Mar 26, 2020 | Apparel, Community, Newsletter, Testimonial, Training Advice, Uncategorized
By Kyle Genaro Phillips
March 2020 will forever be etched in our memories. Over the course of the last fourteen days, our global community came to a grinding halt. There are a number of different personal responses, to include, denial, panic, and hopelessness against the backdrop of something that we collectively do not have a firm grasp or understand. I have taken a moment to reflect on what this experience means to me during a period that Winston Churchill aptly phrased as the “end of the beginning.”
Readiness is something that is dogmatic in the Marine Corps ethos. As a battalion commander at the School of Infantry for two years, we constantly preached “readiness” to our newly minted Marines. The refrain went something like this: “the time to prepare for combat is not when you are on the precipice of conflict. Train every day like it’s your last to prepare for war.” Readiness was the mantra. Be ready. Study, be physically fit, prepare your family for the possibility of deploying for combat. Since September 2001, our military has rightfully seen the benefits and consequences of our state of readiness.
The current global pandemic has provided an opportunity for all of us to take inventory of our personal state of readiness. What is our readiness – physically, financially, and spiritually for the unknown challenges that we will face in the future? The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated in a clear fashion that our physical readiness may have a very real impact on our individual ability to be resilient in the face of unknown health crises. Do we exercise? Do we smoke? Are we eating healthy meals? Do we get adequate sleep in order to maintain the best and healthiest version of ourselves? Physical readiness is not something that we can flip a switch, take a pill, or order from Amazon. Physical readiness takes discipline, teamwork, and dedication to the process to ensure our individual well-being. While it’s never too late to start, we have a finite ability to improve our physical conditioning. Don’t delay.
The current crisis has also demonstrated the necessity of financial readiness. Everyone in some way has been impacted financially by the outbreak of the coronavirus. Financial planners have often preached that we should have 6 month’s salary saved for emergencies. Additionally, are we disciplined to keep our debt to income ratio low so that we have credit when we need credit. Our individual financial resiliency contributes to the overall financial resiliency of our community and country. While we may not be able to immediately change our financial position in the light of the current volatile environment, at some point we will be back to a stable economy where we must balance our current needs and wants with the necessity to build economic resiliency through savings and low debt.
Finally, our spiritual readiness is critically important. What is the status of our relationships, both personally and professionally? Do we have a firm spiritual base to weather the rough seas that undoubtably will present themselves in our life? Do we have a loving relationship with our family and those closest to us? This we can change. Be kind. Show empathy. The individual positivity displayed in the face of extreme circumstances has the same exponential effect as the viral crisis we face today. Our spiritual readiness must be constantly nurtured. In hard times, spiritual resiliency is perhaps the hardest to muster in the absence of a lifelong commitment to fostering a foundation upon which to build.
Readiness is critical to our individual and collective achievements. Let us all reflect on where we are now, physically, financially, and spiritually. We all can improve. Let us be accountable for ourselves with the support of our friends and community. The current crisis will pass. Resist the urge to just “get back to normal.” Together we can work for a better normal. Through our disciplined approach to our personal readiness we will persevere. Start now.
(Kyle G. Phillips is an active duty Marine with nearly 22 years of service. The views presented are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of DoD, DON, or the Marine Corps.)
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Feb 4, 2020 | Community, Newsletter, Testimonial
By: Coach Tom Clifford
(Wimington, NC)
Three exceptional women from Without Limits, Brittany Perkins, Peyton Thomas, and Erin Hogston all qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials which will be held on February 29th, 2020 in Atlanta Georgia.
BRITTANY PERKINS (30): Mother of Ruby Perkins, Wife to Matt Perkins and Works at Live Oak Bank as a Loan Operations Specialist
ERIN HOGSTON (39): Mother to Levi and Wyatte Hogston, Wife to Chad Hogston. Erin also works as a Real Estate Agent.
PEYTON THOMAS (24): Currently enrolled as a PhD candidate at UNCW in Marine Biology.
Brittany (left) Peyton (Center) Erin (Right)
It all started after the 2018 Boston Marathon when horrible weather conditions at the event meant exceptionally challenging racing conditions allowing American men and women to place abnormally high compared to the international athletes who typically dominate the field. I received a call from both Brittany and Erin, who had recently run 2:53 (Erin) and 2:54 (Brittany) at the NHRMC Wilmington Marathon just a few weeks before. Both were inspired seeing Desiree Linden win the race and several American men/women and masters runners place in the top 10. All 3 of us met and went over what it would take to run under 2:45 to qualify for the US Olympic trials (also known as an Olympic Trials Qualifier or OTQ). I said to them, “you are both talented, and this will be a process, but with hard work, dedication and WORKING TOGETHER, it is possible.”
Brittany and Erin committed to their goal. Equally as important, their husbands were also on board. Family support is a huge part of achieving such a challenging endeavor as an OTQ! Brittany and Erin are committed spouses and mothers, so a significant aspect of the discussion was ensuring the sacrifices that were about to face did not negatively affect their families.
The goal race was Houston, January 2019. We had 9 months.
Erin (38 years old at the time) was going to need to drop 8:30 off her best marathon time and Brittany (29 at the time) was going to need to drop 10 minutes off her best marathon time. Significant goals for any marathoner, let alone runners who already posted sub-3 hour marathons.
As the first week in October approached, we kicked off the training program with the Run for the Ta Tas 5K. Both ladies ran impressive 5K times but it also signaled the reality that we had a lot of work to do. The hot, humid early fall made for difficult racing and training and we needed some cool weather. In the middle of the training cycle, Brittany ran a 5:30 pace at the Richmond 8K which was a huge confidence booster. However, Brittany injured her hamstring which turned out to be a nagging injury for several weeks in the training. Erin sprained her ankle earlier that August and she had to back off training for 5 weeks in the middle of the training schedule. Both athletes were going into unknown territory. Neither of them had raced even a half marathon under 6:20s, so now having to do it over 26.2 was daunting. Knowing that they had some obstacles in the first training plan with unexpected injuries was also nerve wracking.
We decided we would do an all women’s half marathon in early December. Most of the race was on gravel. Brittany had major digestive issues and Erin’s ankle was just not in the best shape even though she had hit some decent workouts. We got Erin on the Alter G for a few weeks but almost threw in the towel on Houston all together. I didn’t want her to race if she was going to injure herself more or run slower than her last marathon.
Brittany Perkins
Finally we get to race day in Houston 2019. Brittany pulled off an unbelievable race and hit her OTQ in 2:44:15. She took 10 minutes off her best time. The biggest lesson for her was how much benefit she received from resting in the middle of training. The recovery played a key role even though she had some nagging pain in her hammy. Erin ran a 2:48:40 which was a 6 minute PR. Even though she was disappointed, she really took it in perspective and saw her opportunity for improvement. I honestly knew it was a long shot for both girls to take so much time off their previous marathon, but they raced up to their potential and we were all proud of that!
ALONG CAME PEYTON THOMAS AND LET’S NOT FORGET ABOUT ANN MARIE PIERCE
After Brittany got her time, now it was Erin’s decision on whether she was going to spend the next year training for another opportunity to OTQ. Along came Peyton Thomas, a Baylor University Graduate that began the PhD Program for Marine Biology at UNCW. In March 2019, Peyton ran the NHRMC Wilmington HALF Marathon in a blazing 1:15:20, only 2:20 off the A-Standard for the Olympic Marathon standard (in the half). After she ran that, she decided to go for the OTQ in the Full Marathon at California International Marathon (CIM) in December 2019. Ann Marie Pierce won the NHRMC Wilmington FULL in 2:48, motivating her as well to try to qualify. However for Ann Marie, she was blessed with getting pregnant, postponing her OTQ. With a new beautiful baby boy, Ann Marie will have to look to 2024:)
MOVING FORWARD TO CIM
A group of us began training for CIM in December. Erin and Peyton were our two elite women going for the OTQ. CIM markets and sets their race up for men and women to get the O
Peyton Thomas
TQ standard – if you are close, you have a great chance. Between summer and fall, Erin battled a TFL injury. This is a girl who rarely gets injured, but that first marathon cycle was hard on her body. She learned her weaknesses and worked on them all summer, but it was mentally tough trying to get back in shape. I encouraged her and promised her that if she kept her drive, confidence, and grit and just kept believing in the process, she would achieve her goal. It is super difficult training here in Southeastern NC. Dewpoints keep temps and heat indices in the 90-100 degree marker, so we had to think outside the box for our summer build.
CALIFORNIA INTERNATIONAL MARATHON
CIM weekend came, and it was like a bunch of caged animals – motivated, confident and ready to run fast. We were psyched! It was abnormally humid in California that day so hydration was going to be an issue. PEYTON QUALIFIED! In her first attempt, Peyton dropped a 2:42 and puked at the finish line. Peyton has so much more to give and I am so excited to see what she can do in Atlanta. Peyton is a full time student right now, so here “career” is still ahead of her. We are excited for Peyton. Erin came out just short at CIM. She ran a 2:46:30, another PR but not enough to qualify. Erin ran a hell of a race, however she started a little fast and she had a few issues with her nutrition at the water bottle tables.
THE NEXT 6 WEEKS
The flight home was time to reflect and time to think. I watched a hockey special about the Detroit Red Wings. It was all about the Russian 5 and how it took years to build up that team. When they should have won, they lost, but never gave up…then won 2 Stanley Cups in a row. THE LESSON? STAY IN THE GAME, WHEN YOU THINK IT’S OVER YOU ARE PROBABLY ON THE VERGE OF A BREAKTHROUGH!
Erin Hogston
I knew Erin could do it and she had nothing to lose if she decided to attempt the race again in Houston 2020. It was 6 weeks away. The most pressing question was how do you recover, build and taper AGAIN. Well, its tricky. We did a lot of research and talking. We began chipping away at workouts and communicating daily to see how everything was feeling. After 2 weeks, Erin decided she was going to try. She bought her flights and paid her entry. She had the CIM Marathon in her body as a big boost in fitness, and she had to be reminded that she was as fit as ever RIGHT NOW! We did some key workouts and 2 major semi long runs. She crushed everything, it was just enough but not too much. She had to be mentally and spiritually ready…….well……
HOUSTON 2020
Erin is on her way to Houston. She went alone, and we all had to bite our tongue because her husband Chad Hogston decided to show up Saturday before the race to surprise her with his support. That might have just been the icing on the cake……She executed a perfect race! Started out just as we planned and finished with a bang! 2:44:28. What an amazing story from a girl who grew up sprinter, and was a 400 meter hurdler at UNCW.
We are proud of all of our athletes at Without Limits. There is no question that TEAM and SUFFERING TOGETHER is the reason for success. Every day, we see regular people, husbands, wives, business owners, beginners, nurses, doctors, teachers, people who grew up foreign to running GET OUT THERE AND TRY! These ladies all started by TRYING and putting themselves and their goals publicly out there. If you are afraid of your goal, know that it might just be worth setting. You can’t put a timeline on it, just keep seeking it! Why not….you create your own reality of what you want to do. Ask God for guidance and strength and to give you the wisdom to take the right paths on your journey. If you do this…… You are WITHOUT LIMITS!
- This article was written by Coach Tom Clifford and edited by Kyle Phillips
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Jun 25, 2019 | Community, Newsletter, Training Advice, Uncategorized
By:Lieutenant Colonel Kyle Phillips
There is a perception of isolation and loneliness with endurance sports. Competing in marathon, triathlon, and ultra running seems a wholly individual endeavor to an outsider. There is only one way to reach the finish line. Keep moving. Perhaps the segment in the Movie Forest Gump is responsible for perpetuating the theme of the endurance athlete as a loner. Almost mindlessly continuing the physical struggle with no other purpose than to run. The San Francisco Marathon confronted this premise of the introverted martyr in a blog in 2016 entitled “The Loneliness of the Distance Runner (Is a Myth).” Taking a closer look at endurance sports, especially at the amateur level, reinforces the importance of the “team” and dispels the idea of the “loner” athlete.
The reality of endurance racing is success requires surrounding yourself with a solid team. Training (and racing) with teammates involves two very different forms of performance growth. The first is accountability and the second is selflessness.
Easily recognized and the more obvious, accountability involves the real or perceived feeling of personal responsibility to a task. 4:30 am wake ups for a long run with pace work when it is 30 degrees outside? Being accountable to your team and training partners provides the motivation to show up and perform even in the most difficult circumstances. Accountability allows athletes to hit their goal paces on those hot, humid, track workouts in the dead of summer. Your teammates (or Strava) will hold you accountable without even saying a word. It is the attachment to the team and the individual and collective goals that accelerate this feeling of accountability.
There is a second aspect of a close team relationship that leads to performance growth. Focusing on your teammates instead of yourself can actually increase your own performance. Kiera Carter’s article in Runner’s World, “The Science Behind How Sportsmanship Helped Desiree Linden Win Boston” describes the psychological aspects of dissociative thinking. When Desiree Linden, who went on to win the 2018 Boston Marathon, stopped to wait for Shalane Flanagan for a 13 second bathroom break, Linden did so out of an act of selflessness and bond toward 
her friend. Dissociative thinking “essentially means Linden may have stopped thinking about how much the race sucked and started thinking beyond the pain.” The article continues that, “’associative thinking means you’re thinking about performance like evaluating your form and tracking your pace…’ when Linden shifted her focus from wanting to win the race to wanting to help Flanagan, she switched to dissociative thinking, which can reduce the perception of fatigue…” Carter’s article describes the brain’s release of endorphins, serotonin and dopamine when you help somebody. Additionally, your brain also releases oxytocin when there is a strong bond with someone. Put simply, helping others out can make you feel and perform better. Being a good teammate is good for your friends and yourself in reaching your goals.
In addition to the very real performance enhancement that accompanies connection to a team, there is the additional aspect that goals are simply more meaningful when accomplished with others. In the book, “The Push: A Climber’s Search for the Path” Tommy Caldwell was almost within reach of his goal when he describes turning back to help his teammate. Despite the risk of failing in his attempt to free up the Dawn Wall in Yosemite’s El Capitan, he circled back to a section of the wall where teammate and friend Kevin Jorgeson was stuck. The motivation? Caldwell sums it up in his book. “I want it, but I want to do it with him.” After returning to Jorgeson, both eventually successfully completed the climb, making the incredible endeavor undeniably more meaningful, as well as personally and professionally fulfilling.
So as the summer heat may be pushing the motivation out of you…remember, be a good teammate and allow others to reciprocate. Helping others, and having your teammates help you, may go a long way for everyone to reach their goals.
http://www.thesfmarathon.com/blog/2016/02/22/the-loneliness-of-the-distance-runner/ (accessed June 21, 2018) “The loneliness of the Distance Runner (Is a Myth)” Contributed by Erin Garvey.
https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a19862759/sportsmanship-desiree-linden-boston-marathon/. “The Science Behind How Sportsmanship Helped Desiree Linden Win Boston” by Kiera Carter (Accessed June 18, 2019).
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Tommy Caldwell, “The Push: A climber’s Search for the path,” Penguin Books, NY, NY, 2017, page 317.
6 minute PR!
Parkway Subaru Battleship Half Marathon Expo November 2nd, and the NHRMC Wilmington Marathon Madness Expo and the Boston Marathon Expo next spring!
