Ep #53: The Power of Coaching with Nancy Feeley

Welcome to The Not Your Average Runner Podcast. If you’re a woman who is midlife and plus sized and you want to start running but don’t know how, or if it’s even possible, you’re in the right place. Using proven strategies and real-life experience, certified running and life coach Jill Angie shares how you can learn to run in the body you have right now.

Hey, rebels, you are listening to episode number 53 of The Not Your Average Runner Podcast. I’m your host, Jill Angie, and today I am speaking with Nancy Feeley. Nancy is one of my clients and she’s been working with me for a few years pretty diligently. She’s training right now for her second marathon and her story is pretty amazing and inspiring.

I am super excited to bring her on the show today because she’s such a great example of what is possible for every single one of you. Now, she’s had both physical and mental obstacles to overcome and she’s worked really hard to get past them and she is now in training for her dream race, which is just a few weeks away.

So without further ado, here’s Nancy.

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Jill: Hey everybody, so I’m here right now with the amazing Nancy Feeley, who is – she’s a Run Your Best Life member, she’s been a client of mine for a while. She’s kind of a rock star. She did her first marathon, the Marine Corps Marathon. We’re going to talk about that today, and she had quite a few challenges to get over to make that happen. And so we’re going to talk about all that today so you guys can hear this amazing story. So Nancy, welcome to the show.

Nancy: Hi Jill, thank you.

Jill: So why don’t you just tell us a little bit about yourself and why you started running in the first place.

Nancy: Well, I never was an athlete growing up. I played sports when I was very little but nothing in high school or anything, and I was always very kind of jealous of my friends that ran and growing up and into a young adult, I never really ran at all. And I always wanted to and I always told myself I couldn’t because I couldn’t breathe. You know when you first get out there and you start running and all of a sudden you can’t catch a breath and I was like, well, clearly I’m not meant to be a runner because I can’t breathe when I run. So that was the end of that. And I had some fits and starts over the years. I think in my 30s I started to run a little bit and I would run a race and then I would not run again for a year. Then I’d decide to sign up for a race and train a little bit and do that and not run. It was never something that was really part of me but I had always wanted to do it. I had always wanted to be a runner. I just never thought I could.

Jill: I love that because I think there’s a lot of people that can relate to that story of like, they started, they kind of trained for a 5K, did it, they’re like, this is really fun and then they just stopped. Like, even though they liked it. So what made the difference for you? Because now you’re a pretty active runner. You’re in training for your second full marathon, is that correct?

Nancy: That is correct.

Jill: So how did we get past the training for a 5K and then sort of dropping it for a while?

Nancy: Well, I guess I had started running again probably about five years ago and I have always had in my head since I was a little girl growing up in New York City that I wanted to run the New York City Marathon. My aunt and my mom volunteered at it, they would go hand out little packets of Vaseline. My mom was a nurse and we’d get little packets. They would stand out in Long Island City and hand out Vaseline to the runners. It was always a big day in the city and I just remember always thinking not having a concept of what 26 miles was, not having any concept of what it was like to run that, I just knew I wanted to do it. And then I decided, well, I was going to do it before I was 40. So I had started training back in 2013 for the Marine Corps Marathon. My sister had just completed it and she’s like, oh, it’s a great first marathon, it’s the people’s marathon, it’s traditionally there’s a lot of first timers and it would be a great one. And I got in, I said alright, I’m going to do this, I’m going to run my first marathon before I’m 40. And then I got hurt. So that kind of ended that. But that was kind of like the turning point. I guess the looming 40 thing kind of turned it for me.

Jill: That does happen. There’s something about the ages that have a zero at the end that’s just like, oh my gosh, it’s a milestone. Okay, so you got hurt but I mean, I’m going to spoil it for everybody. You still finished it.

Nancy: No, I didn’t.

Jill: A couple years later.

Nancy: Later, yeah. So in ’13 I deferred until ’14 and then I got – my husband left me and I got separated and that deferment went out the window because I didn’t run at all, and then I was training for a half marathon in 2015. My friend convinced me to run a half marathon with her. And that was…

Jill: Was that your first one?

Nancy: That was my first one, my first big race that I finished. And then in 2016 I was able to get back into the Marine Corps through the lottery and I finished 2016.

Jill: Yay, and that was a pretty big accomplishment. Because we work together a lot as you trained for that race, so I know that you had to do – would you say most of the work you had to do to train for that race was mental?

Nancy: All of it was mental.

Jill: I mean, running was kind of irrelevant, right?

Nancy: It was. I knew if I put one foot in front of the other I’d eventually get to the end, but it was getting to that point. I remember I had a consultation with you in 2015 because I was having some knee pain before the half marathon and that training, all I did – you know me by now, Jill. I whine a lot, and all I did was whine, whine, whine, it was awful, I hated running, why was I doing this, it’s stupid, and then I was having knee pain so I’m like, this is my out. Now I don’t have to do it. I was like, well, let me just talk to someone. So you and I talked and you referred me to the doctor and the doctor said there’s nothing wrong with your knees, it’s runner’s knee. So if you chill out for a little while you’ll be able to finish the race, and I did. And then my cousin promptly asked me you know, will you sign up for the Marine Corps Marathon? And I forced my sister to do it as well so the three of us all got into the lottery and I knew as soon as I agreed to do this that I was going to need some mental coaching to get me to that finish line. A training plan is a training plan. Just doing the runs, I can get through it, but it was going to take a lot of mind work to get me there sanely.

Jill: So let’s talk about that because I know there’s a ton of people listening that have thought, oh, I’d love to do a marathon someday but like, I just can’t, there’s just too much bullshit stuff going on in my mind that’ll keep me from it. So what are some of the things you thought to yourself during – and I remember some of them, but I want you to share them.

Nancy: I knew there was just – the inner mean girl stuff you mean?

Jill: Yeah.

Nancy: Yeah, I just knew that I couldn’t do it. I wasn’t going to be able to finish, I was going to die somewhere on the course. They were going to have to pick me up. You know, I was very – I didn’t realize I was quite as competitive as I am, but I was very aware that my sister was going to be faster than me and finish faster than me. Like, if she can do it, I can do it. So I think that was one of the things that got me across the finish line.

Jill: And you – I mean, did you finish before her?

Nancy: No.

Jill: Okay, but you were close? You were very close.

Nancy: We ended up about five minutes apart from each other and I didn’t know that. I was in the back of the three of us and I reached my niece who was there cheering, and here I am, a 40-something year old woman hanging onto my 22-year-old niece crying that I can’t finish, and she says to me, “Well, mommy already passed out and she’s ahead of you.” So in my delusional state after 20-something miles, that made perfect sense to me and I’m like, oh, well if my sister already passed out and she’s ahead of me, I better finish. So I didn’t learn until the end of the race exactly what happened to her but she did have a little issue and ended up in the medic tent. But she only finished a couple minutes before me. And that was her fourth marathon.

Jill: Wow. So that’s kind of run, right? You kind of kept up with your sister on your very first marathon. And it was a hot day too, wasn’t it?

Nancy: Yes. It was very, very hot. Very unseasonably hot for the end of October. I swear to God it had to be 90 degrees. I mean, they were just handing out ice, they had the fire trucks just spraying you down. I got to the last – one of the last medics stops and I’m like, this is great but do you have any suntan lotion left? I was burnt to a crisp. It was – oh, and they’re like, no, but that would have been a good idea. Yes, it would have been a good idea. I took my ice and I moved on.

Jill: And you spent the rest of the day walking around DC too, didn’t you?

Nancy: Yeah. I think that’s the part that nobody tells you about these marathons is it takes a little bit of effort to get home or to wherever you’re going afterwards. You have to get your bag at the baggage claim, which is – it could be 20 feet from you but it feels like six miles. And then you have to get on the subway or the metro and it takes a while to get back. So two hours of commuting back to the hotel is not the most fun.

Jill: So alright, so let’s talk about this because that was your first marathon and I seem to remember you saying that it would be your last marathon.

Nancy: I did probably say that.

Jill: I’m pretty sure that happened at least once. But now – so that was 2016. And here we are, 2018, and you are running the New York Marathon in just a few weeks.

Nancy: Five weeks and three days. Not that we’re counting.

Jill: Yeah. So what has happened in between? What changed your mind to decide to do a second marathon?

Nancy: Well, the first marathon I finished, I decided that day I was going to have fun. I stopped, I took pictures, I have a great picture in front of the Washington Monument. I slapped every kid’s hand that I could find. You know, I enjoyed it from that perspective, but I did have a knee issue around mile eight and it kind of locked up on me and it took a little bit of effort to keep going after that. I did finish, but it wasn’t really the time that I had wanted and I know they always say never have a time goal the first race. Your first race is always to finish, but I wanted a little less of a time. And again, growing up here in New York, I’ve always wanted to do the New York Marathon. So if I’m going to do another one, it’s going to be this.

Jill: And you had a couple surgeries in between too.

Nancy: I did. I did. I remember after the marathon we were waiting. My cousin and I were standing outside the restaurant waiting for my sister to pick us up and she looked at my feet and she says, “What is the matter with those toes?” I said yes, I know, I have terrible bunions on both feet. So I ran the Marine Corps in October of ’16. In January of ’17 I had surgery on my first foot, my right foot to correct the bunion, and then in October of ’17, the week after the half marathon, the next week I had the left foot corrected.

Jill: So you had surgery on your right foot and that took, what? Three months to heal?

Nancy: Yes.

Jill: And then you trained for a half marathon.

Nancy: Yes.

Jill: And then you had surgery on the other foot.

Nancy: The next week.

Jill: I love how you like, scheduled your surgery so that you could train for the half marathon in the middle.

Nancy: Yeah, it was very specific. And when I went in for the first one, he said, “Well, I’m going to get you so you can run another marathon,” and I said, “Not run another marathon but you can do what you need to do.” So I’m going to take a picture of me with my medal after New York and I’m going to send it to my orthopedist and say, “You did it, you got me through another marathon.”

Jill: Yeah, I mean, that’s kind of amazing, right? Because first of all, bunion surgery is major surgery because they break your foot and shave the bones and reorganize them, right?

Nancy: Yeah. They didn’t shave my bones. They reorganized everything. I have a lot of pins in my toes. They also – he also moved my heel over because I have like, no arches in either foot. So he moved my heel over just to give me a little bit of an arch. So I have giant two-inch screws going up my heels. And then he lengthened my calf muscle in each leg.

Jill: I didn’t even know that was possible.

Nancy: It’s – I’m like the bionic foot lady.

Jill: That’s fascinating though because so many people think, oh, I’ve had foot surgery, I can’t run. And you basically had both feet completely reconstructed.

Nancy: Yes, absolutely.

Jill: And is running easier for you now? Does it feel different?

Nancy: It’s very interesting and even running the half with one foot done and one foot not done, it was fun. Knock on wood. I don’t get the blisters that I used to get.

Jill: I bet, yeah.

Nancy: I’m still losing some toenails but it’s definitely not as bad as it was in the first full or even in the half. So I don’t feel pain. Sometimes I can feel the hardware in my foot. Not that it’s painful. It’s just oh, I can feel the screw in my foot today. So it’s definitely not painful. I can run my normal shoes. I did try a different type of shoe thinking it would give me a little bit more cushion, but I went back to my regular brand of shoes and it definitely feels much better now running.

Jill: I bet, I bet. Because I know like, bunions really throw your gate off. It’s probably the reason you were having some knee problems too is it just throws everything off.

Nancy: It throws everything off and the rubbing – the blisters, I don’t know if you remember, but the blisters were a huge deal for me. They just were very, very painful and sometimes I get a hot spot now but I haven’t really had any huge blisters and I’m just coming to the end of my training cycle.

Jill: So okay, let me ask you this. Now, the Marine Corps Marathon, you know, when you were training for that you had a lot of mean girl talk and I know you and I coach through it and I think towards the end you had a bit of a shift in how you were thinking about it. How has training for the New York Marathon been different? I mean, aside from the surgery and you’re not getting blisters and so forth. In your brain, how has training for the New York Marathon been different than the Marine Corps?

Nancy: I think there is definitely an element of well, I’ve done it already, I can do it again. I know I’m going to get through it. I know I’m going to finish the race. That seemed to be a bigger deal the last time. Now I kind of know I’m going to do it, it’s going to happen. But I think now I’m more focused on my inner mean girl is well, it has to be better. I have to do it better than last time. I have to do – so that has certainly been a challenge. I gave up on my first long run ever and that was a little bit of a mental setback. That was about two weeks ago. Last time in 2016 for the Marine Corps, no matter what, I finished my long run. But this time I didn’t and I was kind of mad at myself that I didn’t push through and finish although I do think two weeks out from the experience that it was a much better decision not to push through the pain.

Jill: Yeah. What was the pain you were having?

Nancy: My left calf just – I have a knot knit and it was sore but it went from okay, I feel you, thank you for talking to me to okay, that really hurts. I really need to stop and stretch and stop and stretch.

Jill: Yeah, I think that is the right decision. Like, there’s a difference between pain and discomfort and we don’t ever want to run through pain. So anybody who’s listening right now…

Nancy: Don’t run.

Jill: Yeah, actual pain means stop. Stop. So I’m so glad that you did that. But I get that it’s frustrating because you’re like, oh, I had to give up on this run. But what I love is that you didn’t give up because your mean girl was like, this is boring, this is stupid, I’m tired, I’m cranky. You actually had a conversation – you also could have said, fuck you, I’m just going to keep running and like, seriously injured yourself. And that would have been – so you made like a logical, grown up decision in the moment.

Nancy: Yeah. And I do think this time is a little bit harder because I know what to experience more. Sometimes I’ve noticed I get a little bit more bored on the long runs and like, I don’t want to do this, it’s boring, I’m going to be out here forever. And so it’s a little bit more challenging to kind of get my head in the game and just settle into a long run or any run really, for that matter. And just kind of be in the moment. That I think has been more of a struggle this time around.

Jill: And you’re also doing more miles this time around too.

Nancy: Much more miles. I have never run this much ever. So you know, it’s like, oh, I have to do a run today, I have to go run six miles. Who on the Earth says oh, I just have to run six miles today.

Jill: It’s only six miles.

Nancy: Only six miles.

Jill: I know, right? So fun. Well, so what would you say – how is your life different after running the first marathon and how is it different after training for this second one?

Nancy: I definitely feel more confident in what I can do as far as running. Like I said, I’ve never run this many miles. I feel so much stronger this time around. I think the last two years of continuous training – and that was also one of my original goals with you if you remember, Jill, was to not stop running after the race. So after the Marine Corps, we set another goal of running – I think the goal was five miles in under an hour. So you kept me training after the Marine Corps because that was really my MO. Race over, sit down for the next six months. Obviously, I did have to stop when I had the surgery because not weight bearing and all that, casts and all that good stuff. But other than that, I really haven’t stopped running. So I think the two years I can really see the difference in my body and what my body’s capable of doing. And that kind of goes through everything in life. You get to the point where, oh, well, I’ve done that, I’ve done this, I’ve done that. I can handle whatever comes.

Jill: Right. It’s so awesome how like, the things that you accomplish in running show you that you’re more powerful than you believe and then the rest of your life gets better as a result. It’s so awesome. So okay, what other questions do I have for you because like, I just think it’s so interesting that you ran the Marine Corps and then you had these two surgeries, like, right away, and you’ve just planned everything out so carefully so that you could keep running. I mean, what do you think changed from somebody who – I know we’ve kind of talked about this but the person who was sort of, lackadaisical about it several years ago and now it’s such a passion of yours. How do you think differently about running now than you did say, six or seven years ago?

Nancy: I just know I can do it. I know what to expect. I know the first mile is going to stink. And I think that’s probably one of the biggest barriers I had. You get out there, you’d run from here to the end of the block and you’d be like, I’m tired, I can’t breathe. Once you get past that mental block of the first mile and sometimes even for me it’s really the first three miles, then I just fall – it just all falls into place. The breathing evens out and just is like, oh, I can do this and you just keep going. I think that the big difference from five years ago to now is just give it a chance. Just stay with it. It’s going to stink for a few minutes and then your body’s going to just – you know what’s going to happen. Your body’s just going to settle down and the breathing’s going to become easier and it’s not going to suck as much and it’ll be fine. And I think I don’t really kind of get like, a runner’s high like, I don’t think I’ve ever felt that. But the accomplishment that I feel after is probably the biggest driving force where I could go to work and say you know, what did you do this morning? I ran five miles. I got up and ran three miles before I got in the shower to go to work. Or what did you do after work? I did six miles on the track watching my daughter play soccer. That’s definitely the feeling of accomplishment kind of keeps me going.

Jill: Yeah. It is really powerful. So what would you say – when you’re on a long run, your brain is like, I’m bored, as the brains do. What kind of mantras do you have to get yourself through it?

Nancy: There’s a couple different things that kind of get me through. One thing that I’ve been toying with is all things come to me with ease, joy, and glory. And then running comes to me with ease, joy, and glory. I go through my body from my toes to my head, thanking God for toes that work today, for an orthopedist that fixed my feet, I am grateful for ankles that are moving, for calves, for knees that are not hurting, and I go all the way up my body. One of the other tricks I do is I start at A and I have to think of three to five things that I’m grateful for with every letter of the alphabet.

Jill: Oh my gosh, that’s brilliant.

Nancy: Yeah, it takes some mental effort.

Jill: Right. That’s really brilliant. Do you ever got lost and have to start again at the beginning? That’s what would happen to me. I’d like, get distracted. I’d be like, oh, squirrel, crap, was I on L or N?

Nancy: I haven’t but – yes, I have. Where was I? What letter? X and you kind of get to – grateful for X, x-rays, xylophones.

Jill: Grateful that xylophones exist in the world and that somebody likes to play them. So funny. What’s like, the funniest thing that you ever gave thanks for? That you ever put on your list?

Nancy: Hills.

Jill: Hills. Oh my gosh. So why are you grateful for hills?

Nancy: Because there’s a downhill.

Jill: There’s always a downhill. That’s so good. I love that.

Nancy: But you know, a few years out, I’m grateful for my divorce, not that I’m grateful for the experience but for the power that it’s given me, for the ability to know that I can get through that. I’ve gotten through other things in my life and I’m grateful for those experiences that have brought me to where I am today, to be the strong woman that I am.

Jill: Yeah. And to be the role model for your daughter, for sure.

Nancy: Yes, that is – one of the worst races was my half marathon on Rockaway Beach and…

Jill: I remember that one.

Nancy: You decided that I need to run races during the marathon training so I found this half marathon on Boardwalk of Rockaway Beach the last week of August and my ex-husband came and brought my daughter and I swear if they were not there I would have been in the car after two miles on my way home because it was so brutal. It was hot. It was a small race. I literally – I think I came in next to last. It was just a brutal race and the only reason why I didn’t quit is because my daughter was watching me and that really became also a mantra is Feeleys don’t quit. We do not quit. So I didn’t quit that race and she’s not allowed to quit stuff either.

Jill: I love that so much though, like, the only reason I didn’t quit is because my daughter was watching me.

Nancy: She was watching.

Jill: Beautiful. You know she’s so proud of you.

Nancy: She got me a shell and she wrote on it, Rockaway Beach half marathon, whatever the date was, and that’s probably one of my proudest things that I have on display on my dresser. I finished, I was a good role model, she was proud of me, she knew how much it was stinking. And I did it anyway.

Jill: Yeah, you showed her. You showed her like, hey, this is how we roll. What is your favorite accomplishment of all of your running adventures? Is it the Rockaway Beach?

Nancy: I guess they all kind of fall into different categories, and this is also something that I have to work on. I never seem to be happy with how races turn out. It’s always like, well, I could have done better, that really sucked, my time was stinky. That one because I stuck with it, the Rockaway half was definitely one of my proudest accomplishments. I did a race a couple weeks ago that again, I have a mental block with these stupid hills. It’s a 10-mile race and this is the third time I did it and the hills between miles eight and 10 are brutal, and I did not let them beat me this year. I walked up a little bit because my calf was starting to tighten up and I stopped and stretched it out and walked a little bit. But I ran up those hills, I beat my time from last year, and I was very proud of that race.

Jill: I love that. Yeah, and I think the third time’s a charm, right? Like, the first time you don’t know what you’re getting into. The second time you know what you’re getting into and you’re like, shit. But then the third time you’re like, I’ve already done this twice, I got this, right?

Nancy: Well, that does not hold for the marathon because I’m not doing another one.

Jill: We’ll revisit that afterwards. I know you’re feeling that New York marathon is going to – you’re going to make it your bitch. I’m pretty sure it’s going to go well. So okay, I mean, you’ve obviously had a lot of running accomplishments, you’ve done a lot of mental work on yourself to get yourself through the training. What would you say to somebody who wants to start running and thinks, you know, I want to start running and someday I want to run the New York marathon or someday I want to do the Marine Corps or just any marathon, what would your advice be to that person?

Nancy: Don’t give up. Don’t give up in mile one because mile one sucks.

Jill: Mile one always – it always feels like ass.

Nancy: Mile one always sucks and you know, when you’re doing 10Ks and halfs and full marathons, the first three miles suck. I think that’s discouraging sometimes for people who run 5Ks, it’s like, well, it’s only three miles. Is the whole three miles going to suck? Well, it’s different. When you’re planning on running for four hours, my body just – it needs to settle. So I guess the best advice is just don’t give up and you’ll get there. It’s going to suck somewhere in the middle too.

Jill: Yeah, and it’s okay because what I think is so fun about long distance events is you know, mile 10 might suck but then mile 12 might feel amazing.

Nancy: Absolutely.

Jill: And a lot of it has to do with where your brain is at while you’re running because if you’re thinking this sucks, this sucks, this sucks, it’s going to suck. Sort of how it works.

Nancy: The good thing about halfs and full marathons is there’s lots of distractions. When it really sucks, you just sit there and read the signs. Everybody has signs, everybody has something to distract you. Somebody might be giving out candy or there’s a little kid out there just wanting to get his hand slapped and just to be a part of it. The music, the bands. So there are distractions when you’re actually running the race. That doesn’t help you when you have 20 miles to go on a random Saturday, but I think the other thing that you taught me has really helped getting through to race day is that race day is the party. The hard work is what you’re doing now. It’s the training and race day is the celebration of all of that training. It’s not about the race day. It’s about everything that went into it. It’s about all those five, six, three miles runs, your speed work, your hill work, that’s all – whether race day goes well or not, it’s just the party.

Jill: And nobody can take away all the training that you did.

Nancy: Yeah, absolutely nobody.

Jill: No matter what happens on race day, that training happened, you did that so – yeah, I love that you brought that up. That’s so good. So I have a couple questions for you that if somebody’s listening and they’re like, hey, I’m not enough of a runner to work with a coach or I’m not sure if I should join Run Your Best Life, I don’t know if that’s the program for me, do you have any advice to give somebody on that?

Nancy: Yeah, I mean anybody is a runner if they’re out there with shoes on and doing intervals and running, and why not work with a coach? I think it’s a great idea to help you get to the next level and where you want to be. You know, even if you’re running out there for five minutes and you want to be able to complete a mile, there’s a lot of mental work in there, there’s a lot of inner mean girl screaming and I definitely think coaching is the way to go. It really got me from where I was, a once in a while runner to a marathoner. So I think it’s – everybody can benefit from having someone help you with your training plans and with – and the questions. There’s so many questions. And you just need someone to bounce it off of and someone to tell you how to find things. I mean, how many questions about bras and blisters do we get in the group?

Jill: And they’re all slightly different too.

Nancy: They are. And you know, nutrition is my big thing right now. I’m trying to figure out my damn nutrition and things like that. And sometimes frankly, you just need someone to say shut up and go do it. Stop whining and do it.

Jill: Yeah. That is part of the job of the coach is to dole out the tough love when necessary.

Nancy: Definitely need the tough love.

Jill: Oh my gosh, that’s so good. So alright, this is a question that I’m asking everybody on the podcast and that is one thing you would do if you knew for sure you could not fail?

Nancy: So after listening to the podcast, I knew this was coming. So I’ve been thinking about this and I don’t know if you’re going to laugh at me or not. I would open a cookie shop.

Jill: I love that. I love that so much. I was expecting you to be like, I’d train for an Ironman. You would open a cookie shop.

Nancy: I want to open a cookie shop.

Jill: Oh my gosh, open a cookie shop. Just do it. You’d be so good at it.

Nancy: I love baking. I have always baked. I think I do bake wedding cakes, I do birthday cakes, I do big stuff but I think there’s a lot of pressure with that. But I think I would love to own a cookie shop.

Jill: What’s your favorite kind of cookie to make?

Nancy: Well, my favorite – I make a mean chocolate chip. I personally love my oatmeal raisin. They’re probably not the best in the world but I particularly like them. My fan favorite is my secret passed down recipe for pinwheel cookies. Chocolate and vanilla swirl.

Jill: Yes, I love this. They’re pretty good. They are pretty good.

Nancy: They’re a pain in the neck to make so they’re not my favorite to make, but they are the favorite to eat.

Jill: They’re the kind that you make and you like, you put two layers and then you roll it up and slice them?

Nancy: Exactly.

Jill: Yeah, oh my gosh. They always look amazing. Okay, so you’d open a cookie shop. What would it be called?

Nancy: Ooh, I don’t know.

Jill: Let’s get into it.

Nancy: Well, I used to have a website, Fancy Nancy Cakes. And I am Fancy Nancy.

Jill: How did I not know any of this about you?

Nancy: I don’t know.

Jill: This is fascinating. I think you should call it Marathon Cookies.

Nancy: Ooh, that’s pretty good. I can make a marathon cookie.

Jill: You could have a marathon cookie, yes. You could have a whole line of marathon cookies for every different marathon that people run and then you could have them like, sent – people could order them and be delivered at the finish line. This is happening.

Nancy: And they could be like, for the Boston they could have a New England thing or you know, New York it would be a New York type of flavoring.

Jill: It would be a black and white, obviously.

Nancy: Obviously black and white. I hate black and white cookies though.

Jill: Really? They’re like my favorite, I love them.

Nancy: They’re too cakey.

Jill: Especially at Halloween though when they’re orange and black. So good.

Nancy: I really like the chocolate side, I don’t like the vanilla.

Jill: Oh my god, that’s so funny. Alright, well you could do like a New York themed cookie but it would just be all chocolate I guess. I love that. Okay, so last question I have for you, what is next for you? I mean, we’ve got obviously New York Marathon coming up but like, what are you looking at beyond that?

Nancy: I don’t know. I have nothing right now. I think I want to focus on like, the sweet spot of like, half marathon, middle distance, getting stronger and getting a little bit faster. Not that it’s all about pace, but I think I’ve got in me right now.

Jill: I think you do too.

Nancy: The marathon’s just the amount of training is just – it’s very hard with a family and I work in Manhattan half the time and commuting and you know, that’s why – definitely not doing one next year. We’ll see after that but I think the middle distance is a nice sweet spot.

Jill: Yeah, and there’s half marathons everywhere. They’re so easy to find. So I love that. I think Brooklyn half marathon for you maybe. That might be kind of fun.

Nancy: I did the Rock n Roll one in Brooklyn last year. That was the one where…

Jill: Nice. Well, you’ve already crossed that off the list then.

Nancy: Yeah. There’s some other ones that I’m thinking about for next spring.

Jill: Okay, so how can people – if people want to follow your running adventures, what’s the easiest way? Do you have Instagram?

Nancy: I do. I have no idea what my thing is.

Jill: Alright, well we’ll figure it out and we’ll get it in the show notes, and then of course if people want to connect with you, they can join Run Your Best Life because you’re in there.

Nancy: Of course. Not Your Average Runner, Run Your Best Life.

Jill: Exactly. I’ll check with Nancy offline and we’ll decide if she wants to share her Facebook. We can for sure put that link in there. I know sometimes people are like no. But yeah, thank you so much for joining me today. It has been a pleasure. I’m very excited about this cookie thing. We need to get on that.

Nancy: We do. We’ll have to discuss that later.

Jill: Yes we shall. We need Not Your Average Runner cookies, that’s what we need.

Nancy: I could do that.

Jill: Oh my god, alright, I’m all in for this. Alright, thank you so much for joining me today and yeah, I can’t wait to hear about – we’ll have to have you back on after the New York Marathon so you can talk about that.

Nancy: I certainly will.

Jill: I love it. Alright.

—

Hey, rebels, I hope you enjoyed my chat with Nancy, and of course we’ll have all the links to connect with her in the show notes. And obviously, you can join Run Your Best Life if you want a behind the scenes look at how she trains. I’ll talk to you next week.

Thanks for listening to this episode of The Not Your Average Runner Podcast. If you liked what you heard and want more, head over to www.notyouraveragerunner.com to download your free one-week jumpstart plan and get started running today.