Welcome to CC Road Runs! My name is Courtney Coats and I have not always loved running. In fact, I actually used to hate it. Like really, really hate it. Growing up I always enjoyed being active and my heart found it's calling in soccer. Throughout elementary, middle and high school I played competitively and in college I played recreationally. What was my least favorite part of any practice? RUNNING. It was the worst. While yes, we ran a lot in practice and games, having to go on a 2 mile training run was something I utterly dreaded.
After I graduated from Purdue University, I made the move to my dream city of Chicago to pursue my career. Like many post graduates, I found myself spending a lot of money on food and alcohol, rarely exercising. I suddenly looked in the mirror one day and didn't recognize myself as much anymore.
I got a text from my best friend back in November of 2019, asking if I had any interest in signing up for the 2020 Chicago Marathon. To be honest, at the time I don't know if I even knew how many miles were in a full marathon. But that didn't stop me from agreeing to sign up to run the 2020 race with a charity. I got about a month into training. Then COVID took the world by storm. As we all know, we found ourselves isolating from one another and I was going a bit stir crazy. I still hated running at the time, but as I walked out of my tiny basement apartment, I found some peace in struggling through those 1, maybe 2 mile runs in the depths of the pandemic.
While the 2020 Chicago Marathon was cancelled, fast forward to 2021, we were back on. I worked my butt off for 18 hard weeks of marathon training. I'm someone who can be very hard headed, competitive and set in my ways. This proved to benefit me in my training. While during my first week of training I could hardly run 4 miles, I found myself refusing to give up. Week after week I showed up, and I felt myself getting stronger and my work paying off. My first marathon was the greatest gift I could have ever given myself. It truly changed my life.
2022 brought me back to the familiar streets of my hometown race of the Chicago Marathon once again. This time I had a goal of breaking 4 hours. With a 43 minute PR, I somehow did it and finished with a 3:57 finish time.
2023 took me to the Berlin Marathon where my deep love for the sport grew even more as I was immersed internationally in the global running community.
So, whether you're a seasoned marathoner, a fellow late-bloomer to the running scene, or someone curious about the transformative power of putting one foot in front of the other, I invite you to join me on this virtual run. Let's explore the roads, share stories, and celebrate the beauty of a life on the run. Welcome to my running haven—I'm excited to share this journey with you all. This is not just my journey; it's ours. Let's do this! 🏃♀️✨
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