Your name and role in the Steeplechasers. Lisa Lebo, RRCA running coach
How long have you been a member? How long have you been in this role? I’ve been a proud Steep for over twelve years—long enough to have seen fashion trends, hydration strategies, and running shoes come full circle. I have been a coach for a little over a year.
Are you training for anything in particular right now? Let’s just say I’m a marathon-training dropout! I started with that awesome group this summer but quickly realized long weekday runs just didn’t fit into my work-and-mom schedule. So instead, my next big event is the Way Station Turkey Trot. My goal? To break out of as many pace packs as I can and inch a little closer to the front. My 11-year-old son usually runs with me until the last turn—then he blasts off and leaves me in the dust!
Outside of that, I teach a first-year seminar at McDaniel College all about running, where I’m currently training nineteen 18-year-olds for their very first 5K. Although I am surrounded by rookie runners with teenage energy, it’s incredible to watch their confidence grow with every mile.
Do you have any running partners? Yes! I have three daughters, and at some point, each one has been my running buddy. Right now, my youngest and I have a Saturday ritual—we join the 10K training group and then reward ourselves with coffee. It’s the highlight of our week—part exercise, part caffeine therapy.
As a coach, I get to run at all different paces and chat with all sorts of awesome people. Honestly, some of the best conversations happen somewhere between gasping for breath and counting down the final hill.
Tell us a little bit about your role in the Steeplechasers. About a year ago, I decided to take my love of running to the next level and earned my RRCA Level 1 Coaching Certification. After surviving the 100-question final exam (and a few flashbacks to high school biology), I passed with flying colors!
My first coaching gig was with the WDF 5K group, and since then I’ve worked with the 10K and half marathon programs, too. I’m back with the 10K group now, and I absolutely love it. Coaching combines two of my favorite things—running and talking about running!
What’s your favorite part about running? My favorite part of running is the clarity it brings. No matter how stressful the day has been, everything seems clearer once the run is over. It’s my therapy, my reset button, and my happy place.
If you could impart one piece of wisdom to the Steeps, what would it be? Don’t compare your mile pace to anyone else’s—especially if that “anyone” is your child who still has recess energy. Run your own race, celebrate every finish line, and remember that showing up is always the hardest part… unless it’s hill repeats. Then that’s the hardest part. But seriously, a run always gives back more than it takes.
