You eat well on Portage Drive, rob Sounds like it. We're going to cut the address part out, though, although we talk about the beer mile enough that I think people have figured it out now. I've doxed myself.
Speaker 2:I don't think it's on Ultra Sign-Up yet, though, right, I can't find it.
Speaker 1:Well, with the outpouring of people that wanted to run it this year, I might have to put it on Ultra Sign-Up.
Speaker 3:That's so crazy. I am not brave enough to participate in the beer mile.
Speaker 1:You participated a year, didn't you?
Speaker 3:Not as a fool. I can't do the beer, every lab, the four beers thing. I'm too scared. I have like a lifelong fear of throwing up.
Speaker 1:Well, you win an award if you do that.
Speaker 3:I know, I know it's an award if you do that. I know, I know it's an award, I guess I just don't want.
Speaker 1:Well, maybe we'll work on that for next year. We'll get the stomach volume.
Speaker 3:Make me less afraid of vomiting, yeah.
Speaker 1:So you are, you know, my neighbor, obviously, and you've been. You've been running a long time. Grace right, hard to believe. Hard to believe. You told me 20 years. I didn't. I thought you were like 25, 26. I wasn't sure.
Speaker 3:So how is that possible?
Speaker 1:Yes, One thing I should mention should have mentioned in the intro that I didn't. Rob is Grace is a member of the former champion of the Burning River co-ed relay team. Former champion of the Burning River co-ed relay team.
Speaker 3:I believe the story there is during COVID. You saw me like doing kettlebell swings or something ridiculous on my porch, as we were one to do during the COVID era, and you assumed, like man, maybe she'd be interested in running this and the rest is history.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's how kind of how you became, like, I guess, into our running group is. Yeah, just dude Rob, she was out there just crushing kettlebell workouts and you know we needed someone and I was like, hey, grace, do you run by any chance? Yeah, it turns out. Yeah, she does run quite a bit. You had qualified for Boston, correct, grace?
Speaker 3:Okay, so there's a bit of a story behind that. So that year I qualified for Boston. I'm trying to remember the timetable with the Akron Marathon that year.
Speaker 1:Which is not an easy marathon to qualify for Boston in.
Speaker 3:Exactly so I qualified for it. But then they had to do that whole readjusting thing that they do at Boston, which I can't quite remember the terminology for it, and then with that new adjustment with my time, I missed it by literally one single second. What Then? A period of I can't remember how long later it was like two months or so. It was like I got over that devastation of the one second, which could have been, you know, anything like one second. How could you make that up? I got an email from the Sam Adams beer company, like someone on their PR team, and they said that we have a small set of bibs they would never give me the full details, but I think they had like a small set of bibs they offered to people that missed by one literal second, and so I was given a bib to Boston for that. So technically I did not qualify, but I missed by one second. So I, in an effort to save everyone the long drawn out story that I say I qualified for Boston.
Speaker 1:Well, great. So we've got to cover 45 minutes an hour here. So we like long drawn-out stories here at the Hobby Jogger.
Speaker 3:So, yes, the Sam Adams Beer Company got me a bib and, as bad luck would turn out, that was the COVID year, so that was the year they canceled Boston and they allowed us to run it virtually, so actually, my marathon count is technically six, because I planned a 26.2 mile route around here to be able to get my Boston medal, which they sent me in the mail.
Speaker 2:So you got into Boston and you were a sponsored athlete. That's what it sounds like to me.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's generous, but yeah.
Speaker 1:Did they send any free beer?
Speaker 3:They sent me a beer opener, a glass shirt. I think those were the swag. It was pretty good swag.
Speaker 1:Dude, that's full-blown sponsorship by trail running standards. Yes, oh yeah, that's awesome. Now I didn't realize that you had run that many marathons. I guess what was your first marathon? Was it all around Akron?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I did two Clevelands, two Akrons, one Columbus and then the one I planned on my own around here.
Speaker 1:Nice, nice. I didn't realize that you had run. I thought you just had one. You just ran the one and qualified, which I call that a qualification, don't you Rob? Yeah, I think so. Yeah, you got a T-shirt from Sam Adams I got a T-shirt.
Speaker 3:That's pretty cool. One second.
Speaker 2:That's more than qualified. You got into Boston. You had a really cool sponsor. That sounds like the perfect story.
Speaker 1:That's a great story. One second is brutal. So to go back just a little bit, I guess we'll come back to the marathon thing. But how did you start out running? Because I know you went to a small school. I don't know what the sports scene was like or where you went.
Speaker 3:But how did you start out running as a, I guess, a kid, a young adult, so I think I was 13 or 14, and it just honestly felt like a fun thing to do.
Speaker 3:And my parents have about an acre of land and at that age they didn't want me running on the road and so I started just like running loops in the yard and eventually, like they were like, okay, well, she's outrun this yard, so they allowed me a little more space and, yeah, it was all just like self-driven from 13 until my senior year of high school.
Speaker 3:Um, when the cross country coach, a really awesome guy named George Hallis, um, he, uh, at the small high school I went to with it was a small high school but it was a really solid cross country team, like they had won states, I think, several years in a row Somehow him and a combination of some of my classmates convinced me to join that senior year, and so that was the one year of high school or collegiate athletics I ever participated in and it was a lot of fun, but I was always just kind of high school or collegiate athletics I ever participated in, and it was a lot of fun, but I was always just kind of a I was into just doing it for myself and for the challenge of it and I just started joining half marathons. I think my first I mentioned like the first race I ever ran, may of 2006,. It was a five mile race in the Cuyahoga Valley Park and that kind of just like lit the fire in me to keep wanting to find races.
Speaker 1:So let's go back to when you were a senior and you and you ran cross country, because I feel like you might be just being a little bit nice about how good you are, because I feel like I know the school and actually a number of kids from the school follow me. They're super fast, so it is definitely a running school. How did you do your senior year?
Speaker 3:I was always just on the cusp of the seventh girl. Me and one other girl were always going back and forth of the seven who would go to states, and unfortunately I was not. I was brought as an alternate, but I just nearly missed being able to make the team for states.
Speaker 1:Gotcha, but that was making your team. I feel like whatever times you were running then was probably pretty good in high school.
Speaker 3:I wish I could remember. I assume they were pretty decent because it was a stacked team. The two top girls were so out of this world, so to be anywhere close to their orbit was kind of like it felt crazy. So yes, I was probably a fairly speedy high schooler.
Speaker 2:Remember, grace, you're on the hobby jogger, I'm sure you're fast.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think she's being humble, just knowing the history of the school. I do know a couple runners from there and they are extremely fast. High school like running is, I feel, like part of their culture there and they maybe recruit I don't know they, they would say they don't.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think a lot of it is drawn. You know, people are drawn to them. Coach Hallis was. I mean, he was a next level coach. He was just like a really good guy. My dad always joked that like if you were looking for, if you were in like central casting for a high school cross country coach, he would be the guy you cast. He looked at, he acted it, he he never believed in yelling at his runners, he just like treated us with respect and that respect was given in return and we all just like we wanted to work hard for him and with him. So it was just like he was. For that, it was a great one year experience for me. Honestly.
Speaker 1:Nice and I think that's very important, especially in running, to have that kind of experience, a good experience, because I've man, I've seen some bad coaches that. Oh yeah, and especially for girls. I know should never tell a 16 yearold girl they need to lose a couple pounds because they'll be faster, exactly.
Speaker 3:Oh, it could get so toxic so fast, and he was so far from that.
Speaker 1:Good and that's probably why he's successful. And parents don't get recruited to go there. You know they just willingly go there.
Speaker 3:Exactly, he can be trusted. Your previous guest, connie Gardner, most certainly. Like. I've talked to her before about him. They both worked at Second Soul together, the running shoe running apparel store here in the Valley. So yeah, he's a cool guy. If you ever have the chance to meet him, you'll get it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I do, Rob. I think maybe we got another guest.
Speaker 3:Oh, he would be. So it yeah. Yeah, I do, rob. I think maybe we got another guest. Oh, he would be so cool.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it would be awesome to have a great high school because it's yeah, I'd really like to discuss that with them how you keep kids, because running is seen as like a punishment in most sports in high school. It's not, you know, I guess, the cool, sexy sport, although I think it's coming around to be that. But it certainly sexy sport Although I think it's coming around to be that but certainly has to be tough to get a 15 year old kid to want to run a 5k as fast as they can.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I didn't do that in high school, Did you? You didn't run in high school. I know Rob right.
Speaker 2:No, I didn't. It's amazing how you'll you'll give that little extra when you have a good coach, regardless of the sport. You'll push yourself just a little bit harder when you have a good coach, you'll push yourself just a little bit harder when you have a good coach.
Speaker 3:And those girls outside of the top seven they felt so like you know, it wasn't like they were an afterthought then to him, like he had some real stars on that team, in the first two girls in particular, and but he, he made the whole team feel like it was yeah, it was just a great experience Everyone mattered to him.
Speaker 1:You have this coach, who George Hallis definitely going to need to have him on, and clearly made a lasting impression that made you really enjoy running and you didn't run in college, correct? No, Were you asked to?
Speaker 3:run in college I was.
Speaker 1:Yes, so didn't want to, or.
Speaker 3:Didn't want to, just didn't, didn't want to or Didn't want to, just didn't I like was so. It was so just like kind of a self-motivated, enjoyable thing and I, you know, even then I could kind of feel like what I got at CVCA high school I went to was lightning in a bottle with him and everyone like the collegiate team I could have been part of seemed great. But I think, yeah, I like have no regrets about that. I will say one thing that he instilled in us then. That was never something that was part of running for me. That changed everything for me, like just it till this day is strength training. So he had, like I remember he had us hit the gym one day and it wasn't like again, he wasn't like a taskmaster, but like we had to like hit this gym and I was like gosh, this is a nightmare. And man, like it changed my posture, it improved my running, it did everything and I like still carry that through to today. So that was a big, a big thing he gave me from that season.
Speaker 1:That's why she's out there blasting kettlebell workouts, Rob.
Speaker 3:There you go.
Speaker 2:It's amazing how often strength training comes up on this podcast. I say we probably average every third guest brings up strength training and how important it is. I mean, regardless if they're just a hobby jogger like Casey and I, or if they do something for a living, if they're a nutrition coach, running coach, I mean they always bring it up and just double down on how important it is.
Speaker 3:I remember like my arms would always feel like heavy, like I don't know. They were just like all these things that would like get in the way while I was running. And then, once I like strengthened them, they just became non-issues and I was just like, oh well, that was easy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, especially your back and core. I feel like I could tell a massive Now like my posture throughout a longer run is, it stays good, I don't get the hunched over and bad form. Yeah, so it keeps my form better. And, rob, I do know for sure that there is one elite runner that has now started focusing, not because of this podcast, but has now started focusing on strength training that we are familiar with, so can't give away any secrets, but… they might have asked their brother for some strength workouts. We're not going to say who it is, though.
Speaker 3:I have no clue who that could be.
Speaker 1:Nope, You've never met them, don't know them. But yeah, it does, it's super important. We've talked about that ad nauseum here at the Hobby Jogger and it just makes it more enjoyable because I recover much faster too.
Speaker 3:Absolutely yeah.
Speaker 1:You go to the gym quite a bit. I know Grace right.
Speaker 3:I've like had to kind of make it more of an at-home thing, but we've stocked it up enough that, yes, yeah.
Speaker 1:But really you can, you know, with a in whatever weight you need, you know, obviously you're going to be different than me and I'm going to be different than Rob, but a kettlebell can give you just an all around great workout and a half hour and that's pretty much all you need. So, yeah, I mean, that's it. I mean not how I met you. Obviously I met you just cause you you moved next door, but I, you know, I was like, okay, she, she worked out and you know, that's obviously an important thing to you and aside from running, but it, you know, obviously, george coach alice was ahead of his time because it hasn't become popular and running until fairly recently, um, you know a couple guests that we've had on have, you know, we're kind of at the forefront of that. I, I feel like, and yes, it's, it's good to see. So you, you run the race in in the, in the valley, the spring race, spring fever.
Speaker 1:Spring fever now defunct race.
Speaker 3:Five miler.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what was your next race after that? What did you step up to?
Speaker 3:You know, honestly and this is kind of a big thing with me times races they all kind of just jumbled together. So, yeah, I would pick up some five milers or five K's through those years. And then I believe it was my junior year of high school I ran my first junior year. I think it was my junior year of high school I ran my first half marathon, the Cleveland half marathon.
Speaker 1:You ran a half marathon in high school.
Speaker 3:Yes, oh wow, I was either my junior or senior year, but yeah, one of the two, so yeah, Wow, that's pretty good for a girl, not even on the cross country team just running around her yard. Yep, it must've been. Yeah, it must've been a following right before I went to college. Yeah, that's what it was.
Speaker 1:Gotcha.
Speaker 3:So it was. I graduated from high school and then I ran the half marathon.
Speaker 1:Okay, so you started running some half marathons. You ran a few of those, I imagine, before you stepped up to the marathon. Yes, I know this is one thing we always, I guess, kind of just what makes someone you know you're running in high school, you're not running in college, but you just want to run 26.2 miles. What? What made you want to do that?
Speaker 3:I just, I don't know. There's something about like endurance work, there's something about grinding it out. I just like, like I like the mindset I can't explain it Like the idea of running always just sounded like a lot of fun to me. And yeah, I don't know, I like can't even properly describe it. It was just like, yeah, this feels like a fun thing to do. And I had no training partners Like my parents aren't runners I had, I was just solo.
Speaker 1:Just went out there solo and you don't. You don't use Strava. Correct me if I'm wrong, but up until recently you didn't even GPS runs, correct?
Speaker 3:No, there was a watch I had. I had a watch in there somewhere, but yeah, those early ones. I just like a map, or I would like drive the route before I'd run it.
Speaker 1:Just the car, Rob. She is an analog player in a digital world.
Speaker 3:I'm pretty low-tech.
Speaker 2:I just got an image of you with a paper map, like running around the neighborhood, unfolding it.
Speaker 3:A compass yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I was, because I remember, yeah, when you signed up, I was like, oh, let me check her out on Strava, no Strava, oh okay. And then you came running with us and you had you had like a Casio watch on I think yeah, If even yeah.
Speaker 1:At least keep track of how long you've been out in the woods. That probably keeps it. You know, I know we've talked about it because you now have, you've upgraded your watch and you get lost in the details and you get lost in the. You know, my watch basically tells me every day I need a rest day. I, well, it's Tuesday time to rest and it's I, yeah, so I you probably get lost in that and just go how the body feels. But yeah, I think I think that's yeah. You get lost in the, in the details. How did you train when you qualified or didn't qualify for Boston, I guess? Uh, how did you train for that? Because it's you're the only guest I've had on that doesn't use GPS, doesn't use well, now you do, but you didn't then. So what did you just based on feel? Did you look at anything on the internet or did you just go out and just run every day?
Speaker 3:I would use, you know your classic, your Hal Higdon, you know basic framework for what you need to do. By the time that Akron marathon, I think, was my that might've been my fifth marathon and I'm like I was getting tired of eight. I loved race day, I loved those 26.2 miles out there, but like I was getting tired of eight. I loved race day, I loved those 26.2 miles out there, but like I was getting a little tired of 18 miles by myself on some random Saturday kind of thing. So I admittedly and I would never advise this I like under-trained for that marathon and I was feeling it that day. But there was a pacer who just it was like I'm mind over, mattered it that day.
Speaker 3:So like that was physically not my strongest race, but mentally I was just out there to like I just I was determined and I got that really good pacer who helped me out and yeah, so no, it wasn't, I think I I tried to go heavier. I remember like, as we were getting closer to the day, I was just like, okay, let's, let's do some good strength work so that, like you know, your, your foundation is strong, so we don't horrifically injure ourselves here. But like my body at that point in time, after five marathons, like I knew I knew the rodeo, I knew I knew my limits. So, um, yeah, it was just kind of like I went out there and tried my best.
Speaker 1:Did you use any modern fueling techniques for that?
Speaker 3:This is like the worst. So yeah, this is where I'm like crazy, because, like it isn't until recently that I started like with a goo or something like that. So I would be out there 26 miles, I wouldn't take a goo, I wouldn't even take anything. And now my I think my age has caught up to me a little and that like okay, I can't do that anymore. So, like I would wake up in the morning, I'd eat a banana, I'd eat some peanut butter on toast, drink a little bit of coffee. I was always well hydrated. I always had a big spaghetti dinner the night before.
Speaker 3:Well, at least you, you covered that base, that's yes, I was good about the pre pre but the during I was always just like, hey, we'll figure it out, and so I never bonked but like in a race. But it certainly could have helped me. I certainly could have gotten that one single second back if I had maybe taken a goo.
Speaker 1:So you qualified for Boston. I can't wait to tell. Will this? You qualified for Boston? I can't wait to tell Will this? You qualified for Boston without a how many calories? Because you might have had, like a sports drink at the water stop, so that's like four calories. You had no calories during the marathon.
Speaker 3:I mean, maybe on the off chance of that day. I was like there was a goo and I took it, but like I doubt I finished it.
Speaker 1:So you might've had like a part of a goo then.
Speaker 3:Yes, okay, yeah.
Speaker 1:Rob, what do you think about this development?
Speaker 2:I don't know, it doesn't sound like enough calories. I mean, it's an understatement, but geez.
Speaker 1:Yes, it was not enough-race fueling. She ended up, you know, running a last 5K in, I don't know, some ridiculous like 18 minutes or something of Boston. So I can tell you, Grace, just from the amount of guests we've had on the show, in-race fueling is very important. Yes, so we have that to.
Speaker 3:Yes, I'm aware of this. Now, I would not advise anyone to do what I have ever done.
Speaker 1:And I and I didn't know the answer to I didn't realize the extent that I that that you had had done that, so that's it's actually very remarkable accomplishment, I think, and I would advise everyone listening not to do what Grace did to qualify for Boston.
Speaker 3:And again, I don't think now age post, three children. I like that. I could do it Like I know the value of in-race fueling from my own experience now at a variety of distances and yes, I would absolutely advise, fuel yourself.
Speaker 1:Yes, I would advise everyone and you to fuel yourself for your next, even long run. It does help, it certainly helps out. Uh, I know, uh, Amy, Amy, the dietician gave me the advice hey, if you have something that you haven't eaten yet and you're still out, eat it, Cause it helps towards your recovery. So you know you had mentioned it. Postpartum what has it been like running as a mom, a mom of three? How do you, how, how do you handle that?
Speaker 3:Uh well, the first thing I would say is that I'm very lucky in that my spouse is not a runner, so I don't have to. There's no negotiating over who gets to go for a run when. So just a hot tip for any young runners out there looking to not looking for, a partner. I know it sounds good that they'll run with you, but you never know. You know ways down the line. A few kids and you're negotiating for your Saturday morning run. It's no fun. So that helps me. I have a very supportive partner who's making that happen. I was, I've always been a morning runner. I could get out there. I like it's a little harder for me now, just in general the motivation, but like I could always get out there pretty early, so that helps beforehand. So like just logistically, a mile in the Bob stroller that I just figured out today needs a brand new tire. It has served us across three and I just need to replace the tire.
Speaker 1:You wore the tire out of your running stroller.
Speaker 3:Yes. So yes, I've done the stroller miles. Stroller miles are tough, there's no way around it. I've done double stroller miles. That's miles are tough, you know, there's no way around it. I've done double stroller miles. That's even more ridiculous. I retired that quickly. But I can do a pretty good legit workout with a kid in a stroller and then, yeah, the rest is just planning it out and getting out there and doing it and then the fun of it. And I always kind of imagine, like I always wanted kids and I kind of looked forward to the idea of one day, like sharing this hobby with them, and it has been as fun as I imagined. They're cool, like they get the race atmosphere, they understand, you know, yeah, it's just fun to watch them get excited. It's fun to watch them cheer on not only myself but other people we know or just other people in general, and, yeah, it's just a cool, it's a fun thing.
Speaker 1:They motivated me out of the chair at Canal Corridor last year when you guys, when you guys showed up. So, yeah, it's tough to disappoint those three, you know.
Speaker 3:Yeah, exactly, exactly.
Speaker 1:Can certainly understand it, Rob. Did you ever do any stroller miles?
Speaker 2:No, no, that's before. I was a runner when my son was young. Okay, did you ever sign up for a race and take the stroller race?
Speaker 3:With the stroller no.
Speaker 2:Okay, I imagine that would be tough.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, this past weekend we saw a stroller runner, a mom, in Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh is very hilly and she was going down the hill, looked okay, you know, hopefully there was breaks on the thing, so it's a little bit steep. Then we saw her going back up the hill and I was whew, it was hot and, yeah, good for her for getting, for getting out there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, who needs a weight vest? Casey.
Speaker 3:No, it adds, it does, it helps. It's helped with the training oh for sure Builds your legs up.
Speaker 1:I mean it's, yeah, it's, you know, anytime you're having to move more weight, yeah, it's going to be a better workout.
Speaker 2:So yeah, yeah, for sure. That's the hack in general. Even if you don't have kids, just buy a stroller, throw some weights in there and take off.
Speaker 1:You can get them really cheap on Facebook Marketplace yeah because I guess, once you go, are you still using Sean's old one.
Speaker 3:That was the double. That double. The brand is Bob the double. Bob is just a beast and it's a ridiculous running experience with two kids in that like monstrosity of a stroller. It's great for an event. It's great for a walk. Relative to running, it's the single all the way.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that makes sense.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's a little bit too much weight.
Speaker 1:So you're a mom running. I guess we'll talk about it. You had an incident, terrible incident, but I'm going to let you tell it because you said you wanted to discuss it story and it like feels impossible to avoid this piece of it.
Speaker 3:So, yes, a little over a year ago, I went, uh, got ready, went out for my run and run by myself, thank God and I was about to start my run, I went to into a bathroom. I exited the bathroom, I was about to start running and someone came up behind me and assaulted me. It like the word, like the part of it as I like think back on it often. Uh, I think in that moment it was kind of like my brain said, well, you kind of always thought this would happen, so get to work. Like you knew you this was going to happen eventually, which is a horrible thing to have to think, but it was I.
Speaker 3:I've been out here running largely by myself for all these years and, no, it is an inevitability, obviously, for most people, but like that was most certainly, it's always been a thought in the back of my head, like what could happen, how to, to stay aware, and it was something I had to come to terms with. I was incredibly lucky in that my calls for help were heard and a group of three women, 60 and older, found me, believed that I didn't know this gentleman, that he was trying to convince them that I knew him and he wouldn't let go of me. And eventually one of them struck him with a rock and he let go of me. And then police and paramedics and everything everyone showed up just so, so, still so sorry that happened.
Speaker 1:You know, hearing about it and and it. I think a lot of times it just doesn't, when you don't have it happen to someone close to you, you don't understand it or see how real it is. And you know it definitely made it real to me of what you had to endure. You know, obviously, being your neighbor and us being such good friends and, yeah, it was heartbreaking. I'm just glad that you're still out there running and because I could see, and I know you had, we had went running after that, our group, and I think you told Kim, like you know, I don't want this to ruin running for me. You know I don't want it to be, you know, something that takes this. I don't want to lose this because of this incident. I'm happy that you're still running. I'm so sorry that that happened to you. I know Didn't really even know how to bring it up, just because it's like I don't know, I don't know, I'm sure it's so hard.
Speaker 3:Yeah, there's no good words that anyone can say and for me it's different from person to person, I'm sure, victim to victim, but I appreciate it being acknowledged and that has been helpful to me. The support of people just like checking in and understanding Casey like seriously, like, of like the memories I have of that day, of like people who just like came to like check on us and care for us. At that point in time I had a five-month-old baby and a I think she was three. No, was she three at that point? Yeah, she was three years old.
Speaker 3:There was a six-month-old baby, five-month-old baby and three-year-old and Casey had heard for the previous five months of that child's life. Casey had heard nothing but screaming out of that baby. And I, the first person I called, was my husband, bill, and he immediately was like I'm on my way and he contacted Casey and Casey dropped everything and was just like took, took, said screaming baby, no questions asked, and was just like there for us and that's like left a huge impression on us. You know, that's a I'll never forget that day.
Speaker 1:You know it, it definitely impacted me as well, for sure. I mean, that's a I'll never forget that day. You know it, it definitely impacted me as well, for sure. I mean obviously not the same degree you did like not even saying oh, me as well. But yeah, like just I remember Bill calling, like why is Bill calling me? That's not good. I was in the middle of a meeting for work and I was like that's not good, my neighbor's calling me. So I just like turned the meeting off and he told me and I was just. I went back into the work meeting and I was like hey guys, I, I got to leave for a little bit. Something happened and they were very understanding and thankfully for that they were. They were great people at that company. So can't say enough about them. But yeah, just coming over, it's like I don't know what to do, like I'm, I have this screaming child, that's you know and, and, but he was very well behaved that day.
Speaker 3:which he was, he was he held it.
Speaker 1:I think he knew. Yeah, he needed to hold it, yeah, and all of you know she's, she's wonderful and was as well behaved as as she can be. So, yeah, I just you know, I, I, I, you know you had said, mentioned that you want to talk about it, and now I'm fumbling around with words because it's you know.
Speaker 3:Yeah, then that's okay yeah.
Speaker 2:I think you hit the nail on the head, though I mean I think I'm right by Casey's reaction. Like you try to find the words. It's just, it's awful, like.
Speaker 2:I have two sisters, I can put my brother hat on. I mean, obviously I'm married. I can think about it from, you know that happening to my wife, who's also a runner, I mean it's awful. So afterwards, after you kind of process, I'm trying to think what would be the first thing I'd think like do I start taking jujitsu classes? Like, am I carrying a piece with me from now on, like pepper spray? What am I doing? Bear spray? Step it up. So I mean after the processing and I'm sure you still think about that often like, is it just go back to to running as usual? Or I don't know. I'm grasping for words now. You know it's just such a terrible incident there's like a lot of things.
Speaker 3:So I there's a lot of places I won't go by myself anymore. I won't like, and it's a shame because, like I won't go into the woods by myself anymore. There's just too much there. Maybe I'll get there one day eventually, but now I like I'm looking for a buddy if I'm going to do any sort of trail running, which is unfortunate, but it just kind of is what it is for now. And the hardest thing for me is, you know people are.
Speaker 3:There's a lot of voices that come into conversations like this about you know. This is why you know you need to conceal and carry or have pepper spray or any of those things and all. If that works for people, then more power to them. For me in that moment, the way it happened and how fast it was, it wasn't that simple. You know, I the the level of marksmanship I would have had to have had in that moment, um, I, I didn't have and I think would probably take a lot of practice to get to that point. So I kind of wrestle with what I need to do best to protect myself in those situations.
Speaker 3:I've always been. I've never worn, you know, ear pods or any sort of headphone while I've run, so I've always been aware of my surroundings. But you know, that's and that's the thing. You can give people all the best advice in the world, but sometimes you but sometimes luck runs out. Yeah, it's hard and that's the thing. Like, listen to me, I barely know what to say. So you guys don't need to worry about having the, for sure, and I got back to it pretty quick. But yeah, it's different and I'm definitely I'm more on edge and yeah, it's just kind of one day at a time with it.
Speaker 2:I think it's perfectly understandable to want a buddy, though you're going into the woods I mean depending on the woods and we've been out in the middle of nowhere on some of these trail races.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Sometimes I wish I had somebody with me Like is there? There are bears out there, is there some somebody around the corner that standing there with a baseball bat or what you know?
Speaker 3:Exactly.
Speaker 2:That shows how strong you are, the fact that you got back out there, you know it just was so part of who I was, and I know it just how.
Speaker 3:How I process best is to not like I didn't want to feel completely different than who I was. I didn't. I I've got these like small people who depend on me and I couldn't. It was so important to me that it didn't completely alter my life in a way that I wasn't the same person that they had always known. Um, I didn't want that taken from me as well.
Speaker 2:You can't beat mom's strength. You can't do it.
Speaker 3:Yes, yeah, I mean, it helped me that day. There was something to me that you know and that's the thing you didn't know. I didn't even know what I had in me until I was put, unfortunately, in a bad situation.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, there was like a certain level of like strength that came out of it and that, like, okay, I had in me, I had some fight in me, so good, yeah, I mean obviously you know happy you're back at it, you know doing something you enjoy and that you were, you know I I guess you know physically okay afterwards you know, you weren't great, you weren't like healthy, but you were physically. You know you're physically okay and mentally OK, not beyond.
Speaker 3:I say I think the surprising part for me is that it like the toll it took for me and again, it's different for everybody it's just like. It's like my body remembers, if that makes sense. It's an interesting like Like psychosomatic thing, and I think running it kind of like goes in part with running. It's just kind of like your body, my body remembers it, just like it remembered like how I could get out there and run a marathon, not a lot of training, you know, your body remembers it. And so, yeah, it's not like a. It's not so much as a very present physical thing for me, as like it's literally feels like the muscles and joints and parts of my body just react to it every now and again. And it's still kind of an ongoing thing just within the court system as well. So I have to kind of revisit it more often than I'd probably love in that regard. So yeah, it's just kind of processing through that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I, I can't imagine that having to always you know, especially with the way the court system works always having to bring it back up. And you know, you go on your neighbor's podcast and have to bring it back up.
Speaker 3:I said I wanted to bring it back here.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I know, I know you did because, like, yeah, I, because it's important, because women what I've learned through this also is that so many mostly women, um have experienced, have had experiences like this in one way or another, whether it's just someone who, like, made them uncomfortable or whether it was an actual like uh, physical altercation of some sort. Like so many women have dealt with it in so many degrees and it's just like a hard thing. And I have a friend who isn't a runner, but she's always in going through this with me. She's always frustrated and seeing in the dialogue that like well, women shouldn't run alone, and it's like, well, why is it their fault? Like it's like we have to. Somehow. Then it becomes another thing to blame people for, rather than letting I don't know figuring out a way to take better accountability for the root of the issue.
Speaker 1:Certainly your incident has made me more aware.
Speaker 1:I know, you know, when I go out I keep my eyes open for things that I see that are off, so that maybe I can warn someone or you know, so it certainly has opened up my eyes, because before that I guess I didn't, you know, I didn't pay much attention, like I don't know I I don't want to say I didn't pay much attention to it, but it, when it affects you personally, it has a whole different effect on your outlook of you. Know, the way you see things when I go run in the Valley, you know I, I just look at things different now. So, yeah, it's, it's definitely impacted me as well, but obviously not how it has impacted you.
Speaker 3:I know, like that ripple effect, that's like one of the things that kind of weigh on me, just like the shattering, the like that I shattered I didn't but someone else did with me involved like shattered a lot of people's realities, you know, and it's a good thing to have to, you know, to just be extra cautious or to look out more for other people. But yeah, that's a hard part for me, like, yeah, that my, the people I care about, also had to be like gosh. Okay, I have to come to terms with this. I have to process this.
Speaker 1:And make no mistake, you did absolutely nothing wrong that day. There was nothing that you you did. It was all of the I guess we have to say alleged perpetrator. So you know, so you know, yeah, and and again I thank you so much for sharing that uh, you know I, you talk about it perfectly. And uh, yeah, it's it's tough for me to talk about because I just I don't know what to say. And it's, you know, rob will tell I'm very I'm not very often at a loss for words and I mean, you know that. But yeah, it's, it's, I'm glad you did that and hopefully it's just a story of you know to other women.
Speaker 1:Hey, be aware, and you know if you're like Rob and I, who are just hobby joggers. You know you can be, you know. Just, you know, say something.
Speaker 3:That is, yeah, that is so huge. Just like keeping an eye out and, yeah, like again, I always particularly, yeah, men for women who are on their own Just like you described a story recently of yourself, Casey just like you were keeping your distance, you weren't trying to impose yourself on any situation, you were just keeping an eye, and that's like I think that's huge, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I I did. I didn't, you know, I didn't like say or do anything, I just I felt that there was a situation that I was a little uncomfortable with and I just pretended to tie my shoe, I just waited. Really, I just stood there and waited on the trail until I felt that she was past, a person that I didn't feel that was a normal person where I run every day. So, yeah, it's early morning and I just took it upon myself.
Speaker 1:I don't think race without what happened to you, I don't know that I would have done that, I wouldn't. I don't think I would have been aware enough, and you know not to thank you for that clearly, but just to like again, just, my experience of that just changed my outlook on on the situation and, yeah, I encourage people if you, yeah, if you see something that you feel we all run at basically the same places, you know, we know the crowds that are there, we know who belongs, who doesn't belong. If you see something that doesn't belong, hang out near them and you know they're probably going, gonna go somewhere else because they that's exactly it.
Speaker 3:If we can all just kind of watch out for each other, then it becomes more of a. You know that that's a. That's a small step in the right direction of not like women need to change everything about how they run just to protect themselves, like no. Well, maybe we just like get out of our own little bubble a little bit and keep an eye out for each other. Maybe that can help. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Be hyper aware of your surroundings. There's evil in this world, but don't let that stop you from enjoying this world. You know, I'm going to create the gray strong bracelets and start passing them out.
Speaker 3:I was like a little, I was like a super fearful little kid for like no reason. I was just always like I ran high anxiety wise and I didn't want my kids to be the same way. And so then this happened. I'm like, OK, well, now it would. It would be easy for me to kind of like double back, double down into that, and I didn't want that for them. So yeah, it's. And then, and that's that balance of teaching them how to not be afraid but to be aware, and you know it's tough. It's tough for adults, it's tough for kids.
Speaker 1:And I know just in running, you're certainly not fearful. You recently went out to Laurel Highlands with us and participated in the relay, took on the first 11 miles. So you are, you are a strong person for sure, like you're not scared of hard things. You're, you know you're very brave and and you know you're you're definitely resilient.
Speaker 3:So I think that's the Polak in me. I go back to it time and time again.
Speaker 1:I think it's definitely the Polak in you, for sure, uh.
Speaker 3:I think there's something to it now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there's a lot of stubbornness in the Polack gene.
Speaker 3:Yes, there's some bad to it Okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we could go there if we want, but there's also, you know the hardiness, you know oh yeah, yep, our people. We're strong.
Speaker 1:So what's next for you, grace? Do you have anything running-wise on the menu? I know you've kicked around ideas of some things and I haven't talked to you in a while about it. We usually have other things to discuss rather than running. So what's next for you?
Speaker 3:I mean, I've been around enough of these ultra runners now that of course I'm noodling with like like a 50K maybe to start. So that's a thought I'm having, maybe for.
Speaker 1:You did crush the first 11 miles of the Laurel Highlands Trail, which is not easy, you know. We usually have a tough time finding someone to run that leg of the relay, and you're just like, yeah, sign me up. And then you told me afterwards oh, I like going up the hills, that's fun, you know which is.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I feel out of control on a downhill. There's probably some training. I bet I need to better feel, but like I'm not one to you know haul on a downhill so I feel very in control. On an uphill I can get into a rhythm. I love an uphill. I mean, come on, what's not to love?
Speaker 1:well, except the going up the hill part what's not to love about yeah, except the going up the hill part.
Speaker 3:What's not to love about feeling like your lungs are about to come out of your?
Speaker 1:mouth All right. So we got a 50K on tap. We'll go over the fueling strategy. We'll bring Will out, We'll get a whole. You know, maybe we'll have him with a whiteboard. You know, we'll go over that a little bit. I think maybe what would help.
Speaker 3:So I have the right people in my arsenal now to like prepare me best for this. So any any particular 50 Ks that you've looked at. No, I mean, like I, after like doing that first leg of Laurel Highlands and I heard about you guys me more about the rest of the race I was like this could be fun to just ride it out.
Speaker 1:Ride out the rest riding the storm out, rob is there a 50k you guys would recommend?
Speaker 2:there's plenty, but Casey recommend the first one.
Speaker 1:I would would have recommended Laurel Highlands for sure, because if you, if you, enjoyed the first 11 miles, you're really gonna like the last 20.
Speaker 2:so my personal favorite, which is a little over uh 50k um, is highland sky. Yeah, in west virginia that's 42 and a half miles, still the most beautiful terrain um laurel's. A close second, very close second. But I've done highland sky twice and that's my favorite okay, what?
Speaker 3:what time of year is that?
Speaker 2:week after low highlands yeah, yeah, well, they just moved it. Now it's the same week as well, which is why I didn't run it last year. We went to laurel instead who planned that?
Speaker 3:that feels like poor planning.
Speaker 2:I know I'm so upset. I wanted to run both. Oh well, I had to pick one.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so looking forward to that, I'm sure we'll have a big group out there next year, as we usually do. So I'll be bugging you to sign up for the 50K as soon as the entry opens up. But I wanted to ask because I know it's. You know it's important and especially with your situation you know we're there's a movement to get more women involved in trail running. Is there any advice like you would give someone that is a road runner? You know you ran a bunch of marathons to then come over into a. You know run a trail race. Is there anything to then come over into a? You know run a trail race. Is there anything you know, particularly from your point of view, that you would say to a woman thinking of doing that?
Speaker 3:Trails are, so there's just like something so freeing about them. You know the road. For me it's like you kind of found me at the right time with Burning River, in that, like the road, it just starts to feel heavy, you know it's, it becomes a slog. I had been doing it for a really long time and if you're kind of feeling that like like oh, I'm getting a little, like this is getting old, you know, even if you're trying new races and it's just not feeling right, like try a trail or a trail run, could really just like reignited, like your love of running. And that's what I found so like I've been doing this for a long time and I want to keep doing it. That's always a plan.
Speaker 3:My grandpa ran. The one runner in my life was my grandpa and he ran into his seventies, and so I've always been about it's been a it's more about I want to be doing this for a long time. So I'm I'm careful about like not overdoing it, but also just like figuring out what I can do to keep the love of running alive. And yeah, I think trails can really do that for you. And there's a variety of trails. It doesn't always have to be a total slog. It doesn't have to be 11 miles uphill. Yeah, it's just like a lot of fun getting out there, just like cruising on a nice day. Oh gosh is the best thank you so much grace.
Speaker 1:I certainly appreciate it. Uh, you coming on and telling your story of you know just how you came up, everything that's happened, and you know just being an awesome neighbor and an awesome friend to to us this has been so much fun.
Speaker 3:Yes, oh my gosh.
Speaker 1:Everyone's got a unique story and I appreciate you sharing yours and your journey and we look forward, Rob and I personally, seeing your journey, I'm sure we'll be at the finish line of your first 50K. Well, I might not be at the finish line before you because I might run the same race, but we will eventually gather at the finish line.
Speaker 3:You might be dragging me across. I mean, who knows, the wheels could fall off. We never know.
Speaker 2:We appreciate it, Grace.
Speaker 3:Awesome. Thanks so much, Rob. Good to see you Tell Beth. I said hi.