Early morning start (8:00 am) at Shiplock Park.
Never Underestimate The Power Of Friendship
Meet Stephanie, an RRCA-certified run coach and NASM-certified personal trainer, who has coached runners since 2000 and organized running events since 1989. When her husband left for deployment to the Persian Gulf in December 2019 and in-person races started going virtual due to COVID, Stephanie knew she needed a new kind of challenge. She came up with the idea to run the entire Virginia Capital Trail, training now and completing it when her husband returned. When she shared the idea with some friends, they decided to join in the ‘fun’. Not overly excited about the idea of running 52 miles, some of the women had never run long distances before, Stephanie suggested they run it as a relay and the training began.
KEEPING IT SIMPLE
That plan was simple, Stephanie would run the entire length of the trail with friends accompanying her in a rotating fashion. The trail was broken down into 4–8-mile segments, segments were assigned with two pacers running at a time, and a date of December 12th was set (that’s right – an outdoor winter relay).
“It was a rotating cast of friends spending uninterrupted time together. Running is a great way to spend time together, without kids, away from home and work demands,” shares Stephanie.
Redefining Possible
With their portable snack shop (a minivan full of important snack necessities), Jen McKinley offering cycling encouragement and support, and their husbands and children staggered along the trail to cheer them on with signs and cowbells, they were ready. They headed out of Great Shiplock Park at 0800. The relay team consisted of:
Sarah Schleicher
Taryn Dwan
Carrie Kilduff
Jen Nichols
Carrie Le Crom
Overcoming the Unexpected
After 28 miles of running, Stephanie began to feel sick. As they neared Indian Fields Tavern, she decided to err on the side of caution and take a break. The rest of the relay group continued on. Stephanie was able to recover enough to rejoin the relay at Chickahominy Park. Wanting to complete their journey together, they met up at Spoke & Art to run the last couple of miles on their home turf. The familiar section where they had spent countless training runs, where the relay idea turned into reality, where their family anxiously awaited with cowbells to bring them across the finish line.
“Our kids saw our hard work unfold. We were redefining what we thought was possible through perseverance and struggle,” says Stephanie.
Lessons Shared
Plan for the unexpected! And when you think you have planned too much, plan some more!
Break down the trail into manageable segments.
Make sure you have dry clothes, snacks, and water.
Take breaks! Listen to your body!
Have realistic expectations with yourself. Acknowledge that this will be difficult.
Involve a support group! People that you truly enjoy and who won’t let you quit on yourself.
Be present in the moment!
Know that the “I’m over it attitude” will pass and…
“Never underestimate the power of friendship amongst runners. Together we can achieve more than previously thought possible.”
Congratulations - 51.7 miles completed!
Next Steps
“One thing that came from the time spent together is a new-found appreciation for the power of friendship and perseverance. Most of our group is now training for a March half marathon, working together toward a goal one friend has had on her list for a long time.” - Stephanie
While training for the half marathon, one of the ladies was diagnosed with cancer. Determined to run the half-marathon before undergoing surgery, the women met on the Capital Trail near Spoke + Art on Sunday, May 14th to run 13.1 miles. Friends from far and wide came to share some miles and cheer Taryn on, highlighting the power of community and true friendship in the face of adversity.
Thank you, Stephanie, Sarah, Taryn, Carrie, Jen, and Carrie for sharing your story with us!
Do you have a Trail story to share, email us at info@virginiacapitaltrail.org.
