Global adventurer Becky Wade jetted to Ethiopia following her third-place finish at the Houston Marathon. Now back stateside, Wade tells us about her most recent marathon, her move to Colorado, and what’s next. She is our January “Runner Box” Colorado Runner of the Month.
Becky, congrats on finishing third in 2:35 at the Houston Marathon! It looks like you split it almost dead even. Was 2:35 the goal then? And it wasn’t a PR, but I think it was your second-fastest marathon, so are you feeling pretty good with it?
Thank you! The humidity at Houston was right around 100% throughout the race, so that affected marathon times significantly. Based on my build-up, I felt primed for a PR (currently 2:30), but my coach Jim Bevan and I adjusted the race plan to match the conditions and to be more like a competition rather than a time trial. He wanted me to stay within a conservative range for the first 20 miles and then pick up as many places as I could. While it would have been fun to be rewarded with a fast time, I’m pleased with how the race shook out and thankful that I felt so controlled and joyful throughout the race.
You’ve been all over the world, how’d you land in Boulder? Are you able to run full-time, and what’s your favorite place to run in Boulder?
Of all the places I’ve been, Boulder is among the top in terms of trails and running community and sunshine, which are all huge to me. Having trained in Houston for 9 great years, after last summer’s track season, I felt magnetized by the mountains and hopeful from the summer I spent here in college that its beauty and energy would reinvigorate me after a tough 2016. My favorite places to run in Boulder are Davidson Mesa and Coal Creek, both of which are short jogs from where I live in Louisville.
Your 12 months abroad you ran 3,504 miles, so roughly 67 miles/week. How much more than that did you run in 2016, and what’d you average per week during the Houston training cycle?
My training structure during the year I traveled was a lot more flexible than ever before, given my frequent all-day travels and my desire to experience other running styles rather than prioritize my own. Since my return to the US and jump up to the marathon, I typically average 95-110 miles per week in a build-up, going as high as 120 in one cycle but staying closer to 100 for most of my Houston preparation. In 2016, I logged right around 4,000 miles (which reflects the shorter volume I carried while focusing on the steeplechase for half of the year).
Your book – Run the World – is about your year traveling the world and visiting runners. In the time since, have you returned to any of those places, or where do you really want to get back to?
Timely question! I’m actually back in Ethiopia right now, which filled Chapter 7 of RUN THE WORLD and which totally captured my heart when I lived and trained there for two months in 2012. I booked my tickets on a whim after Houston, and am having a blast reconnecting with the unique and refreshing running culture here while I transition from my post-marathon downtime to my next training cycle. Beyond East Africa, I’d honestly love to return everywhere I went, mostly to reunite with my awesome hosts and to roam around the different training groups I grew to love!
And what’s ahead for the rest of the year – steeplechase or another marathon?
I’m really excited about the roads right now—I’ve only done a few road races ever—so my current plan is to experiment with an assortment of distances on the pavement this spring and summer before I tackle another fall marathon. I definitely see myself as a marathoner long-term, but it’s important to me to become a better racer and to seek improvement in lots of different events.
What’s your favorite thing in the Runner Box?
What an awesome compilation and treat to return to. I must say that the item I’m most excited to try is Zest Tea. As a huge coffee and tea drinker, it seems like a neat middle ground between the two.
Thanks Becky, congrats and good luck the rest of the year! Follow Becky @bexwade89.
“Leave the research to us, and we’ll leave the training to you,” says Runner Box. The Runner Box is a subscription-based service that delivers a “box” of runner-friendly goodies to you every other month, items like gels, bars, and other accessories hand-picked to add to your running. Many items are new to the market, and new items are expected with each box. A great service for yourself, the boxes also make great gifts and are often themed around holidays.
Previous “The Runner Box” Colorado Runners of the Month:
December 16 – Zach Miller
November 16 – Sage Canaday
October 16 – Sarah Pizzo
September 16 – Clare Gallagher
July 16 – Addie Bracy
May 16 – Tabor Scholl
April 16 – Amanda Basham
February 16 – Alia Gray
November 15 – Ali Williams
October 15 – Neely Gracey
September 15 – Timmy Parr
August 15 – Andy Wacker
July 15 – Lanie Szuch
June 15 – Joe Gray
May 15 – Brittni Hutton
April 15 – Andy Rinne
March 15 – Justin Ricks
February 15 – Laura Thweatt