We are thrilled to resume the Pandemic
Papers today after a several weeks’ hiatus, with a big ray of sunshine in Lizzy
Peper (Class of 2016). Although Lizzy so beautifully details her many ups and
downs here in this interview, I always found her to be a relentlessly positive
person with a sunny disposition and glass-half-full outlook at all times. Yes,
her freshman year of running at Marist was challenging. But not only did she
never give up, her positive attitude never wavered. She rightfully credits
Coach Chuck for helping her turn things around – both mentally and physically,
a microcosm of our entire women’s program under his expertly caring watch for
the past decade.
Anyway, Lizzy has remained extremely
active in the running community in her native Maryland and Baltimore area. I
have no doubt in my mind that her positivity continues to shine through in her
work and especially in her coaching of other athletes. She uses the word “cheerleader”
below, and when it comes to coaching motivated and mature adults, positive
feedback is what it’s all about. Lizzy has an infinite bucket of positivity, so
no problem there. Lizzy is part of a group of young alums with whom we have
stayed close. Whether it’s social gatherings locally or lately via Zoom,
talking with Lizzy in these group settings is awesome. She has true passion for
life and for all things running – footwear, clothing, diet, training, racing,
all of it. It might sound like a cliché, but she’s a true ambassador for the
sport.
One other point, in general about this
interview series and specifically about this interview: They will be far less
frequent moving forward. The Pandemic Papers will not go away entirely, but
there certainly won’t be daily interviews as we did during the months of April
and May and even into June. My intention is to keep it going, but on a more
sporadic basis – maybe once a week, a few times a month, something like that.
As this pandemic stretches into the late summer and fall, our lives continue to
evolve with it – some good, some bad, a lot in between, and we have to
recalibrate minds to a very uncertain short-term future called the fall 2020
semester at Marist College and elsewhere. Life in the Marist Running world goes
on, in a very altered state. It’ll be challenging to navigate it and the focus
of future blog posts may pivot more in that direction.
Lizzy’s interview really highlights the
shift in this pandemic to what it is: A more long-term part of our lives. The
tone of this interview reflects that. She has had a rollercoaster ride with
this virus – personally, professionally. The majority of the daily interviews
during the early phase of the pandemic were celebrations of the past and short
examinations of a present that we were trying to grapple with. We’re still
trying to grapple with it, but it has slowly, in a subtle way, moved into a
different phase. Everyone talks about a “second wave” in the fall and winter. I
don’t see it. Mostly, because the “first wave” has never really ended. It’s
more like an ebb and flow of Covid-19 world. Lizzy captures that ebb and flow
wonderfully here, as I knew she would. She is a cherished, valued member of the
Marist Running family – a true Forever Fox.
When and how and why did you start running?
My first experience with running was in fourth grade when I joined
an after-school program called Girls on the Run. Each girl needed an adult
buddy to run the 5K race at the end of the session and my Dad was mine. He had
just started working at new company, Under Armour, and was inspired to start
running and training for races. Running is a special bond we have always shared
since that race. I will never forget him telling me to “protect this house” and
encouraging me to run strong through the last mile. I beat everyone except two
middle school girls and I think this was the first time I saw running as
something I could be decent at. After that, I ran the usual mile time trials
required in gym classes, joined an after-school running program in middle
school and occasionally ran local 5Ks with my Dad. One of my gym teachers
predicted that I would run in college but it didn’t mean much to me at the
time.
When I entered high school, I tried out for the soccer team but
didn’t make the final cuts. My mom ended up forcing me to join the cross
country team. And I mean, really forced. My parents have never been pushy about
sports but for some reason my Mom was adamant that I did a sport my freshman
year. I remember getting in a huge fight about it. We struck a deal that I
would try the team for two weeks and if I hated it after that, I could quit. Well,
12 years later and I still haven’t quit running. Big thanks to my Mom for
changing my entire life.
Tell us about your high school running career. What are some of
your fondest memories and racing highlights from that time?
My freshman year was a dream. I made the varsity team after
running my second race. Our core group of 8 ran together, which included 3
senior girls who were some of the best runners in the state at the time. I had
to work extremely hard to keep up and would come home every day from practice
completely exhausted. Our team was incredible. We won two big invitational
meets, county championships and eventually the state championships. At that
time, I didn’t know any different. I did what the coaches said to do at
practice, showed up to each meet, set a new PR each time, beat the girls I
needed to and then we would win. Winning the state championships was one of the
most incredible feelings. Although we had won major races the entire year, no
one put us in their winner predictions. We ended up creaming the competition;
no one was even close to us. I will never forget the feeling of jumping up,
holding hands and accepting our medals.
It wasn’t until senior year that the pieces really clicked for me
again. I was extremely dedicated to my training leading into my fall season. I
ran doubles, learned about prehab exercises, focused on healthy eating, upped
my mileage and wanted a good senior year of running more than anything. I spent
most of that year running with the boys on our team and a few of them remain
some of my closest friends to this day. I was in the best shape of my life at
that point and performed well at workouts, but I struggled immensely with the
mental side of racing. I would give up on myself during races and end most in
tears. I never raced the way I felt I should and could, based on my training
and workout performance. The girls team didn’t qualify for cross country states
for the first time in years and I was devastated. At one point, I started
seeing a sports psychologist. I was able to pull together a few decent
performances by track season and some highlights included setting the indoor
DMR school record, running a new 800 PR and qualifying for outdoor states in
the 4x800.
How and why did you choose Marist? What other schools were you
considering and why did you choose Marist over them? What was the
recruiting/search process like for you?
I stumbled upon Marist by chance, and I am so glad I did! My
spring break junior year consisted of a Northeast college road trip with the
whole family (my siblings were thrilled). I had a couple that I was excited to
visit but Marist ended up on the list simply to fill out our schedule.
The first time that I visited Marist, I cut short my tour at
Vassar to meet with Coach Pete. I insisted that I was going to do this meeting
and then go right back to Vassar’s beautiful campus. The joke was on me because
I never went back to Vassar until we drove there for cross country practice my
freshman year. I should mention that I wasn’t sure I would run in college. I
was focused on my academics and debating if running would be a part of my
future. I was seriously considering running at DIII schools but DI was
definitely a stretch for me. Pete was upfront with me that I would not be as
fast as most of the other girls in my class. I liked his honesty and was
motivated by the thought that being on this team would make me a better runner
if I could work hard enough.
My second choice was Gettysburg College and I was able to make
good connections with the team and coaching staff there. I knew that being on
that team would mean a much higher spot, but ultimately, Marist was the right
package for me. The combination of a stellar communications program, honors
program, student-run dance ensemble and the chance to run on a DI team was
everything I had hoped for and more.
What was your academic major at Marist and what can you say about
your academic studies at Marist? Do you recall your favorite courses,
professors, or influences?
I majored in communication with a concentration in public
relations and very much enjoyed my classes in that department. Some highlights
that stick out are my journalism focused classes including Magazine Journalism.
Contrary to popular opinion, I also remember liking our required public
speaking course freshman year. Maybe I am looking back through rose colored
glasses but I think I actually liked school. Learning how to write a press
release or speak in front of people are the practical skills I still use today.
I enjoyed making the most of my schedule and ended up completing
three minors. My absolute favorite was Studio Art. Back when the Steel Plant
was much more gritty and paint-splattered, I loved my time there painting,
drawing and making books. I had taken art classes all through high school and
to this day, I am so grateful that I was able to continue those experiences in
college.
What are some of your fondest memories and highlights of your time
as a student-athlete at Marist?
My memories from this team could go on and on forever. First of
all, thank you to every person who I had the honor of running on a team with
from 2012 to 2016. You are all family for life. I love that our college
experiences are extremely unique. Loading onto a bus every weekend, complete
with meal money and a trip to Price Chopper. Being very accustomed to driving
around Poughkeepsie in white vans. Getting our hair braided (complete with
handmade bows) by Nicki (Nesi) before every meet. Spending winter weekends in
chilly Boston for indoor track meets at BU. Decorating pumpkins and apple
picking while our classmates went out during dry seasons. Going out early when
we could go out and being up early for practice every weekend no matter what no
matter what happened the night before. Though not the typical college
experience, these are the things I will treasure forever.
A few specific memories: Freshman year - All of us running a
horrendous first race at Bowdoin Park with terrible photos to match, complete
with an image of Chuck staring in disbelief at our slow times on his watch. We
used to look at those photos years after any time we needed to laugh so hard we
would cry. Annie (Gould) and I eating Teddy Grahams and Raisennettes just
before running our first 6K at Paul Short (would not recommend). Sophomore year
- Living with the six other girls from the class of 2016 in Foy. What an
adventure, but we survived! Shoutout to Brie (Vess) for motivating me to keep
my half of the room neat. Going all out with our costumes for our Halloween
premeet run the day before MAACs. Junior Year - Deciding to wear pigtails
every race(?!) Hosting team meals for the girls team during intersession. Senior
Year - Sneaking on to the Regionals bus to decorate it for the competing men
and women before they left. Winning ECACs as a team to finish cross country.
Toeing the line with 50+ other girls for my final 5K on the track for outdoor
MAACs.
My two greatest highlights as a student-athlete have nothing to do
with times or places in a race. The first one is by far the best - being
nominated as a cross country co-captain my senior year. To rewind a little bit,
the first race I ever ran in a Marist uniform was terrible. I ran my slowest 5K
of all time and came dead last in the entire race. In fact, my entire freshman
year was a bust for me. I consistently performed worse that I had in high
school and struggled with my mental toughness greatly. A lot of hard work and
weekly one-on-one mental work with Coach Chuck allowed me to steadily improve
each season. By my senior year, I could easily run a 6K faster than that first
5K. That being said, I was still only a middle of the pack runner. So being
voted co-captain by the team was something that I really took to heart. To be
honest, I do have some regrets about not using my voice as much as I should
have while I was captain. I definitely felt a little bit of imposter syndrome
and I think I could have done a better job of expressing the needs of the team
as a whole.
My second greatest honor was receiving the Presidential Academic
Achievement Award at the Senior Athletics ceremony. It was extra special to
have Mark Vuono from the men’s team be named the male recipient that year as
well.
All in all, I wouldn’t trade anything for my time on the Marist
running teams. The people made the experience. Thank you, fellow Red Fox
runners.
You've continued to run and race post-collegiately. Talk about
that, some of the highlights and some of your future goals with running and
racing?
As runners, we are so lucky that our sport can remain a part of
our daily lives, in whatever capacity we want. My biggest post-collegiate
running accomplishment was completing my first marathon in 2018. When my Dad
was diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier that year, I quickly decided I would
run the Baltimore Marathon that October to honor him and fundraise for the
American Cancer Society. My Dad has run countless marathons and I gained so much
appreciation for the hard work that he and so many other runners put in to run
26.2. I think marathon training was especially good for me mentally because I
had nothing to compare it to from college running. Each long run was a new
distance and I was learning a lot along the way. I ended up raising $5,000 for
ACS and crossed the finish line after a very hilly course in under 4 hours.
Other highlights have included running half marathons in Las
Vegas, New Orleans, Philadelphia and Wilmington. I actually set my half PR in
2017 in Philly after running my second half marathon in one week. Races have
also been a cool way to connect with fellow Marist alumni. The Philadelphia
Marathon weekend has been a favorite for a few of us and I got to see Bryn (Gorberg)
at the Delaware Half Marathon.
One of my biggest goals is to run a half marathon race in every
state. Six down, 44 to go! I would also like to set a 10K PR and run the NYC
Marathon. For right now though, I just want to enjoy the run!
You've stayed connected to the sport very closely with your job.
Tell us what you do and how you came to be doing your current job?
Definitely! It seems I am destined to wear running clothes 24/7
for my entire life. I currently run the marketing for Charm City Run, a
run/walk specialty shop with 7 locations and an events business in Maryland. I
started working for CCR during summers and school breaks after my junior year
of college and after graduating in 2016, I started a marketing role. I
eventually became the Senior Marketing Manager in 2017. Working for a small
business means that you do a lot of different things and I have had
opportunities and experiences that I wouldn’t have pretty much anywhere else at
my age. Social media, e-commerce, email, store event planning, website maintenance,
public relations, promotions, signage, digital ads and overall strategic
planning for the retail side of CCR falls under my domain. I also have the
opportunity to work with our awesome vendors such as Brooks, New Balance and
Asics to execute campaigns.
As a slightly separate job, I also coach for Charm City Run and
just started back at it with a group training for a 12-mile race this fall.
Coaching is one of my biggest passions and I honestly enjoy it more than my own
training. I love being a cheerleader for other people and giving them the
tools, encouragement and training plans they need to reach their goals. It is
extremely rewarding to be a part of someone’s running journey and help them
make running an enjoyable and sustainable part of their life.
How has the pandemic affected you -- professionally and
personally?
Wow. Where to start. The pandemic has had a pretty significant
impact on my personal life. Without getting deep into the details, I spent 10
days at an AirBnB in Baltimore with my boyfriend after being potentially,
closely exposed to COVID-19. We were unable to go back to my house once we
found out about our potential exposure as both my roommates are nurses at Johns
Hopkins Hospital. We couldn’t risk exposing them and jeopardizing their cancer
patients. Ultimately, we were both negative. A couple of weeks ago, I spiked a
fever and had a few other symptoms so after another round of self-isolation, I
had another negative test result. If anyone is in need of COVID testing tips,
just let me know!
COVID-19 has also had a huge impact on me professionally. This
entire pandemic has been like a giant case study for crisis communications. A
lot of my job has consisted of sharing updated information about our stores and
how people can shop with us. The run specialty industry in general has adapted
greatly. Suddenly, our e-commerce presence became much more important and our
closed shoes became shipping facilities. We added a second online store and a
new shipping platform. We also set up virtual shoe fittings and apparel
appointments on Zoom. Something changes every day, even every hour sometimes.
As of now, we finally have all 7 doors open again, with safety precautions in
place. The bottom line is that it is all about making it work for the customer
and our communities have shown us the greatest support.
How are things in Maryland and where do you see this going in the
short- and long-term?
Maryland was a hot spot at one point for COVID so we were shut
down since mid-March. We are now in Phase Two of recovery which for us means
that retail, gyms, dining and other venues are allowed to open with safety
modifications. Everything varies by county and Baltimore City, where I live, is
one the strictest areas so we have been lagging behind the rest of the start
with re-openings.
In terms of running, we are making progress on the racing and
training fronts. We recently held two in-person races. Both were limited to 250
runners and involved significant modifications including ongoing start windows
for two hours so that no runners lined up together, contactless packet pick-ups
and no after parties. I was able to run in both of these races and felt totally
safe. It felt good to pin on a race bib again. We also recently started
training groups with procedures to keep our runners and coaches safe including
wearing face covering when we gather for group instructions and keeping our
distance on the run. These experiences make me optimistic that we can continue
to find ways to enjoy the sport that we love so much in safe ways as we move
forward.
What are some of your greatest memories from your final few months
at Marist and what message can you relay to our recent graduates, who lost the
experience of the end of their senior year?
First of all, my heart goes out to the senior class of 2020. My
brother is a part of that group as a recent Marist grad and I know that our
family Zoom celebration was not what any of us had in mind for his graduation.
I would say: treasure the memories you had, the things you learned and the
people you met during your (almost) four years at Marist. No matter how things
ended, nothing can take those things away from you. Your education, team,
relationships and experiences from Marist will be a significant part of your
life forever. Do what you can to stay in touch with the people who you care
about and realize how lucky you are to have met them in such a special place.
And, you will never forget your graduation year! When you say you graduated in
2020, people will remember you as a pandemic grad.
You've stayed in touch with a lot of your alums. How special is
that and what tips can you give to the most recent graduates on staying
connected?
The people I met at Marist are the best takeaway. I know that a
lot of these people will be friends for life. As I mentioned before, usually
running is a big connector for staying in touch. Planning races to attend
together is a fun way to meet up with fellow running alumni. In general,
though, I think getting in touch is all about two-way effort. Especially if you
don’t live in the same place, both people need to make time for phone calls and
travel for visits. You will quickly find out who is going to put in the effort
to maintain a relationship with you. Hold on to that and put in the effort on
your end as well. Plan trips that you can look forward to (when it is safe) -
whether that be driving to see your friend in their city or planning a getaway
together. One of my personal favorites was visiting Christine (Coughlin) in
Hawaii with fellow alums Annie, Kenny and Butti. When you can’t travel, make
the effort to call or text. You might see each other less frequently, but
Marist running connections are as strong as the runners themselves. That
special bond never fades.
Anything else you'd like to add …
Thank you for being part of the reason that Marist runners stay
connected after graduation. Marist wouldn’t be the same without you, Pete!
