It’s 3:00 on the blacktop. Raucous throngs of students are lining the edges of the makeshift course, an unforgiving 50-something-yard sprint to glory where the winner is elevated to schoolyard hero while the loser is relegated to “outsider” status. At the starting line, Tara eyeballs her competition. She doesn’t want to be here but has reluctantly accepted the challenge in an effort to silence the naysayers. “She can’t be that fast,” they say. When the race begins, she falls behind by several long strides. Maybe “they” were right. Yet somewhere around yard 35, she shifts into full gear, with long, beautifully choreographed strides soon propelling her through the finish, the competition shrinking into the distance behind her. Tara has won the race. The crowd goes crazy. Humbly, she walks over to her fellow runner. “Nice race,” she says, offering a congratulatory hand. “Not bad…for a teacher,” comes the reply from her now-winded student. “This isn’t even my event,” she thinks with a smile before reminding the gathered mob about tonight’s homework.
Professional runner Tara Quinn-Smith, who moonlights as a supply teacher in Ontario, often finds herself the subject of competitive ire at the schools she serves at, not because of her lesson plans but because of her talents as a runner.
“I tend to get called to one school a lot and I have developed a great relationship with the staff and students there,” she says. “Most of them know about my life as a runner and they are very supportive. Before the students knew I was a distance runner, the #1 question they would ask me was, ‘Mrs. Quinn-Smith, do you run the 100-meter?’ I thought that was cute. They were quite shocked when I told them I run the marathon. I have had a few kids ask to race me and a few kids who asked for my autograph, so I thought that was quite cute, too.”
Her educational celebrity notwithstanding, Tara is a bulldog on the course. It’s not to say that she doesn’t enjoy simply running, but to the 30-year-old Canadian, crossing the tape before anyone else is the primary aim. And she does so with regularity. Just last year, Tara destroyed, with extreme prejudice, the record at the Canadian Half Marathon Championships, also wrecking her personal record in the process.
Though still very green in the full 26.2-mile distance, Tara hopes to someday make it her specialty. Ever the competitor, the former high school triathlete has another goal in mind: completing an Ironman. And from the looks of the dedication shown by this mild-mannered school teacher, there is little doubt that she will thrive in either event.
Tara Quinn-Smith
Birthdate: September 19, 1979
Birthplace: Hamilton, Ontario
Hometown: Waterdown, Ontario
Residence: Toronto, Ontario
Height: 5'1"
Weight: 95 lbs
Marital status: Married to Andrew Smith (6 years in July 2010)
Club: Brooks Canada Marathon Project
Occupation: Teacher
Q: I read that you’re a teacher. What do you teach? What grade?
Tara: Actually, at the current time I am working as a supply teacher with the Peel District School Board in Ontario. As a full-time athlete, I find this to be the perfect job because it gives me a lot of flexibility to make training the priority while providing me the opportunity to gain valuable work experience in my career field. As for my teaching certification, I earned my teaching degree in elementary physical education at the University of South Florida and have since gained additional certification in high school physical education, special education, family studies, and grades 4–6 core classroom.
Q: How do you balance work with training?
Tara: As an athlete, working as a casual supply teacher has been an amazing opportunity. As a supply teacher, I can schedule work around my training rather than training around my work. Not very many jobs allow this type of flexibility, so I am very thankful for this.
Q: What do you enjoy most about teaching?
Tara: It’s definitely the ability to provide students with the tools to set and achieve goals both inside and outside of the classroom. As an athlete, this has been so important in my life. Students also need to realize the importance of goal setting in order to stay motivated and to be able to appreciate their progress.
Q: How long have you been running competitively?
Tara: I started running competitively when I went to university in 1998, so it’s been almost 12 years now.
Q: Did you run in school?
Tara: I ran a bit in school but not a lot. I would always participate in school track meets but I never really did a lot of specific running training. I did several other competitive sports in high school prior to running. I was a competitive synchronized swimmer and a triathlete prior to university, when I began my running career. Once I got to university, though, running became my new passion and I haven't looked back since.
Q: Most people who run for fitness consider it work, but you really seem to enjoy the pure act of running. Why?
Tara: The main reason I started running was because I enjoyed how it made me feel and I liked to set and achieve new goals for myself. Since then, it has become so much more to me. I could never consider running as “work” because it has really changed my life. I received my education through running and met my husband through running. I've been fortunate to meet a lot of great people through running and I've enjoyed many new experiences through running. And it has provided me with a lot of opportunities that I would never have had if running was not a part of my life.
Q: So your husband runs competitively as well?
Tara: Yes. My husband, Andrew, is also a competitive marathon runner with the Brooks Canada Marathon Project (BCMP). He actually ran the fastest men’s marathon in Canada last year (2:16:14). We are both extremely fortunate to have the support of the BCMP, as we both train full-time in hopes of making the 2012 Olympic team together.
Q: You run well at a variety of distances — 5K, 10K, half marathon, marathon. Do you have a favorite?
Tara: That's a tough question. For years I loved the 10,000-meter on the track, but I have moved to the roads the past few years. I would have to say that at this time I really love the half marathon. The reason for this is that I have had more experience with this race. Having really raced only a couple of marathons, I feel the event is still very new to me. Once I gain a little more experience in the event, though, I am sure it will grow to be my favorite event by far.
Q: How many full marathons have you completed? Do you enjoy running that race?
Tara: In terms of races, I have completed three marathons. However, I have also done the distance in training a few times. I love the distance, but the hardest part I find about training for the marathon versus other events is that you don't get a lot of opportunities to race the distance. With that being said, if things don't go according to plan on race day, you can't just turn around and run another one a couple of weeks later. Nevertheless, by putting in the work and believing in yourself, there is always another race down the road that will offset a disappointing performance.
Q: What accomplishments are you most proud of as a runner?
Tara: I have several running memories that mean a lot to me; however, a few really stand out in my mind. Finishing second at the 2002 NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships (10,000-meter event) was a big accomplishment for me because it was a major milestone in my university running career and a defining moment in my future running career. Winning the Canadian Half Marathon Championship last year, running 1:12:08 to break the Canadian record in the event, was both a shock and a breakthrough performance for me. Other great memories include winning the Canadian Marathon Championship in my first attempt at the distance in 2008, with my family and friends there to support me; competing for Canada at the 2009 World Track and Field Championships in the marathon in Berlin, Germany; and, finally, having had the opportunity to be on several Canadian national teams over the past few years.
Q: Is the training fairly similar for each distance?
Tara: Because I am generally training for the half marathon and marathon distances, the training is very similar. The only thing that really differs is the pace I train at in workouts — the intervals are slightly faster in half marathon training compared to marathon. Also, my weekly mileage is slightly lower when I am getting ready for a half marathon versus a marathon. However, when I get ready for anything shorter, like the 5K or 10K, my workouts feature shorter repeats and less total volume but a lot more intensity due to a much faster pace.
Q: Do you do other things — like weight training, cycling, or yoga — to bolster your running?
Tara: In my marathon training, I regularly incorporate a lot of active isolated stretching, core strengthening exercises, and specific strength training exercises. I will use cycling, pool running, and elliptical training options to top up my weekly mileage or if I am suffering from an injury and want to be able to maintain my current fitness without running.
Q: What are the most important aspects of nutrition for an athlete who competes at the distances you run?
Tara: As an endurance athlete, I think it is extremely important to establish a sound nutritional plan that works well with your body and provides the appropriate balance of nutrients to fuel your body before, during, and after training. With that said, it is imperative to experiment with products in your regular training plan. Not only is establishing a fueling plan critical, but also the timing of food is very important. I would highly recommend that endurance athletes experiment with products and timing to establish a plan that works for them. Having this plan set provides extra confidence on race day that will only be another positive step to achieving your goal.
Q: Obviously, what you eat has a big impact on how you run. How much planning goes into your weekly menu?
Tara: As an endurance athlete, I personally make sure I have a nutritional plan that provides adequate carbs, protein, and fats that will fuel my body and help my muscles recover for the next workout. I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables; nuts; eggs; lean meats like chicken, turkey, and beef; and fish like salmon, tilapia, tuna, scallops, and shrimp. I also take in a lot of whole grains from breads, pasta, couscous, and quinoa, as well as beans and dairy.
Q: How do PowerBar® products fit into your performance nutrition plan?
Tara: When it comes to nutritional supplements, I count on PowerBar products to provide the perfect balance of nutrition for pre-, intra-, and post-run fueling. Pre-run, I often eat a PowerBar
® Sport Energy™ bar 30–45 minutes prior to my run, with 250–500 ml of water or sports drink. During my run, I will often have either 1–3 PowerBar
® Energy Gels mixed with 250 ml of water or 1–3 250-ml servings of a sports drink, depending on the distance and timing of my run. Post-run I will often have one of three products: a PowerBar
® Recovery bar, PowerBar Protein Plus
® protein powder drink mix with fruit mixed in, or a shake. If I'm looking for a healthy snack, I often reach for a PowerBar
® Harvest Energy™ bar. Finally, if I have a heavy strength training session, I will often have a PowerBar ProteinPlus
® protein bar to help refuel and rebuild my muscles. Incorporating products like these that meet your nutritional needs and work well with your body is crucial to your performance. With this in mind, I have seen great results in my performance using PowerBar
® products and I will continue to use them as part of my nutritional performance plan.
Q: Have you been able to live a fairly injury-free existence as a runner?
Tara: Unfortunately, no. Like most runners, I have had my fair share of injuries over the years — plantar fasciitis, a pelvic stress fracture, an ankle fracture, and a few other little injuries here and there. But being able to cross-train was always an excellent way for me to be able to maintain fitness while allowing adequate time to heal and recover.
Q: Is there a race you haven’t run that you’d like to compete in?
Tara: I would like to do an Ironman some day.
Q: How do you maximize recovery between runs?
Tara: There are a lot of different things that I do to help my recovery. I make sure to eat well, sleep well, take naps, use topical ointment for any painful muscle aches, apply ice, get regular chiropractic care and massage treatment, do stretching, and take additional vitamins and minerals to supplement my diet.
A day in the life of Tara
Being an elite runner is all about discipline. Here’s how Tara structures her days for success:
- Breakfast, which often includes a PowerBar® Sport Energy™ bar or a few PowerBar® Gel Blasts™ Energy chews, as well as coffee
- Morning run, usually 13–35 km (8–22 miles)
- Snack
- Recovery, with stretching and strengthening exercises
- Shower
- Brunch
- Recovery, which is usually a nap and chiropractic care or message therapy
- Lunch
- Errands, such as meal prep, grocery shopping, or therapy
- Afternoon run, distance varies
- Snack
- Recovery, with stretching and strengthening exercises and a PowerBar Protein Plus® protein powder shake.
- Shower
- Dinner
- Leisure Time
- Bed
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Photo of Tara Quinn Smith courtesy of Banque Scotia 21K de Montreal.
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