We’ve done it again, Coach AJ! Conquered the seemingly unconquerable. Having your expertise and training support has made all the difference in my athletic pursuits these past few years – starting with my first Ironman in 2016 to taking on my seventh marathon (on my seventh continent) in 2018. There are things I take into consideration now that weren’t even on my radar before, such as fueling, pacing, and heart rate zones. This last marathon was on the Inca Trail. If you weren’t on a steep uphill climb that maxed out your lung capacity, you were on a downhill descent that made your knees cry on account of the uneven and jagged stone path, all in high elevation. It was definitely the most challenging marathon I’ve ever had the satisfaction of finishing. Fellow racers agreed it was the hardest race they had faced – and these were folks who had done the Mt. Everest marathon, the South Pole marathon and plenty of ultra races. Just under half of the runners (44%) took two days to finish the race because they missed the cutoff time to make it into Machu Picchu before the Park closed. My only hope going into this race was to finish in one day. Thanks to Coach AJ’s coaching services, not only did I finish in one day, but I came in third place women’s! This race was a wonderful experience, thanks in great part to your bequeathed knowledge, training direction, and guidance. I couldn’t have asked for a better finale to my 11-year long quest to run a marathon on all seven continents.
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