2:45 and Beyond: Bryanna Gondeiro-Petrie

I’ve enjoyed following Bryanna on Instagram and reading her blog for some time now.  I love her strong faith and trust in God.  I also love her Kidrunner (pull behind running stroller) run photos!  She is one busy lady; I had to laugh that her occupation listing started with “too many to list.”  She has been through a lot on this journey, and notes “Goals without any challenges would be boring.”  Make sure to read her whole story for some very exciting news!

Name: Bryanna Gondeiro-Petrie

Age: 30

City/State: Cedar Hill, TX 

Occupation: 

Too many to list......work from home mom and home school mom, work part time for the Freedom Foundation & Newman International Academy, part time for Tailwind Fitness, coach high school Track and Field and Cross Country (and middle school Cross Country), coach Privately run clients 

Hobbies/ interests outside of running: 

Being outdoors hiking and exploring, baking, reading, and knitting

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

I have always loved running, since I could walk! I made it a goal to go for the OTQ back in 2013 right after I got married. I saw that my running was only getting stronger since high school and I wanted to see what I was capable of. In high school I didn't realize my potential and I guess I wanted to redeem myself and actually try at running. After making it a goal, but still not at a sub 3-hour marathoner, I found out I was pregnant with our first. I now have 3 kids and chasing my dream has had a few road bumps, good ones, but there's been challenges for sure.

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

My first attempt for the OTQ was in 2017. The standards had just been announced and I ran a marathon PR a few months earlier, 10 months after my second child, my first marathon I won. My goal was the sub 2:45, with a PR of 2:52. I felt strong and like it was all doable. It was the Belingham Marathon in Washington. I got the flu the night before, from my cross-country girls. I woke up and tried to race anyway. It was miserable. I stayed on pace for 16 miles. I tore up a porta-potty at mile 13/14 and was dry heaving. Finally, at mile 15 I used someone’s phone to call my husband and tell him to come get me. I ran another mile to him and jumped into the car. It was devastating. I had never DNF'd and it sucked that it was all because of the flu. I was running with the lead girl, but felt weak and off.  I was confident I would be back though, so I wasn't down for long. I bounced right back, but then a few months later I was pregnant again with my third. 

Finally, after having my third in July 2018, I was ready to jump back in. We had moved to Texas from Washington when I was 30 weeks pregnant and the heat and humidity were miserable. I was working more than ever but I was able to get my runs in. I was having a good training block when I had to remove my appendix in March of 2019 due to appendicitis, a few months before another goal race. I was nursing and my baby was only 8 months. I didn't bounce back as good as I would have liked. I ran the race anyway, but didn't get my goal at Missoula.

I had CIM in Dec 2019 as my last shot and I knew it was possible. But while they were in taking my appendix out they found 2 big hernias, which explained the source of all my pain for a few years. I had to remove those in August 2019. Another surgery and 2 weeks of no running. I also started working 50+ hours a week and homeschooling my oldest two. I did all that I could and managed some 75 mile weeks in my buildup to CIM. I toed the line and was confident. I ran with the sub 2:45 group and it was thrilling. I felt good and controlled. My body started revolting around mile 8 and my leg couldn't remember how to run. I was tripping over it and kept stumbling. I began dragging it. It lost feeling and then my sciatic flared up. It was miserable. I suffered through 18 more miles and watched my dreams slip away. I was in so much pain and crossed the line in 2:53 - not breathing hard but my body felt dead. It was hard to accept that was it. Another attempt gone. 

I have learned that I worked hard and that family will always come first. I have many responsibilities and had 2 surgeries in only months. I have been nursing or pregnant for the last 5 years. I decided to try Houston in January but then we found out we were expecting again before Christmas 2019. I had run my fastest marathon pregnant at CIM (although not a PR by any means) and I knew Houston full wasn't going to happen so I did the half instead. Bitter, but also felt better because even if I would have qualified at CIM I had a baby growing inside, so it wouldn't have been a fun race in Atlanta. I realized my family was coming first again. It made the disappointment of CIM easier to handle, but I still have the thought "what if....." 

What did you gain from this journey? 

I have gained more knowledge. I have learned how to accept defeat and move on from it. I have learned that challenges only help to build you up and that watching others achieve their goals is so inspiring. I am young and I watch more and more women in their mid to late 30s killing it and crushing goals, and this gives me hope that I am not finished yet. 

What are you most proud of about your OTQ pursuit? 

I am most proud of my family. 3 kids and growing!! I have done all of this while raising a family, home schooling, and working full time. Most of us cannot train like elites, but we are still considered elites. We juggle so much on a daily basis and have to make room for our training. This isn't the story of all elite runners, who spend hours in the gym each day, have massages, take naps, and hours to complete their workouts. I am so proud of all the working moms who have accomplished the OTQ or who have tried. It's hard raising a family while trying to train like an elite. Having my family experience my races with me is a blessing. I love seeing my family on the course, even if it means no sleep the night before the race, hahahaha!

Do you have any regrets or things you wish you'd done differently in your OTQ pursuit? 

I don't have any regrets. So much was outside of my control. I wouldn't trade my kids for anything. I couldn't help having surgeries. I only wish that my health was stronger and I didn't have to have those surgeries. I know they made it hard to bounce back and come back strong. 

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

I would like all to know that God's plans are bigger and better. His ways higher. Life will throw curve balls, but we will get the last laugh. Goals without any challenges would be boring. I love going by "If it doesn't challenge you, it won't change you." Keep pressing forward and don't give up. Even if you don't reach that goal this year or next year, keep running towards it. We don't always know God's timing or understand it, but it is always the best timing. I know that with each kid I have my comeback will be stronger. I want to live a life where I didn't give up. Where I tried. Don't let work, broken relationships, kids, family and obstacles hold you back...use them!! 

Tell us something unique about yourself? 

I am a nutritionist and I love having healthy food. I also grew up on a ranch in small town USA in Montana and it taught me what hard work is. 

What's next for you?

Right now what is next is nourishing this new miracle I have been blessed with and having a healthy forth pregnancy. After that it's getting my health back and facing reality....that recovery and rest are important. Then you can expect to see me back on the roads chasing the OTQ for 2024. I haven't given up yet....I have some years left in me.