Tori Parkinson is starting to scratch the surface of her potential in the marathon, and she’s having fun doing it. If you want proof, look no further than her showing at the Chicago Marathon last month.
The talented runner took her place on the starting line at the prestigious marathon and proceeded to deliver an incredible performance. She finished in 13th place in the women’s race and was the 7th American runner to cross the finish line. She also set a new personal best with her time of 2:33.20, which meant that she achieved a big goal that she set out for herself.
“I had a goal to make it to the Olympic Trials, and I thought it was really far-fetched,” she said. “I didn’t think I’d be able to do it. So when I started running – you get a little nervous, you’re running and you say this feels fine, am I going to hit that wall, am I not going to be able to hold this? And then halfway hits, and you say I still feel okay, and you keep evaluating. And then with about six miles to go and you start to kick down, it starts to set in that you can do this.
“No part of me thought that I would run the time that I ran and feel as good as I did doing it.”
Parkinson competed on the collegiate level for Utah State as a member of their respective track and field and cross country teams. On the track, she competed in the 3000m steeplechase. Now, she’s made the jump to the roads as a marathon runner. Parkinson says that the transition from the track to the roads hasn’t been difficult for her.
“It’s been good,” she said. “I love the track for certain things. It’s fun to have that excitement. There’s just an electricity in the air on the track – you just feel like you’re running so fast. I did the steeplechase, which is kind of unique. You get to jump in water, you jump hurdles and it really mixes it up. But marathons are a little bit different. I feel like I get to be more in my head and fight my demons a little bit more with just myself. I like it, I like that alone time to be able to take a deep breath and push a little bit more.
“I have so much fun, It is really fun. There’s been very few marathons that I didn’t enjoy. I just enjoy it even if I don’t do that great. I just have fun. I don’t know how else to explain it, I just love it.”
Parkinson’s talent extends far beyond the marathon course. She recently received her Master’s Degree in Public Health from Grand Canyon University, and she also works as an ergonomist in her home state of Utah.
“I’m an industrial hygienist by my degree and in industrial hygiene, you can do certain specialties and being an ergonomist is one,” she said. “Just being in my role at work just naturally transitioned me there, and it was perfect because I used to do personal training, I love running and health and wellness is kind of my passion. It was a perfect transition.”
Parkinson enjoys the field that she’s in not only because it integrates her love for health and fitness, but it allows her to serve others and help them reach their full potential.
“Doing a career where I walk away feeling like I’m helping people, I think that’s really all I want to do,” she said. “I’ll be happy with anything like that.”
Parkinson has found a routine that helps her maintain balance with her job as well as her running. She says that finding and sustaining that balance hasn’t been too challenging for her.
“The balance just comes with making it a part of your routine,” she said. “It’s not been too difficult honestly for me to balance that.”
There are multiple reasons why Parkinson loves the sport of running. She says that it’s good for her anxiety, it allows her to enjoy her travels more because she’s able to see more of what the location has to offer on her runs, and that she feels as if she’s floating when she runs. She says that she’ll take the rest of the year to recover, but once the new year comes around, she’ll have her eyes set on the 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando.
Parkinson doesn’t get caught up in Strava or in other forms of social media, and she certainly doesn’t find her personal joy in those outlets. She finds her delight in making the best of her time, and being her best self, whether that’s on the running course, or in life.
“I really find joy in being the best person I can be,” she said. “Not just in running, but not taking time for granted. If I feel like I really used my time to better myself, I take a lot of joy in that. I take a lot of joy in having fun. I love hanging out with my friends, I have a boyfriend and I love just hanging out with him, just laughing. I walk away feeling really good, just joyful and at peace.”
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lactic-acid-with-dominique-smith/id1591874732?i=1000586319335
