20-Year-Old Runs

Описание: At just 20 years old, Jera Crandall ran 3:05:39 in her first-ever marathon at the 2025 Dallas Marathon—shattering the Boston qualifying standard by over 20 minutes and finishing 13th overall women and 6th in her age group. This race became deeply meaningful when Jera lost her father in early September during her training cycle, turning the marathon into a tribute to him and a way to process her grief.

In this episode, Jera shares her unconventional path from competitive figure skater to distance running phenom. She opens up about running her first 5K in 19:28 with zero training knowledge, taking nearly a year off from racing to focus on skating, then deciding to become a "seriously competitive distance runner" after the 2024 Turkey Trot.

We discuss her methodical approach to the marathon—hiring coach Alfonzo Gonzalez Jr (Fonz) before even attempting the distance, nailing her carb loading and nutrition strategy, executing perfect pacing starting conservatively at 7:15 pace, and fighting through the brutal final 5K to crush her Boston qualifying goal.

Jera also talks about overcoming past struggles with disordered eating, the mental toughness developed through figure skating and powerlifting background, her harrowing 14-mile training run that got her lost on the trails, and why she's waiting until 2027 Houston Marathon to race the full distance again so she can build raw strength and speed at shorter distances.

Key Stats:

First marathon: 3:05:39 (Dallas Marathon 2025)
13th overall women, 6th in age group
Half marathon split: 1:32:59
Running just 6 months with Train Pegasus before the race
Age 20

Topics Covered:

Running 3:05:39 debut marathon and qualifying for Boston
Dedicating the race to her late father
Transitioning from figure skating to distance running
Working with coach Alfonzo Gonzalez Jr (Fonz) and Train Pegasus
Marathon nutrition: carb loading, fueling, hydration strategy
Race pacing and execution through adversity
Building 60-70 mile training weeks at age 20
Overcoming eating disorder history through healthy training
Running through grief and loss
Future plans: focusing on 5K-Half Marathon speed through 2026

Follow Jera on Instagram: @jcrandall_sk8_run

Sponsor of this podcast:
Panther City Ultra - April 4th
Fort Worth's premier trail race with distances from 5K to 50K at Marion Sampson Park. Use code DFW for 10% off at https://www.riseracingco.com/panther-...

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