Get to know Erin Lanham!

 Each month we feature different athletes of the Spewak Training family. This month we are highlighting Erin Lanham who has been a proud supporter of Spewak Training for several years now. She’s made a lot of progress and makes everyone else around her better. Enjoy her feature below! CS: What of the most intriguing things to me is finding out different people became runners. Can you please share how and when you got started in the sport? EL: I have been running for many years now. I started running in college for the sake of exercise. I really would only run around the track or on the treadmill for 20 minutes or so. Then, several years later I discovered the Big River Running South City Summer Series. That’s when I started running races and had my first thoughts about wanting to be faster. Up to that point I had done a lot of weightlifting but hadn’t had much of an emphasis on distance running. This series really sparked the love for running longer for me.  CS: At this point in your running career you are training consistently for half marathons and PR races. When you started taking running more seriously, how far were the races you were training for? EL: At first when I started racing, I was running 5ks and shorter distances. That was long for me at the time. Then, I signed up for Big River’s Training Team in 2012. They had a 10k training group that I was a part of. When I was out on one of my training runs, I accidentally ran 9 miles (bad day for my running math)! This gave me the confidence that I could run a half marathon at some point. Although that was not by design, it felt really good to know I had built a strong base in a short amount of time!  CS: Naturally when any distance runner gets hooked, the common trend is for athletes to bump the distance in their next training cycle. Please take us through your transition to running half marathons.  EL: After training for the 10k, I had found myself running more consistently and wanting to take the challenge of completing a half marathon. In 2013, I trained with the Big River Running Training Team again, and I had the goal of running 2:20 in the back of my head. A close friend of mine had run the fall Kansas City Half Marathon a few times, and I liked the fact that the last three miles were downhill, so I decided to run that course as my first half. There were lots of hills and I ended up having to stop for the bathroom. Unfortunately I missed my goal time by 2 minutes. This motivated me to try again. A year later I ran the Halloween Half Marathon and ended up running around 2:10 which was a huge improvement.  CS: During this period of time, did you have a training plan you followed? EL: For the first two halves, I had a coach through BRTT.  Then, I decided to train on my own. Before working with Spewak Training I coached myself by running 3 days a week. I ended up getting hurt and then not running as fast as I wanted to at the race I trained for. That’s what led me to reaching out to Mark.  CS: It’s crazy to me to think we have been working together for over 4 years. Can you share your journey with Spewak Training? EL: I reached out to Mark because I wanted to improve my 5k. I had a 5K PR of 27:47, and for a couple of years, just couldn't come near reaching that time again; I was very frustrated every time I ran one. In the first season together, we trained for different 5ks in town. I ran the Halloween 10k in the fall in a PR and ended up really taking off from there. Each season I have seen improvements. I have been able to run several different events with the team and have met some great people along the way. I have been able to train with my friend Molly for a few races which has made long runs go by quicker. We push each other in workouts and races which has helped us both. With the guidance of Mark, the support from my husband Grant, Molly, and other teammates I have ran PRs in all distances that I run.  In fact, some of these PRs are beyond what I ever thought was possible for me; Mark understood the potential. CS: What expectations did you have for your experience of working with Spewak Training? Have we exceeded those expectations? EL: I believed if I listened to what you told me to do that I would get faster. Before working with you I struggled to run more than 3 days a week. My expectation was that I was going to change my thinking and let a coach take over my training. It’s worked out well because now I enjoy training in the winter and run close to 5 days a week year round. I will also mention that Spewak training gives me so much more than the support of an awesome coach; Spewak Training has also given me a built-in support system and friends that I wouldn't have met otherwise. CS: There has never been a harder time to train with there being no races and the fact that we are experiencing a global pandemic. What role has running been in your life these last 6 months? EL:  I have felt really fortunate that during this pandemic my fitness mode of choice is running outside.  Running has been a lifeline to normalcy for me during all of the day-to-day changes.  Being able to start my pandemic days the same way I'd start a pre-pandemic day has really helped me maintain a fairly positive outlook. CS: As we look forward into 2021 and beyond, what goals do you have for yourself? EL: I have come so close to breaking 2 hours in a half marathon and 25 minutes in a 5k. My training partner Molly accomplished both of these feats which gives me confidence that I can too. Her performances and training has inspired me to continue to work hard and train consistently for future races.  CS: Where are some of your favorite food/drinks spots in STL? EL: Pre-pandemic days, when not running, which takes a good chunk of our weekend away, I loved going to Civil Life Brewery. Actually I had a dream the other night that I was there enjoying a brew at their bar (but then realized people were too close to me and no one was wearing a mask!). During the pandemic one of our favorite places for takeout is Big Sky in Webster.  It's delicious and close to our house. CS: I love this question. What is something interesting about you? EL: When I was a kid (maybe around 8 years old) I helped stop a robbery. My parents and I were outside an art shop at 9:30 in the morning and I thought it was bizarre that the sign said out for lunch. So me being skeptical, I decided to open the door and see if they were really closed. Then, a man ran to the door to tell me that the store was closed. Later we found out that the owner was being beaten up in the back of the store by the man who told me to go away. My curiosity led me to distracting the robber so that the owner could escape and later the owner sent me a metal painting as a thank you. *Spewak Training is currently taking on new athletes. If you are interested in learning more about our team and services, please contact us mark@spewaktraining.com*