The Right Fits: Interview with an Elite: Elizabeth Turner

I have a special treat for you today- an interview with elite runner Elizabeth (Liz) Turner!

Liz at the finish line of the Boston Marathon 2013

I met Liz through the Calhoun Beach Running Club, though she races with the Twin Cities Track Club and is part of the Saucony Hurricane elite team. She recently moved here from New Mexico, and she is such an enthusiastic and inspirational addition to the Minneapolis running community. She's friendly to all the runners in our club. At any given race in the Twin Cities, if she's not racing, you know she will be cheering with some cowbell on the sidelines!

Liz racing as a turkey last Thanksgiving

On to the interview! Here are some basic stats about Liz:

Marathon PR: 2:50:12

Half- marathon PR: 1:19:04

Hometown: York, Maine

Occupation: Dentist

Education: Colby College, Tufts University, University of New Mexico

When did you get into running? Have you been running your whole life? What motivated you to start?

Sadly, I didn’t do any sports growing up. I was very shy and scared to get involved with anything, especially sports since I’m not really athletic. I joined the track team my freshman year of high school as a sprinter, which is probably the thing I’m worst at! The distance coach swooped in and put me on the 4x800m relay team. It was the first time I’d ever felt a part of something, and it was incredible. From there I joined the cross-country team the following fall, and kept up with indoor and outdoor track. I ran all three in college as well. Because of the vision and enthusiasm of my high school and college coaches, I stayed with it. After college, I was a little tired and took some time off to be a ski bum for a season. I didn’t run regularly for almost a year. It took a long time to come back from that, maybe three years before I started feeling like myself again. That’s my biggest regret, letting the love for the sport fade during that time. I now run for the Saucony Hurricanes, an elite development group. I moved to the Twin Cities in January, and couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of something BIG. We are VERY lucky to live in such an active place! Between Calhoun Beach Running Club, Twin Cities Track Club, Team USA Minnesota, and all of the other recreational and elite groups, Minneapolis is exceptional in its endurance network! Seeing many friends and strangers out working hard every day and enjoying it is an inspiration.

What are you training for now?

I’m currently training for the Chicago Marathon. It’s flat, fast, and there will be a lot of women to keep me company at the pace I’m hoping to run. It was my first marathon in 2008, and I’m excited to go back.

What is your training like: peak weekly mileage, two-a-days, any rest days?

I tend to be a high mileage runner, and that’s not for everyone! It is just what works best for me. Yes, I do a lot of double runs because I work full time and don’t have enough of a time block in the morning or afternoon to finish everything and still have a life outside of running. My coach says that there are four main components to a week of training…1) a speed workout of shorter intervals at 90-95% effort, 2) a longer tempo or marathon pace workout of 80-85%, 3) the long run (which is normally slower and the importance is “time on feet”) and 4) the cumulative mileage and successful completion of the first three parts during the week. If one of these pieces is off, the others should be adjusted until there is a balance again. In the past I was doing some weeks at 120 miles per week, but I burned out and never raced successfully. For this two month cycle I’m comfortably at 100 miles and have been running better. In the “off season” I cut that back about 20%. I don’t have a full rest day, but I do try and have one day of single digit slow running. A normal week looks like this, fast workout Monday, tempo/MP workout Friday, long run Saturday, very easy/shorter run Sunday. Everything in between is just filler.

Do you have a coach? What role does he/she have in your training?

I do have a coach currently. He lives in California and we spend a lot of time on the phone (normally when I’m running!) I’ve been working with him since January and couldn’t be more excited for the future. Having a mentor, someone I want to really work for, makes all the difference. It keeps me accountable, and it makes me want to be better. I want to make my coach proud of me. I’ve felt that way with every coach I’ve worked with, high school, college, and post-collegiately. They’ve all shaped me in different ways. Having one is certainly not necessary for everyone, especially if you get the same benefits from a larger training group (CBRC what’s up!)

What are your running goals?

My dream for the last ten years has been to qualify for the Olympic Trials in the marathon distance. To be able to toe the line with the best athletes in the country, many of which have been my heroes for years, and many of which I can now call friends, would be indescribable.

This has been in my mind for a long time, and it’s sometimes difficult to see “what’s next.” I think about triathlons, ultras, mountain racing. Ideally, I’d love to be more involved in youth programs and to play a role in making the sport accessible to kids. The sport has given so much to me in terms of friendships, travel, and life experiences. I hope that I can help pass the torch along!

What's your favorite distance?

The half marathon. It’s a distance that requires a blend of endurance, speed, and mental toughness, but doesn’t wreck your body for weeks afterwards.

Liz WINNING the Cellcom Green Bay Half Marathon in 2014

Tell me about your first marathon experience:

Chicago Marathon medical tent, having passed out in a wheelchair at the finish line. I ran 3:26 and though it wasn’t my goal, there was still post-marathon euphoria while lying on the cot. They kept me in there for a few hours before my family and friends snuck me out. Lesson was that I didn’t respect the distance. I went out with an unrealistic goal for my training, thought I could just muscle through to the time I wanted, and paid the price. But as miserable as it was, I loved it, and couldn’t wait to do another. I don’t have a favorite race, because they are all so different, but Boston will always have a special place in my heart.

Let's talk nutrition. How do you fuel yourself for two-a-day runs? What are your nutrition challenges?

I think of our bodies are giant science experiments with nutrition being a huge component. I went through a few years of under fueling, and a few years of over fueling. Both had detrimental effects on my body, my performance, and my happiness. Now I tend to eat clean and eat when I’m hungry, because it makes me feel good. I have a big breakfast, and snack a ton throughout the day. Fruit, eggs, avocados, fish, nuts, spinach are staples. I don’t eat gluten and that is a personal choice for other health issues. I do not have an allergy. I try and meal prep stuff at the beginning of the week. I don’t get a lunch period at work, so recently I’ve been making Mason Jar salads. They keep really well. I live off of Nuun hydration products, and always carry a few flavors with me during the day. Nuttzo is another one of my fabulous supporters, a nut butter that is a blend of seven nuts and seeds. Quest bars have been the most recent addition to my diet and I couldn't live without them. I don’t get much time to cook, and they make getting adequate protein EASY (20 grams of protein per bar, you can throw them in the oven and they turn into cookies). They have a huge presence in the weightlifting community, and as a newer product I’m so happy to have found them!

Enjoying food and drinks with friends and family is a wonderful thing in life, and training isn’t everything. Food is one of my true loves, and its fun to eat well and share with others. I have a weakness for corn chips, dark chocolate, wine, and bacon. Can’t give those up!

What's your favorite way to recover after a race? What is your favorite post marathon indulgence?

Bloody Mary and a good burger with friends and family. Followed by a vacation.

Liz cheering as a hot dog at a race in New Mexico

What's your best advice for preventing injury?

Know your body. We all have aches and pains, the important thing is recognizing what you can and can’t “run through.” I can’t say enough good things about my sports massage therapist and chiropractor. In the last few years have tried to address acute issues before they turn chronic. Also, if you’re feeling overly tired, or you have a lot of other things going on in your life, take it easy for a few days. Real life and running both create stress, and stress negatively impacts real life and running. I’m a big advocate of not stopping completely at these times, since even 20 minutes of activity can increase your serotonin levels, but there’s nothing wrong with slow!

How do you cross-train? What other exercises/ strength training do you do to supplement your running?

I wish I had started strength training earlier in life. That has been a big addition of mine this year, and I’m finally running PRs and times that I was running in college. I know this is not a coincidence. Glute strength and core strength are a big focus. I’m also trying to improve my mobility and strength in my upper body, for running and for overall health. Everything is connected. This winter I’m planning on swimming and spinning more, and hopefully some yoga.

What's your least favorite type of running workout? What's your favorite?

I struggle with very long tempos and marathon pace workouts. Unless I have company, it’s just tough to remain focused for that long and not get bored! I love track stuff, 400s and 800s mainly. Even if there are a lot of them, it’s fun because it’s all broken up. And everything is better with company, even if you run different paces!

What's your advice to someone who is training for their first marathon?

Enjoy the process! Love your training partners and the uninterrupted time you get to spend with them, appreciate the changes of the seasons, be happy your body is sore, treat it well because you put it through some rough stuff. Some days are tough. Those are the days that when I go for a run, I think I make the most progress mentally and physically. Take in the sights and experience of the race, smile at the spectators, and recognize that you are part of a community of people that share a common work ethic and goal mentality. And then CELEBRATE!

Personally, I have struggled with the pushing through during a race when it starts to hurt. What's your advice for staying mentally strong?

I carry a Sharpie with me, and write on my wrist. Something visual to remind myself what I need to do. I have trouble “being here now” and focusing on the task at hand. Others use a single word, like “believe.” Another trick I learned from a sports psychologists is to count. I count to eight, then repeat. It takes my mind off of the hurt. The hardest one for me is keeping the negative out and the positive in. It helps to make a list of all the negative things you say during a race or training, then turn them around so they are positive. “I’m tired” becomes “I’m well rested and prepared for this.”

If you weren't a runner, what sport would you do instead?

I wish I knew how to play any ball sport since all the leagues for softball and kickball look like a blast. Tennis, golf, swimming, biking, Nordic skiing, the list goes on, and gets longer when I watch the Olympics.

If you have any further questions for Liz or you just want to follow along with her quest to qualify for the Olympic Trials, you can do so on Twitter or Instagram @lizzzturner

Thank you SO much Liz for taking the time to share your running life with The Right Fits!