Ep 22: Chasing a Boston Qualifier: Jill Genereux on Identity, Loss and Life Transformation

Jill Genereux never saw herself as “the runner type.”

When she started running in 2015, her first mile took 18 minutes.. and she nearly burnt herself out trying to improve too quickly. But what began as a weight-loss and mental-clarity experiment slowly evolved into something far deeper.

In this powerful episode of Runbelievable, Joshie and Matty sit down with Jill to unpack her transformation; from burnout and rebuilding, to winter trail miles in Montana, to running a 5K alongside her dad before he passed away in March 2025. Jill shares how running helped her process grief, inspired her husband to lace up, and fuelled an ambitious dream of qualifying for Boston.

It’s a story about identity, resilience, and why not being fast doesn’t make you any less of a runner.

Jill lost her father to Lewy Body Dementia; you can find more information on the condition here:

https://www.alzheimers.gov/alzheimers-dementias/lewy-body-dementia.

Jill's also happy to connect via Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/jillsroadtoboston/

In this episode:

• Starting from an 18-minute mile
• Burnout and learning sustainability
• Running through grief after losing her dad
• Racing every month in 2019 (yup you read correctly)
• Chasing a Boston Marathon qualifying time

Runbelievable: real runners, unreal stories.

Interested in being a guest on the show? Hit us up!

👉 Everything Runbelievable:

http://runbelievable.au

🎧 New episodes drop weekly; hit follow so you don’t miss a lap!

Transcript

Intro

Joshie 0:07

I saw your note the other day. It sounds like most of the world's been pronouncing it incorrectly.

Jill 0:12

I tried to say it right, but I've been saying it Oregon, but it's Oregon. So Oregon. I never knew, and so many people were messaging me saying you're not saying it right.

The World's Slowest Marathoner

Joshie 0:28

Hello everybody and welcome to Run Believable, the podcast that celebrates the human side of running. I'm your host, Josh Christian, and I'm here to bring you stories of great glory and overcoming adversity. Each episode we'll dive deep into what first got people running and what kept them lacing up day after day. From the last time, this is why we run and how it shakes who we become. Coming up in a few moments, you'll meet a runner who's gone from literally zero to dreaming big. And we're talking super big. Wait till you hear about her physical and emotional transformation. Maddie, welcome back. Thanks, Josh. Good to be here, mate. Always good. Yeah, it's always a pleasure to have you. Uh let's kick things off the way that we do now. What quirky running material has landed in your feed this week?

Matty 1:13

As I'm sort of entering my marathon training, um, I thought I'd share this because it's about the slowest marathon ever run by a person by the name of Shizu Kanakuri. He's a Japanese marathon runner and is known as the father of marathons in Japan. So or the great grandfather, if it's the slowest of all time. So in 1912, he was 20 and he um was trying out for the Stockholm Olympics back in Japan. Um he broke the world record for the marathon in two hours and 30 minutes. So he wasn't ultimately that slow. Well, um no, that's what I call very quick. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Um is it the slowest marathon? Okay, so so he was selected for the Games, he started out in the marathon, and he didn't finish, but he didn't tell anyone where he was. So he went on to a missing persons list in Stockholm for 50 years. You're kidding? Um, yeah, yeah, yeah. This is unbelievable. And um, he was eventually found in a farm in southern Japan, and they offered him the opportunity to go back and comp complete um the Stockholm Marathon, which he did. Um, and he finished it in 54 years, six days, five hours, and 32 minutes. So basically, that 50 years was incorporated because yeah, he had crossed the finish line. Yeah, he did not finish, but he may not have even been um recorded as DNF because no one knew where he was. Oh, that's quite incredible.

Joshie 2:47

Tell you what, if that's made up, that's brilliant. If not, that's that's also brilliant.

Matty 2:51

That's not made up.

Runbelievable Rundown (ft. Joshie's long run mishap)

Joshie 2:52

No, that's not made up. It's it's unbelievable. I don't know that that can be topped. Well, let's give it a shot. Let's get stuck into the unbelievable rundown. Now, after listening to our last guest Joe's experience about the mind going to all sorts of weird places on ultra marathons, I decided to do a poll. And yeah, there's quite a few people that can relate to that experience. In particular, I'd like to give a shout out to Brett, who confessed to during 110k Ultra that he thought about every event that he'd ever completed and every sport that he'd participated in for his entire life. Whoa. Tell you what, if ever there's an advertisement for not doing an ultra, there it is. I don't know that I want to think about some of my woeful performances there. Um and look, Maddie, also, as uh as J Bung's fastest growing podcast, I also feel like we've got somewhat of a responsibility to provide some inspirational messages to listeners. We've actually had a few listeners get in touch and suggest that we sprinkle in some words of wisdom, some anecdotes, uh some words of inspiration to help them get through on their long runs. Look, as runners, you know, we all love a toilet mishap story. I posted something on the um Run Believable uh Strava Club page, and no sooner had a few of our members shared their anxiety-provoking experiences that I actually had one of my own. I didn't tell you about this. It was when we did that long run together not that long ago. So I think you and I ran out maybe eight Ks together. You then turned back and I kept going. Uh actually, I should take a step back. I think it was a day earlier, I decided to trim my fingernails, which you know, I'm very I used to bite them all the time, and I sort of managed to get away from that and I cut them now, but I never use a nail file. Anyway, so it was raining, as you know, that whole the entire run was kind of nice, nice and resolved. But oh no, just after you and I said goodbye to each other and I kept raining, I was like, oh, I really need to wee. I proper need to wee. And oh god, I've got all no, no, I know where you think this is going. But I think it's probably worse than where you think this is going. Um it's tempting when it's when it's uh raining, just to anyway. Uh so I got to just before the bridge, and for people that aren't from Brisbane, there's a 3K long bridge called Hornybrook Bridge, and yeah, you're basically without services once once you're on there. There's a toilet just beforehand. And anyway, so at this point, Maddie, I'm absolutely busting, like proper busting. In my haste to get the old fella out, I accidentally sliced my nutsack with the unfiled fingernail. Um, and it hurt like absolute hell. And I knew like something bad happened at the time because we're talking like full stinging. This is like yeah, really bad. Anyway, so as I took off, the excruciating pain set in, the sweat seeped into the open wound, and I can honestly say, dude, without any hesitation, that that next seven Ks was the absolute longest of my life.

Matty 6:00

Really? Yeah. And you never shared that with me, but you're sharing it with our audience.

Joshie 6:05

That's that's quite extraordinary. Yeah. Not only am I sharing it, well, I'm sharing it with uh with the listeners that are still listening now. We might have lost a few along the way. What do you reckon? Does that count as um in inspiration, Maddie? No, not really.

Matty 6:21

Um I think you've got so many different or inspiration in terms of carrying on and doing the next 7k. Yeah.

Quiz Time: Barcelona Half

Joshie 6:29

Well, look, anyway, uh we'll we'll have to get listeners to um write in and tell us what what they think. Anyway, uh, so as folks uh try in vain to keep their gels down right now, let's have some mercy on them, Maddie, and get stuck into another quiz. Woo! You sounded somewhat flat then, and I wonder if you're if you're less than 50% strike rate for the last few episodes. You do have a lot of work to do, but oh, I say this every time. Uh you're you're a shoe-in for this one because uh you're you love your running events, and this one's only just happened in the last couple of weeks. It's all about the Barcelona half marathon. I know a little bit about that, yeah. Okay. So Jack Rayner, as you know, I think you know, broke the Australian Mins half marathon record. Can you tell me his exact time? And I'll give you a clue. It was between 55 minutes and two hours.

Matty 7:27

Yeah, it was 59 minutes, but uh maybe 59 minutes 36.

Guest Spotlight: Jill Genereux

Joshie 7:34

It was 59 53. Okay. So he only took, I think, what's that, five seconds off Brett Robinson's previous record? Yeah. Still an awesome effort. Oh, it's incredible. Let's keep moving. Question number two. What was his overall for the men's finish position? 11th. It was sixth. I've read all this too. Well, yeah, no, it's pretty bad. Man, your words not mine. Come on, buddy. Question number three. Who won? Oh, I think you're fucked with this one. Who won the women's race? Oh, I've got no idea. Um Well, you've got to get it right, you'll sound like a sexist. Who ran the women's race? I don't know. I'll be honest, I hadn't heard of this person. Her name is Lois Chimnall, and apologies, Lois, if you're listening, if I got the pronunciation incorrect. So Kenyon Runner, and she ran it in, yeah, geez a blistering. Hour four and one second. Wow. Zero from three, Maddie. How you feeling? Oh, pretty bad. Yeah. Pretty bad. That's right. I rain myself at this sort of stuff. I'm like I'll pop away after the call and wipe away your tears. Yeah, no. Not with those fingernails. Today's guest didn't grow up athletic. In fact, she'd be the first to admit that she wasn't the runner type. But what started in 2015 as a weight loss and mental clarity experiment slowly turned into something much deeper. Trail races, ultras, winter miles, grief, growth, and even chasing an aspirational dream, which we'll let her talk about. Can we please welcome Jill Gennero? Welcome, Jill. Welcome, Jill.

Jill 9:19

Oh, thank you. I'm so excited to be here.

Joshie 9:21

Really excited to chat with you. And what we'll actually do is kick things off a little bit differently to normal. And I'm putting you on the spot here. Um, on the 18th of November last year, you wrote a post on Instagram. Don't know if you remember this, reflecting on your journey. And it really struck a chord with us. So I'd actually like to read out an excerpt. You start by talking about how much your outlook on life has changed since your 20s, the importance of taking care of your mental health, and then you add, no matter what physical shape you're in, which I think is quite important. You then add, and I'll quote this bit, here is something I am finally embracing. Not being a fast runner does not make me a bad runner. I'm hitting goal after goal, and that means something. Do not let anyone, including yourself, make you feel like you are not a runner just because you do not hold a seven minute pace. Progress is personal and effort is everything. You then finish by acknowledging the role that your husband has played in your running journey, and we'll talk about that a bit more later. Just firstly, can you see the power that that message delivers to the everyday runner?

Jill 10:33

I can. And I I think I think it's just it's so important to know because when I started running, I was like, well, I can't be a runner. I like look at all these famous, like influential runners and they're running like six-minute paces. And that's just that's just not me. So I was like, I don't know how I could ever be a runner. And then once I started running, I realized that it doesn't matter how fast or slow that I'm running. Like if I'm out there, whether it's a run-walk method, like I'm a runner. And I think that's so important for everyone to realize and take ownership that you don't have to be at this um crazy, uh like Olympic type of pace to be considered a runner. So I just think everyone should realize that. And I didn't at first, and I think that's that can be intimidating for people.

Joshie 11:39

You know, one thing that you hear people say a lot, and I don't know, maybe folks roll their eyes at me, but the concept of oh, someone so-and-so has a runner's physique. Well, if you run, you have a runner's physique, in my opinion. Um I think we need to be careful about, like you say, some of the um potentially dangerous messages that can be um sent on on social platforms. Um look, what would you say if Future Jill came back to Young Jill and told you that you'd one day be a multiple-time marathoner?

Jill 12:13

I would think, oh, you're crazy. Like that was that would just be insane to me to think like in my 20s, like Future Jill Jill was coming to me saying, You in the future you're gonna run multiple marathons. That would just be wild to me because when I started running, I mean, just running a 5k seemed out of this world. Like I couldn't even run a mile. I think my first mile I ran was at 18 minutes. So to think that I am gonna run 26.2 miles just sounds absurd. So to to come that far would just, yeah, it'd just be crazy to hear my future self say that to me.

Matty 13:06

Do you know what I've thought of a number of times as well? Because I I can't, I I'm in the same boat, but it'd be interesting to write. I know this is something some people do, but write a letter to you your younger self. Um because there's so many lessons that we learn, whether it's through running or whether it's through just general life, there's so many lessons that we learn that shape us. Um and I think a lot of runners as well, like um, they grow and uh you know, through and learn so many lessons that um going back to that younger self would be crazy.

Joshie 13:42

Yeah. Yeah. It could also be damaging. I think if I was to write a letter to my younger self, it would be get off your lazy ass.

Jill 13:51

Or in a nicer way, just start. Just get out of it. Yeah.

Joshie 13:57

Yeah. Daily movement, that'll do. Yeah. So you sound like it would be quite, yeah, quite surprising if uh someone if uh you know uh older jewel was to tell you that. Um can you take us back to what life was like in your 20s then in terms of how you felt about yourself, um, where you're at in terms of self-confidence, that kind of thing?

Jill 14:18

Yeah, so in my 20s, I would say after college, I gained quite a bit of weight um throughout like my childhood into high school and college. And after college, it was kind of like I'm out on my own, I don't feel good about myself, uh, I don't know like what I'm gonna do for a career. So I was just kind of a little bit lost. Um and I knew I wanted to lose weight, and it was it wasn't for me at the time when I knew I wanted to lose weight. It was kind of to prove everyone else wrong. Um that you know, I can do these incredible things, and it wasn't really for myself. So I just my dad actually got me kind of into running. Um, so originally I kind of told him how I was feeling, like I want to lose weight. Um, and through my journey of like going to the gym, starting to run, I realized like how good I was feeling, like mentally, physically. And I realized at that point, like this is for me. This isn't for anyone else, like this change is for me, and it feels so good. And um my dad eventually convinced me to sign up for a 5k. And at that point, I was like, oh, I don't know if I can do that. That just seems like such a far goal. Um, but I just every day I kind of worked at it, you know. I I utilized a lot of the run-walk method. Um and he kind of he kind of helped me get to that point. And as like I was kind of building my runner running career, whatever you want to say it, my running journey. Um I could feel that like confidence building. I could feel like the weight starting to come off. Um, and I realized at that point too, it wasn't really just that I wanted to lose weight anymore. It was just really how I felt, which was incredible. And I didn't ever think I was gonna feel like that.

Joshie 16:42

You and I spoke, oh gosh, it feels like months ago now. It's probably only a month, but geez, it feels like longer ago than that. Um, and I think you said that you started running uh 2015 or thereabouts. Yes. Um what was it at the time that drove you or motivated you just to start?

Jill 17:01

I think really just to start, um I kind of I have a little bit of competitiveness in me. So when I got that like taste for finishing a 5K, I was like, oh, I really like this feeling. So I just kind of kept up with the running. I knew it was it was helping because I could really clear my mind while I was running. Um and then I had one of my friends, she's a phenomenal runner, she qualified for Boston. I really look up to her. Um and she convinced me one day to run a half marathon. So it kind of um I kind of hold on, let me think. Um so after she convinced me to sign up for the half, it kind of just drove my love for running. Um and I just there's no other feeling than crossing that finish line. Like it's just like I just accomplished so something so incredible. So it's kind of everything about running, like, I mean, don't get me wrong, there's days that you hate running, but it's just that that drive that it sets, that it just it come becomes just really great to feel.

Joshie 18:30

That's beautiful, um, Jill. Uh I know that once you took up running and you signed up to a number of events, you you mentioned that you got to a point where you feel like you overdid it and almost boomed out. Um what did that experience teach you about um, I guess, the sustainable aspects of running?

Jill 18:49

That that was very eye-opening for me. Um because when I first started running, I was getting that adrenaline rush to become better and better and better. And I realized like every single run that I was doing, not just a race, it was becoming I need to like try to PR. And it was just every run was exhausting, and it got to the point where like I don't want to put in this effort every single day. And so when I kind of got back into running more regularly, my coach kind of my coach Kyle, he implemented easy runs. And at first I was like, gosh, this feels so silly. Like I feel like I'm just like just running so slow. But it's I realized it's helping with my recovery. I don't dread those runs. Um so I think you know, when I first started running, if you just keep pushing yourself and pushing, like you're gonna burn out. It's just it's gonna happen.

Joshie 20:05

I think so. What did you go through around that time? Like, I mean, did you take have to take a break from running? Was it injury? What can you tell us about your experience of burnout?

Jill 20:15

I think it was just it wasn't injury. Um, I think it was just the mental burnout of it. Um, so I kind of I took a step back from running. I would run like here or there. Um, but it was mostly I got kind of into lifting, um, which just kind of changed things up for me, which was kind of it was nice at the time. Um but then I it was probably a couple, a few years where I would just like run a mile here and there. Um and then like it got to a point where I've realized I really miss running, but I knew I needed to go at it in a different direction. Like I don't want to face that burnout again just because I really, I really do love running. Um, but not when I get to that point.

Joshie 21:12

Good on you for recognizing that. A lot of people wouldn't even be able to do that assessment or scan of how they're feeling about running and whether they're still enjoying it. So it sounds as though you've part of me worked a lot on uh having a healthy relationship with running. And at some point you'll have to refresh my memory on what year you moved to Montana.

Jill 21:35

So Montana, we moved in, was it 2024? We moved to Montana for a year. And that was actually the time where it kind of sparked my love for running again. Um my husband wanted to try out, because he's we're both really big, big into hiking. So he kind of wanted to try out trail running. Um, and I've never done trail running either. So I was like, yeah, what the heck? Let's give it a shot. And uh that kind of sparked that love for running in me again. Um, and he he sticks with the trail running, which I like to dabble in it, but it's just it's quite a different beast.

Matty 22:23

Like he's very different, yeah.

Jill 22:25

Yeah, he's uh he's training for a 100-miler in August.

Joshie 22:31

Oh, yeah.

Jill 22:35

Yeah yes, that's what I tell him. But yeah, so but anyways, that kind of sparked my love for running, but I realized I'm more of a a road runner person than the trails. Um, but I am doing my first 50k in Oregon in um in June. So that's really exciting.

Joshie 22:59

Can you say the pronunciation of Oregon again? I saw your note the other day. It sounds like most of the world's been pronouncing it incorrectly.

Jill 23:08

I'm I tried to say it right, but I've been saying it Oregon, but it's Oregon. So Oregon. I I never knew, and so many people were messaging me saying you're not saying it right.

Joshie 23:24

There, it's on the record now.

Jill 23:26

I know.

Joshie 23:28

Um so you talked about how moving to Montana really changed everything for you. Um, got into trail running, uh, much colder weather, I believe, as well. Now, look, we had a guest on a couple of weeks ago that uh lives, I think, in Washington State, so northwest of um of the US. You're in the northeast, I believe. Is it New Hampshire? New Hampshire. Oh, it's it's proper cold where you are. Um can you tell us like some of the temperatures that you have experienced? And Maddie's got his conversion chart ready so that our metric listeners. Oh, perfect.

Jill 24:00

Yeah, it's been kind of crazy because normally it's not like we'll get a couple weeks where it's very frigid. Um, but yeah, it's been brutal. In the month of January, it's been around like, I don't know, like anywhere from five to ten degrees.

Matty 24:20

And then minus 15 Celsius. Yeah, that's yeah, that's proper cold.

Jill 24:25

Yeah, and then we had one weekend where with the wind chill, it was negative 20.

Joshie 24:32

What?

Jill 24:34

Yes.

Joshie 24:35

I don't think Matt Matt's uh calculator.

Matty 24:44

Um minus what did you say? Minus 20.

Joshie 24:47

Minus 20.

Matty 24:48

Wind chill.

Joshie 24:49

So that's like the feels like temperature. Yeah. How do you now surely you don't run outdoors in though in that kind of weather?

Jill 24:56

No. I I definitely I will go to the treadmill. I don't want to get frostbite or anything. It's just not worth it.

Matty 25:05

So it says minus 28. Yeah, that's cold. That's proper cold. Yeah. Yeah.

Jill 25:10

Any of that is cold.

Joshie 25:12

Yeah. Oh my goodness. So at the same time though, that your love for running started to kick off. I mean, you mentioned that you ran your first 5k with your with your dad, but um sometime a little while after that, um, he got quite unwell. Um Are you happy to talk about what life was like for you when your dad was sick?

Jill 25:37

Yeah, life. So my dad was diagnosed with early onset dementia when he was, I think he was 60, 62. Um, so very young. Um it it was very hard because we were kind of sitting in the unknown, because with the early onset dementia, you can either progress or the disease can progress, or it can stay the same for years. And unfortunately, his progressed very, very quickly. Um, and eventually he was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, um, which is if you have time, definitely look it up. It's a uh it's a very aggressive um and it's very mind altering, like you have a lot of hallucinations, um, which is just it was very hard on me to know that he is going through all of these traumatic things in his brain that he cannot control. Um so it was it was very hard to watch a loved one kind of suffer in their own brain. Um yeah, so that was that was very tough. Um and then it it just got to the point um where last March he ended up passing away.

Joshie 27:09

Sorry to hear that, yeah. Yeah, really sorry to hear that, Jill. That's awful. I mean, you sort of mentioned the impact that your dad had, positive impact on your life, um, running your first 5k with him. I think you said he also came to all of your events and all your races as well. So um does running feel different now? I mean, I know it's probably, you know, what we're talking 12 months, um not even since he since he passed. Um, does running feel differently to you now that he's no no longer around?

Jill 27:40

It does feel differently. Uh I feel like I am carrying his memory through my running, um, which is it's very special. At first it was very it was very hard just to know that I'm still here on this earth running and my dad can't, um, and he can't see, you know, me finish my races. Um so at first it was very hard, but then I kind of took a step back, like talking with my husband and my therapists and all all the people that it's not it's not such a sad thing, or it shouldn't be such a sad thing, because I can carry this incredible memory of him through my running, and I can tell like all the stories that we have. Um so yeah, it's definitely it's definitely different, um, but it's kind of turning it more into a happy thing than a sad thing.

Joshie 28:45

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's um almost like running in his own kind of thing.

Jill 28:51

Yeah, exactly.

Matty 28:53

Does that give you purpose, like purpose to to get out the front door and run?

Jill 28:57

It does. It does. And it it makes me it makes me want to run more. And it also I am looking ways to kind of spread awareness of the disease. Um, and I would love to do that through running. So yeah. Maybe maybe something in the future. But yeah, it's just it's dementia is very well known, but his type of disease that he had isn't. So I think bringing awareness through it with running would be incredible too.

Joshie 29:30

We'll make sure that we include a link to Louis Dementia or something, whether there's a foundation or site where people can educate themselves on. Oh, that'd be awesome. Yeah. Yeah, definitely. Um and look, you've um run everything from I think turkey trots you said in New New Hampshire to um have you did you say you've done the 50k Ultra now?

Jill 29:52

I do that in June.

Joshie 29:54

June, okay. Yeah. Um and along the way, you've completed two marathons as well, really, really up in the ante each time, uh, which I which I love. However, you did talk about the first one being brutal. Um and I think you said that it was a a learning curve across a number of different facets, including nutrition. You're gonna have to tell us what happened that day.

Jill 30:19

Yeah, that that was definitely a a learning experience. I think. Well, the first thing that I did wrong was I got up caught up in the adrenaline rush of the start of the race. So everyone, I started a little too far up in the corral, and everyone was just flying, and I felt great.

Joshie 30:41

I was like, You're gonna see nodding along right now.

Matty 30:47

That's what I know. I do that in every race.

Jill 30:50

And then, like, so on that, like, I don't know, mile 10, and I'm like, oh crap, like, I am running way too fast. So then, like, on top of that, on top of running way too fast, I went into the race thinking that I could just fuel at the like aid stations. And that was that was so silly because the first aid station or water station, I should call it, only had water and Gatorade. So I was like, oh well, can't eat anything. There's not much in the way of nutrition gels or anything. I was like, oh god, I really hope they have something at the next one. And I I think I uh I got to mile like 20. Like when you hit that that 20 mile or wall, I found some Swedish fish. So I was like, all right, I guess I'm having some Swedish fish.

Joshie 31:50

Speed. You're gonna have to explain who is what Swedish fish is.

Jill 31:54

So sweetish, it's a type of candy. Oh, yeah, it's like these little red gummies.

Joshie 32:00

Yeah. Okay.

Jill 32:02

Um, so I had some candy.

Joshie 32:04

And that would have helped a little bit.

Jill 32:07

It helped a little bit. And then someone was giving out bacon. So I was like, well, I guess I'll have a piece of bacon.

Joshie 32:14

Bacon?

Matty 32:15

Who gives out bacon?

Joshie 32:17

That's one of the strangest things I've heard. Like you hear about people handing out, I mean, Matt and if I and I have both participated in a number of events, and it's not uncommon to see people handing out um what you call candy lollies to us. Um I don't know that I've come across many rashes of bacon on course.

Jill 32:33

Yeah. So they yeah, they had some bacon, but I'm like, what, like, whatever, like, how did I ever think that this was gonna be okay just to go into this race thinking I would be able to find food?

Joshie 32:49

Oh, geez. Well, it sounds like you're quite resourceful. You managed to find a little bit along the way. Uh presumably bacon. Yep. So I've got to ask you, did you did you end up achieving the goal that you set out to that day, or was it did you just want to finish?

Jill 33:08

So my goal was to finish under five hours, and I finished at four hours and fifty-nine minutes. So I just got you did it.

Joshie 33:18

You did it.

Jill 33:19

I did it.

Joshie 33:20

Hmm. Well, you can thank the bacon.

Jill 33:24

Or or the uh the sugar rush from the candy.

Joshie 33:28

Yeah. Oh jeez. Now, I think you said, and you're gonna have to correct me if I get any of this wrong. You've run, and maybe this has changed since we last spoke, but 15 half marathons, and you've made had this pledge, and you're gonna have to correct me if I'm wrong with any of this, to race every month. Is it since uh 2019, or is that in the year 2019?

Jill 33:53

Yeah, so in the year of 2019, um, my best friend and I, we set out a goal to run a race every single month that year.

Matty 34:05

A half marathon?

Jill 34:06

No, no, no.

Matty 34:07

Anyway, just any race. Yeah, exactly.

Jill 34:10

And February being one of the coldest months here, we found a I think it was a 2K race. It was very short. I was like, I didn't know these existed, but let's do it and check it off.

Matty 34:26

Wasn't for kids, was it?

Joshie 34:30

There were quite a few kids. There would have been so did you so you managed to keep up that streak, you and your and your friend?

Jill 34:40

We did, yeah. We did a fantastic we did a couple halves that year, and that was also the year I ran my first marathon. So yeah, that was a really, a really cool experience. Most of the races we tried, like we tried to find like a Halloween race, um, a St. Patrick's Day race. So we tried to find fun races to do.

Joshie 35:06

Mm-hmm. Oh, that sounds awesome. Um now look, you've mentioned to me that your husband's played a huge role in your running journey, and I'm sure in your journey uh outside of running as well, and that you even inspired him to start running. Can you sort of talk us through um how running has been a feature of and and shaped your relationship?

Jill 35:32

Yeah, I think he might think a little bit differently, but I think like when we got out to Montana, um, it was kind of like um, you know, we were dabbling in the trail running, and I was like, you know what, I'm gonna sign up for some races. And so he decided that he was gonna sign up for some races. And I I feel like my drive a little bit to get back into running kind of sparked his interest in it. Um I would say that kind of my my drive um kind of was starting to motivate him, but he did realize that he definitely was into trail running more than road running.

Joshie 36:26

Right. We'll have to um we'll have to get him on the show and get his get his perspective. It'll be like um the um Frankie, uh remember the song that if you and if you write back kind of a thing.

Jill 36:42

I'm sure he'll come on and he'll be like, what? I got I convinced her.

Joshie 36:49

You're gonna have to tell us something. You mentioned that you've got this deal with your with your husband about races, and I can't quite recall the detail. What's this deal all about?

Jill 36:57

So that deal is why I'm running uh a 50k in June. So he said, if I ran a 50K with him, he would run a marathon with me. So yeah, so we're doing we're going out um and doing the 50k trail race in June and then the road marathon in October in Massachusetts.

Matty 37:25

Oh, awesome.

Jill 37:27

Yeah.

Matty 37:27

So who benefits from that? Because I think uh a 50k trail compared to a 42k road, this 50k trail is gonna hurt a lot more.

Jill 37:38

Uh so okay, I was thinking about that after I made this deal. Can we make it those guys?

Joshie 37:51

You'll have to keep us in touch about how you go. In fact, we'll follow your journey because yeah, uh, you've got some really cool things to to look forward to. There is something though that you haven't yet mentioned, and I don't know if you want to, you've got your site set on something a bit bigger. You've got a very long-term goal. Um, is that something that you're happy to share with listeners?

Jill 38:10

Yeah, I can share that. So my long-term goal is to qualify for Boston, the Boston Marathon. So I know it's a probably like a two to three year goal. Um, but it has always been a dream of mine since I started running in 2015. But I think in 2015, like I just thought, like, yeah, there's no way I could ever run the Boston Marathon by qualifying.

Joshie 38:40

And then what is the qualifying time for your age group?

Jill 38:44

Oh gosh. For my age group, I think it's three hours and 25 minutes.

Joshie 38:50

Oh, wow. Yeah, the qualifying times for Boston are really really hard. They keep getting quicker as more people express an interest as well.

Jill 38:59

Right. Yeah, and it it's hard too, because you can hit the qualifying time, but if so many people are faster than you, then you can get bumped out.

Joshie 39:10

Really?

Jill 39:11

Yes.

Joshie 39:12

So all the qualifying time does is it gets you into the pool, and then they is it like a random or is it you said it's time-based thing?

Jill 39:20

It's time-based, yeah.

Matty 39:23

So it's it could be very heartbreaking for some people to like one of those marathons too that is like highly popular because it's the oldest marathon in the world.

Joshie 39:34

Mm-hmm. I mean, do you think working towards that goal will you enjoy the journey and the process enough that if for one reason or another your time wasn't um quick enough, would would you do you think you'd regret the experience? Or are you sort of thinking, well, you at least get the benefit out of that, you know, committing to the process and achieving all those gains?

Jill 39:59

Yeah, I don't think I I would regret anything. Um because I'm learning to love this journey. Um, you know, if I had the mindset of when I got burnt out, I think I would regret it. Um, but now that I'm kind of changing up my training, I think whether I hit that goal or I don't, I'm not gonna regret it. Cause it's just I I don't know. I just I really enjoy running and like the community of running. So and I also think if I don't hit it, I might have that drive to like, all right, we're gonna try this again. So it doesn't have to be a one and done, thankfully.

Matty 40:47

Still an awesome time. I mean, if you you ran that.

Jill 40:50

Oh, I know.

Matty 40:51

Yeah, yeah.

Jill 40:52

It's it's not an easy time. I think I I have to shave off like almost an hour and or a little less than an hour and a half.

Joshie 41:02

So wow, okay. Yeah. That is really setting the bar high. Uh who did you say your coach was?

Jill 41:08

Kyle. Kyle, Kyle Long. Sorry, it didn't dawn on me what his last name was.

Joshie 41:16

Is Kyle aware of your long-term plan? Like have you sort of started putting together a very sort of loose roadmap for how you could get there?

Jill 41:25

He's definitely aware of my plan and he's super excited. Um, but I I think we haven't kind of set that. I guess we haven't set a plan for that far ahead because it kind of he's gonna gauge my times with each marathon and then kind of build off of that.

Joshie 41:47

Yeah, lots of building.

Jill 41:49

Yeah. Yeah. So right now we kind of had a have a roadmap for my 50k and then my marathon in October. And then I think we're kind of gonna re-evaluate and then go from there.

Joshie 42:03

Yeah. Before we finish up, Jill, when you sort of zoom right out and forget about, you know, all the medals and the finish line uh accolades, how would you say running has shaped who you are today?

Jill 42:20

Oh, that's a good one. Um I think it's it's made me more humble and more grateful. I think there's there's just so much bad in the world. And I think knowing that my body can do this thing we call running, not everyone can run, not everyone has that luxury. And I think running has just made me more grateful for my life. Um and I think it's you know, being in the running community, you get all different walks of life, um, all different paces. And I think it just it makes me humble because some people are really great and then great and fast, and then some people are really great and slow. So I think it's it's just changed my perspective on life a little bit.

Joshie 43:21

I love that. Um look, Jill, thanks so much for joining us on Run Believable. We truly admire your ambition and can't wait to see you keep kicking goals in your running journey. It's been truly a pleasure speaking with you today.

Jill 43:34

Thank you.

Joshie 43:36

Maddie, imagine living somewhere where it's that cold and snows that often that you'd have no choice but to run on a treadmill. Oh, geez.

Matty 43:46

I couldn't do that. No, not at all. We've heard a few guests talk about running on treadmills, but no, not my thing. I'd probably rug up and go outside, right.

Joshie 43:55

Yeah. Oh, did you see um I think it was last week, Mighty Mark, so previous guest Mighty Mark, he ran, I think, a 30k or something crazy like that on the treadmill. Really? I'll have to check it out. I guess I can't imagine. Like, wouldn't your brain at some point just forget that you're running and you just come to a standstill and just be a meme or over.

Matty 44:19

We talk about long runs and about the mental game. I mean, that's a different type of mental game.

Joshie 44:23

That that's yeah, definitely not for me. Not for you either, Matty, I dare say. No, not for me. Um, and that's it for today, folks. If you've got a run believable story of your own, we would really love to hear it. And if you're interested in being a guest on the show, please hit us up. Finally, this podcast relies on your continued support. So if you can please take the time to follow, rate, and share it with your running mates, we'd really appreciate it. And we'll see you for the next run believable adventure. Oh, yeah, it was so bad. As soon as I like went to whip the old fella out, I just felt it sliced down the left hand side of my sack and I went and it stung, like proper stung straight away.

Matty 45:05

And I was like, major issues with your testicles.