The Canadian file holder within the ladies’s marathon, Natasha Wodak, needs one last shot on the Canadian Olympic marathon staff for Paris 2024.
The 42-year-old was a visitor on this week’s episode of The Shakeout Podcast with host David Stol, revealing her plan to provide the Olympic customary one other strive after simply lacking the mark of two:26:50 on the 2024 Houston Marathon, the place she completed ninth.
“I do have a spring marathon deliberate,” revealed Wodak on the podcast. “I can’t reveal the place I might be racing but, however I do know I’ve to strive [to get to Paris].”
Wodak didn’t anticipate her Paris Olympic desires to get so far, however after a abdomen flu stored her out of the 2023 London Marathon and heat situations translated to a tactical race on the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Houston turned her plan C. “I didn’t suppose there was any manner I’d not get the usual in Houston,” Wodak mentioned.
Just a few weeks earlier than Houston, Wodak had a hamstring concern, which altered her previous few weeks of coaching. Regardless of the discomfort, she felt assured of her health. Issues had been fantastic in Houston, and she or he was on tempo to run 2:25 by way of 30K. However with a flare-up round 35 km, she felt her Olympic hopes dwindle. She ended up ending the race in 2:28:42, a minute and 52 seconds shy of her purpose.
“After the race, I didn’t need to do that once more—it’s laborious to get match for a marathon and do these builds,” Wodak shared. Encouragement from these near her, together with Tokyo Olympic marathon teammate Malindi Elmore, spurred her on. “She informed me I can’t simply hand over, and that I need to be on that Paris staff… It actually resonated with me,” she mentioned.
Wodak mentioned she utilized to 4 marathons which can be earlier than the April 30 Olympic qualification deadline; three of the 4 mentioned they’d a spot for her. “I do know to get to Paris, it’ll most likely be probably the most difficult six months of my life, however I must strive,” she Wodak.
For the complete interview with Canadian marathon file holder Natasha Wodak, tune in to this week’s episode of The Shakeout Podcast.
