In February of 2021, Heather Pech tore a portion of her plantar fascia and it took until September 2021 before she could run again. It was a physically and emotionally exhausting journey. It was 1.5 years since her last race and 3 years since she toed the line at Boston.

"I started to run 3 or 4 weeks before and just had so much gratitude. Pure, unalloyed delight that I could run. I wanted to Forest Gump. I wanted to run all day. Everywhere. Fast. I ran 3 or 4 workouts leading into Boston that were the fastest of my life. I had been deprived of running and was rediscovering the possibility. I stepped into the Boston corral with confidence I was whole, calmness that I didn't have anything to prove, overwhelming gratitude, and hope from a conversation with coach James McKirdy. And that's kind of powerful stuff!"

Heather ran 3:03:47 this year at age 60, setting the Age Group course record, breaking the GOAT Joan Benoit Samuelson's previous mark. Her Age Grade Score is 99.88%, which equates to a 2:15 Marathon! Mind. Officially. Blown.

Heather is now a 4-time Boston Marathon Age Division winner!

We Discuss:

-the influence of her dad—how he is still out there racing with her and how Heather can feel his presence and has seen him fly by on runs

-the role Heather's family plays, what it means to have them out there on the course in Boston cheering and supporting

-her team that keeps her healthy

-how being coached by James McKirdy has freed her up as an athlete to be her best

-the advice she gives to her athletes and how they kept her going when she was sidelined with injury: "Anything is possible if you commit, if you are relentless in the pursuit. We limit ourselves. If you think about who you want to be and take action, make choices, stay curious, and fearless, and are open to the possibilities... well, then we can truly find our best!"

-nutrition and fueling—how making big changes with UCAN has been a game-changer

-what's next... chasing more AR's and WR's.

I'm so INSPIRED by Heather's running journey and all the great nuggets she shared! I hope you all enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

If you enjoy the episode, it would mean the world to me if you would rate the podcast or write a review and share feedback wherever you get your podcast groove on.

Connect With Heather:

Instagram: @heatherpech

Connect With Ron:

Personal Instagram: @ronrunsnyc

Podcast Instagram: @runchats_with_ronrunsnyc

Facebook: https://fb.me/runchats

Website: https://ronrunsnyc.com

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© 2022 Ron Romano