LOS ANGELES - As a 2:30 marathoner, Becky Wade has put in countless miles in preparation for the L.A. Marathon on Sunday. But what is unique about those miles is that many of them were logged over the course of one year in 22 counties. 

 

In January, the Houston native signed a book deal with publisher HarperCollins to chronicle her adventures from the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, where she designed her own post-graduate program that enabled her to study running cultures from around the world. 

 

“I learned so much about myself and about how inclusive and connected the whole global running community is,” Wade said. 

 

A graduate of Rice University, Wade was a two-time Conference USA 10k champion while competing for the Owls. She burst onto the marathon scene in 2013 at the California International Marathon in Sacramento where she debuted in the distance by taking down Kenya’s Sarah Kiptoo and winning the race in 2:30:41. She was 24 years-old at the time and became the fifth fastest female American marathoner of 2013. Only two American women, two-time Olympian Cathy Schiro O’Brien and Olympic gold medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson ran faster marathons before the age of 25 than did Wade. 

 

Shortly before winning the race, Wade completed the fellowship that connected her with running communities in New Zealand, France, Switzerland, Ethiopia, England, Ireland, Japan and Finland among others. While running her way around the world, Wade dove into the training styles of different athletes, observed the way runners lived and trained, their nutrition habits, and the connection between the global running community. 

 

“It’s pretty perfect that running doesn’t really require a language….and one thing I really benefited from was being able to be more fluid and adaptable,” Wade said. 

 

While traveling to different countries, Wade reached out to national coaches and members of various running groups who took her in as their guest and helped bridge the gap to immerse her in the running culture. Her account of the trip in her blog allowed readers to associate with her travels along the way. 

 

“I felt so included in such an amazing community that spans every corner of the world,” Wade said. “So I came back from that trip, even though I was focused and on the tail-end of five years of competitive collegiate running, even more in love with the sport and passionate about it.”

 

2014 had some bumps in the road for Wade, who was forced to withdraw from the Chicago Marathon at the last minute because of a knee injury. Since October, she has been gradually building her way back up and relying on a foundation acquired from training with Deena Kastor’s group in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. 

 

“I got smoked all summer long on the hills and altitude and everything. That was nice, humbling and nice,” Wade said remembering the base-building phase last summer. 

 

She opened 2015 with a personal best in the half marathon, running 1:12:28 at the USATF Half Marathon Championships in Houston. She is also nearly halfway done with the manuscript of her book, which is due in October. The book will be a compilation of her adventures abroad, acting as a training log and running guide with recipes, workouts, and stories of her travels. 

 

Heading into her first full marathon since 2013, Wade is healthy and confident. 

 

“I’m in really good shape and I’m confident about that, but I just want to go and be competitive and run with anyone who is up for the challenge,” Wade said.