Runner Spotlight: Eric Chappelle

Name: Eric Chappelle

City: Philadelphia

Years Running: Off and on since 2009 (first Broad Street Run).

What are your running goals: Qualify and run The Boston Marathon, run a sub three hour marathon, and get a seeded entry on a race.

When not running, what are some of your hobbies: I enjoy taking my dog to the woods, skydiving, traveling to different cities and exploring their culture and foods. Above all...sleeping.

Have you had any breakthroughs in your training since training Team Philly: Yes! I've met and learned from some amazing people. My group is very encouraging which fuels me to train harder. Since joining Team Philly I was able to run a 3 hour 3 mins at the Philly Marathon 2012. The workouts allow me to reach goals I couldn't accomplish training alone.

Overcome obstacles: I tend to lack the motivation to train on a daily basis. Knowing that my team is out there training along with me is always encouraging. It's really uplifting knowing and seeing so many supportive people all competing for the same goal.

Have you achieved any goals you thought impossible: Going into my first year with Team Philly I thought it was far fetched to run under 3:05 for the Philly Marathon. I didn't think I would have the stamina to keep a 7 minute mile pace, but with the help from my coaches and teammates I succeeded. I cannot wait to run the Broad Street Run in May, and the Philadelphia Marathon once again this fall.

Runner Spotlight: Amy Ovecka

Name: Amy Ovecka

City: Ohio-born, Philly-based

Years Running: 6

Why did you join Team Philly: Felt low on motivation when starting my Philly Marathon training in 2012, so I thought a group would help.

What are your running goals: First, get back in shape after a 4-month injury, then get faster and stay injury-free!

When not running, what are some of your hobbies: Playing Ultimate Frisbee, drinking wine, nerding out on video games, and trying to dodge the perils of law school.

Have you had any breakthroughs in your training since training Team Philly: Yes! I ran a Ragnar race from Lancaster, PA to Mount Pocono. In my 3 runs, I covered 20.5 miles, 10 of which were straight up the side of a mountain. It was hands-down the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I couldn’t have done it without Ross’s expert coaching and the motivation Team Philly gave me! 

Overcome obstacles: Yes!  Two things: First, I came to terms with heat and humidity (to the extent possible for a Northeastern Ohio gal).  Second, I’m working through an injury that happened before the Philly Marathon that I exacerbated by trying to run the marathon anyway. Thanks to the PhilaMassages partnership through TP, I’m getting an awesome deal on rehab massages, and hope to be back in stride with the Team very soon!

Have you achieved any goals you thought impossible: Given how out of shape I was when I started training with TP, I pretty much achieved an “impossible” goal every week of our training.  I never thought I could achieve the speed and distance in some of the training weeks, but with the coaching and support, I always pushed harder than I thought I could.

Pace Groups and other Epiphanies

It's the first thing we go over before every run ("Ok, so who's in the X min/mile group?  The turnaround is...”)  It’s something every runner measures themselves against.  And it is one of the things that sometimes frustrates me to the point of potentially maniacal giggles.  I laugh because I am an inbetweener.  I run at a "weird" pace – somewhere between 9:30 and 9"45mins/mile is my sweet spot. 

But I want to be faster!!!  I would prefer to sprint the entire run, if only I had the legs, lungs, and somewhat super human capability to do so.  But instead I just chug along.  Some group runs there are other 'tweeners to hang out with as we log our miles.  Other long runs it’s just me and Kelly Drive.  The hardest things about being a 'tweener is that the two sides of my personality (the overacheiver and the outgoing spazz) are at constant odds.  Do I slowdown to be in a pace group so that the long runs aren’t quite so solitary?  Do I speed up to try and hang with the faster pace group so that I may someday actually be faster??  I feel like these riddles will be answered around the same time we figure out how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie roll pop.

So each week I keep trying something new.  One week, I joined the faster group for the short run.  I contempleted ways of tripping them to slow the pace juuuuust a little bit.  There are quite a few branches on the Schuykill river trail....wouldn't want you to trip....  Another week I slowed my pace down and talked so much I may have chatted my younger sister onto her high school swim team.  I'm pretty sure she is contemplating tripping ME for that one.  

But in the grander scheme of things, running is a solitary sport.  Sometimes you just need to break from the pack and log the miles all on your own.  I have had some of the greatest epiphanies, random thoughts, breakthroughs, and quiet moments while on long runs with just myself for company.  Because I am pretty sure THAT is what this all come down to: I may bust my ass to reach a certain pace, finish a race, or give myself a new challenge.  But I run because I am rarely ever as focused, calm, and energized than when I am running.  That's all that matters.  I can leave my pace and other such running conundrums to Ross and Sarah.  I just wanna run. :-)

See you out there,

Ruth

"Go Team Philly, or..."...how I learned to stop worrying and love group runs.

So, to be completely honest, I have always had trouble enjoying running with other people.  Occasionally, I liked hitting the road with one friend I trusted who wanted to go approximately the same pace, one that was okay with the idea of not always talking, and one with whom I could get delicious brunch with at the end.  I also didn't mind going out with friends of mine who were new to running, but Holy Performance Anxiety if I ever went out with friends who were markedly faster or better than me.  Despite the fact that I am always willing to, I am unable to square the idea that other people would be totally cool with taking a slower pace for the benefit of a good friend. Endlessly afraid of the silent judgment of faster runners, I always ran by myself.

It wasn't just fear, though. Running is, as Jon Stewart would say, my moment of zen.  I enjoy letting go of everything and everyone else while just escaping into the rhythm of putting one foot in front of the other.  I don't know that I ever actively think about my life or problems while running, but I sure seem to end each run with questions answered and a significantly less amount of stress.

Long story short: I'm a solo runner.

So when I signed up for this training group through Philadelphia Runner, I was nervous.  They do two weeknight shorter group runs and one long run every weekend.  They've got pace groups for every runner's needs, they're the nicest people ever, and they actually set up water stops during the long runs.  What could possibly be bad about that?

I HAVE TO RUN IN FRONT OF OTHER PEOPLE, THAT'S WHAT!!  Cue panic.  I barely slept the night before our first long run because I was so nervous.  But I was miles-deep in a motivation-less trough, and needed someone to drag me out, so, I nervously laced up my shoes and hit the road with these people.

Turns out they're great.  Fantastic people.  Why in the world was I ever nervous.

The Team Philly group is friendly, inclusive, and still pushes you to meet your personal best, whatever that is.  I've had an absolute blast getting to know awesome new people, and have (I think) finally chilled out about running in front of others.  Not only is it great to know that if you don't show up, people will actually miss you, but that if you're having a rough run, people will hang back, lend you their water, and push you up the hill if necessary.

I still do a solo run once or twice a week, and it's still the most at peace I ever feel with my mind, body, and spirit.  But I'm also really excited to have finally gotten over myself enough to enjoy this stellar running group.  Hooray for the best of both worlds!

Thanks, guys, for being the best running partners ever, and for helping me overcome The World's Silliest Thing To Be Stressed About.  See you on the road.

 

Amy Ovecka

Runner's Spotlight: Lauren Scarpa

Name:  Lauren Scarpa

City: Marlton, NJ

Years Running: 3

Why did you join Team Philly: To train for the Broad Street Run in 2011

What are your running goals:  I don’t really have any new running goals with the exception to keep going. 

When not running, what are some of your hobbies: Snowboarding, dancing, playing with my dog – Sydney aka ‘Squids,” shopping, spending time with friends, concerts. 

Have you had any breakthroughs in your training since training Team Philly: Yes, but by witnessing how improper form and not listening to your body will result in injuries.  I can almost pinpoint who’s hurting where – it’s the personal trainer in me. 

Overcome obstacles: I ran 10 damn miles! I’d call that overcoming one!

Have you achieved any goals you thought impossible: Did I mention I ran 10 miles?  Cause I did. It’s no marathon or even a half, but I’ll take it!

 

Runner Spotlight: Bianca Hart

Name: Bianca

City: Philadelphia
 
Years Running: 3
 
Why did you join Team Philly: To run Broad Street. I wanted to train, but I knew that if I didn’t join a group and be held accountable for working out that I would just sit on the couch and do nothing

What are your running goals: To run three half marathons and improve my pace

When not running, what are some of your hobbies: Knitting, crafts, and baking. Yup I know that I am one step away from cat lady status

Have you had any breakthroughs in your training since training Team Philly: I know that I am only limited by my mind

Overcome obstacles: Procrastination and my inability to motivate myself to stick to some form of a work out plan

Have you achieved any goals you thought impossible: Many. I completed a marathon (something that I will not do again, but hats off to all of those that do), became a distance runner. But I am still a work in progress

 

How I Caught The Running Bug

Allow me to introduce myself – I’m little miss socialite. I’m not kidding. That’s actually how I introduce myself to new groups of people followed by the phrase “once you get me talking, I won’t stop.”

I began my running journey about 3 years ago when I joined Fusion Cross Training’s (now Unite Fitness) summer bootcamp.  During the first night, while running circles around a football field at an elementary school, I remember asking myself – and the people plodding along with me – what the heck we’d gotten ourselves into.  Even gasping for air, I would still talk.  After a few weeks, I no longer wanted to cry while running and finally found out about that elusive endorphin high!  I began forming friendships with my fellow boot campers and soon, those Tuesday night sessions became a highlight of my week – I said a highlight, not the highlight… just to clarify!  

Once boot camp was done, my new friends and I had caught the running bug and we weren’t ready to stop, so we registered for and completed a couple of races together – the Maguire Mud Run and the Norcross Run the Bridge.  We trained, encouraged, and cheered on each other.  Those marines who chanted behind us through Camden didn’t hurt either!

The following year buzz about the Broad Street Run began. Who was going to do it? Should we do it? Can we do it? But by the time we decided we wanted to, the race was sold out.  My friend (who you may hear me later reference as Bubba, as in Bubba from Forrest Gump… Forrest always needs a Bubba) and I heard about Team Philly through Fusion and that we could train with this group and be registered to run.  YES!  So, we registered for Team Philly and prepared to tackle this Broad Street Beast!

Now, I can honestly say that some of my favorite memories of training for the run are those spent on Saturday or Sunday mornings hoofing it down Kelly Drive talking to Bubba.  I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard.  Sure, not every run was great.  It usually worked out that if one of us was having a great run, the other was not, but we made the best of it and pushed each other through those runs – the coffee at the diner afterwards didn’t hurt either.  Countless ailments – black toenails (me), side cramps (mine), blisters (both of us), shin splints (hers), bye bye hands (hers) – would also hit with no regard of how long we had to run that day.  

Then race day came.  A group of us made a pact beforehand that if anyone was having a crappy run, the others would go so no one got held back.  Unfortunately for Bubba, Forrest felt amazing that day and took off around mile 3.   

Without anyone to talk to and unable to find anyone else in my group, it wasn’t long before I got bored listening to my Ipod playlist. So, I did what any chatty – albeit winded – runner would do.  I cheered on my fellow runners!  I looked through the crowds and if I saw someone who looked like they were struggling, I told them they were doing great and to keep going, we were almost there!  I high-fived people, asked them how they felt, anything to keep us all motivated and moving.  As we neared the finish line, I was looking at the crowds cheering us on, thinking how amazing it felt to be completing a race like this, and how many friends I made along the way.   

After the race, several people I cheered on came up to me to say thank you.  You know what I did?  I thanked them because they are the ones who kept me going too.  That’s what we do – we motivate each other.  

As runners, we all have stories about how we grew to love the sport.  Some of us love how running makes us feel while others love how running relieves stress (yes to both for me, please).  If you’re new to the sport and haven’t found your sweet spot yet, be patient, you’ll get there and when you do, it’ll change the way you run forever. 

Although I haven’t raced since that day, I still run quite a bit and I’m eagerly waiting for spring – Kelly Drive and I have some dates lined up.  Hope to see you out there!

 Lauren Scarpa