When not in the field building relationships with gym owners and retailers, Regional Sales Manager – Southwest Karly Wilson is putting in miles on the pavement for her marathon training. In fact, this year she surpassed a huge milestone of running her 100th marathon! Not sure about you, but when she revealed that during one of our team calls, we were all blown away. We caught up with her (on a rest day) to find out a little bit more about her accomplishment.
What made you start wanting to run marathons?
I started running in high school and stuck with it because it gave me a community. Later, during some trying times, I found that running also gave me purpose. Finding that purpose made me take it to the next level and I signed up for a marathon. From that point, I noticed I learned something new from each marathon I finished. A sense of accomplishment, self-love and it has helped me process certain obstacles throughout my life.
Do you have any advice for beginners looking to get into marathons?
A marathon is a big bite to chew but very worth it in the end. That being said, when training for a marathon, take baby steps to be a competent runner. Start with 5ks and 10ks and then work your way up to higher mileage. The last thing you want to do is start hot out of the gate and over train. Enjoy the process because you won’t always have great training runs. I know a lot of people stop strength, gymnastics and agility training and I think it’s extremely important to still prioritize those. It will make a huge difference in your training.
What is the biggest takeaway you got from your 100 marathons?
This 100 marathon journey has been full of takeaways. It hasn’t been easy and I’ve fought hard for it. But throughout these races, I’ve formed an acceptance within myself. An acceptance of self-love, self-worth, and self-respect.
How do you ensure that your body is properly fueled and ready for race day?
This took me a long time to figure out. Like many runners, I had an idea in my head about what a runner was “supposed” to look like. And like many people, I also had an idea in my head about what “beauty” was. I didn’t realize that those ideas merged to shape a harmful norm that actually held me back from my true potential.
When I began to incorporate lifting into my training regimen, everything changed. I learned about nutrition, positive body image, and how to train smarter. This completely changed how I felt on race day. I changed my nutrition to low carb, high fat diet and I make sure I am constantly drinking water and incorporating electrolytes. The week leading up to my races, look the same. I eat the same things and I drink the same amount of liquid.
What have you found to be the most effective ways to recover while training?
FITAID, CrossFit, Compression pants, bubble baths, and massages.
How do you stay mentally tough throughout something as strenuous as a marathon?
For me I have had strong motivators. Sometimes they come from a place of pain and sometimes they come from great happiness. It also gives me time to reflect.
What is your favorite part of the marathon training process?
My favorite part of the marathon training process is when I hit my second wind and I feel like I am flying and when I get to do a fun endurance CrossFit workout.
Do you plan on reaching anymore marathon milestones?
I would love to break 3 hours and participate in the World Marathon Challenge.
