New Flyer Profile: MTP Runner Frieda E.

Frieda E

At age 7, I started swimming. Back then we were told that swimmers, because of their flat feet, cannot run. I swam competitively, on and off, until I moved to the Tri-State area in 2005. I soon realized that 50 meter and even 25 meter pools are not very common and often hard to get to, so I picked up salsa dancing and sailing with some occasional running in Liberty State Park.

In early 2009, a seasoned marathon runner friend of mine convinced me that if I could run six miles, then I could easily ramp up my training to run a half marathon and finish it in less than two hours. When I told my girlfriend about my running plans, she called me “slightly out of my mind,” but her boyfriend, a member of the Rotary Club of New York, instantly offered me a slot for the 2009 NYC Marathon in return for raising at least $3,000. My answer was: “Thank you, but I seriously think marathoners are crazy.”

Come the day of the half marathon (it was the final NYC Half that was held in the summer), and as predicted, I finished well under two hours. The following day, I contacted the Rotary Club: “If I can run a half, I might as well run a full. I will do only this one marathon, just to prove I can do it. Sign me up!”

I copied a program from the “Runner’s World” magazine; modified it from 16 to 11 weeks and reduced it to 3 to 4 times running per week. My marathon friend predicted: “Double your half marathon time and add about 10 minuntes; that’s what you are going to run.” He was right again. I finished well under 4 hours.

I Did It!

Of course, that was only the beginning. I got hooked like so many other fellow marathoners and was one of the first in line to enter the lottery for the 2010 NYC marathon. This time I joined a running club to improve my time. I finished the second marathon about 10 minutes faster than my first – and even qualified for Boston 2011.

I then signed up for the 2011 NYC marathon and stayed with the same running club. However, my plan didn't work to improve my time by another 10 minutes. I finished only one minute faster than the previous year. Even though I had qualified for Boston, I was more than disappointed. I attributed this to two facts: 1) In addition to running, I began competing in triathlons and together with the many NYRR races, for sure I had raced way too much; and 2) The running group made it very easy to “cheat” during workouts and never forced me to push beyond the limit.

At the Finish of the
Poconos Half Ironman

So it was time for a change. In the summer of 2012, my running friends Vicky, Andrew and I joined the NY Flyers Marathon Training Program (MTP). Suddenly it was all about VO2 max, speed-training on much shorter distances, and crazy long runs in the Palisades and across different bridges. The hardest thing? To convince my coaches that I would stick to my “not running more than 4 times a week” rule but nevertheless wanting to finish the marathon at least 10 min faster than the year before!

After Palisades Long Run
With Vicky and Andrew

To make it a bit easier, I signed up for Harrisburg, PA, as they advertised that it’s a ”fast flat course.” Little did I know. It is flat all the way up to mile 20. But then you have about 2 miles of short but really steep hills that hit you right when your energy level is at an absolute low…

At The Finish of the Harrisburg Marathon

But I did it. I finished – together with Vicky – almost 16 minutes faster than the year before! Three things are for sure:

1. Swimmers can run whether flat footed or not. 
2. I couldn’t have done it without the NY Flyers and especially not without my coach Neal. 
3. It’s ok to be crazy!

-Frieda E.