2:45:01 and Beyond: Holly Read

Holly commented on another woman's 2:45:01 and Beyond story I shared on social media, and after visiting her page I knew I needed to share her story too!  Many women can relate to balancing performance timelines and pregnancy, and to pregnancy running not going as planned.  Holly is now 2 months postpartum after her second child, and I am sure she has some PRs coming this fall!  Her coach has participated in two Trials himself, and inspired her to begin this journey.

Name: Holly Read

Age: 33

City/State: Redding, CA

Occupation: Business and Marketing Consultant, Personal Trainer, XC/Track Coach

Hobbies/Interests outside of running: Eating Ice Cream ;)

When did you start chasing the OTQ and what inspired you to try?

I first was inspired by my coach, Ken Hunter, in 2015. He qualified for 2 Olympic marathon trials in '84 and '88. I actually was on an 8 year break from running after getting injured in college. I finally started consistently running again in August of 2015 and he told me I should go for the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials. I ran for 5 months working my way up to 50 mile weeks before getting hurt in a 28 degree 5K in Indianapolis on Jan 1, 2016. My husband and I also wanted to start a family, so I got pregnant that month too and thought I’d run through the pregnancy to build a base. I didn’t due to the injury sidelining me for 6 weeks and then being too nervous and tired to run pregnant. So I didn’t consistently run again until July of 2017 and from that point on I was ready to go after an OTQ. I had never run a half or full marathon, and not even the distance of a half marathon at that point. But the dream was born.

Tell us about the races you attempted to OTQ at and the outcomes.

My first marathon was the Eugene marathon April 2018, and although it wasn’t an OTQ attempt, I was originally trying to see what I could do and see if I could break 3 hours. Unfortunately, I got bronchitis which was almost pneumonia and was sidelined for 3 weeks about 9 weeks out from the race. Then the two weeks leading up to the race, my son and I got a horrible stomach bug. I was in urgent care the Wednesday before the race. But to my surprise I ran 3:03:21! Now I knew I could go for the OTQ but it would take a lot of dedication. 

My attempt was at CIM 2018. I knew it would have to be the perfect day but after being sick again for 2 weeks about 9 weeks out again, I pr’d my half and ran 1:21:52, so now it was really possible. What unfolded that day was something of a nightmare. The bus was an hour late which meant I arrived to the race at 6:20. The bathroom lines were huge but a gentleman let me go ahead of him and I was able to pee. No time for a warm up so I put on my shoes, threw my bag in bag check and jogged to the seeded start corral. I got in a few strides, found the 2:45 pacer and he took me to the elite bathrooms, but I only had a minute to go and just couldn’t get my stomach to empty. I knew this could be bad, but I tried to stay positive and off we went.

6:17 pace felt easy and the miles were flying by. The weather was perfect and even the pacer had Maurten that he shared with us which I had been practicing with! This was going to be my day! However, my stomach started churning around mile 7 or 8 and by mile 9 I had to stop but knew if I could empty my gut, I still had enough miles I could make up the time.

To cut the story short, about 6 or 7 more bathroom stops occurred over the next 15 miles with most of them being in the last 5 miles including a stop on a tree in downtown Sacramento because no bathroom was in sight. It was not only humiliating but heartbreaking. The perfect day turned into a nightmare. But I knew I would at least PR so I kept going despite every urge to quit and save my dignity. My coach was a finish line official and he was waiting for me. And with crap literally all over me, he hugged me. I cried. 2:55:01. An 8:20 PR. 10 minutes and 1 seconds off the OTQ time.

No problem. I have another year, right? Well no, I promised my husband we would have another child. Our oldest was now 2 and we didn’t want them too far apart. We agreed I would try one more time in LA in March and then have another kid. We both knew now that it wasn’t just a dream. I could actually do this if I didn’t have to stop so many times. However, my body was done. I ran two of my worst half marathons leading up to LA and knew it wasn’t a good choice to try again at this point. So instead, we got pregnant and I spent 2019 running through pregnancy and having my 2nd son. I delayed my dream to 2024 but my son is so worth it.

What did you gain from this journey?

I learned that I’m tough. I fought hard through that marathon and I didn’t give up. I finished. I PRed. I proved to myself that I can in fact qualify for the trials. It was only my second marathon, so I have a lot to learn and a lot of room to grow. Learning to trust my coach and what he thinks I can do rather than my own doubts was also a huge step for me. 

What are you most proud of about your OTQ pursuit?

Honestly, the guts to try is what I’m most proud of. A lot of people thought I was crazy to set that lofty of a goal when I hadn’t even run a half or full marathon at the beginning of 2018. I’m proud of myself for getting back up and trying again for LA even though I didn’t end up running it. I am also proud of myself for listening to my body and not running LA. Sometimes it’s harder to know when to stop than to keep going.

Do you have any regrets or things you would have done differently in your OTQ pursuit?

I wouldn’t have taken the bus to the start or taken magnesium the night before the race! Haha! I also, would have believed my coach sooner than I did. I did a lot of things right leading up to this attempt, but I think running through my first pregnancy and sooner postpartum would’ve given me more time and more attempts at an OTQ instead of just 1. I also would’ve chosen a sooner marathon after CIM instead of doing another full training cycle for LA. It was too much for my body. I had been going nonstop since August of 2017 so my body really needed a break.

What message would you like to send to those following your running pursuits?

Dream big! Shoot for the stars! Never let anyone talk you out of a dream or goal. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and your dream. But most importantly, when you fall down, get back up. Try again. Don’t let the major heartbreaks break you. Come back stronger and fight for your dream, even if you have to delay it another 4 years. Don’t quit!

Tell us something unique about yourself.

I ran through my 2nd pregnancy, hitting 1541 pregnancy miles (10 of which I ran the day I went into labor). I was prouder of the races I ran pregnant, even though I was so much slower, than my non-pregnant PRs. I proved to myself I could do it. I won the races or my age group each time! I found a new strength inside myself running pregnant that I didn’t know existed. It was exactly what I needed this last year to find my love of running again in a new and unexpected way.

What’s next for you?

I am currently 2 months postpartum and am training for a half marathon in May, then the Women’s Indy Half in September, and hopefully the Indy Monumental Marathon in November this year to try for a sub 2:50. I’ll be 2 weeks shy of 1 year postpartum by then.