Community

MY Sports Club Story: Shannon + Carol

Oct 29, 2025

With the NYC Marathon just around the corner, we’re celebrating two NYSC members who prove that strength isn’t just built in miles – it’s built in moments of dedication, resilience, and community.

Meet Carol and Shannon – two runners who’ve turned their NYSC training into a launchpad for race-day success. Carol, a HYROX athlete and Astoria regular, found her stride (and her strength) through the supportive community at NYSC. Shannon, a Murray Hill member and four-time marathoner, blends her love for running with strength, mobility, and mindset work that keeps her going strong.

From early morning runs to heavy lifts and everything in between, both athletes embody grit and passion. Read more about their training journey below.

Please tell us a little about your fitness journey.
Shannon: I have always been fairly active throughout my life, but started taking my fitness more seriously in my late 20s/early 30s. I fell in love with yoga, then was introduced to weight lifting by taking a women’s kettlebell course. I was eventually introduced to CrossFit by a teaching colleague who was a former bodybuilder. As I did more metabolic conditioning, I tried out running and enjoyed some shorter distances around San Diego and Tucson, AZ, where I lived up until I moved to New York. When I moved here in 2019, I started running more seriously because I didn’t want to pay for a gym yet. It was a good way to get out and explore. I now combine running with resistance training, yoga, and even ballet. I enjoy finding different ways to move my body.

Carol: Growing up in New York City without a car meant walking everywhere. As a kid, I was always active. I played soccer and danced up until my freshman year of college. In college, I started running as a way to relieve stress, and once I entered the workforce it became a consistent part of my routine. I’ve been running on and off since 2016, completing a few half marathons along the way. In 2022, I incorporated strength training into my routine. Earlier this year, I completed my first HYROX competition. 

How did you start working out at NYSC?
S: Well, my boyfriend is a trainer! While we enjoyed working out together, he encouraged me to try personal training with another trainer at his gym. Plus, running outside in the winter was not my jam, I needed access to a treadmill. So, I joined NYSC Murray Hill and started training with Eduardo. 

C: I moved to Astoria in December 2021, and shortly after I realized I lived only about a few minutes from the NYSC Astoria location. That discovery completely changed my routine and helped me build a more consistent training habit right in my neighborhood.


Is this your first marathon?
S: This will be my fourth. My first marathon was in 2020, where I ran along the West Side Highway “virtually” in a grassroots race put on through my work. I officially ran the TCS NYC Marathon in 2021, then ran Berlin in 2023. 

C: This will actually be my second marathon. I ran my first one last year after winning a spot in the NYC Marathon lottery. I’m especially excited for this year’s race because I’ll be running it with my sister who will be completing her first marathon. About two years ago, we decided that we would run the NYC 2025 Marathon. We both did our 9 races + 1 volunteer event through NYRR. I just happened to win the lottery last year but the intent was always to run the marathon this year. 

How did working out at NYSC play a role in your Marathon training schedule? 
S: As I get older, it becomes imperative that I stay healthy and injury-free throughout a training season. While I want to push myself to get faster, longevity in my fitness is what I am going for. I used NYSC for my cross-training days (and of course when I am not training for a race). I enjoy switching up my workouts, and as I get closer to race day I use it to maintain mobility and body/weight or low weight resistance training. I do this about twice a week.  

C: Training for a marathon demands more than just running. It requires dedicated strength training and mobility work to keep the body resilient. NYSC has provided the perfect environment to support this balance, offering the space to build strength and the option to run indoors when early morning darkness makes outdoor runs around Astoria Park impractical. Additionally, access to the sauna for my recovery was great.

Do you have a favorite NYSC memory?
S: I have a lot! Eduardo really helped me gain confidence in lifting weights in a busy gym, and generally know what to do. I don’t know if this is a favorite memory, but one day he made me do such a hard workout. I had to do things like sled pushes, agility drills, jump rope, pull ups, things I always complained about. THEN, he made me run around the block. I don’t remember how many times, but it just about killed me. It stands out because it was one of those moments where I didn’t think I could push myself anymore, but then magically did. I always felt encouraged and uplifted in our sessions. 

C: I can’t say I have just one favorite memory at NYSC. What I really love is the community that my personal trainer Lumi has built through the HYROX classes and her Field + Functional training sessions. I genuinely feel like I’m surrounded by a group of strong, supportive women who push me to be my best self every day.

Is there anything you learned at NYSC that has helped prepare you to take on race day? 
S: I have learned to have confidence in what I am capable of. My experiences at NYSC have encouraged me to also listen to my body. If I was feeling tired or off, Eduardo always said “Don’t run away from the discomfort, move towards it.” This taught me to pay attention to the larger aches and pains that might actually have a root cause beside general fatigue and soreness. I carry this with me. For example, I used to think I was having some knee issues and decided to stay off it. It didn’t work! What worked was targeted strength. I learned that sometimes it would get sore, but icing and moving it kept me pain free. 


What kept you motivated during your training? 
S: My personal life was honestly a huge challenge these last 4 months. I used training as an escape, and didn’t look at it like a chore. I have learned that running really helps with any anxiety or stress that crops up in my personal life and that time alone is quite precious to me, even the days I really am not in the mood. I had a run coach this season who has been a huge blessing in teaching me not to sweat the small stuff and stay focused. Also, touching base with a good friend who’s running the race has really helped. She and I have held each other accountable and pushed through those tough August long runs because we were doing it together. 

C: Part of what keeps me motivated to train is knowing two things. First – that I’ve already completed a marathon! Second – that my training now is laying the foundation I need to conquer the Marathon. It’s not an easy course, so when I struggle to get my miles or strength sessions in, I remind myself that my future race-day self will be grateful for the work I’m putting in today.

How are you feeling heading into Nov 2nd? 
S: I am excited!! Marathon day in NYC is my favorite day of the year, whether I am a spectator or runner. I can’t wait to see my friends and family while I am out there and feel the energy again. This training season has been the best yet. I have felt pretty solid in my runs, but I really took it one week at a time rather than stressing about the entire 18 weeks. I am keeping that mindset while I taper. I know that I have done the hard work, I just have to trust in my training, make sure to rest and eat right the next two weeks and meet the road where it’s at on Nov 2nd. 

C: I’m feeling a mix of nerves and excitement. With just a few days to go, the race is becoming real. It’s that strange but thrilling feeling of anticipation, knowing all the hard work is about to pay off.


Do you have a story about how our Club has helped improve life outside our Club? Submit your MY Sports Club Story here.