IZZY - CO-CAPTAIN OF THE NOTCH RUN CLUB WOMEN'S TEAM

Meet Izzy, the co-captain of the Notch Run Club women's team, a vibrant community nestled in the heart of Salem, Massachusetts. In a candid conversation, Izzy shares her unexpected rise to captaincy, the essence of the Notch team's camaraderie, and her relentless pursuit of running milestones amidst a backdrop of community, celebration, and even a few shots of Fireball. As she gears up for the Boston Marathon, Izzy reflects on her evolution from high jumper to marathoner, revealing the unique blend of grit, passion, and unconventional motivation that propels her forward. 
13th April Running
Karhu EU
Karhu EU

IZZY, YOU'RE THE CO-CAPTAIN OF THE NOTCH RUN CLUB WOMEN'S TEAM. TELL ME HOW YOU EARNED THIS POSITION AND WHAT MAKES THE NOTCH TEAM SO SPECIAL? 

Well, I’m honestly not totally sure how I ended up as captain, but I really love the community aspect of running. I won’t run if I'm on my own. I do my weekly long runs during our Wednesday night workouts because I'm definitely not going to do a long run on my own. I need the group to do it. That's specifically what draws me to the Notch Run Club. I think that as a captain, oddly enough, I tick the “commiserate together” box. That might be what people on the team appreciate. I tend not to sugarcoat things. Sometimes it sucks to run, and it really hurts. Sometimes your race sucks. I'm probably the most anxious person before a race. A lot of times I’m deep breathing on the starting line just trying to calm down.  Maybe that makes me more relatable, and that's why I've been voted into this role. I have no other answer because I am most definitely not your typical “runner”.

WHAT DOES YOUR ROLE AS CAPTAIN ENTAIL?

I'm an event planner by trade, so I really like acknowledging accomplishments and celebrating people. I try to remember people's birthdays, and I'm very much a physical touch person. I’m usually the first one to give out hugs after race. I'm very proud, and I make sure people know that I'm proud of them just for having done it.  

YOU’RE ALSO TRAINING FOR THE BOSTON MARATHON THIS COMING APRIL. HOW'S IT GOING SO FAR? AND WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO ON RACE DAY?

I have to be honest; it's brutal right now. I'm looking forward to being done with it. I told myself I wasn't going to do Boston, but enough people gave me flack for qualifying that I decided to go for it. Now I'm kind of like, “How am I here again?”. I’ve run it once before in 2017 as a charity runner. I think I completed the race in something like four hours and twenty minutes, but it took me five years to recover mentally. My second marathon was Berlin in 2022, which was a battle, and I managed to lower my time by just over an hour. Now here I am ready to do to it all over again. I thought I was going to attempt another PR, but now I'm trying to reframe and just be happy with whatever happens. I did the hills on the course last weekend and they killed me. It's such a hard course, but I know it will feel good to get through it. I’m a “type 2 fun” person, so that's why I do it. I like it when it's done. I like feeling accomplished. 

I HAVE TO BE HONEST; IT'S BRUTAL RIGHT NOW. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING DONE WITH IT.
Karhu EU

LONG DISTANCE WASN’T ALWAYS YOUR THING. IN FACT, YOU WERE A HIGH JUMPER IN HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE. HOW DID YOU MAKE THE LEAP (NO PUN INTENDED) FROM CLEARING THE BAR TO CROSSING THE FINISH LINE?

It all started with the Fiesta 5K, which is the best race ever in creation. Fiesta is a big celebration in my hometown of Gloucester, MA. The 5K is a classic hometown race that isn’t like any other hometown race. It's a whole festival weekend that’s absolutely insane. After college, I had never run three miles consecutively, literally ever, because I was a high jumper and a sprinter. Nevertheless, I made it my goal to run the race. Afterwards, my friend and I rode the high of the 5K and decided to do our first half together that winter. That’s where it all started. The half marathon led us to the Notch Run Club, and the rest is history.

Karhu EU

NOTCH IS A BREWERY IN SALEM, MA, AND I’M TOLD THAT THE NOTCH RUN CLUB LIKES TO CAP OFF THEIR WORKOUTS WITH A COLD BEER OR TWO TO IN THE TAPROOM. HOWEVER, I HEARD YOU’RE KNOWN FOR FUELING YOUR LONG RUNS WITH A DIFFERENT KIND OF BEVERAGE. CARE TO ELABORATE?

Every year we do a run from Notch (in Salem) to Gloucester. It all began with watching the Olympic Trials in 2020. We started at Notch and ended in Gloucester where we rented out a restaurant to watch the Olympic Trials on TV. The run was roughly seventeen miles, and in keeping with the party aspect of the day, we decided to do fireball shots along the route to get through it. As someone who really “hates” distance running, that totally motivated me. I've even done it a few times since.

ASIDE FROM RUNNING, SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES INCLUDE MAKING DESIGNER PATCHES. WHAT'S THAT ALL ABOUT, AND WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE REPLACING THE CLASSIC FINISHER’S MEDAL WITH A MORE USEFUL CUSTOM PATCH?

Hell yeah. My friend Dan, who’s the Notch Run Club president, and I created a brand called Champ Stamps. Essentially, it’s stamps (or patches) for champs that are designed to celebrate some of the harder endurance accomplishments that one can undertake. The idea originated from the Pemi Loop which we did as a group during the pandemic. The Pemi Loop is a famous hiking route through the White Mountains of New Hampshire that comes in at something like 32 or 33 miles. We completed it in one day as a group, and Dan made patches as a reward of sorts. I liked the idea so much that he and I came up with Champ Stamps. We have patches for a BQ, a Mount Washington summit, the Presi Traverse, the Appalachian Trail, and a couple of others. Maybe we’ll even make one for this year’s Boston Marathon!

Karhu EU