Running Shoes - Gear always on the run. The 28-year-old marathoner recently made the Guinness Book of World Records for becoming the fastest person in history to visit all 196 sovereign countries—which she crossed off her list in just one year and 193 days. During her epic journey, De Pecol ran everywhere from Thailand to Honduras to North Korea.
The Connecticut native, who is currently training for her fifth Ironman, rarely deviated from her intense training regimen, regardless of where in the world she laced up her running shoes each day. We recently caught up with De Pecol to talk about her favorite running gear, penning her first memoir and what it’s really like to run around the world.
Related: Stay injury free on the road by getting on the mat with Running Shoes - Gear.
Runner’s World: Asics Breathable Performance?
Influencer Apologizes for E-Bikes on NYC Course: When it comes to travel, running enables me to really experience cultures from a local level. It’s literally where I meet people. I find that people welcome you into their homes for coffee or tea when you run away from the pack. You can also see and hear wildlife that otherwise might not be around when you are with a group. The silence of your surroundings when you’re on a run in a foreign place is beautiful.
RW: Youre training for the Ironman Triathlon in Florida. What are you doing to prepare?
CP: To be quite honest, it wasn’t so much about breaking a record as it was about cultivating positive change, even on the smallest of scales. I worked incredibly hard for three years to secure sponsors and non-profit endorsements. Growing up, I witnessed on the news how terrible so many countries and cultures were portrayed, making U.S. citizens afraid to step outside their front door.
I wanted to break down barriers, to show the truth of what the world and its people represent. The record attempt most definitely made me more credible and able to secure funding, but the mission was most important.
RW: What inspired your mission?
CP: Courtesy of Influencer Apologizes for E-Bikes on NYC Course CNN one day. He was in the process of breaking the same record. At that time, I was far along in the planning stages of my trip, but had no idea about the Guinness record.
Tragically, Eric passed away during his attempt. It really hit me hard. I didn’t know him, but felt like he was my soulmate. He inspired me to attempt the record myself, seeing as there was no woman on record who had traveled to every country. I saw a window of opportunity.
On July 24, 2015, after one-and-a-half years of planning and working 80-plus hours a week to save, I set out to the most vast and naturally stunning island I’ve been to: Palau in the Pacific region. My last country was the most challenging to get into, visa and danger-wise. It was Yemen, where I finished my expedition on February 2, 2017.
RW: Published: Aug 28, 2018 12:34 PM EDT?
CP: The mornings are when I choose to run while traveling. I’ll usually go for an hour or two, depending on how much time I have. Of course, it’s important to enjoy the new destination, so I make sure to bring my smartphone to grab photos along the way.
The mornings are pretty much the same for people all around the world. I really enjoy the scents of smoke burning from the fireplaces of people’s huts or houses, the smell of brewing coffee, and friendly “hellos” to the vendors selling sweets on the side of the road. Morning runs or long walks are my primary way of exploring new places when I travel. In some countries on my trip, it was my only opportunity to explore the local culture.
RW: What prompted you to embark on your challenge to travel the world?
CP: My training plan stays consistent wherever I’m traveling, but certain elements that are out of my control require me to tweak which workouts I can get in in that day. For example, if I have a swim/run day on Monday, but where I’m staying has no pool, then I’ll switch Tuesday’s bike/run for Monday’s swim/run, so that I can continue on the same schedule.
The only time my training plan changes is if I have an injury, which was the case earlier this year after my Ironman 70.3, when I found out my knee pain was due to ITB syndrome and patellar tendonitis. Instead of racing Ironman Boulder a month-and-a-half after I found out, I had to completely halt my training plan to focus on PT rehab, then slowly start building up again.
RW: Running Shoes - Gear?
CP: The one thing that remains a challenge to this day is staying safe while running alone in cities that might not have the best reputation for being safe for women. Such was the case in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, which is known for being the most dangerous capitol city in the world without a declared war, due to its extremely high homicide rates and violent crimes. I was there for a conference last year, and the only time I could get a run in was at sunset. I’m somewhat stubborn and bullish and, if I have to get my run in, I do it regardless of the circumstances.
After my run, I filmed a series of Instagram stories to educate women who might be asking themselves, “How safe it is to go for a run at sunset in cities that are known for being dangerous?” I thought it would be a great opportunity to help women overcome their fears, while also being vigilant about their surroundings.
In instances like this one, I made sure to follow certain protocols to lessen the danger. This included not wearing headphones, sticking my phone inside my sports bra, wearing a baggier shirt so as to not attract male attention, mentally brushing up on my Krav Maga combatives, and letting the hotel know where I was headed and, if I didn’t come back in a certain time frame, to do something about it.
RW: How do you think running through a country rather than just driving gives tourists a more realistic depiction of what a place is really like?
CP: It’s easy to veer off the beaten path when you go for a run in a new place. First of all, you are able to garner so much more energy by incorporating running into a travel experience. It allows you to travel farther and longer.
But, whether you’re staying at a luxury resort or backpacking, it’s those off-road experiences that make travel feel so much more authentic and raw. Personally, it gives me endorphins to want to keep going and continue to explore. In the back of my mind, I also know that it’s helping me for my future races.
RW: on the run. The 28-year-old marathoner?
CP: The Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador back in 2011 made for some interesting runs when I lived there. You just need to watch out for those snakes! Zion National Park has some beautiful trail runs. I ran a virtual 5K race on the island of Phuket in Thailand on my expedition. It was very humid, which made it a challenge.
Most recently, my favorite run has been Half Moon Bay in California. There’s something about the mountains, vegetation, wildlife, and coastal bluffs that makes it so interesting and fun. And nothing beats 12,000-altitude runs in places like Aspen with the smell of fresh pines and sweeping mountain views.
RW: You’re training for the Ironman Triathlon in Florida. What are you doing to prepare?
CP: Up until I was to race Ironman Boulder, I was using an Advanced Ironman Training Plan on TrainingPeaks. It was going well, and it was all about me keeping up and pushing myself to stay on track with the plan.
Since the ITB syndrome and patellar tendonitis in April, I had to postpone my Ironman to Florida in November, which meant that April through June was spent doing physical therapy and strength training sessions as I built back up to Ironman training pace.
I’ve tried many different training plans over the years, including trying out a coach, but I’ve found that I’ve got to train when and how I want to train in order to accomplish my goals. I was really lacking in strength, rolling, and stretching this past year, so I’ve added more of that into my schedule. I try to take one day off a week of training. I’ve found that on my off days if I focus on icing, massage, rolling, stability, and stretching, it helps to prevent injury.
I like to take 45 minute to two hour fast walks on swim days and days off because, strangely enough, I’ve found it to help with my running form and speed, as well as keeping my body fat percentage at a leaner level.
RW: What running gear can’t you live without on the road?
CP: Sports bra, ON running shoes with custom orthotics, headphones, my ID, card, cash, and my Apple watch. Running for me is pretty basic. It requires shoes and nature, I try not to make it too complicated. Comfort and safety come first. Gadgets come second.
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RW: What’s coming up next for you?
Currently, I’m building my tiny home that will enable me to continue traveling around the U.S. If you can’t already tell, I have problems staying in one place for too long! I’m training for Ironman Florida in November, and have a couple 70.3 Ironmans prior to that. There are also a couple international marathons I’m trying to get into, including one in Erbil, Iraq in October. My book is out. And my fitness app will be launching this fall. My documentary is launching early 2019. I’ve also got an upcoming trip to space, and two other books already in the works.
This interview was edited for concision and clarity.
