Name: Carly Wynn

Where are you from originally and what brought you to this area? I came to the Upper Valley in 2011 from upstate NY to attend Dartmouth. I have not been here continually since graduating, but I consider the UV to be my “home base.”

What do you do professionally? I’m an endurance coach specializing in training plan design and training support for runners and Nordic skiers. I work remotely with most of my athletes and do in-person work with local clubs and teams. I am also a semi-pro cross country skier. This means I compete on the U.S. domestic pro circuit and have some sponsorship to help cover the costs of coaching and equipment, but I work to pay my life expenses. 

How long have you been running? I started actively “training” when I was in elementary school, raced competitively in high school, and have enjoyed running as my favorite form of cross training for skiing since 2010. 

How long have you been running competitively? My most serious competitive years were 2007-2010, but I still race, it’s just a back-burner priority to skiing. At the point when my focus on skiing winds down, I plan to return to a competitive running focus.

Why do you run? There’s something so simple about running; something linear and pure. I travel often, and I love that I can run anywhere. Compared with a sport like Nordic skiing, running is logistically straightforward. Yet none of that captures that feeling of a really good run... I’ve had a lot of great days skiing in my life, but the best running days are still the best days, period. 

Recent memorable moment while running? I’m coming back from a very serious systemic condition that destroyed my mitochondria and left me unable to train for 18 months. I finished my longest long run in 4.5 years last week, and I don’t think I’ve ever been so proud of a workout!

Best athletic accomplishment and why? Crawling out from the hole of depression and anxiety that elite level competition had led me into. By the time I graduated from college in 2015, I was mentally and physically fried. But a year later, I’d taken care of myself on both fronts, learned enormous lessons, and was able to return to competition and love it in a way I never had before. 

If you like to race, favorite race distance? Why? 5k. Nothing hurts like a 5k. 

If you like to race, notable race moment? OR most memorable race? I like to say that when I’m done with ski racing, I’m coming back for my high school 5k PR, which I set on a cross country course as a freshman in 2007 (I never ran track). This was a highlight-able moment not only for the PR and the long-standing goal it has set for me, but also for the mental victory of spraining my ankle during the race and finishing anyway. 

Training partners? Do we still have training partners in a pandemic? 

Cross training activities? Well, running sort of is cross training for me. But I mix it up as much as possible. I pound the pavement at least once a week, but I like trails, and mountain running is my favorite. I’ll also bring the poles out for some ski-walking, and yes, I’m one of those Crazies you see on rollerskis. Also a big fan of mountain biking, a lesser fan of road riding, and can be found grumpily in the pool sometimes. In the non-endurance world, I’m a huge rock climber, a yogi, and a gymnast. I believe in diversifying my training!

Favorite local running route? Does a Presidential Traverse count as local?

Favorite post run treat? Ice cream. Also favorite pre-run treat, mid-run treat, and anytime treat. 

Strangest place ever run? On a minor highway outside of Prague in the middle of the night while wearing a dress. This was an accident. I got off at the wrong bus stop due to a minor language-barrier kerfuffle. But I did run about 5 miles.

Any notable streaks or other unusual running events? I don’t know if this is what you mean by “streaks,” but my Dartmouth teammates and I did once run naked through a ski village in Canada. 

What made you start running? Parents ran, I gave it a try, I won a race among my 3rd grade class, I was hooked. General love of movement and testing myself has been a constant ever since

Who is your running “idol”? I’ve always gravitated toward the unconventional. I admire runners who think outside the box, try things a different way, or make comebacks against the odds. 

The only running shoe for me is Saucony Kinvara. Loved the Saucony Nomads too for trails until they were discontinued... Any technical trail shoe suggestions? (I like 4-8 mm drop and no rock plate, fyi)

Ever been injured? How did it happen? Yup. Partial rupture of my achilles tendon in June of 2017 during a hill-bounding workout. I’d recently come off Lyme disease, and within a year and a half would be suffering from aforementioned mitochondria issue, which means my return to running this spring is the first time I’ve run consistently since fall of 2016. Stoke is high right now!

Hot or cold weather runner?  Is anyone a hot weather runner?

Morning or evening runner? Morning! Oh man, I am useless after 4 p.m.

Favorite running book/film? Once A Runner, by John L. Parker Jr. and its sequel, Again to Carthage. A cult classic if ever there was one.

What does your daily workout consist of? Varies a lot per time of year, and is different now while I regain fitness than it was a couple years ago. But you can bet at least one day a week is off. Big fan of off days. Some workouts are about aerobic adaptation, some strength, some restorative/mobility exercises. Most days will have two sessions. Oh, and as a skier, I think in time and heart rate data, not miles, for the most part. 

How about favorite work out? Stick me on some rugged mountain trails for 5 hours at 18 minute miles pace. Alternatively, a favorite intensity session is “Over/Unders,” alternating pace between just over and just under lactate threshold. It’s as hard psychologically as it is physically. 

What is your diet like? Intuitive, or it tries to be. Eating has not always come naturally to me, and I’ve had to learn the right balance between thinking about it and not thinking about it. I do not personally follow any structured diet, though I am a bit maniacal about eating protein with every meal and snack.  

If you could run with anyone, who would be the person? I’m a bit obsessed with Mary Cain right now, who I raced against in high school and whose story has been dominating running news media lately. Her struggle and process of recovery really resonate with me. 

Aside from running, what are your hobbies? Creative writing, cooking, meditation, guitar, and most recently, singing, a hobby I picked up while I couldn’t train. If anyone is a voice coach, I will trade endurance coaching for vocal training!

What else should the club know about you? You can find my writing in the Ask the Coaches Column, and I write about a lot of things, including travel, training, and racing, and creative projects on my blog. That’s also where you’ll find more info about my coaching. (www.CarlyOutside.com) I’m currently teaching a UVRC Zoom class on Friday nights focusing on restorative exercises, specific strength, and mobility. It’s not a killer, it’s a comfy session, so come join us! It’s free for club members.