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Its been almost three years since Shalane Flanagan competed in her last race as a professional runner.
Elsa / Getty Images
She’s partnered with Nike to take on the six marathons.
Heres a full breakdown of the ambitious goal Flanagan has set for herself.
Just a week later, on Sunday, October 10, shell race stateside in the Chicago Marathon.
Cortney White
Shell finish the series at the New York City Marathon on November 7.
She kicked off an exciting career in broadcast journalism, offering race analysis and commentary for running events.
SELF: When did you decide to take on all six majors this fall?
Cortney White
What was the inspiration that sparked this goal?
There are a lot of layers to the inspiration.
I think more than anything its reuniting with my best friendrunningpost-retirement and postknee surgery.
I felt the need toset some goalsagain.
That was a motivator right there.
I was a shy young girl, but sports completely transformed my life and gave me confidence and direction.
Obviously, the amount of time between each marathon is very tight.
How are you preparing for that in training?
Ive got a great support system.
What has been the toughest workout so far?
How did you handle it?
The back-to-back simulation of Chicago and Boston was tough.
I did the back-to-back simulation, and then I had an easy eight-mile run on Tuesday.
Then I met Carrie Dimoff for a really hard grass [workout] session on Wednesday.
The grass session was the hardest Ive worked in a long time.
I finished it and said, That was so fun, but I feel terrible.
How does training in retirement compare with training as a full-time professional runner?
So Ive had to adjust my expectations of what is feasible and possible.
Preparing for these marathons, Im tapping out at about 80 miles per week, which is a lot.
I was living, eating, and breathing all things running, and everything was about performance.
This journey is more for mymental health, and a new challenge and goal.
I dont let it linger.
Youre now coaching athletes at the Bowerman Track Club.
Are you doing any of your training with them?
Does coaching add another level of motivation to your process?
Yeah, they are aware of the goal.
What challenges are you expecting to face with racing all six majors?
How are you preparing for those challenges?
I think one of the biggest challenges Im going to face is the travel and time zone changes.
I think thats going to be a little tricky.
Your last race prior to retirement was the 2018 New York City Marathon.
You will finish in New York City on November 7.
What does that mean to you?
I love New York, and thats coming from a Boston girl.
They are a major reason why I venture to do some good work in my life.
Theyre a huge factor in my happiness, and seeing them happy makes me happy.
There are a lot of great memories there, and Im looking forward to making even more.
What is your ultimate goal in racing all six majors?
When you cross that finish line in New York City, what do you hope to achieve?
Leaving the sport a little bit better than it was before, in some capacity.
I hope that I have fun, and all the people on this journey with me have fun.
If you engage in sport, it can transform your life for the better for a very long time.
Do you have any plans for what comes next after this running-wise?
After I hopefully complete all six, I will probably take a month off from running.
But really, Ill plan to relax and soak up the holidays and throw myself back into coaching.
But beyond the six marathons, I dont really have any personal goals at the moment.
