An interview with Mariah Christian

Tears of joy, after 17:55 for 5km, at BU!

Whenever Mariah Christian was happy, excited, passionate and really into whatever she was talking about – which, fortunately for all of us in her world, is, like, most of the time! – she talks really fast. The words and sentences come tumbling out, usually with a smile on her face or a smile in her voice (if you can imagine that). Memories of those many conversations with Mariah never fail to put a smile on MY face – especially now, when face-to-face human interaction with most of those we care about is pretty much limited to screens, emails or texts.

It was no surprise, then, when I got Mariah’s emailed responses to my usual Pandemic Papers questions. Quickly, in long and entertaining sentences and paragraphs. For those of you who are lucky enough to know Mariah as a teammate, classmate, friend, just close your eyes (well, not really) as you read this and hear her answers in her fast-paced, smiling voice. With feeling. The words and the sentences will fly by, as did her four years as a student-athlete on our team. Mariah forged a special bond with Erica Maker, who was our assistant coach for too-short a time during Mariah’s formative years as a runner and a person at Marist. It’s neat that she references Erica several times here. It was disturbing to hear that Mariah most likely contracted the Covid-19 virus, but she dismisses it in her usual cheery way and fortunately she seems to be completely recovered from it. This version of the Pandemic Papers is a little on the longer side, but worth every paragraph and every sentence. Thank you, Mariah, for taking part in it, and for being a young and loyal Forever Fox.  

Take us back in time to your high school career. What were some of your highlights and how did you first get started in the sport?

I feel like to start my running journey, I need to talk about my Mom. My mom has always been someone I really looked up to, and I grew up going to her races, watching her in the Boston Marathon, and just seeing her be this incredibly strong person. When I was a little kid, she used to push me and my twin sister in a double stroller on her runs. It seemed only natural that I would eventually follow in her footsteps. I started competitively running my freshman year of high school. When the season started, I could barely run a 9:00 mile without crying about how slow I was and how horrible running was. I ended up making varsity that year by default because all of our good runners got injured. I think making varsity gave me a taste of what it would be like to be an actual good runner - so then I started training more seriously. (I used to go for walks instead of runs during cross country). It’s kind of funny to look back on now because I remember more than a few times getting scolded by (Coach) Erica (Maker) in college for running too much. When I started training seriously, my twin sister actually pushed me the most, she was always the most dedicated, the most calculated- always creating virtual meets, etc. She’s the one that made me believe in summer mileage, and dragged me on long runs. She’s an incredible motivator, and much of my and my high school team’s success came directly from her leadership.

My junior year, my little sister joined the team too. So at this point, there were three Christian sisters on the team. She was amazing right out of the gate - top in the county, getting a lot of newspaper press. She was one of those fearless runners - you told her to chase someone and she would run them down. I’ll admit, my junior year I was incredibly jealous of her, but eventually, I got over it. Plus, it was special having all of us on the same team, it made us become best friends and not just sisters.  Senior year, there were 7 of us that were really serious about running - we had this incredible coach (we called him Papa, because his last name is Behre) and he told us we could win states. We also had an assistant coach, Romano, who was also the softball coach and really knew nothing about running - and yet he will always be one of my favorite coaches. He said to us, and I’ll always remember it, “you guys can’t even see how strong you are. You’re beasts! When you ladies set your mind to something- you do it. So don’t for a minute doubt yourself.’’  Papa and Romano had this incredible ability to make practice tough, but also make it so fun - and while we were so serious this entire season, we also had so much damn fun at practice and meets. I think that was the “secret sauce” to our success that season. The previous year we had done horribly at states, but since our two coaches believed in us- we started to believe that we could win too. My highlight was when states finally came around, we had this really emotional “chalk talk” with Papa the day before about how there was no reason we couldn’t win. The day of states was actually pretty funny. On the starting line my friend Erin started sobbing because she didn’t listen to her “lucky song,” and therefore we wouldn’t win. So Papa and Ramono googled the lyrics minutes before the gun went off, and all of us are huddled in this circle singing Paramore’s “Still into You.” Despite that obstacle, it actually ended up being one of those perfect races - our spread was less than a minute, everyone coming in right after each other - everyone running their best race of the season on the same day. When we found out we won - it felt like something out of a movie, it literally felt like we were moving in slow motion. We all checked the results seven times, were hugging, crying, in total disbelief and total relief after such a tough season of training. Everyone was sobbing - our coaches, our parents - it was a special moment. It was a moment I’ll always remember, and showed the true beauty of the sport. The seven of us that won states all also ended up running Division 1, and we had a reunion at Paul Short my junior year, which was pretty special.

Take us back in time to your recruitment process. What made you choose Marist and what other schools were you considering?

My Uncle Bryan played soccer for Marist! Growing up, I always really admired my Uncle - he’s so hard working, he cares so much about people, and I think that was a big reason I looked at the school. I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to run in college until the end of my junior year. I really didn’t believe I was good enough to run in college, until colleges started reaching out to me. My Dad has always had the mindset of “if you want something- go get it.” So, I told coaches at the end of my junior year that I was planning on having a great senior year cross country season, and I’d send them a follow-up e-mail. My senior year I ended up running over a minute faster in my 5k, and schools started inviting me for official visits. I went on three official visits - Lafayette, Loyola Maryland, and Marist. I loved my visits at the other two schools, but it didn’t feel like “home” to me, as cheesy as that sounds. The dynamic of the teams felt really different then my high school team. I wanted a team where the girls loved each other and were close with the coach.

I actually met you, Pete, at Nike Cross Regionals my senior year - you had that crazy long beard - and I had run a terrible race that day so I was scared to talk to you. But you were so warm right away, and funny, and you e-mailed me after saying you thought the school would be a perfect fit for me. My parents were Team Marist immediately after meeting you, so I think that played a big factor too. I loved that Marist had a communication school, because initially that was what I wanted to study. I loved the campus, and I loved that is wasn’t too far from home (just under two hours). But my official visit experience really sealed the deal. I was as shy as can be on that visit, I’m sure I barely said three words, but I loved the team immediately. I remember going to Chuck’s office to have a meeting before I left, and all the freshmen at the time were in there talking about snacks they wanted Chuck to get. I felt so relieved, because I could tell that their relationship with Chuck wasn’t just about running fast, and that he actually cared about them as people- and they were able to goof around. Plus, I could tell by all the girls I met on my visit, that the team really was a “family” and that was so comforting.

Anyway, I told Chuck I was coming to Marist at the end of that visit, went to the book store and bought a hat- and then it was official, I was a Red Fox!

You had a great four years here as a student-athlete at Marist. What are some of your highlights and favorite memories as an athlete at Marist?

I had so many great memories it’s honestly hard to narrow it down, but I think to start- it was making some of the best friends I’ll ever have. I still keep in touch with a lot of people and I’m really grateful for that. I also wanted to say that a lot of my favorite memories were the life chats that we had. You always offered great advice, and were honest with me. I think it’s important to note how big of an impact you not only had on me, but also on so many people. I mean, Sami and I talk all the time about how grateful we are for our relationship with you, and I hope you know how big of a fan club you have. I feel like me writing that probably embarrassed you, never one to like compliments, but it’s the truth so deal with it. I think I’ll just list some of my top memories like Elizabeth did, because that seems the easiest:

--Preseason my freshman year- I was a nervous shy mouse when I came to Marist freshman year. I was worried I wouldn’t click with anyone, etc. (all fears that seem ridiculous now because the team was so sweet and welcoming). However, Chuck paired me up to room with Mara and she was immediately the best kind of weird. She and I spent preseason just exploring campus, and watching funny YouTube videos. Our friendship was really cemented when Mara and I got lost on a long run. For some reason we decided to go longer then everyone (I’m not sure why we did that) and we got lost in the middle of Poughkeepsie. By this point, we were scared, so we were sprinting. We eventually found our way back to campus, and when we mapped our run we had done over 13 miles, which was a lot for us newbies at the time. The girls were so confused when we got back and Chuck was so concerned, he almost went out looking for us! Then we had a workout two days later that we both did God-awful in because we were so sore from our long run. That was a very classic “Mo and Mur” move (that’s what we call ourselves). I also got really close to Christine in preseason, and pretty soon I felt completely myself around those two. They’re my good friends to this day.  

--Elizabeth talked about this too, but my junior year we had a wild thunderstorm when we were at William and Mary, and we were supposed to run the 5k! During the meet being postponed I had so much fun. Everyone was being super weird - Shea was playing Hangman with Emily Franko on a white board, Joe Miller made up a rain dance song, Annie had eaten about 12 granola bars by this point, I think she also ate a cheese quesadilla? I couldn’t stop eating pretzels with sunflower butter and jelly (gross?), and Boushra had been determined to run 5 miles in the middle of a TORNADO warning so I’m pretty sure she was getting admonished by Erica. It was a WEIRD night. If you had videotaped the crew, no one would have expected any of us to PR based on our weird eating habits during all of this. Before the race we also had this funny tradition of pinching Annie’s butt for goodluck- so there we are- right about to race- pinching Annie’s butt. Like I said- WEIRD.  Yet? We all ended up PRing. It was an electric night- so many guys and girls from the team also stayed to watch us race which was incredible. It was great getting to celebrate with Erica too, because she was and still is an incredible coach, and as much as a success that night was for all of us- it was for her too- and I was happy her LD girls were running well! On the cooldown, it must have been midnight by this point, we were LOOPY. High off of endorphins, we couldn’t stop laughing. Then for dinner, nothing was opened, so Annie and I ate gummy bears and potato chips… meal of champions.

--My junior year, Christine, Alyssa Hurlbut and I did Tuesday morning workouts with Erica, because that’s the only time that worked with our schedule. I lived for those Tuesday mornings. Christine’s my best friend, and getting to train together was so fun. We both love Erica, so having some alone time with her was also great. Christine pushed me during workouts - she’s fierce and strong and got me through a lot of brutal tempos, but she also made the rests so much fun because we would just joke around, talk about life, etc. Christine and I definitely had a lot of deep life talks during those cool downs. While we really loved working out with the team on Fridays, I do think there was something special about waking up early on Tuesday mornings to go train together. Plus in track we both ran very different races so we were never training together! We used to get omelets in the caf after those workouts, which was honestly one of the best parts. Caf omelets from Anotoniette are better than any omelet you’ll ever eat, no questions asked.

--Another 5K memory! I had another stress fracture my senior year, so I spent most of indoor training on the bike. Luckily, I had my buddy Hannah on the bike next to me, and it was so super helpful to train with her- she makes everything so fun and it was way easier cross training mentally with someone going through the same thing as you. Anyway, I finally felt like I was able to race after a few strong workouts. I remember sitting in your office Pete and you saying “ok, what do you think you can run?” We concluded an 18:10 seemed like a safe bet, but secretly I knew I was in good enough shape to finally break the 18-minute barrier. Right before my race, Hayley had just qualified for ECACs, which was so motivating- I mean she’s the sweetest, most hard-working person on the planet. The team was super pumped up after that! When the race started, I was pacing for an 18:10. However, about halfway through I felt good so I started to lead the pack- this made the girls behind me speed up and increase the pace again. By the last 400 Pete was yelling “if you run a 1:23 you can break 18:00.” I can still remember running up to the line and realizing I was going to break 18:00. I ran 17:55 and cried after. The most special part of the race wasn’t the time though, it was the girls team lined up on the inside of the track screaming the entire time. They even made me smile during my race! They all were emotional for me when I finished too, and that just shows you the love on the team. I called my mom right after that race too and we were both just crying (Chuck had given my parents his Flotrack account so they could watch).

--I guess it’s not really a memory? More of an overall highlight, but I really loved being a team captain. I know I obviously wasn’t a perfect captain, but I did enjoy taking on the “mom role.” When Chuck texted me that I had been named captain, I cried. I had really wanted to be a captain my senior year, especially after having amazing leadership my freshman/sophomore/junior year. Those captains were so good at checking in on everyone, and being there for us outside of running. I feel like being a captain on the team gave me the opportunity to have a special relationship with every girl on the team, and I’m grateful for that. The role also gave me a good excuse to check up on everyone and make sure everyone was doing okay, and I loved that piece of it. I feel like being a captain really gave me a sense of purpose on the team, especially when I was struggling with injuries, etc. It meant a lot to me when girls would text me asking for advice, or text me asking to go on walks to talk about life. Some of my favorite memories really have come from those one-on-one talks, because it’s not something you get to do during practice when there’s so many girls around, and so much happening. I feel like I got to know everyone on a deeper level, and I still keep in touch with a lot of the girls!

Talk a little about your academics. What did you major in and how did it prepare you for your career?

I majored in Public Relations, and then I minored in Fashion Merchandising. I ended up really hating public relations, and really loving my fashion classes, so I pursued a career in fashion. My job has a lot of do with analyzing trends, and understanding the consumer, which are classes that I took at Marist. The majority of my professors for fashion came from the field, so they offered a lot of insight into the world of fashion - which was helpful when I started. Public relations actually did end up helping me out, because it’s made me a strong public speaker. My job requires me to talk to a lot of different people during the day, and I think my public speaking classes have helped me show up confident to meetings.  I’m also great at writing e-mails, because one of my PR classes literally had a portion of the class where we learned to type a professional e-mail.  That’s honestly been more helpful then I thought it would be.

What are you currently doing and how do you like living in the Boston area?

I am a Senior Analyst at TJX- and I’m in the ladies’ shoe department. I really do own a lot of shoes now, it’s almost embarrassing. I basically decide, based on selling patterns, what shoes to ship and where. It’s really fun and creative, and I love going to work. I’m also in charge of the training program for my division, which has been my favorite piece of the job - I help onboard new analysts, and help continue trainings for analysts that want to keep growing and learning. I love getting to sit down with the new analysts and see how they’re doing, and what additional support they may need. I work with so many different people during the course of the day, it’s just so energizing.

I love living in Boston, it really feels like home now. It’s a beautiful little city, and the people here are so passionate about their city. I’ve met some amazing friends here too so I’m really lucky. Much to the disapproval of most people, I am also now a Patriots, and Bruin fan (I’ve always been a Red Sox fan). The sports culture here is INSANE. I went to a bar next to TD Garden during the last game of the Stanley Cup, and even though we lost, it was CRAZY how much people in Boston love their teams. It’s a community here, it’s awesome. My roommate and best friend here, Jackie, and I say probably once a day to each other “I love Boston so much.” I really am obsessed with this city, and I could write a novel about how amazing it is. It’s funny, because before I moved here I thought TB-12 was a multi-vitamin, and now I’ve totally bought into the Boston culture.

You feel that you have been exposed to and infected with Covid-19. Walk us through that, how you felt, how long you were sick and how convinced are you that you had the virus?

So, I have two roommates who work in hospitals- one on a Children’s psych floor (Bridget), and one who had been working with patients tested positive (Tori). Basically, Bridget had a bad cough for about a week, and about a week after that three of us (I have three roommates, and then a friend stayed with us for about a month) started to get a cough. Once I got sick, it just felt like a really bad cold. I was super tired, to the point where I was facetiming my sister once, and I fell asleep while we were talking in the middle of the day. I took a nap every day, and went to sleep early - most days I was averaging about 13 hours of sleep. I also couldn’t taste or smell, which was the most “obvious” symptom I guess. I tried to go on a run (away from people, don’t worry) within the first few days of my cough and I was running 10-minute miles. I’m not in peak running shape, but I usually run between 7:30-8:00 pace. So that was concerning too, and then a few days after that I could barely go on a 10-minute walk without feeling completely miserable. My roommate Tori then started feeling symptoms, so she actually got tested, and it came back positive. As soon as hers came back positive, I was pretty confident that I had it too - our symptoms directly matched up - and everyone in the house had been feeling the same way. We called a doctor and she told us that we could all get tested, but there really wasn’t a point because we had all been exposed at this point, probably had it based on our symptoms, and now needed to quarantine for 14 days. Based on the fact that Tori and I had the exact same symptoms, I’m pretty convinced I had it.

Honestly, it really came in waves for all of us - some days we’d be feeling great, maybe could taste a little, and then other days we’d all take like three naps in that day. It probably lasted for about 10 days. I want to say though, I know all of us are lucky that it really wasn’t bad, and for people that are being extremely affected by this virus, I really am praying for them and their families.

What advice would you give to anyone who has your symptoms and/or tests positive for the virus?

I would say, honestly, don’t be like me. When I first showed symptoms, I didn’t call a doctor, and I didn’t try to get tested. I probably wouldn’t have even quarantined if my roommate hadn’t gotten a positive test. And that’s horrible, and I feel so guilty about it. If you have a cough, can’t taste or smell, and are exhausted - just call a doctor/try to get tested, it’s worth it, so you’ll know if you really shouldn’t be going to the grocery store and potentially affecting others.

I also got really anxious when I found out my roommate was positive, and that made my body even more tired. I would suggest just taking it easy, and trying to stay in your routine as best you can, but allowing yourself some extra rest. Our doctor did tell us to get outside if we could, to move our body a little bit. I think moving a little bit each day did help us. I was told by a doctor that if I couldn’t hold my breath for 10 seconds, that that would be an issue, and potentially require greater medical attention. I think it’s just about being smart, and listening to your body. I also made sure I was still eating properly - we all kept each other accountable for making sure we were eating enough at meals, and eating veggies and fruit too. Some days none of us were hungry, but we knew that your body can’t fight an infection if you don’t give it proper fuel - so I think that really helped too.

If you’re in a household that has more than one shower, and someone in the household has been tested positive or had potential exposure to Corona - you should really have them quarantine in their room and let that be “their bathroom.” That was the biggest piece of advice from the doctor, but we only have one shower, and by the time we got the positive test results, we were all showing symptoms anyway.

Other than that, how else has the virus affected your life – personally and professionally?

I was supposed to go home to New Jersey last week and stay there until this is all over. I decided to not go home, because I didn’t want to run the risk of infecting anyone at home. I’m symptom-free now, but you just never know right? I haven’t seen my family since Christmas, so that’s definitely been tough. I also was supposed to visit Christine, Jordan, Shea, Sami and Pat a few weeks ago, but obviously that couldn’t happen. I haven’t seen them since November! I can’t complain though, because everyone is making sacrifices right now, so we’re all in this together. TJX has been really incredible during this time and I still do have my job, which I know I’m very lucky. I still have a decent amount of work too - predominately looking at competitor stores and what messaging they’re putting out. A big part of my job is talking to people and forming relationships, so I’ve been able to continue that through Zoom calls and Facetimes. My team at work is amazing, and so supportive - and we chat every morning at 9 a.m., which has kept some normalcy in the routine. My roommates and I also host Zoom parties on Fridays, and invite various groups of people to join, which has been really fun! I mean we’re only a few miles from some of our friends in Boston, but we’re being good about social distancing- so Zoom’s allowed us to keep in touch.

Most of the running world is currently on hold. When it does resume, what future goals do you have for your post-collegiate running?

My biggest goal of all time, is to run a marathon with my Mom. I used to want to beat her time (3:08:00), but I’m not sure if that’s feasible anymore. I had a stress fracture in my back this summer, so at this point I’m just starting to feel strong again. I took it really slow coming back, because I felt like my body just really needed a break. I’m starting to really love running again though, and I’m thinking about signing up for a half in the fall - I think that would be a good start. I think my main goal is to just stay healthy enough that I can continue to run for the rest of my life, it seems like a small and easy goal, but I think that’s what’s most important to me right now. Despite the setback, I actually am grateful for the flexibility of my running schedule and not being in a serious routine these past few months. Over winter break, my dad and I ran and walked a lot together. I would have never done that if I was seriously training, so in some ways it’s a huge blessing. He’s the best, and we never get a lot of alone time together to talk about life, so having times like that together is great.

As you know, our senior student-athletes lost the ability to compete in their final season of competition as well as enjoy their final few months as college students. What message can you send them about what they are going through?

A lot of people in my grade actually texted me when this was announced, and we were all in agreement of how horrible that is. We all started to reflect on our senior year, and I mean, they’re just robbed honestly. My little sister is a senior at Holy Cross, and she missed out on her senior year spring track season too. She’s grieving, you know? It’s a really tough situation. I reached out to a lot of the senior girls, and they’re all amazing, positive girls- but obviously devastated. I think what I’ve been saying to them and to my little sister is that they are allowed to be upset. You’re allowed to cry, and be disappointed, and kind of mourn the loss of your spring semester and season. It’s just a whole lot of “what could have been” and that’s hard to deal with. But they should also take this time to look back on all of their successes and make sure they celebrate that. Luckily, running is the kind of sport that can last a lifetime - so they’ll still have chances to compete in the future. These seniors were all incredible, with so much success among the men and the women seniors - so I hope they can be proud of the legacy that they have left on the team, and that they really made the most out of their shortened time at Marist.

What message would you give to any returning or incoming student-athletes on our team?

You know what’s funny? I actually went to the same high school as Syd, who’s on the team now. And when I was a senior, her team was at my sister’s cross country meet. I ended up going for a run with her and her teammates because Papa wanted me to, and we talked all about Marist and how much I loved it. I remember telling her how awesome college running is, and talking about how Chuck and Pete are two of the best coaches I’ve ever had. I think I would probably say the same thing to any incomers/returning athletes. Marist is amazing, and more than that- the team/coaches are amazing. Your time goes by so fast, so don’t get caught up in the “little things” and enjoy every single second. Running D1 is an incredible opportunity that not many people get. I would also say, when you find your people hold onto them tight. You’ll never all be living 10 minutes away from each other, and long-distance friendships are tough. Luckily, my friends from Marist have become my family - and we call/text/facetime/visit each other as much as we can.  

Where do you see us going in the short- and long-term with regard to Covid-19?

I feel like I have two sides - one from the business side of things and one from my roommate who works in a hospital. Based on how my company is moving forward, things look optimistic. Based on what I’ve heard from the hospital, it does seem like we have reached our peak at least in Boston, and it should get better. That being said - I wanted to say something less “evidence base” and a little more positive. I know there are so many unknowns in the world, when it will return to some kind of normal, what will life even look like, etc. But one thing I’m confident about is people’s mindsets. This experience has made me realize how easy it is to make time for your friends - to pick up the phone and make that call. It means a lot when people check in on you, and I feel like too often I make an excuse that I don’t have enough time. I’ve seen so much positivity and kindness come out of all of this too - and I think that will continue once quarantine is over. I think this has given people time to reflect on what matters to them in life, and what they’re grateful for. Life’s not all about having “things,” it’s about having people around you that you love; that’s all that matters. Obviously, it’s going to be a new normal, and it will take getting used to. But we’re all in this together, we’re all going to figure it out together, and it will be fine, eventually.

I realize this perspective could sound extremely ignorant, but I’m choosing to remain positive, so I stick by my standpoint.