Extraordinary Strides

The Ultimate Guide of Dos and Don’ts for Race Day with Special Guest Cindy Smith from Pens & Paces

• Christine Hetzel • Season 3 • Episode 15

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Welcome to Extraordinary Strides! I’m Coach Christine and in today’s episode, we’re diving deep into Race Day Etiquette—a topic that’s been buzzing in the Stride Collective. We’ll cover the essential dos and don’ts for navigating race day with grace. Whether you’re a seasoned runner or prepping for your first race, these tips will help you make the most of your race day experience.

We are excited to have Cindy Smith from Pen and Paces join us to share her inspiring journey. Her story is a powerful testament to the resilience found through running and creativity. Cindy also offers valuable insights on balancing an athletic and artistic life, making this episode a must-listen for anyone striving to find harmony between work and personal passions.

Cindy shares her journey from Google to founding Pens & Paces, her must-have race day items, and tips for making race day fun. She also discusses the inspiration behind her products and offers advice on overcoming self-doubt.

Make sure to stick around for the second half of the episode, where we’ll dive into the final 15 tips, including some bonus points on what to do if you’re spectating a race.

Thank you for tuning in! Don’t forget to reach out if you’re interested in joining the October challenge. Let’s keep running, keep shining, and keep making those strides extraordinary!

Have questions or want to chat? Send me a text!

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Speaker 1:

Hello Extraordinary Runners. I'm Coach Christine and I am here to welcome you to another episode of Extraordinary Strides. Today we're diving deep into a topic that's been buzzing over in the Stride Collective, our Facebook community page. It's all about race day etiquette. We had an incredible discussion about the must-dos and don'ts for being mindful on race day and I knew that we had to bring it here to the podcast. In today's episode, I'm sharing with you the ultimate guide of do's and don'ts for race day, a comprehensive list of 30 key tips that will help you navigate race day with grace. But here's the catch we're splitting it up into two tantalizing segments, because the first 15 tips you're going to get you ready to race and then we're going to want to stick around for after our guest segment, for the final 15 tips, including some bonus points on what to do if you're spectating a race. And speaking of guests, we have the fabulous Cindy Smith of Penn and Paces joining us today. Cindy will be sharing her incredible story of Runspiration and she has a few tips of her own to share for ultimate race day fun. So you do not want to miss that.

Speaker 1:

But first let's get started with the first half of our ultimate guide of being very mindful on race day. Okay, right out of the gate, let's talk about these do's and don'ts, but I will say, my friend, this is not what to do on race day. If you didn't train, that may be a whole other conversation. This is all about you've done the training, you've trusted the process, you've successfully welcomed yourself into taper town and you didn't end up killing anyone while you were tapering. You kept your cool during that entire time. And now I want to take all of that incredibleness into race day. So you're going to want to arrive early, that's right, Giving yourself time to feel prepared and calm and rested and maybe use the porta potty, all of that jazz. You're going to want to do that by arriving early. I am well aware some of us have been racing for quite some time.

Speaker 1:

Maybe it's a small town race. You don't feel the need to get there quite so early, so it really varies if we're talking about a looking at and giving yourself that grace of truly arriving in a way that makes you feel calm, cool and collected. Also letting you enjoy that pre-race atmosphere, because this is what it's all about, right, you put in a lot of work to get you here. Now you want to enjoy from start to finish, or even pre-start to post-finish. The next thing that we're going to want to keep in mind is do not be noisy Now.

Speaker 1:

This kind of again can be subjective depending on where your race is located, and not all races are created equal. So if you are going to run Disney, be loud, be proud, enjoy it, dance at that starting corral before you get in that little DJ party, it's all about having fun. Or if it's a huge major. But if you're going to a small town race and there may be even start lines at a smaller residential area or you have to walk through a residential area to get to the start line, please be respectful of those early morning hours. Get to the start line. Please be respectful of those early morning hours, and not every resident loves those runners traipsing through their neighborhoods early, early in the morning. Some races are better at others of letting the residents aware of what's happening but still being mindful so that we can continue to race and come back, and that race director has very little problems in bringing us back, as long as we're very courteous of the neighbors, be it residential, commercial or otherwise, and you're gonna wanna extend that courtesy throughout the race course, especially again, if it does go through a residential area and people may still be sleeping or as well.

Speaker 1:

It was definitely hotly debated inside of the Stride Collective community page, where it is important that your music is something that you love and puts a pep in your step, but maybe all of your fellow racers may not love to listen to your playlist quite as much, so this is where it's really important for you to make sure that you are. You have your volume on your shocks or your headphones or your speaker at a decibel that's a bit lower, that isn't going to drown out everybody else's music when you're out there. So, being mindful of that noise and this was a lesson I had to learn that not everybody wanted to listen to my playlist of big booty work. So I'm just simply stating I'm imparting the knowledge to you so that you don't make the same errors that I have made and times gone past. But truly, my friends, friends being very mindful, and also this may be the great opportunity for you not even to wear headphones and let yourself immerse be immersed in all of the wonderful aspects of being actually on the race course. I know that that one's a little bit tougher for people. So I'm not going to expect everyone to skip the headphones, unless, of of course, your race director is adamant about it. But, being more mindful, you still need to hear any of the course awareness or course safety of those folks that are out there that are directing traffic and keeping everyone out there as safe as possible.

Speaker 1:

All right, this next one, this one's a tough one. Do, absolutely do, line up in the right corral. Every single race weekend we hear people afterward complaining about congestion. Congestion can be minimized I'm not saying it's gonna go completely away, but it can be minimized if we line up in the right corral. And I know this one's controversial because there's a lot of fear, especially with a lot of these races that have really strict time limits, that if you're in the wrong corral for what you believe is not the right corral for you, that you're not going to have as much time as you need on the course. I got you I really do, my friend but it's incredibly important that you do position yourself to the corral that you were assigned or that really fits where you're at with your training, right then and there for you to successfully and safely complete the race without causing and adding to that possible issue of congestion. I'm really curious what you guys think about this, because I do know that it is a difficult one that all of the races have to experience, and that's where the proof of time comes into play. But even with proof of time, what you may have submitted as your proof of time may not actually be what your race conditions are and what your fitness is at that time.

Speaker 1:

So I would definitely say, do a quick little check-in with yourself and make sure that you're giving yourself the opportunity to race in a way that feels good, doesn't feel like you're having to rush, change your strategy and that you are safe out there on the course which leads us to the next. Don't and it is don't be a space hog. I know it's hard, right, we're packed like sardines in some of these start start line corrals and you really want to be able to stay limber and move around a little bit. I even did a little shake out just now, but it is important you're aware of your surroundings, that you're not doing your dynamic stretches where you're stretching into somebody's face or head or knocking them over, and it's going to happen. You're going to bump into people. So, of course, just be mindful and definitely be apologetic or appropriately express that you're not trying to cause any issues. But we do that best by keeping yourself organized and contained before you even go into the start line. Maybe even do some of your dynamic movements outside of that starting corral and then just try to stay where you can do those movements that don't require you to have a lot of space, like just moving and shifting your weight from foot to foot or maybe doing a little shoulder shimmies or shoulder shrugs. But staying limber in that starting corral in a way that isn't taking up other people's spaces is really appreciated.

Speaker 1:

This next one is really important for you to feel your best during your race, which is do stay hydrated. So you're going to want to sip a little bit of water or your electrolytes before you go into those starting corrals. Especially if you're there for quite some time again, like run Disney or those world marathon majors or those bigger races, you're going to want to make sure you're staying hydrated before you go into your corral. Staying hydrated in your corral and throughout the entire race is key for you to feel your best and perform at your best for your race day. Now I want to caveat this and say do not try to make up for a week of dehydration on race day. You have to be hydrated leading up to your race, but what's also important is you stay hydrated, especially if you're in a climate that's hotter or more humid, for you to feel your best during race day.

Speaker 1:

This next one is also very controversial because we've all been training, probably on our own, for quite some time. Maybe we've been trained for 12, 16, 20 weeks, 24 weeks, even longer, and you can't wait to see your friends. And, of course, you want to run with your friends at the race, at least a portion of it. But it is imperative that you do not run in large groups. You want to stick to no more than two people running side by side if you're running with friends, so that means somebody's going to have to either run behind or in front, but you do not want to clog the entire race course with running side by side with three, four, five or even more groups of people. It really can be a safety hazard, making it very difficult for other runners and walkers and athletes to get around you, but also does create a lot of unnecessary issues as you're out there because you're not also able to be the most mindful and aware of your surroundings when you're running in that large of a group, side by side.

Speaker 1:

If you are planning on running with a larger group of people and you know that you want to stay no more than two abreast, I do suggest that you try to meet up with some of your friends prior to or run in a group setting so that you do learn what is best practices for your group, especially if you're utilizing run-walk. So if someone's actually staying in charge of calling in those paces or calling in the run and the walk and signaling for those aspects and those changes which brings us to the very next very big do Please, my friends, if you're using run walk, or even if you're not, but you're changing your pace or you're changing into a walk from a run or from a walk into a run signal, when changing pace, the easiest way is just to put your hand up. If you wanted to call it out and say I'm walking as you put your hand up or I'm running when you put your hand up, great, Be aware that people may not hear you, but it is imperative that you signal and I do understand that. Again, a lot of us have been using run, walk and potentially we didn't even know that was a thing and that's why this guide's here. So please do put your hand up as you change from a run into a walk and from a walk into a run as well, which leads us to truly the next logical aspect of this guide, which is don't ignore your surroundings. I know we're there. We're super possibly overwhelmed because there's throngs of runners, there's a lot of excitement on the course, You're seeing locations maybe you don't get to see all the time. There's incredible landmarks or attractions, but it's important that you're aware of your surroundings as much as possible. It's kind of like the practices of driving you want to do your best, mindful driving, but you also need to be aware that other drivers may not be doing their absolute best. So it's imperative that you are being aware of your surroundings to try to minimize any possibility of running into another runner who didn't change pace or maybe they did signal, but you want to be able to see it as much as possible.

Speaker 1:

This next do is one of my absolute favorites on this entire list and it is do thank your volunteers. If you want something to put an extra pep in your step during this run. This may be the most important one, and the reason why I say that is because it just puts you in a frame of gratitude gratitude to be moving your body, gratitude to be running a race, gratitude for the individuals that are making it possible for you to really enjoy this race that you've been working months and months and months upon, and something about just thanking them puts a complete shift in your mindset, which translates, of course, to your performance, but also it really gives them an opportunity to put a smile on their face and it just becomes this incredible, beautiful gift that just keeps on giving. So that may have been like the most hippie little moment that I've ever had on the microphone, but I'm not kidding you. This is instrumental. It is truly one of the best do's on this entire list.

Speaker 1:

The next one maybe it's I feel as emphatically about do not do this as I just felt about do thanking your volunteers, which is do not my friends and I know I've been guilty of this and for that I apologize to any human being who is possibly listening to me right now if I have done this to you, but do not cut across others. So when you're changing lanes, maybe you're going to the hydration station and you're on the left hand side. Don't cross across several rows of runners to get to the further most right. Do not cross to get a better photo. Do not cross at any like. Do not cross on a box or with a fox. Do not eat green eggs and ham on race day. Do not cut across others. Again, safety hazard and just plain rude. Truly, it really is. So I know we get excited out there Sometimes. It's just not going to be something that you can even realize that you've done. And if you do it and you're aware of it, right then and there please do apologize and then move on, but be mindful not to do that moving forward, especially as the miles get longer and longer and you may just start to feel like you're losing your groove.

Speaker 1:

Do not cut across others. This one's important, please. Okay, We've gotten through 10. We have five more before we bring Cindy on and you guys are in for a treat she's got so much amazingness. But do stick to the right If you're slowing down. Going back to that changing lanes, my friend, if you know that you're going to be slowing down because it's later miles or because it's part of your race strategy. Again, you've signaled that you're going into a walk. You're going to stay to the right if you're slowing down so that other individuals that may be going a bit faster can get around you. It's super important to make that happen, my friend, and that's where that crossing kind of comes into play, because you may be on the right side but something really fabulous may be on the left side. I'm sorry, it just is what it is, but please don't cross against across others, unless if you can cross safely without impeding anyone who may be running, and that is sometimes possible. But for the most part, stick to the right. You're slowing down.

Speaker 1:

The next one on the list. I just can't understand, because we've been training for months, right and likely we were self-supporting. And if that means that you were carrying your own gels and your fuel and your hydration and likely in those longer miles, at some point you had a goo or your gel or again, whatever your fuel source is, and you took that wrapper and you put it back in your pocket, because if you didn't, I'm going to have to talk to you about that as well but why do we feel the need to just litter on the race course? So, my friends, if you are in a actual aid station and you can't make it to the trash can there, that's understandable. Please do try to get your cup or your wrapper, or whatever the case may be, as close to those trash cans as possible. But please do not litter on the course the rest of the time, especially in between those aid stations, because that could be part of the reason why that race director would have difficulty allowing us to get back and run that race again.

Speaker 1:

The neighbors can start complaining. The city could say it's not worth it. It could also cause an issue with volunteers having to go out there and clean up the course. So please just do not litter. Only try to throw away your items if you're near an actual aid station with trash bags or trash cans, or wait until you get to the finish line. You could absolutely collapse those paper cups, collapse that wrapper. Throw them back in your pocket. You can live with it. I promise you. Know what else I can promise you? You're going to feel so much better at your finish line, maybe even after your finish line, if you do pace yourself. Now, again, this goes back to your training and your pacing strategy. But regardless of whatever your race day strategy is you want to truly pace yourself, to stay within it, Be a bit more conservative, saving energy for those final miles, Because most of these endurance races you have to dig a little deeper as those miles wear on, even with a really good, strong training season. So, pace yourself so that you know that you can make it to that finish line with that big smile that you started the race with.

Speaker 1:

This next one goes with a couple of things that we've touched on already. But do not stop abruptly. I'm going to say that again Do not stop abruptly. Now things may happen on that race course that does require you to come to a complete stop. You could have dropped something. I know I've dropped things at race courses before You're going to want to again signal, move to the side of the course and then assess before you continue going. Now, if you encounter something on this race course that is possibly needs the attention of someone that can an official that can potentially provide emergency services to another runner, or they can go back and take care of a that can an official that can potentially provide emergency services to another runner, or they can go back and take care of a specific obstacle You're going to again want to make sure that you're making an actual race course official aware of that, but do not stop to try to handle it completely yourself. If it is an emergency, a medical emergency, very important that you also make someone officially aware so that that individual is able to get the help that they need as quickly as possible. Which brings us to the last tip.

Speaker 1:

On this segment we're going to pick up on the other side, but right here is do offer encouragement. If you see a runner who has stopped maybe they're cramping, maybe they're having some issues just share a word of encouragement. If you see a runner who has stopped, maybe they're cramping, maybe they're having some issues just share a word of encouragement. Maybe you pass someone, just say you know you're doing a great job, You've got this. Whatever the case may be, it could be as easy as a thumbs up if you can't catch your breath, but do offer words of encouragement for your fellow runners, which I want to go ahead and offer you some encouragement right now. If you're listening while you're running, you're doing absolutely awesome, my friend. So keep rocking, keep rolling.

Speaker 1:

I have lined up for you an incredible guest who's surely going to give you an extra pep in your step. I loved catching up with her. So that was our first 15 tips from our ultimate guide. Trust me, we are just getting started. I have a fantastic back half of this list has even more essential do's and don'ts, including a couple surprises you won't want to miss. But before we dive into those, I'm thrilled to officially introduce you to Cindy Smith from Penn and Paces. Cindy is not only an experienced runner, but she's also a go-to expert for all things race related. As the founder of Pen and Paces, she's here to share her RUNspiration. Cindy, welcome to Extraordinary Strides.

Speaker 2:

Thank you so much for having me.

Speaker 1:

Cindy, to kick things off, we want to learn all about you and your incredible business. Because it is quite beautiful. You guys are going to love all of her products. But before we get into that, I want to ask you what does being extraordinary mean to you?

Speaker 2:

Extraordinary for me, I believe, is really challenging yourself and growing every day. For me, what I've learned about myself is that you know if you're not growing, you're not going anywhere. So I think I loved, you know, being able to learn new things. Challenge myself with whether it's running or learning new things about business I think that's what extraordinary is to me.

Speaker 1:

I love that, that constant evolution to kind of push through a little bit of extra, which is really what makes us all extraordinary, so that's exciting. So, cindy, you got into running and I know a little bit about your background and your history, but I want you to share with folks what got you into running.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I was never an athlete growing up. Actually, you know, my family really focused on academics and studying and so I never joined. I played a little bit of sports in school, but I wish I did more and so I actually got into running later in my journey and around mid-20s. And I got into running because I wanted a way to combat burnout at work. I worked in Silicon Valley in California for a very long time and early in my career I just I got my dream job at a big tech company and I just really focused too much on work and I think I didn't understand how to balance, you know, working and non-working outside of work. So I actually landed on running because of that. It was a way for me to de-stress, to really again challenge myself and really fuel my personal growth goals.

Speaker 1:

So much that you said right there. First and foremost, you said that your family emphasized academics. Is that as an Asian American? Is it because you're second generation? Do you find that it was a cultural thing or something that your family just has? Because, I can say as a Hispanic American, academics was the only thing my parents cared about.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I think we share that in that way. My parents are immigrants to the United States.

Speaker 2:

They come from Burma and they have a Chinese heritage, so really they escaped their country because they wanted a better life for us and, you know, education was not readily available for them in their country and they wanted to come to the United States so that their children could pursue what they couldn't have, and so it was really a focus on academics because of that and you know, as their children, we wanted to make them proud and you know we want to make sure that their journey to the United States was worth it, and so really a lot of our focus was studying, get good grades and, you know, pursuing that next grade and the next milestone, which makes sense, as to what led you into the tech field and, of course, in Silicon Valley.

Speaker 1:

I think that we hear a lot about how fun and fabulous and cutting edge it is and how fun some of the locations and the tech companies are in terms of what they invest into their employees, but part of that is also because they expect you to work about 80 hours a week, so it's because they make it homey, because you're never going home. So when you decided to take on running to help escape, you know, like help with coping with the stress and was there a point where you actually felt like you were able to balance more or to create more of that boundary of work and life for yourself?

Speaker 2:

I'd say yes, it was a journey, because at first, like I mentioned, like I was so focused on, you know, getting that project done or getting that task done, that I would just stay after work and work at home. You know, wake up early and work and I really had to learn about how I needed to prioritize some of the stuff outside of work in order for me to work better at work, and so it was really a way for me to prioritize not being on my computer and actually going outside. And so I'd say, over time, it did help me balance because I had other goals and other priorities outside of just, you know, focusing on that. You know, work, project or work assignment.

Speaker 1:

Do you feel like you kind of have a little bit of that goal metric focus, and that's what why you did gravitate towards running, cause it is such a numbers, there's goals attached to it.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely A hundred percent. Um, I think all runners are goal oriented in uh, by nature and uh, for me, I definitely gravitated towards running because of that, because it's so tangible in terms of you, your, your improvement, uh, whether it's a pace or time, um, or just you know the number of miles that you're running, and so I could track it on a spreadsheet, which I love. It was like the math and science behind. You know everything and you know you get the data focus. You know everything I could see, whether it's you know a week or a month or a year that goes by. You can see how much you've improved and it really, it really satisfied that need of personal development and goal orientation.

Speaker 1:

So tell us about, like when did it start to become something where you decided I do have this sense of creativity in addition to all of the metrics, and kind of letting that evolve to where you are today?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it's not a very like logical story, but I think running really served.

Speaker 2:

That serves as a way to satisfy that personal growth. But at some point maybe like a couple of years into that journey, I was also craving another way to grow and set more goals for myself, to learn new things. And art and creativity hasn't really been in my life because, you know, in school I was very focused on math and science and all the kind of you know kind of hard metrics and data focused you know subjects. But I was just a curiosity around art and illustration and illustration and just the creative side, and I really wanted to dive in as a newbie really, and so I did. I just kind of, you know, searched online and purchased a few tools like an iPad and just started and dove in really headfirst without any skill or background, and I really fell in love with it because it was a way for me again to grow personally and get a new skill and develop something that I've never been able to say I did before and so yeah it was just a way for me, again for me, to have another personal goal.

Speaker 1:

Okay. So I mean it makes sense to me because I know I've worked with a lot of women in STEM and there does tend to be a like a turnover, transferring of those skills and that creativity and to steam, which is more of the science, tech, educational and, of course, the art aspect of it.

Speaker 1:

So I get that, but I have to think that it was still kind of had to be a little scary when you decided I love this and I love what I'm creating, and now I kind of want to make it a business. Can you explain that process? Cause I don't know about you, but my parent, my dad, still doesn't understand what I do and he doesn't really comprehend why I do what I do. So I'm just kind of curious as to how that kind of evolved for you.

Speaker 2:

That's a wonderful question.

Speaker 2:

Yes, it is absolutely terrifying, because I don't have the traditional experience of either running a business or running a creative business nonetheless, and so what I found is that I love the building and the newbie phase of not having all that overhead or pressure of experience because you're just going in and saying, yeah, I'm new to this and so I'm just going to absorb as much as possible and just give it my best shot and I've done it before right, whether it's going into a new job or into a new sport like running that I had no experience in and you just really start from the bottom up. You know from zero to one. You just step by step and you know no pun intended, but you know just you put your, you know put it in front of another. You learn like something small every day and they will build up into something wonderful.

Speaker 1:

I think that that is a direct correlation to what we learn, the lessons on the run that translate to all the other aspects of our life. So going after those big, audacious goals, whether it's through business or through our running goals, it is literally a step-by-step. But I also really appreciate the fact that when you were talking, in my head I automatically started singing the young, scrappy and hungry line from Hamilton, cause that's what I think of when you're first kind of going into a new venture or whatever. That may be Okay. So you're now, you have friends, she's got pen and paces and I love, love, love the opening line.

Speaker 1:

It's uplifting products for when running gets tough, because while we are both waxing poetic about how incredible running is, let's be honest, we learn a lot of resiliency and grip because it does get tough. Right, it gets hard. So how did those kind of fall into place for you, where you're like? You know, these visual representations or these products are kind of here to give me a little extra pep in my step because my running is a little harder right now, are kind of here to give me a little extra pep in my step because my running is a little harder right now.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and if you think about it big picture. Running is wonderful, right, like I would say. I love running because it has all these benefits.

Speaker 2:

But when you go down to the nitty gritty of it every day, you know some days you just don't want to do it, even though you know it's good for you, or some days it's just so hard to get out of bed, whether you had a bad night's sleep or something's going on with your life and so, but you know that after that run you'll feel you know even a tiny bit better, and that will make your day so much more, you know, uplifting or joyful.

Speaker 2:

And so I took that concept and put it in my company because you know I don't want to lie to people that every day of every run is going to be great, but sometimes you just need that extra motivation or that extra product that will help you get out and run, because you know, on the long term and the long, long run and the big picture, that running is just going to be great and beneficial to you. That's why I came out with these products to help with those everyday runs that might be a little bit more difficult. If I could put a smile on someone's face as they go out for a run or travel to a run or on race day, I have succeeded.

Speaker 1:

Tell me what your favorite product is, can you?

Speaker 2:

I can absolutely say my favorite product is the Yell my Name, bib Kit.

Speaker 2:

My favorite product is the Yell my Name, bib Kit, and this is a way for race On race day, you could put your name on your shirt to encourage the spectators to yell your name, and this is the best use when there's a lot of spectators, like the major marathons or, you know w spectated marathons across the country, and if you haven't done it, it is the one of the best, like secret things that you can do to help boost your mood during a race, and especially in, you know, longer races.

Speaker 2:

You know by the end of the race, whether it's, you know, at the end of 10k or a marathon. You're kind of tired and you're like, oh man, what, what did I sign up for? Um? And when you hear somebody yell your name and cheer you on to for that last couple miles, it like boost your mood. It says, oh my gosh, I, I trained for this and I want to make you know myself proud. I want to make my family, my friends and these spectators proud of me, and so this is a product that really is. It's the best positive experience for runners.

Speaker 1:

I wish that I could, that we were recording this so that you guys could actually see the video, because just hearing you talk about this product in terms of the Say my Name, I can feel that you're putting yourself in that race day experience and it gives you this glow, this huge smile which any of us who have been out there and I hate to tell you this, if you're newer to running which I know a few of you are you're going to have some races that are just going to suck Like. You are going to question all your life choices, think that you know you're going to give up running all together, go home and do Netflix marathons, because that one's nowhere near as painful and something about having these complete strangers come out, take time out of their day and cheer you on Like if you were an elite. It's absolutely spectacular and it puts that little extra pep in your step. And your bib kits with a say your name are so incredible and the reason why I like these verses. I know a lot of folks are getting their names kind of cricketed on or imprinted on your shirt.

Speaker 1:

If you're running for a charity or a nonprofit, there's a lot of aspects to you may get a race day singlet for your charity or your nonprofit that you can't necessarily personalize as easily. This allows you to really personalize it. I also love that you're able to be it that it's for Chicago or for New York City. You kind of have that ability to personalize it even more, and to me this looks like something that's so beautiful to be able to attach, like with your medal afterward as well. Get it framed up and kind of especially for folks that are maybe going after those six star journeys or doing it for an honor of someone.

Speaker 1:

There's just so many special ways of really making this happen. So don't worry, if you're thinking, where do I get one of these? We're going to have that in episode links and we will make sure that you guys are able to easily click on so you can get this all set up for your big races that are coming up in the fall and winter. But how did this idea come to you? Is it because you had your name on your bib?

Speaker 2:

Yes, so I did have my name on the bib, but actually I was spectating the Boston Marathon one year and a few friends asked me is there a way to put my name on my shirt where I don't have to Sharpie it and ruin my shirt and or like they've used duct tape and it just like peels off because it rains and it's just not durable?

Speaker 2:

And so I you know, my earlier products are actually stickers and cards and so it's like more stationary. And so I was like how can I use that experience to solve this problem of, you know, ruining their shirts and putting their names on their on their shirts easily? And so I came up with this way where you can actually have a bib and some vinyl letters so that you can customize it however you want, whether you want your name or a nickname, or, you know, somebody has put donuts on their shirt because they love hearing about donuts as well as a way for, like you said, as a keepsake, so that you can remember all the training and that race day experience that went into running that race, and it is a way for you know it to be an encompassing way to remember race day.

Speaker 1:

So I now I'm questioning I wonder if I can figure out how to do this. In my regular training runs, will people yell my name if I put my, if I get one of these for it, because that would be awesome there in my regular training runs, will people yell my name if I put my, if I get one of these for it, because that would be awesome. There've been some training runs lately with the heat and humidity that have needed a little extra pep too, so again you do have some other incredible products.

Speaker 1:

You have stickers and greeting cards, you have apparel. Where would you say, if we were to talk about your running journey, that you see the parallel of pin and paces? Is it at every single product where you feel like your running journey kind of has a special place with some of your products basically?

Speaker 2:

Or are these developed on the run. Yeah, I would say a lot of these are.

Speaker 2:

I certainly think about my business a lot on my run because I want this to be really successful and I want this to be a brand that people resonate with in the running community, and so I think about it a lot and this is like if I would say my vision for this is to be a brand that stands out in the running community and you know that is well known in the running community.

Speaker 2:

So I'd say a lot of my products are developed during the run and certainly refined over during my run and informed, you know, inspired by running, and so I want to make you know products that are useful during the run and not just things that you know are tangential to running. So certainly the Yell, my Name, bib kits are useful during race days. I have a shoe bag that you know. Certainly everybody, every runner, has sneakers that they need to travel with, and so I think that's certainly my next most product, most popular product. And then you know, the stickers and the cards are, you know, certainly for gifts and things like that are very popular as well.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, absolutely, Absolutely. So we'll be definitely bringing this into the gift guide because I know there's a lot of I don't know about you guys that are listening right now, but I have a lot of folks in my life who don't necessarily understand my love for running and want to get me things and they have no idea. So Pen and Paces might be a great place to funnel folks to so that you can kind of subtly hint, or not so subtly hint. I'm going to ask you because you have given us. There is a lot of joy in regarding you talking about running and pen and paces, but I'd love to know what are some of the things that you would advise runners that are listening in as to those moments where they are struggling. Like, how do you, what do you use to help you get through those tough periods?

Speaker 2:

Absolutely, and I would say, now that I am a full time business, owner of my own business, there are actually many, many lows accompanying the highs, and so I'd say that, similar to running, you know, there are just times when it just sucks, like just plain sucks, and in the running side, whether it's like physical or just, you don't feel good.

Speaker 2:

But in the business side, you know, there are just days where you know you don't make sales or people don't like your products. I've had one, one occasion, or many actually occasions at this point, where people copied my designs and outright, just, you know, copied and past copied my designs and outright, just, you know, copied and pasted my designs and selling my products without my authorization. And so, instead of giving up, I think, similarly in running, you just have to keep going and keep innovating and keep believing in yourself and keep believing in your vision. And I tell myself that every time I feel low or down is that I have this vision for this company and pen and paces, and I believe in myself so much that I want to get past these lows and just down days so that I can get to those highs and awesome, wonderful experiences, and I think that will drive me through any you know kind of negative experiences.

Speaker 1:

So for me, when I hear you talking about this, I automatically think of when I'm working with athletes I tell them that they should, at the very beginning of any training season is create like a vision board.

Speaker 1:

Because when you are having those lows it's important to kind of keep your eyes on the prize as to what you're working toward.

Speaker 1:

Because I think at any point in any day most runners will understand that you get up that morning to go for a run and you don't even want to just think of, like lacing your shoes up. The very thought of like even lacing your shoes up is like a Herculean effort. So having like that really tangible visual representation and I could see where so many of your products would so easily be objects or items that could be attached that vision board to create a little bit of that extra oomph when, when folks are having those tougher periods, I think I also want to make sure that folks know that you'll get through it. We promise always you'll get through it. It may take a little bit, of course, but you'll get through those tough periods. So we know that you have had a lot of joy in your business and in the products that you bring and the spirit that it brings to people's lives. Could you tell us, maybe, some of your favorite race day experiences yourself?

Speaker 2:

Yes, so I'll tell you about my most recent marathon.

Speaker 2:

I actually ran Chicago in October of last year and I had taken a 10-year break from marathoning because I was working and I went back to school and then I had a baby, and so I finally said I could do it in 2023. I got into the Chicago Marathon lottery in actually 2020, but everything was deferred because of COVID and pandemic, and I deferred until I couldn't defer anymore, and so in 2020 it was the year it was actually eight months postpartum and I had a fantastic experience because two of my friends agreed to pace me during that race, and so I had not only the opportunity to run a major marathon, but a marathon with my friends, and so Lauren and Vu were able to come with their families on that race and I would say, after 10 years I don you know, I don't know why I took the 10 years off. Now I want to do one every year, or at least one every year, and so it was very special to me because I had my husband and my son on the race course spectating, yelling your name.

Speaker 2:

Yes, I had my name on my shirt and I saw them on the race course multiple times. I must have heard my name thousands of times from the amazing millions of people who came out that day. The weather was perfect marathon weather. It was about 55 degrees in the morning. I had no injuries. My friends were amazing pacers. They got me water, they motivated me and I felt incredible that day. And I know that even getting to the start line was a win, because before that I was dealing with kids getting sick. I'm like family getting sick and I wasn't even sure like we were able to get the starting line. So to be able to finish, see my friends, see my family, it was absolutely special.

Speaker 1:

So what I'm hearing is that it was almost even much more of a rewarding, beautiful experience, because there were challenges and obstacles that you kind of had to surmount during that training season and it probably felt very different from when you last trained for your marathon 10 years ago, because you have a lot more responsibilities to attend to nowadays I'm just a slightly more responsibilities, I would assume. That's beautiful. I'm also hearing that it's really good and important to lean into your community. So these friends are they friends that have been running with you a while? Are they people you've met in the running community?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so I've met them in California. One of them was my original running friend, lauren. She and I started running, oh, and I first started running. She was there every step of the way. We ran many, many races together, and then she introduced me to Vu, who is also a very strong runner, and so we met each other in California. We've since kind of spread out throughout the country, and so for us to meet in Chicago also was very special, because you know, we're all in different parts of the country now, and so the community absolutely is very important. We stay in touch because of running, and so it was a great reason to come back together.

Speaker 1:

Same friends that, like. I think that friends that run together stay together, even if your runs are virtual from across the miles and distance. It's so important because you have that extra connection. So I love to hear that. I am curious if you would be willing to share maybe some of your future goals or dreams for Penn and Paces, or maybe some products that you're thinking of.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, so my goal for Penn and Paces is to be a well-known brand for fun and cheerful and joyful products in the running space. I think sometimes we take running too seriously and we focus a lot on kind, lot on the PRs and the personal best, which, of course, that's very motivating, but I feel like if we could inject some fun in the everyday run and the training and the race day, I think it would also go a long way in making the sport, you know, just more popular and just more fun. And so I would love for every runner to know about Penn and Paces and love our products. And I am expanding my shoe bag line. So I'm really excited for that because I think that, you know, I don't think we give our shoes enough respect when we pack for our trips and, you know, and bring them around, because I think that it's a way it's such an important tool for us in our running journey and I'm excited to, you know, inject some fun and ways to protect our shoes.

Speaker 1:

And, let's be honest, to protect our clothes from our shoes too, because after training season they may have their own little aroma that the rest of your clothes don't necessarily appreciate or you don't want the rest of your clothes to have. Just feels like it would fit very perfectly with any kind of luggage and it feels like it's sleek and modern and still very attractive. So definitely, folks, we want to make sure that you're. This would also be great for your carry-on, because we know when you're traveling afar for those runtations, you want to keep it very close, so this is the perfect way to definitely make that happen. I am wondering now if you're willing to play, because we're talking about a little joy and fun, a little this or that with us around here. Would you be willing to do that? Okay, I'd love that.

Speaker 1:

I'd love to know you a little bit more so in this, this or that? Would you consider yourself an early morning runner or an evening runner?

Speaker 2:

It's funny. I just posted a reel about this and you know, I think it depends on the day. Now I used to say I'm like an early morning runner, like 5.30, you know I'm out. But now that I have a small child, I you know it really depends on him, yeah, and so I try to go out early, but somehow he knows I'm going out so he needs my attention. So I'd say I prefer the mornings, but in execution it's about a day-to-day thing.

Speaker 1:

You're officially a baby mama runner, which basically means you catch running whenever you can.

Speaker 2:

You're not going to be picky about it.

Speaker 1:

If you had to pick the elements, that might be a little bit more challenging. Would you prefer to run in rain or in snow?

Speaker 2:

Ooh, rain or snow. I think if it's just starting to snow, I love that, not, like, you know, if it's like four feet of snow. I don't think I could do that, but I think snow over rain.

Speaker 1:

Oh my goodness, I'm shocked about that. As a true Floridian, I'm like I don't even know how that happened. Like what do you do? Like this is a weird question anyway. Like what's snow, okay happen? Like what do? You do Like this is a weird question anyway, like what's snow? Okay, I know that you have a lot of road races and your history, but I'm curious if you could again. Time is of the essence for you. But let's just say in a perfect world, would you prefer to do more trail running or road running?

Speaker 2:

Road running for me. I haven't really done a ton of trail races or running. I do have a ton of, like you know, trails around me, but it's just something about the road that makes me feel comfortable Like I'm a city person.

Speaker 1:

I grew up in New York City so, like you know, the road is what I'm comfortable with. Okay, that would make actually a lot of sense, which brings me to the next question which do you like to run, listening to music, or do you go completely with whatever is like the ambient noise of the city?

Speaker 2:

These days it's definitely podcasts and so your podcast was in my year the last run I did. But yeah, I you know I use that time to try to learn a lot of things, whether it's about parenting or business or running.

Speaker 1:

I really try to use that time to you know, double task yeah friends, I'm going to interject real quick here and I call it like running university. I think that right now, we have so much information available to us through such great podcast or audio books whatever the case may be or personal development speeches, or TEDx or whatever the case may be. Definitely, if you want to multitask, that's a great way of doing it, getting those in your ear while you're running. Okay, this one, I feel like I know the answer to but would you?

Speaker 2:

prefer to run solo or with a group of people. Oh, I think it really depends. I think on the weekends I want to run with people, because I spend the week really just kind of on my own or with my family and running by myself. So I like to mix it up. You know, I don't think I'm solely just on my own person, but I also don't think I'm like run with someone every day type of person. So I like to mix it up A little bit of a hybrid.

Speaker 1:

This is going to be the hardest question of all for you to answer. I think my next one and I. It's going to be a surprise for you, but in honor of your carb loading tank top, would you rather run and, as your post run, have pizza or a bagel? Pizza or a bagel? Oh yes, carbs. I love carbs. Let's say pizza, okay, so of your favorite carbs is pizza.

Speaker 2:

Does it reign supreme? Yeah, I think pizza out there. Or like graham cracker, I've like really grown fond of graham cracker.

Speaker 1:

Okay, very cool, you can take that on the run too. That can be a little bit of intra run fueling there with a little mini graham crackers. Okay, I think that I am so excited for friends to go check out Pen and Paces. And again, folks, if you're getting ready for those really big races, those big audacious goals, come fall and winter you're going to want to make sure you have your own yell my name kit. So start dropping those hints with your loved ones or just get it for yourself. Like, don't wait till other people to get it. And if you still haven't created your vision board and you are having those tough times, this is the time to do it. And check out to her stickers and some of these greeting cards It'd be great to add to your vision boards as well.

Speaker 2:

I want to thank you so much, cindy and let you know that you're welcome back anytime you want to chat with us or tell us about your own future races. So what are you training for now before we go? Yeah, I have the BAA half in November and then the plan is I actually got into the lottery of London marathon, what I know. I like I was not expecting it at all, but that is on the race schedule.

Speaker 1:

So my word, you know, that's like literally. I'm stunned because I think I have never really met a human being who I thought they were fake. I didn't, I was like those aren't real.

Speaker 2:

That is so I feel very lucky and you know, I'm gonna make it, try to make. I'm going to make it, try to make it happen.

Speaker 1:

Boy. That's that's going to be so exciting. We can't wait to follow along and cheer you on from afar. So, cindy, I want to thank you so much for sharing your incredible journey and, again, folks check out 10 and pieces on Instagram and I'll have that linked in episode notes website as well. Again, thank you, cindy. That was such an incredible conversation. I'm sure that you guys that are listening in have a few more items that you're going to want to add to your race day shopping list. Now we're going to take it back into our ultimate guide.

Speaker 1:

You heard the first 15 tips and I believe that they were extremely helpful, but just wait until you hear the rest, because we're diving into the final 15 do's and don'ts and don't forget a couple of bonus tips. So let's get right back into it. We are going to ask you to do move through the finish line. That is right. We are so excited when we make it to the finish line, be it a 5k or our marathon and everything in between, but there's other people that are coming behind us and we need to move through and clear that finish line. So do not come to a complete stop. Again. Going back to the first part of this episode don't come to complete. Stop until you've cleared that race tunnel, that finish line, completely and then moving across the sides. You're not creating a bottleneck and you want everyone to also be able to get that fantastic finish line photo as well. Which means do not block the post-race area. You know you're exhausted, you want to sit down, but so does everyone else where they want to get to their loved ones or they need to get back, according to their day. So do not block that post-race area. Be mindful of others in the recovery area. Grab your essentials and again, you want to not take up any additional space that you're not using or invite folks to join you. If you see that they're looking for a place to sit down as well, and maybe you have an extra seat, feel free to invite folks along, but be generous of that space that you are taking up so that others can also rest and relax after their finish line as well.

Speaker 1:

Which brings me to the next one. One of the most incredible things you can do is congratulate fellow runners, right, they're going to congratulate you. You're going to talk about the race, be it because you're waiting for those finish line photos, or you're're in line for your post-race recovery or you're in bag check. Whatever the case may be, congratulate your fellow runners. I say a simple great job. It can make someone's day and it helps us spread that positivity after the race. We want to keep all of that. I mean again, you know, if you've been listening to me, how much I love the fact that running gives us oxytocin, which helps us connect to people. Keep that communication and that connection going by congratulating your fellow runners.

Speaker 1:

Which brings me to do not block those photo opportunities. You know what I'm talking about. There's going to be people that are going to want to maybe get all their friends together after the race and they're getting those photos going. And as long as they're being mindful of where they're getting those photos, please don't block it. Don't try to be mindful of where you're going, don't walk across it. And that also speaks to you. If you're setting up a group photo, please be aware that people do still need to get around you as well.

Speaker 1:

So, being very thoughtful as to how we get those photo line or those post-finish photo opportunities, which also means do clean up after yourself, that's right. Collect all your belongings, dispose of any trash, get that banana peel into the recycling bin. Throw away that water into the recycling bin, be mindful of your space and also on not overtaxing those race volunteers that have a myriad of responsibilities after you are long gone that they still need to break down that area. So keeping it as clean as possible, getting things into the appropriate bins, very, very helpful. Again, we talked about it before, but because I said that it's one of my absolute favorite things, we're going to yet again say do not forget to thank the volunteers and the organizers. That's right After your home and you're resting and you're relaxing and you're still glowing and basking in all the glory.

Speaker 1:

Take a quick second, pop into social media and thank those race organizers and race directors for making this possible. Which also brings us to do be constructive in any of your feedback and criticism you may have of the race and how you would like to see it potentially be addressed. So being critical in a constructive fashion to the race director and organizer is always appropriate, but please do again be mindful that there are so many different moving pieces that it may not go completely without a hitch, and just aware and polite when you express that feedback, and I personally would go a step further and state that that is best if you're able to reach out via email versus on blast with social media. But again, I digress, as long as you are being mindful and aware and polite in your language, please do communicate your feedback to the race director, because they likely do need to hear more of that feedback to improve. Which reminds me to say do not skip recovery.

Speaker 1:

If you're hanging out for a while and you should after those post-run races and you're still hanging out there start your recovery right away, getting in some stretching, some hydration, getting in that nutrition that's essential after the race. So do not forget that. So, my friend, that brings me to. I've already mentioned you should be hanging out there for a little bit. So do stick around to cheer others, stay a bit longer, go back to that finish line and cheer in the people that are still working hard, still making their way across that finish line. Crowds do tend to thin out as people need to get back to their days, so if you have a little bit of extra time, stick around and cheer other folks on. It really does make for an incredible race to experience for other individuals to be able to cross that finish line knowing that people are still sticking around and cheering for them.

Speaker 1:

This next one is going to be quite controversial as well, especially for the Run Disney crew, my friends that are doing Run Disney. I know you guys are generally packing your schedule so you go from these really early mornings from those races back to breakfast and then maybe onto the theme parks. But please do not neglect rest. It's just as important as any other portion of your training, so you're going to want to plan in a bit of a nap time or maybe lazing by the pool at your resort. Please do not skip and neglect rest. Please do not skip and neglect rest.

Speaker 1:

The next thing on the list is I want you to take the time to reflect, spend a few moments reflecting on that race day everything from again getting there early to crossing that finish line and clearing the finish line chute all the way to your training and really spend some time, even journaling about it, just because this will allow you to set yourself up for success for your next run, which leads me to our final official of dues for you here, and that is to plan your next race. You're likely feeling inspired and excited and it's a wonderful opportunity to, after proper reflection, start planning your next adventure and your next race, because those new goals help to keep that motivation going and keeps you pep in your step as you continue to train for whatever you have next on the horizon. With that said, friends, there's a couple bonuses in this list that I want to add, which is a bonus for the spectators. So, spectators, we're going to ask you not to so do not distract runners. Don't cross the course either, because you want to get something onto the course for maybe, your runner that you're cheering, so being very mindful, being very aware that the runners are there for a very specific purpose, which is, of course, to kick some asphalt and take some names after they've been training for quite such a long time. Which does mean, though, we want you to cheer, so do cheer as loudly as you possibly can. Maybe it's bringing some cowbell, maybe it's because you're inspired after you saw the incredible pen and paces. Yell my name, kit. So cheer for your spectators. Call them up by name, if you can clap them on, give them a wave, give them a big smile and, of course, if you are actually on the course getting all of that extra love, make sure that you return all that love to the spectators by giving a smile, maybe even thanking them, giving them a wink, a little giggle, whatever it takes, so that we keep that love going from spectators to runners and runners back to the spectators. With that said, my friends, this is such a great opportunity to remind you again that you're gonna wanna get that best-selling name bib kit from Pen and Paces. You're going to want to check that out at penandpacescom. Or follow Cindy, give her a like over on Instagram. Well, there you have it, my friends.

Speaker 1:

We covered quite a few do's and don'ts, the ultimate guide for do's and don'ts for race day, and I hope these tips help you make the most of your next race, whether you're running or maybe you're cheering from the sidelines. I love to hear your thoughts. What are your race day must, do's and don'ts? What did I miss? Share them in our Facebook community, the Stride Collective, or drop me an email at christineextraordinarystridescom. Also, a quick heads up I had a couple of folks reach out to me after I closed registration for the September challenge. It filled up very fast. If you're interested in joining the October challenge, reach out to me as soon as you possibly can so I can put you onto that wait list. We've got some exciting themes planned, maybe a little mystery or two, or is that a clue? All right, my friends with that said, I want to thank you so much for joining me. I hope that you enjoyed this conversation. Until next time, I'm going to ask you to keep running, keep shining and keep making those strides extraordinary.

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Christine Hetzel

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