A marathon breakdown from a career strategist

TL;DR: I ran a marathon yesterday. To qualify for Boston, I needed 3:40, I trained for 3:30, and I finished in 3:23.  Today I am not just a runner, I am a Boston Marathon Qualifier! 

To all my coworkers, colleagues, friends and family, what a journey and I can't thank you enough for your support! Because I work in strategy, here’s the breakdown of how a solid B athlete (B athletes are core to teams and can even result in lifetime friends, looking at you Tara McNulty !) created and executed on a strategy for a non-marathon runner (only ran 1 before!) to qualify for Boston!

1-Define your Goal: I will qualify for Boston! 

Using the SMART framework, I couldn't get more clear than this. It’s specific, I can measure it (3:40 or faster! Achievable (well we would see, keep reading), relevant (as a lifetime recreation athlete this is the pinnacle! And time-bound. I have until September to lock in this time.

2-Create a plan & make tough choices: The where, how and what!

Creating a plan is also about taking advantage of opportunities as they arise. I turned 40 June 7 (meaning 5 extra minutes to qualify), I live in the PNW (there is a BQ marathon where you lose 2000 feet of vertical and is on June 9). Advantage meeting opportunity! 

I conducted independent research, I talked to running friends, I tested out products and I created a plan that would keep me accountable (thanks running buddies around the world!)

3-Execute on plan: Revisit and Optimize.

Some things work and others (Nike Alphaflys that get pebbles stuck on trail runs) dont. Get rid of the detractors and focus on the goal.

4-Action! The day of [the final deliverable] 

Despite all the prep and training it comes down to the actual day.  I felt great, the weather was perfect (55-60F) and I had an incredible support system. The training, the prep, it all came together and I smashed what I thought was possible.  I ended up running the first half under 7:30 mi/splits, first 20 under 7:45 mi/splits, hit a wall and told myself, one mile at a time. My goal was the last 6 in 8mi/splits or under but some were 8:10 and under...pretty close.

Now for the training plan and gear breakdown:

Training plans & tracking: Hal Higdon (Runwithhall) Advanced #1, Strava app, Garmin Forerunner 245. Podcasts: Acquired (So good and will get you through those long runs!)

Gear: Shoes- ASICS Digital (Kayano for everyday (running in these since I was 18!) and Edge carbon plated for race day. Clothing- lululemon , Hat- Duke University - The Fuqua School of Business hat circa 2009 (cant mess with a classic), Sunglasses: goodr (sweat doesnt cause slippage!). Friendship bracelet (to have my girls and run buddies/supporters close by) Gels: Honey Stinger caffeinated energy gels. And the MVP: Body Glide anti-chafe. 

*If Carbon plated shoes are equivalent to the newest AI LLM (fast, flashy, boost results), Glide is your security stack. Sure, you could go without, but when a chafing/security breach strikes, you are debilitated and it will be a while until you are up and running again (literally and figuratively!

And finally for the thanks.

Training for a marathon is a commitment (both from a time, motivation and energy perspective). Thankfully I’ve had some amazing running buddies and cheerleaders near and far (the OG Rhianon DeLeeuw , Lauren Scarpati ) the long-lasting ( Morgan Shimabuku , Jillian Fourie , Trish Hayward ) the work colleagues, customers and friends ( Melanie Bragg Marc Levesque Waqar Shaikh Joe Corkery, MD Gareth Hall Andrew C. Jessica Gage Rick Hornstrom Windy Nicholson Ashlea Parrish (Mitchell) Stijn Stabel Anne Helen Petersen Meghan Bowen Frazer Samuel Kidder Pat Notz Alaina Fuld Alexandra Harris Blake Lucchesi Robert Fenerty Tracy McCarthy )

Finally to the MVPs. My incredibly supportive boss Karen Hutchings Olivero who not only cheered me on from Strava but continually asked about this in our 1x1s and encouraged me to take that call from a run. Lastly to my husband, Brian Kuethe, JD/MBA . Having a demanding job, two little girls and training for a marathon requires an incredibly supportive partner, I couldn't be luckier.

So what’s next for me? A week off, enjoying the summer and then back at it as I am Boston Bound