#230 How a 777 Pilot Runs a 2:42 Marathon: Alex Orr on Training Around Flights, Jet Lag & the OTQ

<p>The Marathon Podcast is now proudly sponsored by Saysky Copenhagen. Use code TMP15 for 15% off at saysky.com.</p><p><br></p><p>Get 20% off a Strava annual subscription with code KRISTIAN</p><p>Save on FlexBeam using code WARWICKRUNS or this link: <a href="https://rechargehealthas.sjv.io/55GAPb">https://rechargehealthas.sjv.io/55GAPb</a></p><p><br></p><p>How do you train for a 2:42 marathon while flying as an international airline pilot? In this episode of The Marathon Podcast, part of our series with Tracksmith’s Stamata team, Kristian talks with Alex Orr, a United Airlines pilot who flies the Boeing 777 and runs for Georgetown Running Club in Washington, D.C.</p><p><br></p><p>Alex is a 2:42 marathoner (set in Berlin) and a 1:15 half marathoner, and she is chasing an Olympic Trials qualifier. She explains how she plans every week around her flight schedule, why she protects her hard workouts at home, how she handles jet lag and cancelled flights, and what a normal training week looks like when she is gone for days at a time. We also talk about cockpit naps, recovery on layovers, and how she tells the difference between a tough day and a day to back off.</p><p><br></p><p>Alex shares the story of how she found her way back to running after stepping away from the sport, what she learned from two marathons that did not go to plan, and how being part of Stamata, led by Steph Bruce and supported by Tracksmith, has shaped her journey.</p><p><br></p><p>In this episode:</p><ul><li>How a 777 pilot fits in a marathon build</li><li>Planning workouts around flights, jet lag and delays</li><li>Joining Tracksmith’s Stamata team</li><li>Stepping away from running and finding her way back</li><li>From a 2:46 in Chicago to a 2:42 in Berlin</li><li>Learning from Indianapolis and Eugene, two marathons that did not go to plan</li><li>A 1:15 half marathon</li><li>A full training week, including VO2 sessions and long runs</li><li>Recovery, sleep and naps in the cockpit</li><li>Her next goal at CIM</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Timestamps<br>00:00 Introducing Alex<br>01:07 Kristian’s training update<br>02:31 Welcome, and fitting running around flights<br>07:13 Who Alex is and how she got into running<br>08:05 Living the dream as a pilot and runner<br>08:57 Joining Tracksmith’s Stamata team<br>11:15 Flight schedules, bidding and training camps<br>13:13 Getting time off for races<br>14:52 Early years of running<br>18:15 Her coaches<br>19:49 Life after college<br>20:23 Losing her father