Renee Metivier Baillie is Moving on Up (Distances that is)

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The Chicago Marathon is a little over a week away. The course is known for being fast and has become the race for many to debut at the distance. One of the runners making her debut at the marathon distance is Renee Metivier Baillie. Track and field fans are used to seeing her name at the top of the results for cross country and track races. After coming back from Achilles surgery and racing a few more road races this year, Metivier Baillie is set to run her first marathon.

“It just happened organically. I thought I would debut soon. I did not anticipate debuting this fall. But my foot has just been responding so well to the distance and after the first two road races I did at Beach to Beacon and Falmouth, I started to think about sticking to the road for a little while because the track was just a little much for my foot” she explains. Her agent even came to her asking about doing the marathon and she assured him that she would run one in the spring. Metivier Baillie and her agent even had a laugh about doing one in the fall. About a week later, they came back and they just knew it was time.

“My body just made the decision. It does not feel as rush as it sounds like since it was just eight weeks before (the marathon) that I made the decision. It has been progressing naturally and I feel ready” Metivier Baillie goes on to explain.

With the decision to race the Chicago marathon coming only eight weeks out there have been some changes to her training though she was set to do road races the rest of the fall season. She did have to cancel her appearance at the 5k USA road champs and retool her training plan.

“My focus has been, since that decision was made, on increasing my mileage. My speed is already there. I didn’t need to work more on the speed. I just needed to work on extending that,” she goes on to say “I’ve had a bigger focus on recovery and a focus on distance. My work-outs have gotten longer with shorter rest”.

One of the road races that got added to the schedule was 20km USA champions where Metiver Baillie ended up taking the win. “It definitely solidified that I made the right decision. I use to be intimidated by longer races. My focus had always been on the 5k and the middle long distances. So just embracing it and training more specifically for longer events, I am enjoying it. Doing the 20k for the first time, I had a great time doing that race,” she said. The race was a confidence booster but also perfect training. It ended up being the perfect benchmark by providing vital information on her training and recovery from the race.

Metivier Baillie has really started to enjoy the marathon training with the longer runs especially exploring the trails of Bend, Oregon “It is a hidden gem. I don' think many people  have heard about it. I think of Boulder (Colorado) as a running mecca with the trails and support but Bend has even more. I have not seen all the trails yet and I have been here for about nine months” she goes to say, “I’m kind of shocked there aren’t more elite athletes here.”

Perhaps the best part about the marathon training is how her foot is responding especially after having Achilles surgery last year.

“It (her Achilles) is doing really well now though. I am still so thankful because I really needed that surgery. I definitely over pushed it going into the trials. The faster paces and turning left always, it puts so much more pressure on it. Add in the faster shoes and it just gets tired. My foot is healthy now and it does not have the same problems it had in the past. I have struggled with Achilles problems for seven years and it is amazing not to have that pain anymore" she said.

She explains further, “It just gets tired with the track. It is still building strength because I did run with it hurt for years and maybe slightly biomechanically wrong over that time.  So now I am running how I was meant to but it is taking more time to build strength in the inside of my calf, inside of my Achilles and my heel area. So roads are enabling me to build that strength in a less aggressive way because the paces are a little slower and the shoes are a little bigger so that gives my foot a little more heel” she finishes. By combining the slower paces, a bit larger heel to toe ratio in the road racing shoes and not having to always turn left her Achilles is gaining strength.

Renee Metivier Baillie has not been unguided in her build-up to the marathon, her husband Austin Baillie is serving as her coach.

“He is very invested in learning and reading about our sport. I’ve been under a few different coaches in the past and he has been there every step of the way. He has paced me all along. Ever since college he has paced me in every work-out even before coaching me. We have been around the likes of Coach Wetmore, Jay Johnson, Jack Daniels, Greg McMillian, Renato Canova and Scott Symonds and the list goes on” she continues “I think the reason it is working so well with the coaching relationship and the reason I decided to have my husband coach me is because of his passion and he has paced me all along. He knows me better than anyone else. He can hear my breathing and tell how I’m doing better than I can tell.”

They are still new and there has been trial and error. But they feel like they have come up with a program that is suited perfectly for her. So far it has worked great though Metivier Baillie adds, “We do see a sports psychologist to keep us married.”

Come October 7^th, we will get to see if the program has worked. Going into the race Metiver Baillie confesses, “I’m pretty excited, many people told me I would be great at the marathon and now we get to see. I have a lot of expectations of myself but it is also my first one and I have a healthy fear of the distance. I plan to be smart and let my legs do the talking in the end” she continues, “In the past I have said I think I’m in this shape or I’ve see other athletes say that. I think it is better to be a little more quiet about it and say you will see on October 7^th.”

Though maybe not completely quiet, Metiver Baillie does say she plans to be under 2:28. 

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