Runner Spotlight - Heather Caudill

My name is Heather Caudill and I became a runner in January 2011. I had always been active and loved exercising, especially cardio! I was growing tired of my fitness regimen. I was a mom to three daughters all under the age of 5 at the time. They were 4, 2 and 1. I was a stay at home mom and DESPERATELY needed a healthy outlet for stress.

Living in the Highlands, it seemed like everyone ran. I only ran as a means for conditioning for other sports. I didn’t like it but I never really gave it a chance either. Knowing people who ran, I learned about the Triple Crown. I love a good goal so I told my husband I was going to start running. His response was “But you don’t like to run.” I said, “I know, but the people I see running seem to enjoy it. They wouldn’t do it if they hated it.” Towards the end of January 2011, I gave myself a birthday (Jan 28) gift. I signed up for the Triple Crown AND the miniMarathon.

I seriously don’t think I’d ever run over a mile in my life! I told ya I love a good goal!!

I immediately started training having not a single clue what I was doing. I pulled out the only tennis shoes I had in my closet and they were years old. Again, totale newbie here! I gathered advice from friends, read articles and started out slow. I also began running with the KDF group on the weekends. After my first 5 miler, my knees were ON FIRE! I thought I’d never walk right, let alone run again. A nice gentleman asked me several questions and told me I needed to go see Jeff Wells at Fleet Feet Sports. The very next day, I went to Fleet Feet. I met Jeff and his staff. Rachel fitted me for my first real pair of running shoes. I got Mizuno Wave Riders, inserts and socks. (This is where my love affair with $15 socks began!) Jeff showed me how to love my muscles and invited me to training runs.

I healed up just enough the week of Anthem 5k. I went on to finish the series. I was running regularly with Fleet Feet and learning so much and meeting great folks! I completed the 13.1 that April and never felt so alive. Running was my favorite and still is today. I went on to work at Fleet Feet part time for 3 years while raising my young daughters. This gave me an incredible opportunity to really dive into the sport and soak up all the knowledge. In the past 9 years, I’ve completed countless races...several half marathons, 2 marathons, and a ten-hour endurance run where I completed 41 miles. My favorite racing distance is the 10k. I’m not a sprinter and this distance allows me to give some speed in combination with some distance.

I completed my third marathon in May, virtually! I was supposed to do the Flying Pig in Ohio but Covid, grrr! A great friend of mine made a route in Louisville. He ran 19 miles of it with me. I also had a handful of others that ran parts of the race with me too! I had family and friends that came out to cheer me on throughout the route. My husband and daughters drove around in the van for 4 plus hours giving me encouragement, water and oranges as needed. It was a challenge to complete but a “race” I definitely won’t forget!! 

My favorite thing about River City Races events is that it’s like a family reunion (the good kind!). I see all sorts of friendly faces and people with their partners, kids, etc. My oldest daughter, now 13, is a runner and we’ve done MANY RC races together. I have precious memories of her racing as young as 6 in the Grand Prix series.

Running changes everything and it surely did for me. No matter where you are in your fitness journey, you can be a runner. It’s not about pace, it’s about showing up, time and time again. You get injured or get in a funk? No problem! Listen to your body and running will be right there when you’re ready. Hope to see you all at the next River City race when it’s safe!!

Runner Spotlight - Rose Scovel

I was that kid who went out of her way to try not to participate in field day or gym class (unless we were swimming). I wasn't ever chosen for playground games and usually hung out with a few others or read during recess. Sure, I took gymnastics lessons, dance, and was even on a t-ball team for a season, but they weren't my strong suit. And by the time I was a teen marching band was my physical activity. In college it was just getting to/from class. By the time I was in my first year of marriage I was cleaning my house and baking on weekends while my husband worked. While I had always been large, I was putting on weight. And at age 32 I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. I knew something needed to change. I started walking 20 min a day on a treadmill we had bought when a regional chain store was bought out. I also changed how I ate. After a few months a friend challenged me to walk a 3-mile Halloween race. I was very hesitant, but did it and fell in love. Later that fall another friend challenged me to a half marathon. I had no idea a love affair was about to begin. I love half marathons. They're still my favorite distance and the one I run the most.

Over time walking became slow running. I added biking to participate in the ADA TourdeCure. Then I was challenged to a sprint triathlon. Sure! Why not? Nothing came easy and I had so much to learn. I was working so hard just to finish at the very back of the pack. I was struggling to manage my blood sugar because the medication wasn't right for someone at my level of activity. Over time I started working with a sport dietitian. I got my fueling under control (mostly) and had fewer DNFs (yeah I still do sometimes). After 10 years I was able to get off diabetes medicines and manage only with diet and exercise. My blood sugar isn't "normal" but is in the pre-diabetes range and where it was medicated several years ago. In 2014 I decided to start working with a coach. For real. And not just any coach...the coach to the fast people. This meant I was constantly training "with" the really fast people in Indy. I am still almost always at the bottom of the team race results despite tremendous progress. But training with them makes me a better runner.

I also decided somewhere along the line that I wanted to be an Ironman. It took three years of training, but in 2018 at Ironman Louisville I became one. It is the hardest and most rewarding thing I have ever done. I'm currently training for Ironman Wisconsin. And even with racing on hold I continue to train, and train hard, because when racing is ready for me I want to be ready to race.

Rose is a Masters Athena triathlete living and training in Indianapolis. When not playing runner/triathlete she is a community planner. She has finished 79 half marathons and 11 full marathons. Her half marathon personal best is 2:14:31 and her marathon personal best is 5:16:29. She runs with Personal Best Training with Coach Matt Ebersole and swims with Speed Factory Racing with Coach Sean Edwards. Her husband David is a cyclist and yogi who is a professional geologist when not training, cooking, or taking care of their home.

Runner Spotlight - Karen Brady

Something that I have discovered within the running community is that people come to running for different reasons at different points in their lives.  I was not a runner in high school.  Nor did I compete in college (in fact, I was a non-traditional student...went to college later in life, worked full-time, went to school part-time, graduated at the top of my class with two degrees).  And while I did participate in sports as a kid, I wasn’t the “sporty” child in my family (that honor would have gone to my sister, Karla).  I tried basketball for a couple of years, but I was definitely vertically challenged when it came to that sport.  And I might have often forgotten to dribble the ball if (and it was rare) it was passed to me.  I played softball mostly, and was an all-star catcher.  It was one sport that I was really good at...but the whole hitting and running the bases part was my least favorite thing.  I was content just to squat down behind home plate and catch the fast-pitch balls the batters missed...and occasionally dodge an aluminum bat that was thrown out of excitement of scoring a hit.  When softball stopped being a fun sport for me, I gave karate a try.  And I loved the martial arts.  No running required.

That being said, I had some knowledge of people going for runs and running races while I was growing up.  My grandpa took up running in his 50s and continued to run up until he had to stop, around the age of 90.  Whether we were visiting him in Minnesota, or he was visiting us in New York, he never would miss his daily run.  He’s raced various distances, including the Berlin Marathon back when German and Berlin were still divided.  So, it only seemed appropriate that when he had to stop running...I picked it up.

I remember a lot of my friends being into running and posting about it on early social media channels.  I insisted that I never could be a runner because my knees were bad after a bad car accident while I was in Ireland in 2003.  But, one day, while walking around the tiny track at the Floyd County YMCA, I just got bored and told my roommate, Cathy, that I was going to “try” running.  She said that if I could run 3 miles in 30 minutes, I could sign up for a 5K race.  I managed it (barely) and ended up signing up to run a 5K in Cherokee Park in April 2011.  I had NEVER run outside at this point.  All of my runs were done at the gym, either on the small track or on the treadmill.  So, my first outdoor race and first 5K I went in with one goal...to finish without walking.

I managed just that and I was hooked.  I ran close to a 10 minute mile...and probably died a lot on those crazy Cherokee Park hills.  But I loved it.  And from there on, I made it a point to run outside more than inside, if possible.  I became hooked on 5K races, finding one to run pretty much every weekend and even starting to place in my age group. My times were steadily improving...so a friend of mine suggested I take on a half marathon.  I knew from all the running books I had read that this would require some sort of training plan, so I found an app that guided me through basic mileage building up to a half marathon.  I ran my first half marathon, the Chicago Half Marathon, on September 11, 2011.  It took me a couple more years to decide to finally take on my first marathon.  I chose the 2013 Chicago Marathon.  I had a great day...and even snagged a Boston Qualifying time with a buffer of over 7 minutes.  

I discovered that I loved the marathon distance and started running them as often as I could in as many different places as I could.  I was a Marathon Maniac by January 2014.  But, if you know me, you all know that my Boston Marathon in 2015 didn’t go as planned.  Three days before leaving for Boston, after months of physical therapy for hip pain, I was finally diagnosed with a hip labrum tear.  My doctor said that I couldn’t make the injury worse by going to Boston...so I did.  It was the most painful, longest, hardest race I have ever run...and it took me awhile to acknowledge what a feat it was to get from that start line to the finish line on zero training.

The come back from that was long and tedious and it showed me just how important running was in my life.  A few more setbacks happened, but my comeback was one that taught me to never take any run for granted.  With the help of amazing medical professionals, some very patient physical therapists, and some great running coaches, I have had a much smoother, and less injury-prone return to running.

This year, my big race was going to be my fourth star in the Abbott World Majors – the Berlin Marathon.  As of right now, that race has been postponed/cancelled...and no information has been passed on by the race at this time about what will be offered to the runners who were registered.  With the uncertainty of this race season, I’ve been simply focusing on building my base and having fun while on the run.

That being said, I am going to be heading back to Boston in 2021 for what will hopefully be a much better experience on that course!

Favorite distance?  I adore the marathon, but after trying to run 8 marathons in one year, I've painfully learned that one or two a year is my sweet spot.  So, I've learned to also love the half-marathon, because I can race those all out or just kick back and enjoy as a fun run.  There's also such a wide variety of half marathons available, even locally, so they're a lot easier for me to do on a regular basis.

Running advice?  Listen to your body, don't punish it.  Running can be serious, but never lose the fun, free aspect of it.  If you're pushing yourself beyond your limits just because you feel that's what you have to do, maybe you should slow down just a bit and reassess your relationship with the sport.  Running should be freeing, not a prison.  You should love the run, not dread it.  

Why River City Race events?  Because there's such a wide variety of races, and since they're local to me, I get to see a bunch of my friends who are a part of the great local running community!

Anything else you'd like to share?  We are currently living in strange times, where training and racing together is not an option.  With a majority of spring races canceled and the fall ones in question...motivation may be at a bit of a low.  Not to mention, with everything being thrown at us in the media, anxiety and stress may be at an all-time high.  And a lot of us are so accustomed to running with others, that now taking on solo long runs could seem daunting. Remember to not let your running become a point of stress.  Now is not the time to hit PR times, but to pull back on intensity (and perhaps distance), and focus more on keeping the body and mind healthy (let’s face it, if we don’t need to see a doctor or go to the hospital, the better off we are regardless). Save those PRs for those future (non-virtual) races, but keep pushing yourself to be better in the sport, whatever that may look like for you at this moment.  Running isn’t cancelled...we all just have to adjust some goals for the time being. 

Runner Spotlight - Alison Cuyjet

My running story:

I came to running a bit later in life. I wasn’t terribly athletic growing up, but I swam and played basketball and soccer (not well) and was somewhat decent at tennis. Running for its own sake was never really on my radar, though. After I finished grad school, I was working a job I didn’t like, and I was struggling with feeling overwhelmed by all of the changes I wanted to make in my life. I somehow latched on to the idea of training for a 5K as a way to teach myself that I could do something small each day and it would eventually build itself into something bigger. So I began Couch to 5K, and after a couple of false starts, I finished my first 5K shortly after I turned 33. I kept at it, and now it’s a part of my daily life that I can’t imagine being without.

Favorite distance:

I have a love/hate relationship with the marathon. I’ve done seven so far, and each one was terrible and wonderful in its own way. They’re difficult and long and miserable in parts, but there’s nothing like that euphoric, exhausted feeling you get when you’ve crossed the finish line and it’s finally over.

Do you have any running/walking advice you'd like to offer?:

Be consistent! Find your reason for lacing up your shoes and getting your miles in, even when you’d rather not. I know that it’s difficult right now to stay motivated, but I’ve found it helpful to pick a training plan and stick to it, even if for now there’s no goal race at the end.

Why do you like running River City Races events?

I love showing up early on a Saturday morning and knowing that I’ll see a ton of familiar faces at the start line. This city’s got a great running community, and I miss all of you! My parents and sister are also frequent participants, and it’s great to do something active together as a family.

Anything else you'd like to share?

I’m a big trivia buff, and I was fortunate enough to appear on Jeopardy! In late February. One of my favorite moments from that experience was correctly answering a clue about the Boston Marathon. I haven’t run that one yet, but maybe someday!

Runner Spotlight - Pete Stavros

I got into running, some might say, a little late in life, at least as runners go. I was in my 30’s (albeit a “youngish” 30’s). Before then, the mere mention of running – in PE class, tennis team practice, catching a bus, just whenever – was enough to make me want to retch and run the other way (ironic much?). But when I moved to Louisville, nearly twenty-five years ago now, some dear friends tricked me, I mean, introduced me to the Triple Crown races, and I’ve been hooked ever since.

My go-to distance is the 10K – it’s long enough to get my heart rate up, my blood pumping, the sweat flowing, but not so long where I don’t feel like doing anything else for the rest of the day. Aside from various other races (I have my favorites, like the Polar Bear Grand Prix, which makes me run outside in the winter), I run at least two half-marathons a year – one in the spring and one in the fall. I used to run two marathons a year, but life, as it often does, got in the way. My advice is to go to a running shop and have someone who knows what they’re doing fit you with a good pair of running shoes (even if it’s a brand you’ve never heard of and it’s weird to pronounce and the price is a little, um, pricey). Some blister-free socks are nice too. Also, during a race, if you see the race photographer, act like you feel incredible (whether you actually do or not) – and maybe smile.  

I like the variety of races you get with River City Races, and I was stoked when they brought back the Downtown Doubler (now if they would only bring back the Downtown Doubler coffee mug – remember that?). Plus, I’m a sucker for BIG medals, and racing series, so they had me with Run the 502. Besides that, though, I have found that I can trust their races – they are always well run (pun, yes, intended) and organized, and their volunteers are friendly and helpful and right there with the little cups of water. And I have yet to get lost on the course of an RCR-managed race – which, sadly, I cannot say for other races (and, yes, I am serious).

Running has also saved my life – well, running and some really, really, really smart doctors (did I mention they were smart?). Several years ago, I was struck down by a particular gnarly case of ulcerative colitis. It sidelined me for a good year (not necessarily a “good” year, but you know what I mean). Throughout my surgeries, and hospital stays, and convalescence, one of my incentives to get well was the desire to be able to run again. (It was s-o-o-o-o-o difficult for me to watch the televised coverage of the Mini from a medical supply store lift chair.) I used the race BIBs that I have hanging in our exercise room as motivation (plus they covered the cracks in the wall).

As luck (or, really, unluck) would have it, my wife has had her own issues with colitis. Through the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, we’ve been active in Team Challenge, the endurance racing arm of the organization, participating in half-marathons across the country to raise money for, and awareness of, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD for short – and sorta less gross). Although my wife has since moved on to cycling for Team Challenge (she has a need for speed), my experience has shown me firsthand the benefits that running (and, ugh, cycling) can have on a person, both physically, and mentally.

Running for me is much more than medals and BIBs and t-shirts and swag (not you, Swag), and it’s not just a form of exercise either (although that’s a thing too). What I like about running is that it’s a way to connect with people you might not otherwise meet who share a common interest, whether at a charity 5K or in the corrals at the start of a race or on a training run around the Cherokee Loop (which is one of my favorite places to run, especially if I see my deer friend). And it allows me to clear my head, and let go of the stresses and anxieties of the day. I’ve had some of my best thoughts and brightest ideas while out on a run (Heck, I wrote this on the treadmill!).

Which brings me to these uncertain times we are currently living in. Running is providing me with some stability, some normalcy. With everything else that is happening, what I can still count on is that my running shoes (the ones the person at the running shop recommended) will be dutifully waiting for me by the front door, ready at a moment’s notice to help whisk me away from all of this craziness, even if only temporarily. I am extremely grateful that I’m healthy and able to run!

While I might’ve lost a step (or two, or three, or whatever – who’s counting anyway, geez!) and my black toenails will forever dissuade me from going barefoot in public (unless maybe on a dare), my passion for running has never wavered, though my priorities might have shifted somewhat. I have found that I’m not so much interested in chasing PR’s anymore as I am in simply completing the course that is set before me, following the journey, enjoying the occasion, and appreciating whatever sights and scenery I happen by (although, truth be told, to occasionally place in my age group is always freakin’ awesome!).