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I Love New York

November 7, 2025 by Leave a Comment

There are probably thousands of blogs out there on the NYC Marathon, and here is mine. As a running coach and New Yorker, I want to share my thoughts and experience as I ran this race for the first time on my own (I’ve only ever done it before as a coach and pacer) and my first time running it in 10 years.

The New York City Marathon is a bucket-list experience for runners and non-runners around the world. NYC is iconic, inspirational, and an energy unlike anywhere else. I often refer to NYC Marathon as the “Coachella of all marathons” because it’s an experience that’s above any other marathon. For one thing, just getting to the starting line is an ordeal, and most marathoners are awake for a solid 5-7 hours before their race even begins. The logistics can feel overwhelming. Then toss in the reality of 59,000 runners on the course, all of the volunteers and millions of spectators, and it can and often feel like sensory overload. This can feel magical and like a true “high” all day, and for some runners it’s a little overstimulating. Regardless of opinion, we can all agree that the NYCM is a large, energetic day that is otherwise unmatched. Whether it’s one you return to or not, it’s definitely a once in a lifetime experience everyone should experience.

The majority of my roster runs the NYCM every year. Statistically, that’s just the way it goes. often 30-50% of my roster, and some years I’ve had the additional responsibility of leading official charity teams of 30-60 runners. As you can imagine, this means the weeks and days leading up to NYCM are very busy for me. The emails, multiple video chats with each athlete – I love it, but it also means I usually get to race weekend exhausted. The idea of being race ready that same weekend is just unrealistic. So I’ve historically planned my own race schedule to usually race a marathon in the weeks or months before NYCM, allowing me to truly pour my energy into my athletes and their needs and goals. I’m then on the course cheering on marathon day, bouncing around with nervous energy and shouting words of support to runners on the course after the sun has set.

Getting into the NYCM is hard – general lottery, 9+1 (local runners), charity, or time qualifier. I had a marathon time qualifier, and decided on a whim to apply with that time in 2024. I figured I could use it as a fun run, and I’d be able to track and cheer most of my athletes after crossing my own finish line. With entry confirmed, my 2024 plan was to race the Berlin Marathon and then fun run the NYCM. But thanks to multiple bouts of covid and then an additional respiratory illness, my health and training spiraled. I decided to defer both for 2025.

Life happened again in 2025 in a few ways. One, I have a super senior cat. He’s 20 years old and truly my best buddy. He continues to have mostly good days, but has had some tough weeks. I just couldn’t commit to flying 8 hours and being on a 6-hour time zone change. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened and I wasn’t able to get back quickly. So I deferred Berlin (again) to 2026 and instead pivoted to a state-side goal marathon. I was accepted into the elite field for the St. George Marathon and while it would still mean traveling from my kitty kiddo, logistics would be much easier. My new coach (we began in April together) and I were on a roll, and I was building some incredible momentum by early Summer. Enter my right hamstring. Suddenly I was sidelined with tendonitis. My left hamstring has been a chronic problem over the years, and now that it was happy apparently my right one needed some attention.

Long story short, I had to pause all running for a few weeks. I worked hard in the gym doing leg day and PT work, and lived on an elliptical whenever I could. By early September, I ran 10 miles within a week. Peanuts compared to where I should be. I canceled St. George, as there was no way I could go from barely running to a marathon within 4 weeks – especially one with so many hills. And I honestly didn’t know if NYCM would be a good idea. I took things one day at a time, and was slowly able to get back to running 6 days per week. I got in two long runs, a 15 and an 18 miler. I got up to two 50-mile weeks. I was confident I could complete the NYCM if the hamstring continued to feel good. I was in it for a fun time and not a fast time, and took that decision to heart. It felt like such a milestone to pick up my first NYCM bib in 10 years. It felt surreal given the previous months that this was possible. And NYCM was my return to the marathon since 2023.

As a theater kid who fell in love with NYC at 26 years old, it was always the place I saw myself. The energy, history, and diversity of it all. The possibilities and potential. NYC is tough. She’s gritty and unapologetic. She can lift you up or trample you. She doesn’t care who you are, what language you speak or how long you’ve been here. We are all insignificant yet necessary cogs in the wheel. Moving to NYC in 2009, it truly felt like I was where I belonged. When I fell out of love with a career in the arts and into a career in run coaching, NYC is where the career change happened. As a person and a runner, NYC has shaped me more than any other place. I owe so much of who I am and how I coach to this beautiful and chaotic place.

Walking through Times Square at 4:45am to the bus to the starting line, tears filled my eyes. I usually avoid Times Square like the plague – most locals do. But with it being lit up and alive with yet nobody there but a handful of people, this is the New York I love most. Those quiet moments that feel like a secret when everyone else is asleep. I told myself to truly feel NYC that day – every encounter, every mile and every high and low. To be present and lead with joy. To take in the course as though I may never run it again – this way I won’t have any regrets if that’s true.

I smiled for probably 24 of the 26 miles of the marathon. I played with the crowd, yelled words of encouragement to other runners, truly had the most fun. I also ran perhaps one of my most evenly paced marathons of my career. my hamstring held up, and this felt like a true victory lap after a few years of setbacks.

Here are three things I did this marathon that truly set me up for success:

  • I took my three-day carb load seriously, consuming 450-500 grams per day.
  • I ran with a handheld bottle for most of the race. I started with 1000mg of electrolytes in it, and then paused to refill three times at aid stations. The sun was warm, so holding onto my bottle was very helpful.
  • I manually lapped my watch every 5K. This allowed me to stay honest with pacing (especially early!) while also not looking at my watch much at all. This allowed me to take in all of the neighborhoods and crowds.

It felt amazing to be a part of the day as a runner and not just a coach. But don’t get me wrong, my mind went multiple times to my athletes, and wondering what kind of days they were having. With my phone in my back pocket and notifications off, I did my best to balance my own day while also eagerly waiting for the finish line so that I could pull up everyone’s data on the tracker.

I know it sounds cliche, but each marathon teaches us something new if we let it. My biggest takeaways from Sunday: this sport is such a gift. We get to do this. PRs are fun, and while I am itching to race fast times again, PRs aren’t everything. Joy, being connected with others and ourselves, truly soaking in memories, feeling and seeing the best in humanity – those are sometimes the real wins.

I love New York.

 

Filed Under: Blog, Fitness, Marathons, nyc marathon, Racing, Training Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

The Three Pillars of Success: Training, Mindset and Nutrition

October 22, 2025 by Leave a Comment

Becoming the best versions of ourselves on the race course can be quite the journey. For longterm success, there are three pillars: training, mindset and nutrition. Master all three, and the sky is the limit. So below are some tips and things to consider as you evolve as a runner:

Training:

This is an incredibly nuanced subject. There are some guiding principals, but ultimately we are all a study of one. Things like work and life demands, climate and where and how you can train, and so on will all impact how you can (or should!) balance training. I highly recommend all runners do at least one of these two things: hire a running coach, read as many books on training principals and plans as you can. Knowledge is power, and being capable of making informed decisions is incredibly important – especially when we are often driven by our emotions. It’s very hard to be subjective and guide ourselves to the best of our abilities. It’s why many coaches have coaches!

The biggest mistake I see from runners: we don’t respect the time and consistency necessary to achieve the goal. This isn’t to say that the goal is unattainable or out of the realm of possibilities – just it might not be in the timeline we want. Remember, adaptation takes time and consistency. Usually there’s a lot of repetitive and unsexy work that’s a part of the journey. When we attempt to fast track fitness (pace, mileage, and so on), we open up Pandora’s Box. Injury risk skyrockets. And we usually miss out on a couple of very important adaptations that happen with the unsexy and repetitive stuff. Often fitness plateaus or we begin to see every run as a “make or break” scenario because we are short on time.

When we give ourselves the appropriate timeline, magic can occur. It won’t always happen every cycle, but maintaining stackable cycles is when breakthroughs happen. Racing fitness is the product of your running resume over time. No one run “makes” the athlete. We always want to aim for being consistently good rather than inconsistently great. Inconsistency is often a pitfall. Injuries and forced off seasons do happen, but if we can reduce our odds of those things, running potential becomes quite exciting!

We want to diversify training and racing. It’s common to get on the “marathon hamster wheel” and essentially repeat the same patterns cycle after cycle. If we want to truly get better, it may be wise to only race one marathon per year (for example), and to dedicate the months pre-marathon build to fast 10ks or half marathons. Developing more speed and better running economy for the short stuff often means much faster and stronger marathon paces!

Ultimately, if you are invested in your racing potential, having a coach in your corner or a very solid understanding of training principals and your needs is key to achieving your dreams.

Mindset:

The very cool thing about running is that while we’re out there for miles and miles, or minds have the time to wander and develop as athletes too. Confidence can take time to build, and usually it gets stronger as we get more experienced. The unknown is scary, and it’s hard to be confident in something we have yet to do. But if we can begin to trust our instincts, learn from our training runs, and recognize how damn strong we are – usually we can slowly build a solid mindset.

Confidence as an athlete doesn’t mean ego necessarily. It means being confident enough to embrace a hard workout. It means confident enough to take easy runs truly easy (this is a hard one!). A mindset of knowing what sort of run or race we are about to experience, allowing us to tap into what is or isn’t appropriate in that moment. For example, the mindset for truly racing a 5K has to be one of heightened focus, ready to hurt essentially off the line. The mind has to be ready for an intense, sometimes brutally uncomfortable state in order to squeeze out the fitness of the day. Our brains usually give up long before our bodies, so recognizing that reality and developing strategies to push through the mental noise isn’t easy.

On the flip side, mindset on the starting line of the marathon should allow the athlete to not get carried away early, even if everyone around them is charging ahead. Entrusting the plan, fueling strategy and fitness and then not flippantly deviating from the plan due to ego or fear – this mental fortitude allows an athlete to have their best day out there. It’s so easy to get carried away in the early miles of the marathon, especially when carb loaded and coming off the taper. Holding back and being mindful and calm early will allow the brain to truly turn on in the late miles, when it’s absolutely necessary.

We learn as we go. Just as most of us won’t nail everything in our first race, we do learn and take away priceless information and experiences from that event. Mindful development is similar. Our brains are incredible, and learn quickly. Don’t be afraid to go in and epically fail – we often learn the most from those days we risk and potentially learn unexpected lessons.

There are some great resources out there for athletes who experience anxiety over training runs or races. Chat with a sports psychologist, or read some books or listen to podcast episodes with expert advice. Nerves are normal, it means you care. But when those nerves have a negative impact on the athlete or get in the way of their race performance, it’s best to develop coping mechanisms to turn nerves into a mindset that sets you up for success.

Nutrition:

This is a big topic, and one that make take some serious time to fully comprehend as a runner. For one thing, many of us grew up with complicated or confusing relationships with food. Ads on tv stating that “carbs are bad” or “coffee can be breakfast” can be hard messages to kick from our brains – even decades later. And here’s the hardest part: your needs as a runner are NOT the needs of most everyone else.

Here’s the simple takeaway from this subject: how you fuel and what you fuel with will have a direct impact on performance in racing and training runs, how well you recover, and your resilience to injuries. Under fueling is very common.

I highly recommend all runners listen to podcasts with the experts in the field: Registered Dietitians. Many have websites with awesome and often free content, as well as fantastic social media accounts. Do note that a “nutritionist” is NOT an RD. I can go get a “nutritionist” certification over the weekend, while an RD has a Master’s Degree in the subject. And not all RDs are experts in Endurance Athletes.

Anything that sounds like a fad should have our spidey senses heightened. Sugar isn’t the enemy. In fact, your favorite simple carbs are often the heroes of your running performance.

You can be the most talented and dedicated runner in the world, but if you are under fueled you will never be able to train or race at your full potential. It may take years and multiple training cycles to fully understand and master what best serves you, and that’s okay! Just please never assume you can or should “muscle through” a run under fueled or fasted, or that thinner equals faster.

Conclusion:

Being a runner and deeply caring about your goals is such a cool thing. How many adults do we know who are truly passionate about their hobbies? Support your passion with the three pillars, and you are going to achieve your dreams and exceed your greatest expectations.

Filed Under: Fitness, Marathons, Nutrition, Racing, Training Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Run Coaching: Runna has entered the Chat (GPT)

September 17, 2025 by Leave a Comment

Run Coaching has evolved in a big way in the last few years for a few reasons. First off, we have AI – so resources like ChatGPT and Runna are now tools we didn’t have a few years ago. There’s also been a huge surge in the amount of certified run coaches, thanks to many certifications going purely or mostly remote since the 2020 pandemic. Certification programs have recognized they can crank out coaches at a much lower cost to the organization and with more ease. A runner interested in becoming a certified run coach no longer needs to commit a whole weekend (and potentially travel logistics) to become certified.

As a coach who’s been in the industry full time since 2015, and as a runner who began running and training for races in 2010, I am going to do my best to share the pros and cons of an AI program and a running coach. I will do my best to reserve my biases, though I’ll freely admit I have one.

When I signed up for my first marathon in 2010, times were different. There weren’t a ton of online training plans, I didn’t know run coaches were a thing, and I relied heavily on the Runner’s World Magazine to drop in my physical mailbox each month. I found a printable marathon plan on the NYRR website, and used that as my road map.

I was also very much living on a budget. I was in the tv and film industry full time, and I never knew when my next paycheck was coming. So investing in a magazine subscription for nuggets of wisdom and then using the printed plan as my guide fit my budget. My schedule was also unpredictable. You never knew if you’d have a 4-hour day or a 16-hour day on a set, so suffice to say I trained when I could. My journey to my first marathon ultimately looked little like that printed plan by the time race day arrived. Thanks to some dumb luck and good instincts, I got to the starting line of the Philly Marathon in 2010 healthy and capable of accomplishing my goal of a Boston Qualifier.

In the next few cycles, I got my hands on books – Daniels’ Running Formula and Pete Pfitzinger’s Advanced Marathoning, and they became my new roadmaps. But as we’d probably expect, I had to make changes to the programs to balance work, illness, injuries, vacations and so on. The beauty of these books was that I had to make changes and then trust my adjustments. I was never blindly following a plan.

I view ChatGPT and Runna as being in the similar camp as a book. For one thing, nobody can argue the price point. These resources are inexpensive or free. But the big danger, and something I’ve seen over and over: is that runners are blindly following these plans and assume that any “adjustments” made by AI are correct. We’ve become so accustomed to technology being reliable and sometimes smarter than ourselves, that we ignore our own instincts.

Another huge change since the 2020 pandemic: not only are there more certified coaches, there are way more runners! The running boom post-2020 has evolved in a way that still boggles my mind. It’s incredible how many people have fallen in love with running, racing, and being a part of running communities like run clubs. But we don’t know what we don’t know, and many new runners can and do easily fall victim to following AI blindly. This isn’t to say that Runna or AI are bad or dangerous, but they can be – especially when a runner is new to the sport.

Let’s not forget that due to the repetitive and high impact nature of running, about 60% of all runners navigate an injury of some kind every year. It’s an unfortunate consequence of the sport, but I’d also argue one that we could collectively lower by running and training more wisely. For example, many of us (new and experienced runners alike) build mileage, frequency and/or pace too quickly. Many of us also get excited and want to dive into something like marathon training without an adequate foundation, or we try to stack seasons without respecting the stress and need for down-seasons between builds.

When we ask AI for a program, we get the result of what AI collects via algorithms combined with what we share with it. In theory, AI will tap into training principals that you’d find in a book like Daniels’ Running Formula, but this may or may not be how it goes. And you are trusting that AI somehow understands your injury history, work/life balance, stress levels, vacation plans, and so on. An experienced runner or someone with coaching certifications could use AI to create a plan that they then adjust as needed. Having the experience and skills to adjust could make an AI program quite fun. Runners without the experience or skill set should proceed with caution.

Here’s where I’ll put on my run coaching hat: successful training is so much more than a training plan. It’s support regarding race strategy, nutrition guidance, motivation and inspiration, and empowering that individual through the highs and lows of training and of life. It’s also support in how to change a training plan for injury, illness and vacation. It’s about going beyond the data and empowering an individual to chase their goals and better their relationship with running and themselves as people.

I’ve personally been self-coached off and on since 2010. My resources? A dozen run coach certifications and their course material, and countless books with plans and guidance from some of the best coaches in the world. I also have data and race performances on myself from the last 15 years. And I currently have a coach. The best athletes in the world do. Not because they don’t know what to do, but because guidance from the outside, or experiencing different philosophies and strategies can change the game.

I get it, hiring a run coach isn’t cheap and can sometimes feel like a selfish use of funds. Coaches range from $75-500/month, often due to their location, experience, and whether they view this as a full time job or a side hobby. Many of us can’t or won’t want to invest in a run coach. Though I’d argue as both a runner and a coach, that if you really care about your relationship with running or racing, it’s beyond worth the investment if you can swing it.

Like I mentioned at the beginning of this blog, there’s been a boom (and I’d argue over-saturation) in the run coach space in the last few years. The good news is that this means there are eager (though potentially green) coaches out there at a lower price point. Your choice doesn’t have to be “free AI” or “$350/month coach.” You could gain the guidance of a coach while that coach builds confidence in themselves and their new craft. And selfishly, I’d like to see run coaches continue to be relevant instead of replaced by a computer that can’t do the same thing.

AI isn’t going anywhere. It can absolutely be a great point of entry for runners, as long as they don’t blindly follow it. We just need to recognize that no training plan, be it via Runna, Pfitzinger’s Advanced Marathoning or a program your personal run coach creates for you will be perfect as-is. There WILL need to be adjustments. Whether a coach is making those adjustments for you, or you are doing them on your own, remembering that the goal is to stay healthy and consistent so that your running can take you wherever you want it to go.

Filed Under: Marathons, Racing, Training Tagged With: , , , , , ,

…and the blog is back!

October 28, 2022 by Leave a Comment

First off – holy moly – I cannot believe that it’s been almost 2 years since my last blog post! But honestly, I’ve been busy, and I didn’t feel I had much to really write about at the time. There’s just so much running content out there – I’ve already written a whole lot (here and for other platforms), and there are some pretty great running podcasts covering essential topics – so it didn’t feel worth cranking out new content “just cause.”

Consider this a quick “catch up with Corky” post, and then I’ll be blogging a bit about the two marathons I ran in 2022 (first ones back since 2019!), the benefits I’ve personally found from working with a coach, and more.

Like many runners, I found myself in a real funk during 2020. Between being furloughed, all races being canceled, gyms closed, and NYC being the epicenter of the pandemic, I lost motivation to do much of anything but keep my running clients motivated, and I watched a lot of documentaries on serial killers and religious cults. I also essentially ate and drank my feelings, leaving me physically and emotionally a shell of the person and athlete I was pre-pandemic. It took a LOT of hard work, patience, and determination, but I clawed my way back to feeling more like myself again.

So, what’s new? 

I am now coaching at NYC Equinox clubs, as of Spring 2021. Sadly the Precision Run Studio in NYC didn’t survive the pandemic, and so I was brought into Equinox to coach Precision Run and Elevate classes there. While it was a big adjustment – small business to LARGE business, having to run around to multiple locations within a day to be able to coach multiple classes, and pivoting to coaching on the floor in the club vs. a contained studio experience – but I’ve met some incredible people, and continue to be humbled to lead these classes. If you’re an Equinox member in NYC, come run with me!

With Equinox and Precision Run, I am still recording guided treadmill and outdoor runs – all available on the Equinox+ app. This year, David Siik and I created the first official training plan for Equinox/PR running content – a 5K program (again, all on the app). I have to say, it’s a pretty smart plan, and appropriate for runners of all levels.

In 2021, my partner (now husband!) bought our first house, which was pretty exciting. We’re now In Warwick, NY, which is a very cute and historic village. I’ve traded in urban running for running past cow farms, open space, and trails. I’m still in NYC at least twice per week, so you better believe I make the most of my time there between coaching to run my favorite parts of the city. The best (?) part of our house: we transformed the garage into a gym! I bought a refurbished Woodway Treadmill, and it’s decked out with tons of dumb bells, kettle bells, and even a cage for all the fun cable strength work. The gym is complete with disco lights, a beer fridge, and a life-sized cutout of The Rock – because he’s awesome!

I somehow made it in NYC without catching COVID until Spring 2022 – which felt like a weird victory. While my case wasn’t exactly mild, I’m thankful for vaccines and boosters, and that I was only seriously sidelined from life for a week, and from running for a few weeks.

My client roster in 2022 was the largest yet, and has been essentially capped/at capacity for over a year. There’s always a little ebb and flow, and I am grateful to be in the position where I am sometimes referring runners to other coaches, because I simply can’t take on anymore without compromising the work I provide my athletes – and I won’t compromise that. (That said, never be shy to send an inquiry!)

In 2022 I got married, ran two marathons, and have been reminded daily how much I love what I do. Runners are awesome, and it’s such a joy to support runners of varying experiences and abilities, all chasing down their goals.

Blogs on deck: I have two marathon recaps/reviews on deck – one was a big PR I’d been chasing for 5 years! I’ll share both my personal experiences, but also helpful info incase they are races you may be interested in running. I’ll also share my personal experience of what it’s been like working with my own coach for over a year, and a podcast episode we did together (he’s kinda big deal in the running podcast realm!). I have a few more ideas in mind, but also promise I will never “blog” for the sake of cranking out new content – so hopefully you find it helpful.

Cheers!

Corky

Filed Under: Blog, Fitness, Marathons, Racing, Training Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

How to get the most out of your Running Coach

March 30, 2019 by Leave a Comment

So you’ve decided you may want to work with a running coach, but aren’t sure where to start or how to make the most out of the experience. Not to fear, this blog will help answer most questions and hopefully guide you in the right direction for your journey!

Running coaches aren’t just for world class athletes. In fact, most folks shopping around for a coach are people with normal jobs and lives! Some are experienced runners, looking for the next edge. Others are brand new to the sport. Running coaches can be an important resource and support system to your training and racing.

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