
The easy thing would be to talk about Pre (I do have a shirt with one of his quotes), Meb, or even Kayla Montgomery (E:60 Catching Kayla). I want to focus on the less obvious choices. The people that are personally inspiring to me.

I've previously detailed how I came to join Carrera (Come Out And Plaaayyeeeeaaaaayyyyyy) and how much that has impacted my life. What I failed to mention was the lynchpin for that group, Terri Troll. Terri didn't start running until her 50s, but boy did she do it right. It seems rare that she doesn't win her age group, rarer still to not place. That is one way Terri provides inspiration, through her longevity. Terri's just as fast as I am, but old enough to be my mom. That's impressive enough to me. But what has meant more to me is her coaching and love for the sport and the runners in it. There were many times in 2014 that it would be just Terri and me for miles. She would tell stories and things she'd learned over the years from running and coaching. And, we could always count on Terri to be there at the end of a training run or race cheering us on. Coaching-wise, literally hundreds of people have done her drills and heard her training tips. Every time I led PT for up to 250 people, I would pass on something I learned from Terri. Now, living 200+ miles away, I've got Terri's voice in my head (usually telling me to slow down) while out on my training runs. Looking through my photos, I found two that help describe Terri and what she means to not just me, but many in the San Antonio running community. The first is Terri dancing with Jason after a race raising funds for him and the second is her out on the course cheering Mila and I on.

The third person I want to write about I've never actually been on a training run with. We did dozens if not hundreds of lap around the karate mat together though. I'm talking about the 2x NCAA All American Grant Fisher. Grant and I were both black belts at Allen's Academy of Martial Arts from 2006-2007. I joined the Air Force, Grant went on to become a world class cross country and middle distance runner. He went undefeated for two years as a high schooler and was a 2x national Foot Locker champion. I started to follow his career his senior year of high school and nearly had a heart attack when my internet dropped during the last half mile of his second championship. Grant is a strategic runner, preferring to let others do the leading for him, then blowing past them during the last little bit of a race. What's this taught me? To be strategic with my running. He also has motivated me to get off my butt when I'm feeling lazy. Watching him pick runners off, moving from 11th to 6th (finishing in 13:30, 3rd fastest time ever by an American junior), during the NCAA 5k finals last week was enough to get me out the door for my 13 mile run.
Inspiration can come from many different people or places. Who inspires you and why?
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