“My goal is to break three hours in a marathon,” she said. “I finished my last marathon in three hours and 30 seconds, which means I was about one second off during each mile.”
To help her achieve this goal, Jasman has made a shift not in her training, but in the technology she utilizes. After wearing the same model running shoe for 12 years, she recently switched to the Brooks Levitate.
“I struggled with injuries throughout my entire running career,” Jasman said. “I had plantar fasciitis, knee injuries, Achilles issues – you name it. With any endurance runner, the amount that you train and the amount of impact on your lower extremities are both really tough on your body. Injuries were popular for all of us on the running team.”
As Jasman’s running evolved, and her injuries mounted, it didn’t immediately occur to her to change shoes.
“I made a lot of different jumps in the level of competitiveness in the running that I was doing and so it's surprising that I never considered looking at other shoes,” she said.
Once Jasman tried on the Brooks Levitate, it was a game-changer.
“As soon as I put them on I thought, ‘It feels like I’m not even wearing anything,” she said. “That’s the goal of a running shoe.”
“My goal is to break three hours in a marathon,” she said. “I finished my last marathon in three hours and 30 seconds, which means I was about one second off during each mile.”
To help her achieve this goal, Jasman has made a shift not in her training, but in the technology she utilizes. After wearing the same model running shoe for 12 years, she recently switched to the Brooks Levitate.
“I struggled with injuries throughout my entire running career,” Jasman said. “I had plantar fasciitis, knee injuries, Achilles issues – you name it. With any endurance runner, the amount that you train and the amount of impact on your lower extremities are both really tough on your body. Injuries were popular for all of us on the running team.”
As Jasman’s running evolved, and her injuries mounted, it didn’t immediately occur to her to change shoes.
“I made a lot of different jumps in the level of competitiveness in the running that I was doing and so it's surprising that I never considered looking at other shoes,” she said.
Once Jasman tried on the Brooks Levitate, it was a game-changer.
“As soon as I put them on I thought, ‘It feels like I’m not even wearing anything,” she said. “That’s the goal of a running shoe.”
It’s a familiar scene.
The alarm goes off. Slowly, you open your eyes. You quickly hit the snooze button on your alarm. The realization that you are now, in fact, awake, creeps in. And so begins the internal debate: I should really get up right now, I’ll feel better if I do. But, it’s still so dark out. And cold. I’m so comfortable. I could really use the extra sleep. Should I just get up?
The choice in this moment is not between waking up or sleeping in. It never was. This moment is about commitment – about promises made to yourself. It is the moment you choose: will I run the day, or will the day run me?
For Alexandra Jasman, the answer simple: Take it one step at a time.
“I just take it moment to moment,” Jasman said. “I just tell myself, ‘Okay turn off the alarm. Now put your feet on the ground. Go brush your teeth.’”
Jasman is a Michigan-based Account Manager for BASF’s Performance Materials business. A former collegiate runner, Jasman began recreational racing not long after graduating from the University of Michigan. Since graduating, she has completed two marathons. Currently, she is training for the preeminent running event in the United States: the Boston Marathon, which will take place on April 15.
It’s a familiar scene.
The alarm goes off. Slowly, you open your eyes. You quickly hit the snooze button on your alarm. The realization that you are now, in fact, awake, creeps in. And so begins the internal debate: I should really get up right now, I’ll feel better if I do. But, it’s still so dark out. And cold. I’m so comfortable. I could really use the extra sleep. Should I just get up?
The choice in this moment is not between waking up or sleeping in. It never was. This moment is about commitment – about promises made to yourself. It is the moment you choose: will I run the day, or will the day run me?
For Alexandra Jasman, the answer simple: Take it one step at a time.
“I just take it moment to moment,” Jasman said. “I just tell myself, ‘Okay turn off the alarm. Now put your feet on the ground. Go brush your teeth.’”
Jasman is a Michigan-based Account Manager for BASF’s Performance Materials business. A former collegiate runner, Jasman began recreational racing not long after graduating from the University of Michigan. Since graduating, she has completed two marathons. Currently, she is training for the preeminent running event in the United States: the Boston Marathon, which will take place on April 15.
The Brooks Levitate features the DNA AMP midsole, which is made from a blend of BASF’s Elastopan Sports Light material. The technology was born after years of run research and a groundbreaking partnership between BASF and Brooks. The formula provides the most high-energy return of leading performance running shoes. In other words: it feels like you’re running on air.
“Normally, after going for a run in a new shoe, I might experience some shin soreness or feel that the shoe was either a bit too hard or too cushioned,” Jasman said. “After running in this shoe, I felt good. I thought this was a shoe I could train in and really like.”
Jasman has since gone through several pairs of Brooks Levitates, logging nearly 400 miles on each pair. She has not only remained injury-free since making the switch, but has maintained the fast-paced, high-mileage training required to complete a marathon in just three hours. As her training continues and her mileage ramps up in anticipation of the Boston Marathon, Jasman remains confident that she will cross the finish line stronger and faster than ever. Her appreciation for the research and technology that went into the shoe making that possible isn’t far from her mind as she runs.
“It’s very cool to be part of such a great consumer product,” Jasman said. “Anytime someone asks me about my shoes, I end up talking about BASF more than the actual shoe, which is pretty cool. It’s great that I get to appreciate something that was created from the same company that I work for.”
The journey to the Boston Marathon begins with one step. (And a pair of Brooks Levitate shoes.)
On the road
to Boston
BY CATHERINE DIAMOND
BY CATHERINE DIAMOND
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On the road to Boston