284 miles of preparation, 5 pairs of running shoes, 7 races, and over 200 Gu energy packets, all leading to the long and hard 2045 miles in total.
On February 22, Junior Sloane Factor participated in her seventh annual Cowtown Half Marathon, varying between 10ks and half marathons. Factor’s running journey started back in elementary school. She attended Tanglewood Elementary from Kindergarten to fifth grade. Tanglewood offered a running club, where students would run twice a week with their friends around the park. Factor continued participating every year until middle school, where she then started running on her own time.
A look into Factor’s race day is quite interesting. She likes to wake up bright and early at 5:00 a.m.to get a jump start on her race-day routine. For breakfast, she likes to eat something light but also something with protein. She eats a banana with peanut butter right when she wakes up, and then she has a protein bar before the race begins. Factor’s running day attire varies depending on the weather, but she does have a favorite running outfit. Factor usually wears a Lululemon tank top paired with a pair of ChickenLegs shorts. The brand ChickenLegs is a workout brand specifically for runners. The pieces have fun and interesting prints on them that can make simple running outfits super fun and different. Factor’s favorite brand for running shoes is On Cloud.
“They have just enough support for my ankles and keep my feet from getting blisters and feeling uncomfortable throughout the race,” Factor said.
During the race, Factor believes it is very important to stay hydrated and keep her energy levels up. She enjoys having energy gels throughout the race. Gu energy makes many different race essentials that can be enjoyed while running. Gu offers 21 different flavors and delivers quick energy, essential electrolytes, and portable convenience to fuel every adventure.
“My favorite flavors of the Gu energy packets are the Chocolate Outrage and the Vanilla Bean energy gel,” Factor said.
Factor starts to train four months prior to the race on an every-other-day schedule. Her training schedule incorporates over 284 miles in just four short months. Since she has been a runner for most of her life, she jumps right into four miles on the first day of training. After that, the distance will get longer and longer and will prepare her for her half marathon. When running 10ks, Factor still uses a running schedule but the duration and distance of the runs are shorter and farther in between.
Factor has run all of her races alone. Sheenjoys running alone because she is able to keep her own pace and enjoy her music of choice.
“My favorite song is ‘No One’ by Alicia Keys, and I play it during the harder miles of my races,” Factor said.
Factor loves running the races and seeing her family and friends supporting and cheering her on at different spots throughout the course. When crossing the finish line, she loves to get her medal and meet up with other friends that also ran the race.
“My favorite part about running 10ks and half marathons is the feeling of crossing the finish line. I always feel so complete and proud of myself for all of the hard work and dedication I put into the race,” Factor said.
Factor plans on running her first full marathon when she turns 18 years old. Running started as just a fun hobby, but has now turned into one of her favorite things to do and a great pass time.
Factor is very active on the FWCD volleyball and tennis team, therefore she does not participate in cross country or track. She loves to save running for the weekend and her free time.
