Beyond Boston: Rachel Shuck

Rachel is someone I have the privilege of running with from time to time - we don't live very far apart from one another.  The marathon has taught her a great deal over the years, and Boston being postponed and then cancelled was more experience to learn from!  She is planning on Boston 2021, and whether or not that works out you'll find her enjoying the process!  Her attitude is admirable and I know she will see longevity in the sport because of it (her knowledge in nutrition certainly won't hurt either!).

Introduce yourself (who you are, where you're from, what you do, etc.).

I'm a teacher of my two greatest passions, which ironically aren't what one would consider connected subject matter. I teach high school Spanish and at the college level, nutrition. I also work with athletes to help improve their performance through better nutrition. I wear the hat of mom and wife, although now that our kids are grown and gone (editor's note: but she still looks like she is in her 20s herself!), I've mostly switched over to taking care of farm animals instead of kids. 😂

What are your thoughts on Boston 2020 being cancelled?  How did you handle the initial postponement and eventual cancellation, mentally and physically?

While I'm disappointed that Boston was eventually cancelled, I'm also at at peace with it. Initially I was oddly excited about the postponement, the thought of running Boston in the fall was much more appealing to me than the thought of running it in the spring. While summer training can certainly be grueling, I feel like it makes people much tougher for fall races so I was excited about what kind of results that would bring (editor's note: I agree with this 100%).

Do you plan to run Boston 2020 virtually?  Why or why not?

No, I do not plan to run Boston 2020 virtually. For me, the Boston experience was getting to be with 30,000 other runners that had all worked towards this same goal. I thrive off of crowds and the general energy and enthusiasm that come with them. Running 26.2 miles solo around town just seems sad.

Do you plan to run Boston 2021?  Why or why not?
I do plan on registering for Boston 2021 and hope I have a big enough window to be able to get in. Even though I have qualified for Boston more than once, I have yet to run it, and would love to have the experience at least once in my lifetime.

How did you get started in running?  Tell us a little about your early running career through present.

I got started truly running in my 30's. Although I did a brief stint of cross country and track my freshmen year in high school, I was literally the worst runner on the team. It was beyond pathetic but I'm proof it's never too late! I got back into running as an adult to help my sister get out and meet people since she was working from home at the time. She eventually moved away and I kept running, mostly with the Nixa Running Group. That was where I would say I became a truly consistent runner. Through consistency and practice, I really started to see improvements.

Why did you decide to run your first marathon?

I honestly don't remember why I decided to run my first marathon. Probably just ignorance lol. I had some really great training runs with my running group and thought a BQ was probably in my near future. I couldn't have been more wrong. Like so many, my first marathon was a painful learning experience, but I survived it and signed up for the next one thinking I could do better. Fast forward through several marathons and many more learning experiences (as my good friend Jen says, "no teacher like experience, it gives you the test first and the lessons later") I eventually figured out what worked for me, and what didn't. Having a great training partner, a good coach (I actually had a total of 3 coaches over the course of several marathons and learned something valuable from each of them), and perfecting my nutrition were all part of the formula that helped me finally find success.

How did it feel to be accepted into Boston 2020?

I was pretty thrilled to be accepted into Boston 2020, but it didn't feel real. Now with it being cancelled guess that feeling wasn't too far off! Who knew?!

What did you learn from this journey - from BQ to postponement to cancellation?
What I have learned from all of this, from finally qualifying, to being accepted, to having it canceled is that absolutely anything is possible, from what the body and mind are capable of doing, to never being too sure of anything because there really are no guarantees, and to just enjoy the moment, but most importantly, enjoy the process because that is where you will spend the bulk of your time (editor's note: completely agree here too!).