Athlete Feature
Todd Fergus
Where are you located?
I was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and after 15 years away from my home state for school and medical training, I returned to my hometown in 2008. My wife and two daughters and I also spend a lot of time at our cottage in Traverse City, Michigan, so many of my Strava posts are from there.
What's your IG handle, if you have one?
@stentordoc Most of my "epic content" is posted on Twitter, but my rare posts on IG are pretty lit too 🙂
How did you become a runner?
My wife, Christina, wanted to run a marathon for her 40th birthday, so I decided to join her in the endeavor. Within a couple weeks of completing our first marathon in June 2014, Rock&Roll San Diego, we signed up for Rock&Roll Las Vegas. I dropped my marathon time from 3:30 to 3:15, narrowly missing qualifying for Boston, and I was forever hooked on the sport. It became one of my life's passions to qualify for Boston, and after that to just keep getting faster.
What does a typical training day look like for you?
I used to run after work, but that created a lot of stress during the workday, worrying about getting out of work on time and making it home in time for family dinner. Consequently, a few years ago I switched to 100% early morning runs. It really doesn't bother me to get up 1-2 hours early to get my run in before work, and then I'm set up for a relaxed workday.
I typically get up a 5:00, spend an hour drinking coffee, eating a banana with almond butter, and going through my warm-up routine; then I'm out the door by 6:00 or 6:30. After my run and cool-down, I'm usually rushing to drink some chocolate milk (or a denser protein shake after a hard workout), shower, and get to work by 8:30.
You just got a new marathon PR (Congrats!!) Tell us about your journey to get there.
I ran 10 marathons in 2014-2016, mostly following the 3 runs/week method described in the book "Run Less, Run Faster." This training method was probably the best thing for me as a new runner, avoiding burnout and overtraining, and it allowed me to lower my PR from 3:30 down to 3:06. But I was plateauing, and I really wanted to break 3:00, so in late 2016 I reached out to Neely to coach me to the next level. She immediately bumped me up to running 5 days/week, and eventually up to my current 6 days/week. She decreased some of workout intensity in favor of increased volume, which allowed me to stay healthier (although I still have my share of niggles and minor injuries). Probably the biggest change came in 2020 when she dropped one of my two "workouts" per week in favor of a "medium long run" of 12-14 miles. It only took one marathon cycle with Neely to break 3 hours (in Traverse City), and my marathon PR's have steadily and predictably come down as my weekly volume has gone up. My biggest breakthroughs have come in the Chicago Marathon, where I dropped my PR from 2:58 to 2:51 in 2017, and then down to 2:43 in 2018. But my favorite race remains the Bayshore Marathon, run right down the road from my home in Traverse City, where I just lowered my PR to 2:41 on Memorial Day Weekend this year.
What's your proudest running moment?
Shortly after running the NYC Marathon in 2017, I found out I had a torn labrum in my hip. I was determined to avoid surgery, so I embarked on a protracted course of physical therapy, and eventually worked my way back into running. After 4 months of worrying that I'd never be the same runner again, I had a great race in Boston, finally avoiding the late-race "bonk" that I had the previous two years, and this time getting to experience the joy of running a beautiful race, soaking in the electric atmosphere of the last few miles. Surviving the brutally cold and rainy and windy conditions of that 2018 Boston gave me even more satisfaction that I had achieved something I didn't think was possible.
What's next on your race calendar?
Now that my spring marathons are complete (Boston and Bayshore), I'll run some shorter races this summer (including a track mile!). In July, I'll start a solid 12 week training block to get ready for what I hope will be another breakthrough race in Chicago. I qualified for the American Development corral, so I'm excited to get close-up with the pros at the start, right before they gap me by over a minute in the first mile!!
What's your "why" when it comes to the daily grind?
Running a strong race, especially if I achieve my goal, is such a gigantic rush. But I've been on the other side too, finishing races dry-heaving, or walking the last 8 miles of a race. If I want to have more of the rewarding and fun experiences, I know I need to put in the work for the weeks to months leading up to the race. I count every morning run, every gym workout, every core session as a deposit in the fitness bank that I can eventually use to make a huge withdrawal on race day, increasing the odds of getting that rush from a successful race.
What advice would you like to share with the Get Running team?
I know it already gets said a lot, but CONSISTENCY is the biggest key to getting faster. Consistent running, day after day, month after month, training block after training block. Injuries and illness are huge barriers to consistency, so eating well and getting enough sleep (which can be so hard!) are as important as any long run or workout. And if you can find time for a consistent warm-up routine, consistent cool-down routine, consistent core-work, and consistent strength training, it's all the better. (side note: Neely introduced me to the Core-X video on YouTube, and I've now done this 5 minute core routine 833 days in a row!)
Running is one of the few sports that doesn't really require much athletic talent; the more work we put in, the better we will perform (as opposed to golf, where the more I practice the worse I get!). I've been obsessed with seeing how fast I can get my aging body to go, and having someone like Neely guide me through this thrill ride for the last 5 ½ years has been invaluable!
Race Results
Marathon
Wallis F - 3:35 (PR & BQ)
Meghan F - 4:05 (debut!)
Ali L - 3:23 (BQ)
Todd F - 2:41 (PR)
John A - 3:08
Half Marathon
Henry H - 1:27
Caitlin Y - 1:42
Megan M - 1:34 (debut!)
Conchessa R - 1:57
Oriana M - 1:42
Caroline R - 1:38
Amy S - 1:50 (1st postpartum)
Mindy M - 1:40
Caitlin K - 1:21
Shannon P - 1:50
Trisha V - 1:39
Caitlin Y - 1:41 (PR)
Elizabeth H - 1:19
10K
Ed B - 44:26
Katie C - 39:43
Neely G - 35:04
5K
Mikaela W - 21:07 (debut!)
Nicole S - 18:28
Esperanza - 19:48
Other
Vanessa J (4mi) - 31:32
Kelly B (4mi) - 28:40
Lauren F (Track Steeple) - 10:48
Team Announcements
We’re launching a CIM training group! You can upgrade from any other training plan. More details here.
Coach Bridget’s strength training app is live. You can join her “Weekly Workouts” group for just $20/mo. More details here.