We loved catching up with one of our very own Ragnarians, the awesome Tammy Whyte. She is a coach, runner, and friend. And she has run 5 RAGNARS! Pretty incredible. We sat down with her and she told us a little more about her story.
You’re a coach and you run yourself… how do you stay motivated while motivating and coaching others?
“One thing I’ve come to learn is that motivation is overrated. It’s more about the habit – when running is a habit, it’s much easier to get out the door because it’s part of who you are, not just something you do. When I’m feeling less than motivated, though (as we all do at times) I have a few strategies I turn to:
1) Putting on a favorite outfit that makes me feel good.
2) Ending at a favorite coffee shop or ordering food ahead of time and ending there to pick it.
3) Telling myself to just go out for a few miles instead of the entire run… and if I’m really just not feeling it because I’m super tired or stressed, I’ll take the extra rest day.
One thing I’ve had to learn, not about motivation, but about the balance of running myself and coaching runners, is to not feel guilty about having running time that’s ‘mine.’ Having a running group that I’m just a member of instead of being seen as a coach and when I’m out running, it’s my run. It can be really hard to turn off the coaching hat, and while I love coaching and my athletes, I have gotten burnt out from not turning off that switch, so I’m learning that I need that running time that’s just for me.”
What’s your number one message to someone who wants to start running but has never been “a runner”?
“We were all new [runners] at some point and you can truly start running at any age. Start by run/walking for 15-20 minutes, every other day, and build from there. Find a community that will support you, either online or in person. It’s much easier to keep going when you have others behind you. And remember your why. Why do you want to start running? Why is it important to you?”
What is one of your most memorable moment from one of the Ragnar races you’ve run?
“This is a tough one! I’ve run 5 Ragnars in total – 4 road and 1 trail. Two of these were with the same team, the DRC Dozen, and there are so many funny and memorable moments with that crew, so it’s tough to pick just one!
In 2018, DC/MD got a ton of rain the week before the race, including the night before, and the first 8-9 legs ended up being canceled because of flooding. I was leg 6 so my first one got canceled, but I still wanted to do 3 legs, plus I was using my mileage as a long run for marathon training. So 3 of us ended up running our first leg together, which was a lot of fun. But when we got to the exchange, our van was nowhere to be seen and they had gone to the wrong exchange! We were not happy, given the leg was around 8 miles and it was hot outside, so we just wanted to be back in the van. That story obviously came up more than once when the person responsible for going to the wrong exchange was trying to navigate haha.”
We have to ask, who would you pick to be on your dream Ragnar team?
Des Linden, Steve Prefontaine, Alexi Pappas, Barack Obama.
What are the biggest life lessons you’ve learned from running?
1) “There are a lot of ups and downs, just like life – just keep going.”
2) “It may be an individual sport, but it really takes a team and community to be successful, just like life.”
3) “If you have a big goal and work hard, you will eventually achieve it. But it won’t be without setbacks along the way.”
What’s next for Coach Tammy? Any big races planned?
“I have a number of races in the fall that were deferred from 2020. Chicago Marathon is my big one, and I have a number of backups in mind in case the World Majors don’t happen this year. I definitely want to run a fall marathon. Other than that, right now just keeping a strong base and continuing to be consistent with strength training.”
