Athlete Profile: Kathryn Welch

Coaches Note: Kathryn was referred to Run Your Personal Best from a current athlete back in July and is currently training for the Dallas BMW Marathon in December. She is an amazing inspiration for every runner having run for 842 days straight. It's been fun watch here week after week get stronger and never miss a run or workout. I've also enjoyed random comments back and forth between her running group friends on who push the pace on the runs.

Name: Kathryn Welch

Age: 42

Occupation: Physician Assistant

Where do you live? Wichita, Kansas

How many years have you been running? 9

What are you training for? What are your goals? Training for the Dallas Full marathon. Goals: pr a half (2:30:30 is my current pr) and finish a full without falling apart.

Why do you run? I love it. I love the structure, the drive it gives me throughout the day. I have met so many friends through running.

What do you like best about working with Run Your Personal Best? I enjoy taking myself out of the “how much do I run” equation. I would mentally say, I can’t do this and quit in the past. I am a true obliger. I am very good at being accountable to someone and Cory makes it easy.

What advice would you give to other runners? Find a running coach that fits your personality. You have to believe in their philosophy. It’s worth every penny.

What’s your favorite (or type) workout? Rest day. Just kidding- I like hill repeats and progression runs.

What’s your favorite race you‘ve ever run? Why? I loved Houston. We had rain and wind but the course was fantastic. The support was great. The Pilgrim Pacer in Shawnee Mission, KS was a close second. It was paved trail and in the fall-just gorgeous.

What gets you through tough runs or days you don’t want to run? I really try to take it one run at a time. Sometimes it’s just one mile at a time when I’m in a run and feel frustrated. But it’s the accountability that gets me. I don’t want to have to comment, “I quit because I didn’t feel like doing it”. There hasn’t been a day in the past two months that I didn’t want to run my 4 scheduled runs. Some days on my streak miles, I just suck it up and say-12 minutes of running. That’s all I have to do.

Is there anything else you’d like to add? I started a run a mile a day streak in May 2015. It started as a 40 day run streak. Today, was day 835.

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