September Runner of the Month: Alana Pipe
Alana joined NBR in February of 2021. “After a long break from society, [I joined] mostly to make running friends and get faster.” You can find her running at Tuesday Tempo, Thursday Track and on one of our Saturday morning Long Runs. She recently ran an impressive Boston Qualifying time at the Grandma’s Marathon and is one of our newest LC members.
What do you do when you're not running?
Cycling, cooking, working. I pretty much always have a freezer full of experimental vegetarian leftovers. For work I’m a data visualization journalist and teach a course on data journalism on the side.
How did you initially get into running?
My parents are very into the outdoors. They took me wilderness backpacking as a baby, and by the time I was 8 and my sister and I were doing respectable overnight sections of the Pacific Crest Trail. So endurance activities came pretty naturally after that. Public transit in Vancouver wasn’t great either, so if I was late for tennis practice I would run 10k there before I’d even hit a ball. I pretty quickly realized I liked running more than tennis.
What is your favorite race distance?
I love almost every aspect of the training that goes into a marathon, but half marathons are super fun to race.
Best running memory?
Qualifying for Boston last June! It’s been a goal of mine for years. It took a lot of early mornings, learning about nutrition the hard way and working through injuries, but it was totally worth the effort. It was at Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, MN, a rather faraway place I have no connection to, but it was an excellent race.
Favorite running route in NYC?
In summer I like the Brooklyn/Queens waterfront from Red Hook to Brooklyn Bridge, along the Kent speedway, then across the Pulaski up to Astoria. In the winter I like Prospect Park in a snowstorm. I like the vibe. Instead of pretending other runners don’t exist, we all look up at each other and exchange looks that mean “I see you. You’re a badass.”
Any running-related superstitions?
Nothing new on race day.
What has running taught you or changed about you?
Not every day is going to feel great, and the days you feel like a slug from start to finish are just as important to your success as the days where it all comes easy and you feel in control of everything.
Favorite post-race food?
Depends on the race distance:
5k: Ice cream
10k: Cold IPA
Half: Pizza
Marathon: All of the above
Favorite song to run to make you want to run?
I’ll Believe in Anything by Wolf Parade or Ride On / Right On by Phosphorescent
Favorite running social media account?
Des Linden’s Twitter
What do you think is the worst part about being a runner?
Injuries, Friday night fomo, and the constant laundry.
Best advice to running newbies?
Consistency is more important than speed or mileage. If you run a little bit everyday at a comfortable pace the rest will eventually come naturally.
Current running goal?
A sub 3:13 marathon at CIM! It would also be cool to be an elite beer miler.
Any other fun running facts about you?
I've run 7 marathons in 8 years and somehow have PRd in every one. I realize this has to come to an end eventually but I'm seeing how long I can keep it alive.
