25/08/2025
Athlete Spotlight: El Marie — Running Forward, Running Again
El Marie is a runner through and through. A veteran of the previous running boom, strong and passionate — but like all of us, life happens. Priorities shift, the miles fade, and sometimes the runner version of ourselves feels like a lifetime ago.
But once you’re a runner, the itch always comes back. The challenge? Not just the workouts, but the mental battle — comparing yourself to the “you” of before. At RFP, that’s where we step in. We prepare our athletes not only physically, but also mentally. We help them rediscover their why — because once that is clear, everything else falls into place.
Earlier this season, El Marie broke through with new PRs, showing that the fire was still there. We set bigger goals for the end of the year, then mapped out a robust macrocycle. A key step along the way was a threshold test — because while lab tests like lactate or VO₂ max are ideal, they aren’t always accessible. Races and threshold efforts can give us the same guidance: clear data to anchor training zones.
So we chose the Santé Barley 10K Run as her test. The goal: find her current threshold pace, validate the plan, and see how the training is trending.
And the result? A new personal best — steady, controlled, and negative-split. Established a new Critical Power with a Variability Index of 1.0 (perfect pacing), her effort (RPE) stayed well within target, her heart rate aligned with threshold ranges, and her run power profile showed excellent durability. More importantly, she didn’t just run fast — she ran smart, building strength through the middle and finishing strong.
The takeaway: her thresholds have improved, giving us updated training zones and the confidence that her macrocycle is on track.
Final thought: This wasn’t just about a PR. It was about proving to herself that progress is still possible, that the “runner self” is still here, and that the best way forward is not to look back, but to keep moving relentlessly ahead.
📷Stefners Photography