After qualifying for my second Olympic Marathon Trials, I was trying to decide what success would mean for me in a year that so many runners had made the qualifying standard and eight years after I had ran them the last time. I had what I would call a perfect race for my last Trials, so trying to get that same result would be a big feat. The 2020 Olympic Trials were set for Atlanta, GA and it was no secret that the course was going to be a challenging one, so thinking that a personal best time on this course would be feasible was slightly questionable.

With working full time at my job, as a mom, and as a wife, I was looking for something that would help keep me motivated and excited to train for the marathon this time around. That is when the light came on and I reached out to Ann as I knew she not only would be a great motivator, supporter, and running buddy, I felt that I had the flexibility to try something new and mix up my training a bit.

I not only had Ann beside me in my early morning workouts at the track and around Charlottesville, I added another element into my training and incorporated a couple fitness classes a week at Formula. For me, I have often felt that I had to pick either running or strength training because of time constraints, but in one of my favorite classes at Formula, Equilibrium, I was able to incorporate both in one class! I used an Equilibrium class and a Flex class each week throughout my training cycle to get stronger as I knew I would need it not only in “Hillanta” but also in Charlottesville.

I may not have made it to the actual Olympics, but I now know that part of how I am defining my success in Atlanta was the enjoyment that I had while training with Ann and rocking out in the Formula classes with other Formula-goers pushing to better themselves while we were all sweating it out together.

Rachel “rocking out” in the Olympic Trials in Atlanta.