by Jeff Benjamin
Katherine Switzer’s book, Marathon Woman
Running Network Writer Jeff Benjamin was Honored by the Staten Island Athletic Club in 1994.
Joining Jeff Were, L-R, Tracy Sundlun, Kathrine Switzer, Tom Fleming
Jeff Benjamin with Kathrine Switzer at the 2014 Boston Marathon Expo
When Katherine Switzer ran in an age when woman were not allowed to run over 800 meters in the Olympics and that Boston Marathon did not allow woman. Switzer challenged that, and she has championed women’s running for nearly six decades. Always supportive of running media, Katherine is always one of those people who I love to see at major events.
We thank Katherine for her responses to Jeff Benjamin and wish her safe running with her husband, Roger Robinson, in New Zealand.
Awaiting The Baton In The Relay Exchange Zone – Profiles Of Athletes, Coaches & Legends During The War Against Corona
Profile # 40
Women’s Pioneer Running Legend Kathrine Switzer
By Jeff Benjamin
Women’s Pioneer Running Legend Kathrine Switzer
By Jeff Benjamin
How is your daily training/coaching/work routine doing and how challenging has it been for you in this environment?
” I am extremely fortunate in that I am in New Zealand, where we have a lot of space, fresh air, and are allowed to go outside. Attached is a funny photo of me exercising in New Zealand with Appropriate Social Distancing. For many of us here, we now have more time to exercise than ever before, so I make sure not to miss a moment if there is a day with particularly good weather. Use the time, it is a great time to work on base and core. I load up the car with my yoga mat and dumbbells and even though I usually do that work inside, I try to do it outside, not knowing how long or more severe the lockdown will be. I am also joining in the 261 Fearless on-line weekly ‘meet run’–instead of meeting with our clubs locally once a week, we’re now on line on Thursdays and hundreds of us from around the world are exercising together with a different leader every week. Some times it’s cardio, other times core, but it is accessible to anyone to do right in your own living room, no equipment necessary, no cost, and wow what a lot of friends I can see and welcome to 261 Fearless. Join us at www.261fearless.org Exercise is VITAL to health, and to staying well in this epidemic. Also, it is extremely important to bust stress, feel grounded and SANE. And, with my group, even on line, I feel a social contact and a real sense of spirit, friendship and optimism. My friends are right in my living room, whether they are from Albania, Austria or Austin, TX.”
What advice can you give to runners, -especially youth, high school, collegiate- who are challenged during this time as well.
“Absolutely do not lose heart, but instead regard this as a great time to build the base and add work (weights, core, etc.) that you didn’t have time to do before. In fact, you might have time to do some double-workouts–easy runs in the morning and more intense work in the afternoon. If you don’t have weights, you can do isometrics. You can do your intervals as part of your daily run, and if you can get into woods, trails or sneak onto a golf course you can work on your cross-country skills. Another good idea is to have team meetings on zoom or something so you stay connected as a team. Read up on your sport more, update your training log, and do time trials and races virtually with your teammates. And get sleep! This might be the first time in a long time you’ve had an opportunity to log some zzzzs!”
To learn more about Kathrine, as well as purchasing a signed copy of her book, “Marathon Woman”, and other products, please check out-
Marathon Woman, by Katherine Switzer
