Author Archive | Trevor Spencer

Incredible Training Plan and Steadfast Support

Congrats to our client Kofo Obasanjo-Blackshire on finishing another marathon and earning a 12 minute PB!! She writes,

Had a whale of a time at the 50th Berlin Marathon 🇩🇪 on Sunday. It was pure magic!

The weather was glorious and the vibe was phenomenal. My second destination race, this anniversary marathon was nothing short of awesome. I ran strong, and despite collapsing at the finish😯😃, still scored a 12-minute PB (and was 24 minutes faster than my spring marathon in April!).

Aren’t we fortunate to be able to do what we love? Running is a gift that I hope to keep enjoying for years to come.

Shout out to MTA Coach Nicole for an incredible training plan, steadfast support and keeping me on track when I wobbled! The journey was neither smooth nor easy, there was despair and doubt along the way. Pleased with a 3:53 finish (my first official sub-4) and a strong race.

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First Marathon Done Through MTA Coaching

Congrats to our client David who finished his first marathon! He writes,

“With the help and support of MTA Coach Cindy I finished my 1st marathon on Sunday at the Long Beach Marathon.

I joined MTA at the beginning of the year running a number of half marathons and . . . somedays I felt like my run reports were more about what went wrong; It was too hot, or my Achilles hurt, or my stomach hurt or work was so stressful.

That said I appreciate Coach Cindy being able to turn my bad days into positive thoughts and focus on how we adjust and move forward.

I am so incredibly proud of myself and so very thankful for Coach Cindy and all of my friends and family who helped and supported me. For me it took a mountain of time and a village of support along the way. The feeling at the finish and the hugs from my family after I crossed made it all worth it.”

-David G.

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6 Minute PR and 17 Minute BQ 💙💛

We’d like to give a shoutout to our client Kristen Williamson. After having a baby in 2022, she decided to go after a Boston Qualifying time. She writes,

“After having my son in December 2022, I really wanted to try to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I didn’t know if it was realistic but I wanted to try.

I ran two marathons in the fall of 2023 with the hope of qualifying. I went in to both races unsure if I was in shape to qualify and was still breastfeeding while training for both. Neither went as planned and I was feeling a bit discouraged. Both races did prove that a BQ really could be within reach. Continue Reading →

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The Joy of Trail Running (Bonus Episode!)

In this bonus episode Trevor sits down with Doug Mayer, founder of Run the Alps, to discuss the joys of trail running. Doug shares his biggest tip for achieving longevity in running, and describes the unique trail races in France, Switzerland, and Italy.

Doug Mayer grew up in the US, cross country skiing in New Hampshire’s White Mountains with his older brothers. In a past life he worked as a Producer for the NPR show Car Talk. Today he runs his business Run the Alps and writes for a number of trail running media outlets, including Outside, Trail Runner, and Ultrasignup. His latest book is Run the Alps Switzerland: 30 Must-Do Trail Runs. He lives in Chamonix, France with his partner and dog Izzy.

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The Tour du Mont Blanc (Recap of our Running Adventure)

In this episode we bring you on a 114 mile journey around the highest mountain in the Alps -the famous Tour du Mont Blanc. We begin in Chamonix, France and then cross into Italy, Switzerland, and back to Chamonix with listeners to the MTA podcast.

Listen as we describe the beauty and the challenge of the trail, the mountain culture of the Alps, and the endurance mindset of the runners who joined us there.

*Special thanks to Angie Spencer, Jeff Thompson, Anna Haberzettle, James and Susie Jin, Kelly Heffner, Becca Schaldt, Parker Watson, Deborah Brown, Tamra Ludlow, Alistair Crompton, Marion Giraud, and Run the Alps!

Continue Reading →

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2 Successful Training Blocks

Thanks to Michael Broberg for sharing his experience with MTA Coaching! He writes,

“Hello, I wanted to share that I’ve had a great experience with Coach Henry. He guided me through 2 successful training blocks!

I’m a new runner so the main reason I wanted to get a coach was to set up some good habits, avoid injury and learn how to train properly. I also wanted to learn about nutrition, warm ups etc.

I am very pleased and grateful Henry was able to provide all these fundamentals! Also realized a great thing about having a coach is that it gave me accountability and added motivation to show up for the workouts. Continue Reading →

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Over 3 minutes faster than my previous PR!

Emily with her dad at the Colfax Marathon

Congrats to Emily N. on earning a PR at the Colfax Marathon in Colorado! She writes,

“I have been listening to the MTA podcast since 2018 when I started training for my first marathon. Your voices have accompanied me on many of my training runs over the years.

Since 2018, I have run a handful of marathons with my fastest being a 3:42:42 on a downhill course (St. George) in 2019. Due to the large net downhill of that race, for the past few years I doubted whether I would be able to beat that time on a flat course.

This year, I decided to finally go for it. I followed your 3:40 training plan and the training went very smoothly. I ran the Colfax Marathon in Denver in May and finished in 3:39:16, over 3 minutes faster than my previous PR.

Thanks so much for your effective training plan! I haven’t done much speed work since high school and this plan made the speed workouts very easy to approach and understand. I also liked that the plan only included 4 days of running per week, because I think that helped me avoid feeling burnt out.

Also, thank you for all you do to help the running community! I hope you get to feel the positive impact you are making.” -Emily N.

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Invaluable Tools to My Success

Congrats to Academy member Lisa from Canada who just crossed the finish line strong at her 4th marathon! She writes,

“Hi guys, Just wanted to say thanks so much for the great podcast and all the awesome information that you share. I finished my 4th marathon on Sunday at the 60th anniversary of the Calgary Marathon, Canada’s longest running marathon.

I completed my run 45 minutes quicker than last year thanks to your training plan and strength training program which were invaluable tools to my success.

I finally met my goal of receiving my medal at the finish line instead of receiving it in the mail which was amazing.

My kid ran the last few hundred meters with me and then commented afterwards how tired they were and couldn’t believe I had ran 42 k before that. Thanks again and keep up the awesome work. -Lisa

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