From GTL to GT-Half-Marathon with Jersey Shore's Vinny Guadagnino

This week, Becs interviews Jersey Shore’s Vinny Guadagnino about his transition from reality TV star to long-distance runner. Vinny completed the United Airlines NYC Half this past Sunday and ran his first marathon last November at the TCS New York City Marathon, fundraising for NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). Vinny talks about the joy of training in NYC and how running helps support his mental health. Tune in to hear why he loves running in the summer and about his favorite post-race meals. Also joining the show is NYRR member Marisa Cotrina. She fell in love with the sport nearly two decades ago and now has 11 marathons and 49 half marathons under her belt. And today we have a special Meb Minute with HSS. Meb welcomes HSS's Kate Baird to talk about bridging the gap between half-marathon recovery and full marathon prep.

 

Vinnie Guadagnino Joins Becs:(05:35)    
Jersey Shore Lightning Round:(37:01)            
NYRR Member Marisa Cotina: (45:58)    
Meb Minute with HSS: (57:11)     

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Episode Transcript

Vinny Guadagnino (00:00):
Sometimes people are like, " Oh, is working out or is
running or is eating right the cure for mental health?"
I don't think it's the cure, I think it's just
part of the puzzle, because obviously if I'm focused on
something else and I'm focusing on this goal, the less
I have to worry about myself and internalizing everything and

(00:23):
my brain spinning around. So I always love having, especially
these official races, because for months leading up to it,
I have a plan, I have a goal, and I'm
not just sitting around collecting my own negative thoughts.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
Thank you, New York. Today, we're reminded of the power
of community and the power of coming together. Athletes, on
your mark.

Speaker 3 (00:52):
The first woman to finish for the second straight year
here in the New York City Marathon is Miki Gorman, a smiling
Miki Gorman. And why not?

Speaker 4 (01:01):
2

Speaker 5 (01:04):
Look at the emotion of Shalane Flanagan as she comes
to the line. Pointing to his chest, pointing to the
USA he so proudly wears across his chest. A great
day for Meb Keflezighi.

Becs Gentry (01:20):
Welcome to Set the Pace, the official podcast of New
York Road Runners, presented by Peloton. I'm your host, Becs
Gentry. Fresh off an incredible weekend with New York Road
Runners and the United Airlines NYC Half. My co- host,
Rob Simmelkjaer, CEO of New York Road Runners is out
today, so we can't get his thoughts on the incredible
weekend. But I'm here to tell you, I was in

(01:43):
the broadcast booth and at the finish line, and oh
my goodness, was it a wonderful day? Not only did
we see more than 28,600 finishers cross the iconic finish
line in Central Park, but it was a new event
course. And so pretty much everybody, right? They got their

(02:06):
PR over this new incredible course which took in the
historic Brooklyn Bridge. I am sure if you're listening to
this and you ran the race on Sunday, you are
still absolutely gleaming with pride over your day. And even
though the clouds were low and the view wasn't quite
what we'd hoped for you all, it was still something

(02:27):
to be taken in. So, 28, 600 finishers, that is the
most ever in the event, and in New York Road
Runners half- marathon history. Unreal. We are so proud of
everybody, and as always, a huge thanks to all of
the volunteers who were out at the start, along the
course and at the finish line to make the day

(02:49):
go as smoothly as it did. We saw some really
awesome running. From the professional field, we saw Abel Kipchumba
in the men's open coming in 59
defended his 2024 title at this race, and provided us
all with some really interesting running. If you guys want

(03:10):
to catch up on it, there were some really cool
points where he was zigzagging across the road just after
Times Square, trying to drop the American record holder over
the half, Conner Mantz. So have a look if you're
interested in that side of things. On the women's side,
the women's open champ, Sharon Lokedi, came over the line in a 107:
04, fresh off her birthday energy with her mom, Rose,

(03:34):
at the finish line. It was such a beautiful race
to see. On the wheelchair division, Geert Schipper was the
men's wheelchair division champion in 49
title. So huge congrats to him. He had his daughter
here, who self- admittedly was playing hooky from school, but

(03:54):
I think we all agree that she probably learned more
on this trip with her incredible father. And then on
the women's side, the women's wheelchair division champ was Manuela
Schar in 54
podium for the first time since 2022 at this race,
and she raced so, so strong. So strong. All the

(04:15):
way, just absolutely showing that she was here to rule.
Okay, coming up on the show today, we will be
basking in all things United Airlines NYC Half. Our featured
guest is none other than the Jersey Shore's Vinny Guadagnino.

(04:35):
Yep. He ran his first official half- marathon with New
York Road Runners on Sunday. Today's featured member is Marissa
Cotrina, who ran her 49th half- marathon this past weekend.
And today, our Meb Minute will feature Hospital for Special
Surgery's Kate Baird. Meb and Kate will be talking about
everything you need to know to bridge the gap between half-

(04:55):
marathon recovery and full marathon prep. So stay tuned. Ready
to hit your stride? Whether you're training for your next
race or just lacing up for a run, no matter
your level, the Peloton app has everything you need to
keep you moving. Track your progress with real- time metrics
and celebrate those streaks and personal bests along the way/

(05:16):
with thousands of classes to choose from, or the option
to just run or just walk, Peloton makes it easy
to fit fitness into your routine. Learn more at onepeloton. com/ race-
training. Peloton, the official digital fitness partner for New York
Road Runners. Everyone knows today's guest, Vinny Guadagnino, because Vinny is

(05:40):
one of the most recognizable names from the Jersey Shore.
But lately, Vinny has been logging more miles than late
nights. Just a few years ago, Vinny struggled to run
even a few miles, but in 2024 he completed his
first marathon, the TCS New York City Marathon. And now,
fresh off his finish at this past weekend's United Airlines

(06:00):
NYC Half, Vinny is proving that he has truly become
a runner. Today, he joins us to talk about his
training, how running has helped his mental health, and what it's
like to have thousands of people cheering you on through
the streets of New York. Vinny, what a pleasure to
meet you. Thank you for coming on today.

Vinny Guadagnino (06:20):
Thanks for having me. You are Italian. You pronounced my
last name very good. Not a lot of people could
do that. I was a little scared for a second.

Becs Gentry (06:30):
The practice comes in useful.

Vinny Guadagnino (06:32):
Yeah, no, it's good to be here. Like I said, you were my
first Peloton tread class I ever took, so this is exciting. I'm getting into the
whole runner's world slowly but surely.

Becs Gentry (06:43):
Fantastic. Well, thank you for taking my class, for one.
And you are in a wonderful community. I'm sure you know
that. I'm sure you don't need me to tell you
that, but it is one that will stick by your
side even when you're totally alone or when you are
running through the streets of New York. But let's talk
about that. Let's talk about how you have gotten into

(07:04):
running and the transformation that it's had on your life.
So, you rose to fame with the TV show, Jersey
Shore. I'm pretty sure everyone has watched that show. Whether
they have watched it regularly or not, people know about
it. Right?

Vinny Guadagnino (07:22):
I thought you were going to say whether they like
to admit it or not.

Becs Gentry (07:24):
Oh, I mean there is that too. We were just
talking pre- show about Geordie Shore in the UK, Jersey
Shore over here, and there is like this juxtaposition of
people either love it or hate it. It's a Marmite,
as we say in the UK, but I think most
people love it, even if it's a guilty pleasure, it's
great for you. So, talk to me about how you

(07:46):
went from reality TV star, a lifestyle that is fast-
paced but in a very different way from running. What
was the turning point that inspired you to take running,
not just as a hobby, but take it a little
bit more seriously?

Vinny Guadagnino (08:02):
For me, I think that, and this sounds kind of just simple, but well, I've
always been into health and fitness, number one. I always
like to burn calories, and whether it's jump roping, playing
basketball, whatever it is, I need to always be moving.
And then when it came time to just find my
next sport, it really had to do with where I

(08:23):
live. So, when I lived in Staten Island, New York,
I even lived in LA for a little bit, running
wasn't really the best activity, because you go outside and
you might just be in a weird area, like on
the side of a highway, or you might have to
drive. When I was in LA, I had to like
drive to get to a flat area. But now I

(08:46):
live in Manhattan, I live in the city, and you
just go downstairs and then boom, the whole city is
your track. And especially, I live near like the West
Side Highway. So, that's how it started. I was just like, "
I see these people running." And I had never even
ran on, the West Side Highway is like the water,
and I had never ran there before, and I was like, "

(09:10):
Let me just try it." And then like I just
ran two miles and I was like, " This is amazing.
There's people outside, there's all energy around." And it's so
motivating because you see just people smoking you. And that's
kind of like what got me started. And then, pretty
much just like one mile became two, two became three,

(09:30):
then eventually I probably did 10. And then I did
a little like unsanctioned half- marathon with my friends, 'cause
you start to meet people that run as well. But
then just like somewhere along the line, I linked up
with my coach, Coach Jay, and then started to get
like a little bit more of a regimen, he gave

(09:53):
me a training plan, and then we did the Bronx
10 Mile.

Becs Gentry (10:00):
Amazing race.

Vinny Guadagnino (10:01):
That was like my first really official Road Runners race. And
then from there I got the bug to keep doing
Road Runners racing, 'cause it's such a great organization, it's
so fun. And then we just had the dream of
doing the full know, and kind of didn't know how that
was going to turn out, but it ended up being

(10:21):
amazing. And here I am today, and then two days
ago we did my first official half.

Becs Gentry (10:27):
Oh my gosh. Well, congratulations on the half. I saw you
come over the finish line. I was on the broadcast
booth on the side, and I got to catch you
coming over the finish line. Very happy. So obviously, the
half was two days ago, so you're probably still riding
the high of that. Let's rewind to the big one,

(10:49):
the TCS New York City Marathon. You said you had
a dream just then, to do this amazing 26.2 mile
journey through the five boroughs of New York. Let's go
straight to the start, as we just talked about the
start. What was the first thing that went through your
mind as you crossed the finish line in Central Park
on that day?

Vinny Guadagnino (11:08):
You know what's funny? I don't know if this ever
happened to you, but I remember when I just started
running, or even when I even ran a half, even
when I was well into running, I always said to myself, "
I can't imagine ever running a full, I can't imagine
ever running 26 miles." And now, I kind of forgot

(11:28):
what that felt like. You know what I mean? I'm like, "
Oh yeah, I ran a marathon." And people react to
you like, " Oh wow, that's so much, 26 miles." I'm like, "
Yeah, 26, whatever." But yeah, I kind of forgot what
it was like to just realize what an amazing feat
that is of how many miles that is. Because once
you do it, you just do it. Right?

Becs Gentry (11:49):
Yeah.

Vinny Guadagnino (11:50):
But yeah, I'm not going to lie, like going over the
finish line that day didn't really feel amazing.

Becs Gentry (11:54):
Yeah, the body's screaming at you.

Vinny Guadagnino (11:57):
Yeah, it felt like that sucked and I can't walk
now, but again, I just have to keep reminding myself
that... I try to bring myself back to that point, but
it's hard. I kind of just look for the next
race now. But the marathon itself though was incredible, just

(12:20):
the experience. Forget about just 26 miles, but just what
the event is and the people cheering for you, and
the entire block party through New York City. I really
miss that. Because now, after especially I just ran the
United Half, and it was amazing, but it wasn't the
TCS, I was like, " Wow, now I know how special that day was."

Becs Gentry (12:41):
Oh, I love that. And for you, having lived in
Staten Island, so you started in an old place of
residence, coming in through Brooklyn, going up through the Bronx
where you did your 10 miler that you told us
about. How cool was that, to just traverse your way
through the city that has changed your personal fitness life?

Vinny Guadagnino (13:04):
Yeah, especially coming from Staten Island, that was a surreal
experience, because I've driven over the Verrazano Bridge thousands of
times, and then I was running over it. We were
only in Staten Island for like a second. But yeah,
amazing way to start off. And then you hit Brooklyn,
and then you go through all of the amazing different

(13:26):
kind of energy waves in Brooklyn. And just when you
think that you might be taking a dip a little
bit, you just start to see thousands of people on
the street in Brooklyn. It's just the best route because
that's where you kind of need it the most, that
Brooklyn stretch, 'cause you're starting to get into it and

(13:47):
you're like, " Oh, this is fun." And then obviously the
bridges get tough, like a little hurdle you have to
climb. But yeah, just going through New York City. With
running, I've probably gone to places... I'm from New York
my whole life, I've never even been to these places
before. I don't really frequent the Bronx that much, but you

(14:07):
know, here I am running it now. And I hope running takes me
all over the world to see places I've never seen.

Becs Gentry (14:14):
Yeah, absolutely. I hope it will too. That's definitely something
that powers me on. So let's talk about your training
for your marathon. You said that you ran 18 miles,
that was your longest run you did in training.

Vinny Guadagnino (14:28):
Yeah.

Becs Gentry (14:28):
Looking back on that, and there's no right or wrong
answer for this, obviously training is a very personal journey for
everybody. Do you wish you trained further in the distance,
because that like eight miles difference on race day can
feel astronomical? So, talk to me about that, how your training sat for you.

Vinny Guadagnino (14:50):
Yeah, so this is a good thing for people to hear because obviously
nothing's going to be perfect. And during my training period,
my training period, I kind of don't want to say we decided last minute,
but we didn't decide like a year before to run
the marathon. So we kind of had to figure out
a three to four month plan before. The problem with

(15:12):
that is that you have to get everything in in that three
to four months, but sometimes life gets in the way.
And about two to three weeks before the marathon, I
caught the flu.

Becs Gentry (15:25):
Oh no.

Vinny Guadagnino (15:26):
Horrible flu, worst sickness, worse than COVID. I was bedridden
and it was insane. And at that point, I had only
ran, I think, 16 miles. And I was, of course,
in the back of my head, I'm like, " Forget about it. I know I'll
be better by the marathon, but I'm not going to
be better by next week when I have to run

(15:50):
18 miles, and then my last run, 20 miles, whatever
it is." I actually missed the Staten Island marathon because
I was sick with the flu. It was a couple of
weeks before. So, at that point, I had only ran
16 miles. And then the week before the marathon, literally
one week before, I had to do my last long

(16:12):
run. And that long run is supposed to be not
that long, I don't know, 10 miles or something like
that, but just for my own psychology, I just took
the chance and I said, " Okay, I need to at
least do 18. I need to be somewhere in the
ballpark of 26." You know what I mean? I'm not running 10 extra
miles the day of. And I did, I ran 18

(16:35):
the week before, and I'm glad. So I guess to
answer your question, I wasn't that upset about it 'cause I'm
glad I even had that. I was thankful I even
had the 18 at that point. But for anyone trying
to do this, maybe start earlier. You think you have
time, but you might get injured, you might get sick,
something might happen, and you need time for the training

(16:56):
runs before.

Becs Gentry (16:58):
Absolutely. Great perspective.

Vinny Guadagnino (16:59):
Yes. I would've loved to, 21 would've been great.

Becs Gentry (17:02):
Yeah. Yeah, just to get into the 20s as well for the psychological,
the mindset where you're like, " All right, I've edged into
it. It's not so bad."

Vinny Guadagnino (17:09):
But I will say, the day of though, after I crossed
that 18, I knew that there was going to be
nothing that was going to stop me, unless it was
like a physical injury. But mentally, that aspect was like,
I don't want to say I was having too much fun,
but on the race day, just something else is carrying
you and you're going with the current of everybody. I

(17:33):
didn't feel at all like, " I've reached my PR and
this is where I have to really start digging." You know?

Becs Gentry (17:38):
Yeah. Yeah, of course. And you have, as you say,
the crowds are unreal on marathon day here in New York. And all
the other people around you, you realize that even if
you are having to dig deep, you're not alone. There
are thousands of other people around you really digging deep
as well.

Vinny Guadagnino (17:55):
And my coach, I have a coach, Coach Jay, you can see him on my Instagram, we always do these collab
videos and stuff, he paces me and he really gets
me through. Because I'm the type where I don't want
to think about anything, I don't even want to look
at my watch, just show me the way and I'll
just keep trucking along. And especially someone who's really kind

(18:18):
of familiar with everything, you trust them, you trust that
they know what's around the bend. He knows when to
kind of slow me down, when to speed up and
stuff. So, I can't say I didn't have help, but
all those little things are pieces of the puzzle that
eventually got me through.

Becs Gentry (18:34):
Absolutely. Is there anything Coach Jay has ever told you in the time that you've
been training with him that has really stuck with you?

Vinny Guadagnino (18:45):
He's taught me a ton of things, but I would
say it sounds kind of simple, but we even did
it at the half, we always just say like, " All
right, this is just another long run." I don't like
putting pressure on everything. And a lot of times, I

(19:05):
don't know, with me it's like a little bit of
a reverse psychology, the less pressure you put on me,
the better I do. So it's really just like, " It's
just another long run, let's go have fun." And he's
not like neurotic with it, you know what I mean?
Kind of shows up, we're just like, " Yo, what's up?
Ready to go?" You know what I mean? And then your mind just starts to be like, "
Oh this is normal." Because when you're sitting by yourself,

(19:28):
you're freaking out. But when you see somebody that's done
it before, that's just like, " Yeah, let's just do it.
Relax, you got this."

Becs Gentry (19:35):
Yeah. That's a really good mentality to be in as
well, removing the pressure, the internal pressure. You've got extrinsic
pressure from the environment, from the distance, all of those things, but
you can control that intrinsic pressure. So if you release it, great.

Vinny Guadagnino (19:49):
With me, with like the thousands of eyeballs on me,
and I know that press is going to be written
up about this afterwards and stuff, I have to add
an extra layer of, " Okay, this is not life or
death." You know what I mean? " Whatever happens, if I have
to freaking walk the rest of the way, I'll walk."
But again, doing that calms the brain down and then

(20:14):
you end up doing better physically in the end.

Becs Gentry (20:17):
You do, you do. It's something that I've had to
learn over the past few years, as well as Peloton has gathered
momentum and eyeballs. It's very much when I come to race, I have to be
like similar to you, like " Listen, this is OK, just
keep going. Get to that finish line and you'll be great."

Vinny Guadagnino (20:35):
That's why I don't really like, I mean the more
serious I get with this, obviously, especially because we run
in the first waves with the pros and stuff and
they're all like beasting it, bullying their way to the
start point and stuff. And I'm like, " I just want
to finish." Because once it gets to that point, I

(20:56):
don't know if it's going to be as fun anymore.
You know? I just do it for fun. Just completing it is
a accomplishment for me. I don't need to like keep
cutting my time in half or anything like that, but
cut to next race, I'm like, " Oh, I got to
beat my PR."

Becs Gentry (21:14):
He's elbowing everyone at the start, like, " I'm coming to
the front. Do you know who I am?"

Vinny Guadagnino (21:18):
Yeah.

Becs Gentry (21:19):
We could get you a new tagline. Your tagline what was
in Jersey, the cabs are here.

Vinny Guadagnino (21:23):
Yeah. Yeah.

Becs Gentry (21:24):
Your new tagline could be like, I don't know, " Watches
are on. I'll get you right in the front."

Vinny Guadagnino (21:30):
Yeah. BTR (inaudible) .

Becs Gentry (21:32):
Okay. So let's talk a little bit more about training
in New York, because New York is East Coast, let's
say, or the northeast coast is a tough place to
train for spring races and fall races. Either way, you've
either got a viciously cold winter or a stinking hot
summer to get through. So which one do you prefer,

(21:55):
Vinny? Warm weather or cold weather?

Vinny Guadagnino (21:59):
I would take the warm weather all day. I don't mind running in the cold,
just because I layer up, and then when I warm
up I'm okay. But I just think for all of
them, I'm 37 so I'm getting up there a little
bit, so for all of my little aches and pains,
I usually feel better when it's a little bit warmer
out and there's not just a... 'Cause the cold you'll

(22:22):
go out, there's also a freezing cold wind that's whipping
you in the face and icicles and stuff like that.
So even though the warm sucks when it's too hot,
you don't have all those other elements. Also, psychologically too,
running in the winter, it's miserable outside, everyone's bundled up

(22:43):
and there's barely any people out there. But summertime, there's
pretty girls around, I got my shirt off.

Becs Gentry (22:51):
Exactly. Everyone's catching a tan.

Vinny Guadagnino (22:54):
And I'm like, " Yeah, this is amazing." Smelling that pollen, oh
I can't wait. That was a little bit challenging with the
United, was just because you didn't have that kind of
extra fun element of training for it, of being outside
like you do when it's warmer out. It was like
literally like you just had to do it as a

(23:16):
job, you know, kind of. I mean I would have
ran either way, but-

Becs Gentry (23:19):
Of course, it just makes it that bit harder.

Vinny Guadagnino (23:21):
Yeah.

Becs Gentry (23:21):
It does. Yeah. That camaraderie in winter, I feel though,
is stronger in a funny way when it's icy out
or it's just, as you say, that horrible wind on
the West Side Highway, that no matter which way you're
running, it seems to be hitting you square in the
face. You look at another runner, you're like, " Yeah."

Vinny Guadagnino (23:38):
(inaudible) out there with shorts and a T- shirt. I'm like, "
How are you doing this right now?" I get it
like when you're running and you're warm, but I'm like,
you hit a little bit of a corner and you just
have to tie your shoe, " It's 20 degrees out, what are
you doing?"

Becs Gentry (23:54):
I don't like my skin to feel cold.

Vinny Guadagnino (23:55):
Yeah, yeah.

Becs Gentry (23:57):
This morning was very cold out there and there was
just multiple different people and personalities of running, and I was just like any
skin I saw, I'm like, " I know it's March, but
come on, it's cold."

Vinny Guadagnino (24:09):
But you know what it is, that's the best part about New York
is that those people motivate me to get through because
I'm like, if I ever feel like a little bit
cold, I'm like, " Oh, that girl is wearing shorts right
now and a long sleeve. I'm over here bitching and I
got a parka on, got my little Lululemon face shield." I'm like, "

(24:30):
What's (inaudible) here?"

Becs Gentry (24:32):
Each to their own, as long as we get through.
Okay. So apart from the clothing preparation, what is your pre-
long run race day routine? What do you do first thing?

Vinny Guadagnino (24:44):
Well, that was a big challenge for me, sleep training.
So I actually do standup comedy at night now and
my nights are usually... I'm usually more nocturnal, so I stay
up at night, and by the time I wind down
it could be 2:00 in the morning. And then I'll train

(25:09):
like in the afternoon. I like usually running around like 12:
00 or something or 1
had to learn that it's not going to fly, so
I've had to do sleep training for like usually a
week before the race, where I'll just like force myself
to be up super early, force myself to go to

(25:31):
bed early. And that's a huge part of the just
know doing what I do on the day of, it
backs up to a week before, you know what I
mean? Of that sleep training. And then day of, I eat.
That's my favorite part. I'm a foodie, so another reason

(25:52):
why I got into running was because I just want
to eat without-

Becs Gentry (25:58):
It's the Italian in you.

Vinny Guadagnino (25:58):
Listen, I've had to like count calories. I hate that life,
and running kind of gives me the freedom to just,
not be like completely unhealthy, but just... Like after the
marathon, I ate a pizza. Yeah. And the day of
too, I'm eating a nice healthy breakfast and then that's

(26:21):
it. Then I get all my little whatever goos and
salt tablets ready that I need, and what I'm going
to take with me on the race. When I run outside
training I wear a vest, so I have water. So
I just pack all my stuff up, I stretch, and
then I do more like dynamic stretching for the first
mile as I'm running.

Becs Gentry (26:42):
Okay, great.

Vinny Guadagnino (26:46):
And that's it really it, yeah.

Becs Gentry (26:47):
Amazing. You sound very prepared. I like it.

Vinny Guadagnino (26:50):
Yeah, I'm very like type A, but that's what makes
it challenging on race day, because you have the least
amount of time to prepare for the race because you're
running to catch a bus or a train.

Becs Gentry (27:05):
Yes, up so early. Yep.

Vinny Guadagnino (27:06):
Yeah, yeah, so early. So that's why the training is so
important, because you do everything, all the hard work comes
before and then day of, you just show up and
you're ready to go.

Becs Gentry (27:18):
Yeah, absolutely. Talk to me a little bit about your
sleep training, because I think that is a really important thing, not
just for people in cities, but we suffer from it
more because it's almost like daylight. There's always something going
on in New York. What do you do? What's your
process for sleep training?

Vinny Guadagnino (27:35):
Well, I actually had, tying it into the mental health of it all,
I actually had trouble, I had insomnia for a while
and I had to use something called CPT, cognitive behavioral
therapy, to help the insomnia. And a lot of times,

(27:56):
when you can't sleep, in general, you start to freak
out about it, you start to worry about your next
day, which obviously triggers your fight or flight and now
you can't sleep more. So the more you worry about,
it's like a paradox, it's a cycle you can't get
out of. So, what I've learned, again, taking running out

(28:17):
of it, you want to just be really tired. And
if you're not tired, I just don't go to bed.
You know what I mean? I don't just, " I have to be
in bed by 9
that neurotic mode. So I've had to learn how to
chill out with that and just kind of be like, "
Look, I can't even control my sleep. If my sleep

(28:41):
happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't. I'm still
going to live my life either way." Even if I
can't sleep at night, " All right, I'm just going to lay here.
I'm going to get up the next day and do
whatever I have to do." And the more you take
on that mindset, the more you start to just relax
a little bit about your next day, about life. It

(29:02):
still might suck, you still might have a sleepy day,
but it's better than the other way of always having
to worry about getting... You have to be careful when
you become an athlete or whatever it is, to be
so regimented and disciplined about everything. Side note, what helps
me a lot, watching TikToks of these guys that run

(29:25):
like ultra marathons and they're like, " Oh, I haven't slept
in four days. I'm seeing weird things now and everything."
And I'm like, " I love that." That is the best
motivation of these people, of what the body and the
mind can do. So, I was a little bit worried
about that when it came to me doing races and

(29:46):
stuff. So I just give myself a couple of days
before, where I start to go to bed a little
earlier, and then no matter what, I'll just wake up
super early. And then by the time it's nighttime again,
my internal sleep drive will usually kick in and then
I'll fall asleep. But I still tell myself, " If I

(30:07):
don't, I don't. And it's not going to change anything. I'm still going
to go for my runs tomorrow, I'm going to work
with whatever I have and gas that's in the tank."
And so far so good know. I wouldn't say to
do that the night just one day before. That's why
I do it kind of like a week before.

Becs Gentry (30:24):
Yeah, you have the lead into it.

Vinny Guadagnino (30:25):
Yeah.

Becs Gentry (30:26):
That's awesome. And it's, again, such a great message to understand that okay,
we don't want people to be so tired they're hallucinating
as ultra runners are. I've been there and it's fun
to talk about it post, it's not fun during it.
But to understand that generically, 37 years old, you have

(30:48):
a lot of sleep in your body, you have a
lot of rest, that you can, if you can let
go of it in the moment, and just lay in
bed and let your homeostasis take over your body, that's
okay. Instead of getting all riled up about it and
thinking that your day's ruined the next day, when actually
you've banked some rest, you've banked it in your life,

(31:08):
you're good.

Vinny Guadagnino (31:08):
And you'll have adrenaline the next day. You know mean?

Becs Gentry (31:12):
It's a useful tool.

Vinny Guadagnino (31:15):
This last one, I probably slept like, I had to get at 4:00
in the morning, so I probably slept like four hours
or something. And it's funny, on one of my training
runs, if I didn't sleep nine hours I'd be like, "
Shit, I'm going to have a horrible run." But now,
I'd probably slept like four and I'm just like, " It
is what it is." And again, like the adrenaline never

(31:35):
fails you, you know what I mean? Like you get there and you just
do what you have to do because of what you
just said, you're okay. Your body has little reserves and
things that will take care of you.

Becs Gentry (31:47):
Absolutely. So Vinny, when you ran the TCS New York City Marathon, you run
for NAMI- NYC, the National Alliance of Mental Health Institute
in New York. And you have been open with your
struggles with anxiety, which is a form of struggle with
mental health, in the past. So was it a personal and

(32:10):
extended choice to choose mental health as your cause for
running this marathon?

Vinny Guadagnino (32:16):
Oh yeah, for sure. Obviously, you always run for a,
well, usually, you run for a charity, so I was
going to do something that was close to home for
me. And obviously, of all the things that you've already
kind of heard me talk about so far, mental health
is a big thing for me. And NAMI just seemed

(32:36):
like a really cool organization. It provided free mental health
for people that need it, resources. 'Cause people usually don't
even know where to start, so just giving people a
free starting point and then hopefully that can lead them
to where they got to be.

Becs Gentry (32:53):
And would you say that running has helped you quite a lot with
your mental health struggles?

Vinny Guadagnino (32:59):
It has. I don't want to say, 'cause sometimes people,
how can I say this? Sometimes people are like, " Oh
is working out or is running or is eating right
the cure for mental health?" I don't think it's secure. I don't think
it's just part of the puzzle, because obviously if I'm

(33:21):
focused on something else and I'm focusing on this goal,
the less I have to worry about myself, and internalizing
everything and my brain spinning around. So I always love
having, especially these official races, because for months leading up
to it, I have a plan, I have a goal,

(33:41):
and I'm not just sitting around collecting my own negative
thoughts. So that's part of the element. Obviously, the physical
part as well. You feel better physically, you're going to
feel better mentally. But yeah, so it's definitely part of
the puzzle. I still do have ups and downs and
everything like that. But especially with me too, I don't

(34:06):
have a 9
a family right now. So look, if that certain gal.
So, the running community, the programs, the planning, all that
stuff kind of becomes just my community.

Becs Gentry (34:23):
I love it.

Vinny Guadagnino (34:24):
Which we're humans, we need that.

Becs Gentry (34:25):
We do, absolutely. And it's a really good point to
say, that the more you think about the bigger things in life, the
smaller your ego and your problems seem to be. And
running is a really good tool in a big toolkit.

Vinny Guadagnino (34:42):
You could be internalizing all night or whatever, just by
yourself, but then you get out there and you see thousands of runners
around you and it just carries you to a different
place. You're no longer just living in your head anymore.

Becs Gentry (34:56):
Yeah, they say that if you're feeling anxiety, one of
the useful tool is to think of, or if you
can, see something that insights awe in you. And I think that's
very similar to what you were just saying, you possibly
feel awe when you see all these other thousands of
people doing it, and it can help you just go

(35:17):
into a different moment in your own head.

Vinny Guadagnino (35:19):
You're in the moment. Yeah.

Becs Gentry (35:21):
I love it.

Vinny Guadagnino (35:21):
And you're resent.

Becs Gentry (35:23):
Very present, that's for sure. Okay, Vinny, let's hark back
to beginner runner Vinny. Is there anything present day Vinny,
one piece of advice that you would give beginner runner Vinny?

Vinny Guadagnino (35:35):
Probably that maybe just I wish I would've started a
little bit sooner, and also just I was more capable
than I thought. I'm still telling myself that advice every
day, because for the full I was like, " Okay, there's
no way you can run a full." And then I

(35:58):
proved myself, like, " Oh I could, I was capable of
that." That's what made this last United so fun, was
because it was the first race I had. I mean
it was my first official half, but I had ran
a bunch of halves before in training and just unsanctioned
and stuff. So, it was the first one where I
did it where I knew I was capable. That's why

(36:19):
we kind of ran a little faster. So yeah, so
just obviously just I would have started a little bit sooner and
not have doubted myself, 'cause in the beginning, and this is a
good message for everybody, everyone people don't even believe they
can run a mile. People don't believe they can run

(36:39):
three miles, but you can. You just have to do
it slowly and you have to just do it easily.
I mean if you physically can, obviously. But yeah, there are so
many different people that do this that smoke me, that
I would never think that. And yeah, it's great.

Becs Gentry (37:01):
Amazing. Okay, we've got a Jersey Shore lightning round to
come up, but before that I want to know, apparently
you publicly stated your plan to conquer all the boroughs,
outside of the TCS New York City Marathon, obviously. So, explain to me a
little bit about what that means and is there anything

(37:21):
in there that tells us what is next for Vinny?

Vinny Guadagnino (37:25):
So, the New York Road Runners obviously is an amazing
organization because you just have all these official races to
look forward to. It's not just like one marathon and
that's it. We live in New York, so it's amazing
that we have all these races around us. I don't
really know any other place that does it like that.

(37:46):
So, they have obviously great races coming up, the Brooklyn
Half, and that'll probably be my next one. But I
got to eventually end up doing my homecoming in Staten
Island, which I missed because I was sick. So yeah,

(38:08):
so kind of just whatever Coach Jerry has been planned
for me, it's a fun activity for all the reasons
I stated earlier. And eventually, again, I just did this
for fun in the beginning, but hopefully, not to make
this about celebrity or business stuff, but I don't know,

(38:29):
maybe start working with a brand or something like that,
and just make it more of an official thing and
do all these races, I would love to do that.
So we're just seeing what happens. But yeah, definitely probably,
I guess the Brooklyn one next.

Becs Gentry (38:44):
Okay, fantastic. So all the uber Vinny fans out there,
watch out for Brooklyn later on this year. Okay, we're
going to head into the Jersey Shore lightning round. So it
is running Jersey Shore base, so get your brain ready.
Okay. This is Vinny on the start line, elbows are ready here.

(39:05):
If you could run a marathon with any Jersey Shore castmate, who would it be?

Vinny Guadagnino (39:10):
So actually, this is a funny question, because at the
time I was training for TCS, Deena on my show,
just kind of got into running or walk running outside.
She's just like a PTA mom, she's hilarious. She doesn't really work
out, but she had this like a little running bug

(39:30):
and she did like a, it's coming up in this
next season, I did a little bit of a 5K with her.

Becs Gentry (39:41):
Oh, awesome.

Vinny Guadagnino (39:41):
And I was able to kind of like guide her,
and it was actually the day before the Bronx 10.
And so yeah, Deena, I like that because she was
motivated to do it. But in terms of having fun, and
it would probably be Pauly because we would just be like...
He's hilarious. He would just be yelling to everyone in
the street the whole time, but that's my boy. So Deena and Pauly.

Becs Gentry (40:01):
Deena and Pauly D. Okay. All right. What's harder, getting
through marathon training or surviving a Jersey Shore night out?

Vinny Guadagnino (40:10):
Surviving a Jersey Shore night out, and then surviving the
next day.

Becs Gentry (40:15):
Yeah, I was going to say. The next day is
the toughest.

Vinny Guadagnino (40:18):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. You never know what we're going to get into,
or especially back in the day. There might be a
fistfight that broke out. So give me training all day,
just a little bit of a nice easy run, my
headphones healthy, no hangover.

Becs Gentry (40:40):
There we go. Perfect. All right. What is the running equivalent of a GTL? That is gym, tan,
laundry day for people who don't know.

Vinny Guadagnino (40:49):
Well we said GTR, gym, tan, race, that's the new (inaudible)
. But the best part about running is that you're
getting the G and the T and the L, because
I don't really even wear clothes that much when I
run, so I don't have to do laundry. So, it
kind of just actually hits it all. That's why I
like doing it. I've never been like a gym guy

(41:10):
that just like wants to be in the gym for
three hours. I like being outside, running, getting the tan.
I'm a big watermelon buff. I've done these reviews of
different ways to eat watermelon. And when I'm running, I
always stop on the side of the road halfway in and

(41:31):
I get watermelon and I just like refuel with it.

Becs Gentry (41:33):
Oh my gosh. (inaudible) .

Vinny Guadagnino (41:33):
It didn't really answer the question, but you know, it
was fun.

Becs Gentry (41:37):
I feel like then it's like the running version of MLF,
miles, laundry, food.

Vinny Guadagnino (41:43):
There we go. MLF, I like it. Or FML.

Becs Gentry (41:46):
FML. There we go. There you go. We've got all the connotations here.
I love it. My daughter would be with you for
the watermelon. She's a big watermelon fan.

Vinny Guadagnino (41:57):
Oh, it's the best in summer.

Becs Gentry (41:57):
Okay. Who would have the best hype up playlist for
a race? Pauly D or Snooki?

Vinny Guadagnino (42:03):
Oh, that's a tough one. I want to say Pauly
D because obviously he's a DJ and he's open format.
So, I like listening to everything when I run so
he'll definitely hit me with the hip hop and then
he'll go into even like a stupid TikTok song that's going
viral right now, whatever. But Nicole would be like those

(42:23):
hard house beats all time, and sometimes that is a
good run. Sometimes you don't feel like hearing words too
much and you just want to want to just hear like beats and
the beat drop, but I would take Pauly, but if
I wanted a hard house run, Nicole.

Becs Gentry (42:41):
Yeah, I love it. I'm an EDM and classical girl
when I run.

Vinny Guadagnino (42:44):
Okay, okay. I love classical too.

Becs Gentry (42:46):
Yeah, no words. You can go on your own adventure.
Okay. If you had to carb load with one Jersey
Shore castmate before the race, who's your pick and what
would the meal be?

Vinny Guadagnino (42:57):
Oh, that's easy. That's Mike The Situation. They call him
a Big Daddy Sitch because he just eats everything nowadays.
So, this season coming out, that's about to come out
probably, I don't know when, but in the next few months
they actually watched me run the TCS. And let's just

(43:21):
say that BDS, Big Daddy Sitch was helping me carb
load a lot through that experience. And it would definitely
be pasta. We're Italian, pasta. The carb loading is not
an issue for me. That's my strongest department right there.

Becs Gentry (43:37):
What's your favorite pasta dish?

Vinny Guadagnino (43:40):
So my favorite pasta dish is probably penne vodka, but
during running and stuff like that, it's a little heavy.
So I'll do more of just a garlic and oil,
and maybe add some grilled chicken and some vegetables in there.

Becs Gentry (43:57):
Very good.

Vinny Guadagnino (43:58):
And just make it carb but also kind of clean.

Becs Gentry (44:02):
Yeah. This is what everyone needs. An Italian guy who
runs and can cook. This is the dream. This is the dream.

Vinny Guadagnino (44:07):
Well I had a what's it called? I had a cookbook called
The Keto Guido Cookbook, and it was all about... That's
when I was more low- carb. I am still low-
carb all the time, like in my regular life, but
that's why I like the running because it gives me
excuse to kind of add in carbs to my life,
'cause I can't just eat a giant dish of pasta

(44:29):
and then go sit down.

Becs Gentry (44:30):
No.

Vinny Guadagnino (44:31):
I need to do it around like long runs or activity.
So, I could tell I like kind of live the best of both worlds now.

Becs Gentry (44:38):
Absolutely. And on those Sunday days off, if that's your
day off, you can have that penne vodka.

Vinny Guadagnino (44:42):
Cheat day.

Becs Gentry (44:43):
Yay. Vinny, that was so much fun. I love learning
about your running background. Thank you for sharing it with
us. I'm really excited to see where 2025 takes you,
all the adventures. I hope you get to travel the
world and see more miles in all the warmth, and
we'll see you definitely at the Brooklyn Half later on

(45:05):
this year.

Vinny Guadagnino (45:05):
Yes. I can't do London this year, but I do
want to make it there. I'm sure you've done that.

Becs Gentry (45:11):
Yeah.

Vinny Guadagnino (45:11):
So, I have my eyeballs on that one.

Becs Gentry (45:14):
Great. Well, they'll all be waiting for you, undoubtedly. Vinny,
thank you so much.

Vinny Guadagnino (45:19):
Thanks, Becs.

Speaker 8 (45:32):
New York Road Runners is a nonprofit organization with a
vision to build healthier lives and stronger communities through the
transformative power of running. The support of members and donors
like you helps us achieve our mission to transform the
health and wellbeing of our communities through inclusive and accessible
running experiences, empowering all to achieve their potential. Learn more

(45:54):
and contribute at nyrr. org/ donate.

Becs Gentry (45:58):
Marissa Cotrina's running journey began later in life, but it
quickly became a defining force. After completing her first NYC marathon
in 2008, she fell in love with the sport's camaraderie
and the mission of New York Road runners. Today, she's
an accomplished long distance runner with 11 marathons and 49 half-
marathons under her belt. But running is more than a

(46:22):
personal challenge for Marissa. It's a family affair. Last year,
her husband took up running at the age of 57,
and this year, her son is running his first NYC Marathon
to raise funds for research into his brother's rare genetic
disorder. Marissa now leads a charity running team, helping other
families turn their miles into meaningful action. So here she

(46:43):
is with Meb, fresh off her 49th half- marathon, the
United Airlines NYC Half. New York Road runner member, Marissa Cotrina.

Meb (46:54):
Thanks, Becs. Marissa, welcome to the Set the Pace podcast.
You ran your first marathon at age 40. Why made you
decide to take such a big challenge at that point
in your life?

Marissa Cotrina (47:07):
I come from a family of a lot of sports.
I used to be a competitive tennis player as a
kid, and I remember watching this incredible image of the
Verrazano Bridge. Every year with my brother in front of
the TV, I thought, " Wow, this is amazing." So living
in New York later in life, I thought I had

(47:31):
to do a race. New York City was so special,
but then... So I decided to take up on the
challenge, thinking, " Oh man, I need to do this to lose
my pregnancy weight," which was, of course, wishful thinking. But
then also, to take the opportunity to do some fundraising

(47:51):
for my son's disorder, and also as a way to heal
with all the stress of being a caregiver of a
child with special needs.

Meb (48:01):
Incredible. Like you said, one of your sons was a
rare disease and you have helped create a charity running
team that support families affected by that disease. Can you
tell us about the effort and how running has been
a source of healing for you and others?

Marissa Cotrina (48:18):
Oh, it's been completely transformative. The sense of overcoming and
accomplishment that you feel, and the meaningful that it is
to do it, thinking that this is going to help
children like my son. He has a metabolic disorder, so

(48:39):
for these children it's called propionic acidemia and their energy loops
don't work well. So for them, a marathon is really a daily
struggle. So, it just kept me going through the race,
and I think it keeps us going all, thinking what these children

(49:00):
endure. And when you are in your low point of
the marathon, thinking what they have to go through every
time, really gets you to the finish line. And I've
seen other families now joining us, parents that have lost their children
already, and this is a way for them to forget
for a few hours, the grief, and embrace the community,

(49:24):
the running, the effort, and it's a beautiful thing.

Meb (49:27):
Well, thanks for sharing that story. I'm pretty sure this is
very inspiring in helping others overcome obstacles. You were a
competitive tennis player before running. What was the biggest adjustment when
you switched to long distance running? I'm pretty sure from
that court and react so quickly, and then to run 26 miles.

Marissa Cotrina (49:44):
It's a completely different, but I think, well, first of all, I
have to clarify that after the first marathon I decided
not to do it again. So-

Meb (49:57):
We're always like that. We always say that, but somehow
thank God for short memory.

Marissa Cotrina (50:00):
The training was just so horrendous. And I did not
do it again for four years until my brother invited
me to run it in Barcelona, my hometown. I said, " Okay,
that sounds like something, I really would love to do
that," but I didn't want to do the training, I
really don't. So I started, I didn't do the training
as the way we are supposed to do it because

(50:23):
I tend to injure very easily. So my thinking was, "
Well, if I do all this training, I get injured,
I have to stop for weeks. Maybe if I run
less, I don't get injured and I can run the
same." And that's exactly what happened. I didn't run as
intense in training and my time was just 10 seconds

(50:43):
more than four years earlier. So, that's what got me
hooked into running again, not to have to do so
much training and still be able to enjoy. But going
back to your question, the difference, competitive... I mean, you
know better than anyone, competitive sports are not easy. I

(51:04):
did during my childhood and my teens, and it's really
a lot of pressure. Tennis is a very individual sport,
it's very lonely. And I had a lot of pressure
playing sports at the competitive level. At the time, we
didn't have coaches, we didn't have mental health and things like that.

(51:28):
So when I discovered long distance running, it was like
a liberation for me. The way that you go, go,
go, and just with your thoughts and it's you against
you. It was really a beautiful thing to discover, and
that's why I'm so in love with it, because I
discovered a lot of joy doing a sport that I
didn't have when I was doing competitive tennis.

Meb (51:51):
Absolutely. No, you have to be quick reflex, but here,
your own pace, you can slow down if you want
to, you can pick it up if you would like to.
But now, you have completed 11 marathons and 49 half-
marathons. Looking back, what was the most memorable race and why?

Marissa Cotrina (52:06):
Well, certainly the first New York City Marathon, of course. That was
incredible. The sense of accomplishment and the... It's an amazing
race. After having done others in other cities, there's nothing
that compares to New York City. The crowd, the everything

(52:29):
is so joyous, and you forget that this is such
a painful and long race. But I have to say
I have a second super favorite, which was the very
first New York City Half, that it was the first
Nike one that I had the luck to run. And

(52:52):
it was the first time that Times Square closed for a
race. And at that time, we all started at 7:00 in the
morning and we all went downhill after the loop in
the park, and this amazing view of Times Square, super early
in the morning, nobody around. There were no cheering crowds,

(53:13):
nothing, complete silence, and all the lights. It was still
very early. And it was such an impressive view of
the city. And being able to have done that, it keeps
very alive in my memory. It was very nice.

Meb (53:28):
Yeah, wonderful. I know the United Airlines NYC Half or
the New York City Marathon, people, you got to that once in
your lifetime. People just want to visit New York and
we get the chance to run those things, so it's
pretty incredible.

Marissa Cotrina (53:39):
Absolutely, yes.

Meb (53:41):
Now that you got your husband to run it, your son is
running the first NYC marathon this year to raise money
for the cause close to your heart, what has it
been like to watch him take on this journey?

Marissa Cotrina (53:54):
My husband or my son?

Meb (53:55):
Your son.

Marissa Cotrina (53:57):
Well, this is funny, because since he was little, of
course, being with from a family that has always been
in the sports, I tried to teach him tennis, I tried
to engage him into the racing, the kids races that
he did one or two as a race. He absolutely
hated it, all that I tried to do with him.

(54:18):
So of course, I let him alone. He went to
play soccer with his friends. There was nothing else I
could do for him. And then he hit the teenage
years where you really cannot talk to him anymore, he doesn't
talk to you anymore. And now, he's just like becoming
a person again and he's doing all these things. He

(54:38):
now is embracing Spanish food that he never liked or
he's embracing, right now, he's appreciating my race, said, " Oh Mom,
I really want to do this. I have to do it
this year, because otherwise I'm going to go... I have
to do this for Gabriel." So I'm just speechless. I said, " You
know what? Since you're really not my son, I cannot
recognize you." So for me, it's super exciting that apparently

(55:00):
he was listening to all the things that we were
telling him, and now I'm very proud that he decided
to take up on the challenge. I'm very concerned that
he's not going to make it to June preseason because
he's very ambitious about his time and all that, but I'll be delighted

(55:21):
to be cheering for him in November.

Meb (55:24):
That's awesome. I'm looking forward to his results and achieving something big in the master of Marathon. I know I'm a father to teenagers going on right now, and
it's good to know that they always come back.

Marissa Cotrina (55:36):
They come back.

Meb (55:38):
But talk about athletic comeback. And you had to make a
comeback to the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon after skipping or
canceling a few races. How was the feeling of that
this year?

Marissa Cotrina (55:50):
Well, I think this stubborn injury in my achilles from
the summer of 2023 really got me very depressed last year,
because I really thought I wouldn't be able to go
back to running. So, I've changed a few things around,

(56:11):
my therapists have given me great advice. So I've been
in testing mode. I wasn't even sure which shoes to
use on the morning of the race, and I went
out there and I said, " Okay, let's see if I
can complete seven miles no pain." And then see I
was able to do it all, no pain, absolutely nothing. The

(56:33):
day after, I'm feeling fantastic. So I'm really, really excited to
be back running again at 57.

Meb (56:42):
Amazing. From the little tennis court to the marathons and doing 11
and 49. Marissa, you're doing a great job. And also, doing a
rare disease that your son has to be able, to
impact other people's lives, and to cheer him on and
to give him a therapy for a better life. So,
we are so grateful to have you and thanks for
joining us today.

Marissa Cotrina (57:01):
It was an honor. Thank you very much for inviting me.

Becs Gentry (57:05):
Thank you for joining us and being a member of
New York Road Runners now to the final part of
the show, our Meb Minute.

Meb (57:12):
Thanks Becs. Okay. Welcome to the Set the Pace show.
I know it's a critical question, so recovery after half-
marathon is the key. How do you recommend a runner strike
the right balance between resting and maintaining fitness, a situation
toward full marathon?

Kate Baird (57:29):
Yeah, that's a great question. The goal is to allow
your body enough time to recover from what was hopefully
a peak effort without losing too much time into your
next training phase. So there's a few things that are
going to determine how much time to spend on recovery
before you starting your next build. First is going to

(57:50):
be fitness level. I think this often takes time to
know thyself as a runner, but I've noticed that the
more seasoned runners generally have a better sense of how
much downtime they need after a peak race. But even
for new runners, I typically see anywhere from one to
two weeks on the quick end and four to five

(58:10):
weeks on the longer end. The second thing that we
want to think about is timing. The timing of your
marathon also matters because you may be planning a specific
program to develop yourself for that effort, and a shorter
turnaround may mean less recovery time in the end 'cause
you got to get going. So you might be focused
on trying to get back to building your mileage. If

(58:32):
you have a few months between races, I think it
can be beneficial to give yourself weeks of unloading, focus
on additional cross- training and strength training to help prepare
your body for the next build.

Meb (58:43):
The build up is big, but tapering is big and getting
healthy, that finish line is very important. But what are
the biggest mistakes runners make when shifting from half- marathon
training to full marathon training?

Kate Baird (58:55):
Yeah, I think there's two big mistakes here that I
like to talk to my runners about. First and foremost,
they do not take the lessons learned and carry them
through. So this can be related to things like fueling
or pacing strategies, and even preparation the day and night
beforehand. I think it's always essential to reflect after each

(59:16):
race, and focus on what really worked, while understanding why
something maybe didn't and whether it was in your control
or not. I think the second thing is, when you
transition into the marathon, is that sometimes we peak too
early. So it can be tempting following the half to
just kind of build your mileage from where you were
and continue on like a linear path. But often, the

(59:39):
timeline might be longer than that, and you want to
be mindful of whether you're accumulating too much fatigue as
you pile up those miles towards the end of your
marathon program, which is why that recovery time can be
so important. This is why simply sitting down with a
calendar and plotting out your timing can be really helpful,
and include things like vacations, big life events as well, health,

(01:00:00):
so that you have the time to program around these
things if you can.

Meb (01:00:03):
Sounds great. What are some of the impactful strength training
or mobility exercise runners should incorporate into their routine as
a transition between half- marathon to full marathon?

Kate Baird (01:00:15):
Yeah, this is a little bit of a trick question,
Meb, 'cause I think runners should incorporate strength and mobility all
year round, but especially before something as long and taxing
as a marathon program. Your body will be accumulating fatigue
during this build, which makes you more susceptible to injury
as the weeks go on. And some tried and true

(01:00:36):
ways to prevent injury are strengthening the muscle groups like
the lateral hips, the glutes, calves, hamstrings, quads, and core,
as well as to maintain good muscle balance and mobility
of those joints. I think including a dynamic warmup in
your routine to mobilize these areas before running, as well

(01:00:57):
as recovery after, is key. And specifically, a lot of
runners start to do speed training when they go into
a marathon build. And your warmups and strength training are
key, because the demands of running faster are a little
bit different than the demands of maintaining a marathon goal
pace. So your muscles have to contract faster and harder

(01:01:17):
to move your legs. And strength training can help you
prepare for this and reduce your risk of injury while
you try these two styles of running.

Meb (01:01:24):
Absolutely. No, training for half- marathon, full marathon, you got
to do pre- run, during your run, post- run recovery, but full
marathon means longer training runs. What's your advice for runners
increasing their mileage safely after a half- marathon?

Kate Baird (01:01:40):
Yeah, of course we all know the primary goal is
not to progress too much too fast, we've all heard
it, which can include both adding mileage as well as increasing
intensity. And I think we have to be mindful of
that part as well. Unfortunately, we haven't cracked the code
on the exact amount of mileage progression that both completely

(01:02:01):
removes risk of injury and results in great fitness. But
some great ways to monitor your progressions are to utilize
an acute to chronic workload ratio. So there's a little
bit of math involved. But you might look at your
current weekly mileage and divide it by your previous three,
four, or five week average. And there seems to be
a sweet spot in there that a lot of clinicians

(01:02:22):
are interested in between about a 0.8 to 1. 3 ratio
that might be best for not over- training the body.
And then the second thing is, I think our wearables
and data tracking software like Strava, Garmin and training piece,
they all offer ways to monitor your progressions. So I
think just utilizing whatever tech you have to see if

(01:02:42):
there's any weird peaks or valleys might be also really helpful.

Meb (01:02:47):
You're absolutely right, Kate, tech is very important, but so
is hydration. How do you feel different from half- marathon
versus a full marathon? How should runners start adjusting their
nutrition as they build up more mileage?

Kate Baird (01:03:02):
Yeah, I think you have to continue with the mantra
of always be practicing your fueling. So every single long
run is an opportunity to try out that strategy, and
you should utilize every single long run to do so.
You will also likely need to consider seasonal changes in
temperature. So it might be one temperature right now, but

(01:03:25):
maybe if your marathon is three months from now, that's
going to be a completely different environment, and we have
to account for changes in sweat rate. And then I
think we need to learn the lessons from the half-
marathon and expect that feeling an hydration will play an
even bigger role in your marathon stints, because during this
distance, almost everybody needs to replete some glycogen and certainly

(01:03:46):
fluids as we go past that two hour mark in duration.

Meb (01:03:52):
Now we have talked about all the basic recovery, hydration, but the one thing
we're forgetting is the mental preparation from changing from 13.1 to 26. 2
miles. How can runners start preparing mentally for the long
distance? Because I know they say 13.1 miles, it's like, "
Oh, there's no way I could do another 13.1."

Kate Baird (01:04:10):
So a few tips that I like to give my runners is that there should
be some key runs in your programming that are meant
to challenge you mentally. So make sure that you plan for
these runs and focus on their purpose while you're out
there, whether you're pushing race pace miles at the end
of a long run or completing difficult intervals. If the
run is designed to push you into discomfort, this is

(01:04:31):
a good time to practice your mental strategy. And some tips
for a mental strategy include using a mantra, which I find
incredibly helpful, having a backup playlist with some turbocharged songs
that you love, or making sure that you plan these
runs maybe with a friend who can hang with you
for your planned pacing. I know those things can always
be really helpful. The second thing is to practice your

(01:04:53):
reactions to surprises or changes during your training so that
you don't get flustered if there are big changes on
race day. So training with that in mind will help
you not blow up if things get a little bit
wonky. Learning to pivot is an important mental strategy.

Meb (01:05:09):
Well, as they prepare, key to success is preparation. On
race day, is 90% mental, 10% physical as they go
for that pursuit. So, if you've done the preparation, you've done the recovery,
excellence is waiting, but it doesn't always... Marathon, sometimes you
defeat it and sometimes it defeats you, but the preparation
is the key. So thanks for being with us and
look forward to see how they do in the spring marathons.

Kate Baird (01:05:29):
Amazing. Thank you for having me.

Becs Gentry (01:05:33):
That does it for another episode of Set the Pace.
Thank you to today's guests, Vinny Guadagnino, Marissa Cotrina, and
Hospital for Special Surgery's Kate Baird. If you liked this
episode, please do go ahead, subscribe, rate, or leave a
comment for the show on whatever platform you're listening on.
This not only helps us, but it helps others find

(01:05:55):
out about the show, too. Have a great week. See
you out there for some miles.