Latest / C Tolle Run / 465: Weini Kelati - New York Is My Good Luck Charm
Transcript
- Carrie Tollefson: Hey everyone, welcome to C Tolly Run. I'm Olympian Carrie Tollefson and today I'm so excited, you guys, we have American Half Marathon Record holder, 2024 Olympian, and soon-to-be marathoner Wayne Calati. Wayney is getting ready to make her marathon debut at the New York City Marathon, and this is quite possibly the most highly anticipated debuts in American history. Yep, we are pumped. She's coming off a sixth place finish at the World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen. She started a new chapter with Nike this year, and she's now taking her talent and her toughness to 26.2 miles. We're gonna talk all about her training, what she's learned about herself, and what she's imagining as she gets ready to race through the five burrows. And of course, we'll have some fun getting to know Wayney a little bit with our run dot rapid fire questions. So let's get after it. Carrie: Wayney, welcome back to see Tolly Run. We're so excited to have you here. Weini: Thank you, thank you for having me. Carrie: Yeah, you have a busy week coming up. This is we are actually taping this on Friday, the week before the marathon. So how are you doing? How is everyone feeling? A little nervous? Weini: Yeah, that's crazy. we're almost it's almost good time. I can't believe it just the time went by fast, but I'm excited and of course I'm nervous a little bit, but I'm excited mostly. Carrie: Yeah, you always get so excited. you run so well in New York City. I wanna know why you chose New York. we love watching you race there and you have become part of the New York Roadrunner family. So to me it seemed appropriate, but were there other i ideas of going to different places or was it always New York? Weini: Well, honestly like it's in terms of the timing, the how many like how much time you wanted to have be f before your training blocks. And I feel like New York has been my good luck term since I've been racing there since high school. It's my favorite place to race. but on the top of that, I feel like it's it's gonna give me like enough chaining block getting there, so that's why it's near. Carrie: Yeah. you know, people are are really excited about this debut. You know, they've been kind of waiting. I'm sure you were sort of getting sick of people asking, when is it gonna happen? Was it was it like we gotta just do this because, you know, I wanna get it done, but I'm also sick of a s answering that question. Weini: Well, it makes me really excited. I don't get bothered by it. I know people have been waiting for this and I was like, Okay, I'll do it when I feel I'm ready mentally and physically and I feel like this is the time that where I feel like, okay, now I feel like I can do marathon. before I was like, Okay, let me feel comfortable with the half marathon first and see like how I can adjust my training and get used to all the longer stuff to just run a marathon. And but this year I feel like okay, this is the time. Carrie: Wayney, you have broken your American record three times? Or has it been four? In the half marathon? Weini: Three times. Carrie: Three times. Three times. And you've only run five or six half marathons ever. Weini: Well, I wanna to keep improving, I feel Carrie: Yeah. Weini: like I have it. Sometimes it doesn't go the way how you want it, even though your training has been really, really well. You just feel like, I thought I can do much better than this. But I so like I've been very grateful for the for every results when I run the hack marathon. And I always feel like there is more to come. but I'm patiently waiting and training and see what I can improve and what change change I can make to just go faster. Carrie: Yeah, I know. You love to run fast. The last time we had you on, I think it was after one of the Manchester Road races, and you beat almost all the guys in the race. And you were like, Carrie, I just like to run hard. That's just plain and simple. I like to go fast and I like to run hard. Weini: Yeah, sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad. Well, I like Carrie: You have to be patient. Weini: to go with until I have nothing left, And sometimes it's bad in the most important races. You just realize, I could have like save a little bit for the end. But sometimes I gotta risk it because Carrie: Hmm. Weini: there is a lot of things to learn for me from going out hard. And Carrie: Yeah, yeah. I Weini: I just I don't see it as like a failure or just like Carrie: Not at all. Weini: being short of from achieving something. I know I wanted to do well, but at the same time, okay. I can go out this fast and let's see how f how like how long I can hold it. Then Carrie: Mm-hmm. Weini: if if it works then that's great. If it doesn't work, I have to think for the next race how I'm gonna improve. Carrie: Next race hand but Weini: to Carrie: unproof. Yeah. Weini: handle it in a be in a best way. Carrie: I think it I don't think it's a like you said, I don't even love the word failure because I don't think you ever really fail. I think all of us when we try really hard at something, we learn from maybe something that didn't go perfectly. And that is exactly you. for instance, and I was gonna get into this a little later, but then the last time I commentated on your race or one of your races was the New York Mini in June. And you went for it and you're running against Agnes Negetett. You're running against Helen O'Bieri, people that you see yourself running against and being with in races. And for some reason that day, and I wanted to ask you what happened, but it it didn't go your way the last, what was it? I don't know, a kilometer and a half or something like that. You ended up having to step off. No, you finished that race. But you were not. Where you wanted to be. You ended up fading a bit and had some issues. So I want to hear what happened during that race a little bit. Weini: Well, there was a lot of things going on that time. I don't wanna go deeply Carrie: Okay. Weini: into the conversation, but one of the reasons is I've been dealing with a lot of sickness, which I've been talking about for a while. So what happened was a lot of people can learn from this. it just like when you feel something, then ignore your butt your body. And I was just like, Okay, I don't wanna study like I don't wanna get a treatment. I don't want it to see the doctor let me keep going. So I like they said this can get really bad. I have to take care of it. I went to see a doctor. They gave me a medicine for it. I did not take it. So I started and then I stopped. And the sickness that I was dealing is it got worse. And it caused a lot of things that can't prevent me from running. Not like fully prevent me but it can cause me s some a a problem during my racing. it's been a year and a half, Carrie: Yeah. Weini: I mean almost years dealing with it. It just like I it wasn't right to do it. And I was training and I was struggling during my practice. Of course I always hit the piss but it wasn't a g in a good way. I was always struggling. Going to New York just back to back racing was an a good idea just coming back from Manchester with a travel and I have been dealing with this some stuff that was holding me back. It just like that's when I realized it was real. It was hard on the body and I literally like I know I'm I I'm not good with the heat, but on the top of that there was something additional that caused it to be like even more hard in the body. So I did not know how I finished the race. a I remember within 6K when I grabbed the water. I was doing like I was grabbing the water because I've been told like you gotta grab the water because he'd been struggling with the heat and you have to get something like you have to like you have to get water, even like Carrie: Mm-hmm. Weini: going to shorter races. And Well, I did that, but after that I did not I don't remember anything. Yeah. And Carrie: You blacked out. Yeah. Wow. Weini: well I finished the race. I didn't I did not know they finished the race a bit of course, but my coach's wife Courtney was there. She said, you finished the race and even grabbed the finished medal and I like, wow, nice. I was in my own world. It just felt like I was running in my dream But I did it anyways. From that I I took off and of course I gotta treat this sickness that I was going through and I am getting healthier and I'm excited for what to come in New York City. Carrie: Yeah, I know. I do know that we've you've talked a little bit about what you've been going through. and I just think that it's it's really interesting to hear how you've been able to deal with it during this type of build. you know, you're having to learn how to fuel more during races. That was during a 10K that you had your issue. And I know that you've been excited that you've been able to get through. I I talked to Dorian Cale and she said, or maybe it was Sam Grotewell, but both of those are the elite coordinators for the New York City Marathon and they were really excited. That you've had some really good practice with fueling and hydration, and the stomach seems to be holding up, which is great news. Weini: Yeah, well, as I said, it was the issue well, it is the sickness what caused it to the stomach Carrie: Okay. Weini: that being very sensitive and just it doesn't work very well. And on the top of that, my like nutrition, my diet was pretty bad. Now I'm working on it, which I've gett I've gotten a lot better. So all those things add up to leading to great building to the marathon. build up to the marathon. So hopefully that will continue the same. Even like getting get better and to do well on the distance racing. But yes. Carrie: I love hearing that. let's talk a little bit about your build. First of all, I see a new logo on your shirt. We know that you've signed with Nike. It's been what? Has it been almost a year now then? Okay. Weini: Yeah, it's been almost a year. It's crazy. The year is flying by. Carrie: Yeah, it really has. So new new sponsor, but still same team, correct? Weini: Yes. I'm no longer in the team. I can't be in the team while I'm I'm with Carrie: Yeah, can't be on the team, but Weini: different company, but still question I'm still with Steven. Carrie: Yes. So Stephen Haas. And are you training with anyone? I know you have some male and a very special male pace setter. I think he might be your fiance. Weini: yeah, well I still have the same training group, my friends and my fiance. it's Carrie: Okay. Weini: been an amazing I mean like an amazing time with them. It's just like they're always wanted to help me, you know, like I'm the only woman Carrie: Yeah. Weini: who runs with them. They just like keep going, you got this and it just like it motivates me, you know. Carrie: Yeah, I love that. this race is different, Wayney, and y this y you don't have anyone besides the elite females out there. You know, we were just at Chicago. There were pacers for the women. There are other other men around there to race against. But this one, it's just women that start, I think like, is it five or ten minutes before the men start? So what what is that like for you now that you have been around all these guys as pacers and now you get to just focus on the women? Like what do you do? Mentally to get through those tough times, and also, how excited are you to just be like, okay, this is this is on me now, I'm ready to go. Weini: Well so I think I am ready this time because we've been doing exactly what the course is gonna look like and how Carrie: Okay. Weini: I'm gonna run against well like they're they're a great runners, like like great I'm in the best runners in the world that Carrie: Yeah. Weini: I would be racing against. So it's I just like I have to do my best well. Like this is my first marathon. No exp no expectation, no pressure for me. I'm just gonna go there and see how well I can do. but I I feel like I'm ready wherever the race is gonna be there because we've been training for it. I know I love having pacemaker and just going out from I just like when the rest set on my favorite, I just I love it. But this time we've been training different so I feel like I'm confident I'm ready to go. Carrie: Tell me a little bit about how you've changed your training. What have you been doing differently? Weini: Well I s I don't wanna give away all my training. So Carrie: Yeah. Weini: yeah, I mean at the end of the day we're gonna raise each Carrie: Added what kind of mileage? Weini: other. So I don't wanna just go deep on my training, but I've been improving a lot, that I would say. And I've been handling it pretty well and we've been adding one or two miles in every long run. which can Carrie: Okay. Weini: help me to get used to the longer distance because I've been in a very long mileage. sixty-five to seventy was the longs that I have done for the half marathon. Seventy five was like that's once before my half. But most of them was like sixty five to six sixty eight. But this time I felt like I've done enough to handle the longer distance. Carrie: Do you know what your highest week was? Weini: For Marathon. Carrie: Mm-hmm. Weini: I'm still lower lower than most of the atlas what they've been doing. Maybe ninety five? Carrie: Okay, but who does that is Jess McLean. And Jess real well I from racing her, but she is not like a hundred, hundred and twenty mile gal. Weini: See, it works. Everyone is different. So I'm I'm happy Carrie: For sure. Weini: to hear that at least someone is doing the same thing that idea. Yeah. And she's she's been doing amazing, Carrie: Yeah. Totally. There's a lot of people that I think do that. Weini: so Carrie: She has. How much fun was it for you guys to be in Copenhagen together? You, Emma Grace Hurley, who ran so well in Chicago, and then Jess McClain, who was right behind you in Copenhagen. You three went five, six, seven, and it was such a great race. It was really fun to watch. Weini: I love this woman, I am s I was so blessed to be a part of it and this is like something that I will remember for the rest of my life, even though I Carrie: Yeah. Weini: have I will have many team to make. it's just the energy, the the connections, the team, I just everything about it. I love it. Carrie: that is so fun to hear. Did you guys celebrate over there? Or did you have to get right back home to get back to marathon training? Weini: No, most of us we had a a marathon coming up and then we had Carrie: Yeah. Weini: to fly back the next day, so we had no time to celebrate it to get together, but it was just like a an amazing time just to be there and run together and I mean we got a good result, I would say so. Carrie: You really did. Copenhagen sounded absolutely beautiful. Had you been before? Weini: No, it was my first time. Carrie: Mmm, so cool. let's talk a little bit about another I don't know if you got to meet him over there, but Andreas Almgren is getting ready to run the New York City Marathon for the first time ever too, running twenty six point two. Did you talk to him? Because he won the men's half marathon at the World Championship. Do you know him at all? No. Yeah. Weini: No, but I've seen him. He's been running really well but I never get to meet him or talk to him. Maybe I did, I dunno. So I have a hard time remembering people. That's Carrie: I know. I do too. But he he's training in flag staff where you are. Weini: Yeah, I I think I saw him the other day running at Lake Mary and I was like, this is amazing, you know? Carrie: Ya Weini: I think New York has been amazing for a debut. I've seen a lot of people doing great, so hopefully Carrie: Yeah. Weini: that will be us too, but I'm excited for him too. Carrie: It's gonna be great. When you have people like Sharon Loketti, who was on your team when you were running for the for the team there, and you see how well she does in practice, and then she just goes and does so well in all of her races. She's got such a strong mindset and a strong work ethic. I mean, that must be really comforting to know that you're the people right around you, the people that Steven kind of guides through life as runners, but also as, you know, businessmen and women. it has to be comforting knowing you have so many people that you could ask for advice. Weini: Yeah, it's been very inspiring to see her crashing it in every marathon Carrie: Yeah. Weini: she does. So yeah, it's it's exciting. Carrie: Yeah. What are you most looking about looking forward to with this race? The finish line? Are you excited to go over Queensboro Bridge and you know, go by First Avenue and hear everybody? Like what what are you thinking about? Weini: Well of course the finish. Carrie: Yeah. Weini: I wanted to just like see how it feels and just to get there to get to get to the finish lines to get to the finish line will mean so much to me. Carrie: Yeah. I hope you feel that support from everybody. yes, we've all been waiting for this day, but regardless of what happens, we're so proud of you. You do so well. You've represented this country so well. I mean, it is so exciting to see you. I know, I mean, you know that finish line, but you ran it with for the dash of the finish line, 5K. Remember, like you've run that race, so you know that little bump at the very end. You gotta give it everything you have. Like it doesn't matter if it's a 5k or 26.2. You gotta give it that little extra comin' up that little hill. Weini: I know that heel, I've been thinking about it, It's just like I know it, I was in the at the lead car last year. I watched Carrie: Yeah. Weini: the course, what it looks like, what they do, and I was like, okay. So it kind of like halfway I was I was very excited to watch, and then halfway kind of questioned like I kind of questioned myself, like, did I really wanna do this? I've been going for they've been going forever, and then this is really fast, but The the most thing I can't forget was the big heel. Carrie: Yeah. Weini: And I was like, okay, if I I can make it that far then I'm very close, just pu push it through the end, you know? Yeah. Carrie: Yep, you totally can. what was it like being in the lead car last year where you got to watch the race? You know, that's what the New York Roadrunner you know, people do. They bring in these aspiring marathonners and they get to be in the lead vehicle. That had to been really neat for you to see the marathon that way. Weini: It's it's a great experience. I got to see it's different from watching it on TV. Carrie: Yeah, totally. Weini: I was there, I can see what they do, how the they pick up the race, when they grab water and all that stuff and where the race goes out fast when it's slow down. And it was just like a different experience for me. And I'm glad that I had the the chance to see the course and witness witness it in a person, not on a TV. Carrie: Yeah. Weini: So I just it was a it was a great experience. Carrie: Yeah, last year, record setting day by Helen O'Beary. She broke, what is it, a 22-year-old record, I believe, running the first woman or being the first woman to run under 220 on that hard course. That had to been so cool for you. and also it was a huge pack for a long way. And then those three, it was Loketti, Chucarui, and O'Beary, I believe, that kind of separated and took off. Weini: Yeah, I was like I was watching and it was like a huge pack of people running together and I said, Wow, this is amazing Carrie: Yeah. Weini: But within fifteen K I think. It star Carrie: Some around there. Weini: like people start dropping. But it was just amazing to see Fiona was there doing her she loved to lead as always. And And the all the other people were there and it just I can't it kind of give you like the picture where you cannot forget f forget for the entire year during your build up what the race is gonna look like. But yes, this this woman out there are something else, they're amazing. Carrie: They really are. I wanna do a little bit of rapid fire here at the end, but I think I just and maybe this is more for my commentary, but if you could just tell us something that was a little bit challenging in this build, I think this is always good for people to hear that builds aren't always just perfect, right? you get to the peak and you've had nothing go wrong, and then you peek and or and then you taper and it's like, everything is great. Was there ever a moment in your build where it was like, ooh, I I might need a few days off, or you're dealing with your stomach, or you know, just something where it was like, I'm just tired and I don't want to go today. What was there a moment where you were like, come on, Wayney, we gotta do this? Weini: No, I had not like I had no moment like that. I just it Carrie: GUIDES! Weini: was before I started training. I started training late. before Carrie: Okay. Weini: Copenhagen, I was like I felt like like I'm late to my building up to Marathon even start practice because I was dealing with stomach issue. I had to take Carrie: Okay. Weini: off like first I took a down week for not a down it could it It was a a family vacation for two weeks to Carrie: Okay. Weini: start r training, but once I figured out it's still there. it's not getting anything better, I had to add another two weeks. So it's been a month. I took like a month off. And that was like at the end of until like at the end of July, I would say. Carrie: Okay. Okay. Weini: So I was like, okay, I'm gonna be rushing because I'm still like I haven't started anything yet. Carrie: Yeah. Weini: And just like building up to I think going to Copenhagen was like I was confident. It wasn't just feel like I had enough time to get ready. But thankfully, Carrie: I see. Weini: like I'm easy to get back in shape. It's just like I need a few days of like hard hard work. to feel normal and get into the training that I wanted to do for my race coming up. Carrie: Hmm. Weini: But after that, after I started training, it was just like everything was smooth. Carrie: that's so good to hear. just to have a smooth build. But like you said, maybe a little shorter than what you were thinking. But we know that Steven can do that. we've seen with Sharon, for instance, even when she went to the Olympics and finished fourth. Remember, her build was quite short because she didn't know she was even on the team. So it there your coach knows how to deal with that. Weini: I know, every time when he gives me this training and I was like, Are you sure about that? I just started training, but once I do it and I was like, wow, I can handle it, now I'm ready, He knows. Carrie: Yeah. Yeah. Have you he does know and I love his approach. I love how I mean he thinks of you guys as family. It's really pretty special to watch how he cheers for you all and he's right there in your corner. I do wanna know, were you in flag staff training for all of this spill, or did you go were you back in Eritrea at all or were you always over here? Weini: No. I'm here in my favorite place and flag stuff. Carrie: Nice. That's great. I love that. Okay, well, last but not least before these rapid fire, do you have anything that you want to tell us about the marathon coming in? Do you have a motto? Do you have a time goal? Do you have a place goal? Or is it just like, Carrie, I'm gonna go and have fun running 26.2. Weini: Well all c comes in my mind is just go there, run hard and do do well, I think. Carrie: Awesome. I love it. Okay, let's do the rapid fire run. The rap run dot rapid fire. Okay, you know these. You do these all the time with me. They're my fave. You are good at Weini: I think I'm gonna drink. Okay. Carrie: it. Okay. Race day fingernails. Bold color or neutral? Weini: Nicka. Carrie: Neutral, do you have the color yet? Weini: can't lavender? I don't know. Carrie: I love that color. Okay. Big trucks or fast sports cars. What do you want to drive? Weini: big thugs. Carrie: What do you drive? Weini: I I do drink sometimes, but not a lot. Carrie: Okay, okay. Cook a meal at home or would you rather have someone else cook a meal for you at home? Weini: meal at home. This one Carrie: I love that. Okay, well then this is good for the next one. What's your favorite Eritrean dish that you make? Weini: Ooh. As Dangera is my favorite with any vegetable steel. Carrie: Mmm. And you're good at making that because some people are not. Weini: I'm on the top of that. I'm pretty good at it, I will say. Carrie: Okay, sounds good. Would you rather go on a beach vacation or a big city adventure? Weini: Ooh, beach beat vacation. Carrie: Yes, I love laying on the beach. I feel like I know this one, but would you rather dress up for a night out or wear your PJs by six? Weini: We're PJ by six. Carrie: W I was wrong. Waney. I thought you were gonna tell me that you were wanna get it get all dressed up. Weini: I love to dress up but Carrie: Yes. Weini: when it's six AM it's like almost bedtime for me. I like to go bed early, like I'm in my bed by seven and I fall asleep at nine. Carrie: Yeah. Weini: Every day sa Carrie: you Weini: I yeah, I would be in my videos by six. Carrie: Well, I will say you are a stunner with whatever that you have on, but it is fun to watch you dress up because you know how to you know how to put it all together. Okay, what is a song? Weini: Thank you. Carrie: Would you rather sing songs in front of people? Like would you rather sing the Star Spangled Banner? Or would you rather perform a dance? Weini: my goodness, I'm really bad at both of them. Carrie: Waity, you are not. Weini: Well maybe I can try to sing. Carrie: Okay, well Weini: I don't know how's it gonna go I don't know how's it gonna go but I'm also terrible at dancing, so maybe I'll practice how to sing and yeah. Carrie: my gosh. Let's go to karaoke after this New York City marathon. And I just wish you the best of luck. You're gonna have so much fun hearing so many people yell your name. And like I said, we are just supporting you every single step of the way. Weini: Thank you. I really appreciate that. I know everyone is there behind the scenes and supporting me, but it means a lot to me. Carrie: Yeah. Yeah. Weini: it doesn't feel that I'm doing all by myself. There are people who support me and I really appreciate that. Carrie Tollefson: Thanks so much for joining me today on CTALIRun. My guest was Wayney Kalotti. You can find her on social at Waney underscore Kaladi. And you can find us at show social at Carrie underscore Tullifson and at CTollyRun. You know what? We also have a ton of videos and podcasts at CTollyrun.com. So check us out all over the place. Thanks to Rundot for supporting the show and to Andrew Harley and Sarah Bernie, the producers behind the CTolly Run podcast and the Tridot and Rundot podcast as well. Thank you to everyone listening. and watching at C Tally Run, share this episode with someone who's getting ready to take on a new challenge. And make sure you're following the show so you don't miss our next conversation. Until next time, everybody, make sure to get after it.