“Consistency is one of the biggest factors in leading to accomplishment and success.” —Byron Pulsifer
21 marathons. Every single one I worked for. Was I always motivated? Absolutely not. Was I consistent? To be successful, you bet I was.
Training doesn’t have to be perfect. It never is. Life happens- you get sick. You get injured. Your work schedule changes. Your family member gets sick. You have external stressors altering your ability to function. You do what you can, when you can.
Have I always been consistent? No. The last few years have been especially difficult and I’m working on that come back.
How can you get consistent?
Just do it! Work on doing SOMETHING every day. 5 minutes of core, a 10 minute walk, anything. You can build from there. Doing something is ALWAYS better than doing nothing.
How do I set myself up for success? I have my workout set up the night before (Peloton classes loaded in my stack, run plan set for the training cycle with strength included). I set myself clothes out the night before. I set 6 alarms (yup- that’s been a “since I had kids” thing). I also schedule in REST DAYS- and I’m not afraid to swap days around if I need to.
Don’t feel like running? Tell yourself you’ll go for 10 minutes. Odds are you’ll get in a groove. And if not? 10 minutes is less than 1% of your day.
Pick one thing and stick with it. “All Or Nothing” isn’t helpful for me. And I will start over as many times as needed. Progress isn’t linear.
Small goals combine to create big ones.
You got this!
Carrie Rodman
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Favorite Grandma’s Memory: All of these are interconnected, as the Grandma’s Weekend Experience does not exist in a vacuum! My first Grandma’s Marathon experience was in 2008, when I was fortunate to run this gorgeous race with my Dad as my 3rd marathon. We crossed the finish line together in 5:34:19. We went on to run another handful of marathons together, but unfortunately my Dad had health issues creep up 5 years ago and walking is tough, let alone running.
In June of 2023, I was part of your injured GRAMbassador Cheer Squad at Mile 26 due to a stress fracture in my heel! While I didn’t get to run, I did get to participate in race weekend, cheer on all the runners as they headed into the final stretch, and had a blast!
In June of 2024, I ran Grandma’s as my 17th marathon and my comeback race following a 1 year hiatus due to said stress fracture. I was beyond thrilled to run a 4:39:12 (a post-3 kids PR)! Seeing my friends cheering their hearts out for me at Mile 26- almost exactly where I was cheering for them a year prior while in a boot- was the best! The entire weekend was unforgettable, from the expo and travel with a friend from California, to the girls’ weekend, post-race Vitta Pizza and bar hopping, it was unforgettable!
Grandma’s 2025 was a challenge thanks to life, the humidity and the weather, but THE best girls’ weekend ever! Seeing my friends along the course- especially from mile 24 to the end- were the boost I needed to get through it!
Quote that guides, inspires, or embodies your training, racing, or life: “It is what it is, wasn’t meant to happen any other way.” -Judah & The Lion
Reason you absolutely won’t run outside: COLD rain. I’m a summer-loving runner- bring on the sunshine, heat and humidity! Warm rain in Summer is fine but I hate being cold (meaning 2024 Grandma’s was a challenge).
2026 running goal: For 2026, all I ask (though it seems to be a lofty request) is to get through the season UNINJURED!
Three words to describe your training, racing, or life: CHAOTIC YET FLEXIBLE
Advice to other runners: Be where your feet are. Focus on where YOU are, not where someone else is- that applies to both training and racing. Where you are NOW won’t be where you always are. You got this!