Entering my 4th year as a GRAMbassador (and my 3rd year running Grandma’s), I knew this topic was one I wanted to blog about.
I ran my first marathon in 2005 in my early 20s. Fast forward 9 years and I had my first kid. I was either pregnant or nursing for basically 4 years and running took a back seat to survival (and sometimes still does). I ran and lifted when I could and still didn’t feel like me. I STILL haven’t gotten back to feeling fully like me, but every workout helps.
Between being a full time Veterinarian and a mom to 3 kids under 12 (which, at one point were 3 under 4 😂), training for multiple marathons a year has become tough. Getting ANY time to myself is tough. My motto? GIVE YOURSELF SOME GRACE. (That and “this is only a season”).
Doing something is always better than doing nothing. If I sleep in because I’m exhausted and miss a workout? I pivot. The name of the game is flexibility (this coming from someone who used to be chronically Type A) and accepting that I’m only human. I can only do so much- physically, mentally and emotionally. As distance runners, we love to push the boundaries of what we do. We expect nothing but the best from ourselves, but recognizing that our best changes daily is part of that grace. Similar to the Rule of Thirds mindset, as mentioned by Alexi Pappas in her book, “When you’re chasing a big goal, you’re supposed to feel good a third of the time, okay a third of the time, and crappy a third of the time…and if the ratio is roughly in that range, then you’re doing fine.”
What I CAN do varies by day- and it’s taken me years to accept that’s ok.
Did you have a “bad” run? Did your training not go as planned? Did you miss a workout or week? Did you get injured or sick? Give yourself some grace.
And don’t forget that forward is a pace.
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!