Here’s an email we received from a coaching client named Melissa Rutzen who ran this year’s hot but glorious Chicago Marathon. Success stories like these inspire us coaches to keep working hard to bring out the best in runners.

Hi Angie and Trevor,

It has now been a little over a week since the Chicago marathon and my heart is as full with gratitude as ever towards you two and the MTA community that you’ve cultivated. It was my first marathon and I crossed the finish line with a smile on my face and tears of joy in my eyes.

It was hotter than I was hoping for but I was happy to finish with a time of exactly 4:25:00.

Confidence On Race Day

I heard many people at the start line panicking about the temperature, but I crossed the start line with confidence that my training (both physical and mental) would carry me across the finish line. And I was right!

The race was challenging in the perfect way; as Trevor talked about in the Munich recap, there was absolutely magic in the misery. I appreciated the pain in the final miles and have a feeling that the challenge of the marathon distance will keep me coming back for more races in the coming years.

I’d also like to pass along my sincere thanks to MTA Coach Dominique Hamel. She has guided me through nearly five months of training leading up to the Chicago marathon and I could have never reached this goal so seamlessly without her help.

She kept me on track with my training and was truly a coaching chameleon – she pushed me when I needed it, held me back when I needed it, and instilled an unwavering sense of confidence in me as I progressed through my training plan.

By the time I toed the start line in Chicago I was certain that I would cross the finish line, and I think that level of confidence is a luxury that many first time marathoners don’t have.

Thanks again for your support and best of luck to everyone in the community who’s tackling a challenge in the coming weeks!

-Melissa Ratzen