Emma Pettit

Athlete of the Month

Emma Pettit

Coach: Tori Gerlach

Event: Half/Full Marathon

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I’ve been using 2before prior to my track workouts and gym sessions and have really noticed a difference! I feel like it has helped with my performance not only during my track workouts but especially in the gym. I feel way more energized when I'm lifting. The caffeine and other benefits help pick me up and stay really intentional and focused in the weight room after I’m done with a morning run. It’s also really easy on the stomach and tastes yummy 😋 - Coach Tori

Interview with Emma Pettit

Q: Hey Emma! Glad you could join The Axe this month - I’m excited about this interview. How are you doing today?

Amazing! I’m watching the snow fall outside my window here in New York City, and I’m feeling easy, breezy, beautiful heading into a half marathon this Sunday.

Q: Can you give the audience a timeline of your running career so far and what makes you different from the others we’ve interviewed in the past?

Definitely. I started running in high school as a way to stay busy between soccer seasons but quickly fell in love with it. From there, I ran DI cross country and track at Davidson in North Carolina, primarily focusing on the mile. I had a phenomenal time there, but I never felt like I came close to my potential. After a much-needed break after college, I realized how much joy running brought me when I wasn’t stressing over a certain time. I started running longer races like the half marathon and marathon because it felt like a new challenge, and I surprised myself with my capacity for longer distances.

As for how I’m different, I can’t be sure, but I think I might be the only one you’ve interviewed who spent six months in Alaska working on a musk ox farm! With running though, I think the great thing is that we are all in it together and get to share so many similarities of the running experience no matter what twists and turns anyone’s individual story holds.

Q: I heard you were a member of Davidson College’s track and XC teams. Can you talk about your college training and how training at the Division 1 level shaped you?

It’s a beautiful and challenging thing! It gives you the highest highs and the lowest lows when you pour so much of yourself into a sport. The friendships between teammates are like nothing else, but the pressure to do well can be pretty brutal too. Having unfinished business with running has made me more excited to see what can happen in this current post-college phase of running.

Q: What have you learned from Tori so far and why did you pick her as a coach? Also, is she as cool of a coach as she is a person?

Tori has immensely helped me with consistency. She’s able to pull me back when I have the impulse to do too much, and she motivates me to get out the door even when I don’t feel all that inspired. I knew Tori would be an amazing coach because she’s also handled the transition from college running to post-college running – and on a far bigger stage than me. I knew she would understand the type of training I was used to as well as how important flexibility and the mental side of things can be. Also as the first woman on TME, she’s automatically the most badass member of the team. She’s cooler than cool, she’s ice cold (in the best kind of way).

Q: How have you grown since joining Hammer & Axe? What makes the coaching worth it compared to an individual training plan?

I’ve really settled into the training process and felt a lot of the everyday agony of wondering “will I run today” or “how far will I run today” subside. Putting my trust in our training helped me gain confidence as a runner because I know that as long as I check off the box I am closer to my goal. I knew I needed individual coaching for accountability and flexibility. We talk every week so I can’t just fall off a plan unnoticed, and we’ve been able to adapt my training to account for travel, bad weather days, and even days when I feel amazing and end up doing more than anticipated.

Q: Favorite workout so far?

Always love a good, long progression run through Central Park, especially if the weather is nice!

Q: Do you have any races coming up? If so, what are your goals and expectations for those?

This Sunday I’m running the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon, and I’ve got the NYC marathon lined up in November. I think I race best when I have no expectations, so we’ll just see what happens! Sky is the limit!

Q: Any last thoughts for our readers?

There’s never going to be a more perfect time to shoot for your goals than right now! Don’t let anything hold you back from just going for it, whatever “it” is.

Keep up with Emma! 👇

Emma’s Strava

Emma’s Instagram

Work with Coach Tori

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