Tracy Guerrette

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Tracy Garett is an elite runner who won the Maine Marathon last October and a former University of Maine basketball player. She is also the director of faith formation at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Bangor. Thanks for coming in.

Tracy Guerrette:

Thank you for having me.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

We first learned about your success as a runner at the Maine Marathon. Actually, I was there and saw you up on the podium wearing your. Was it a crown of laurel or something? Olympian looking?

Tracy Guerrette:

Yeah, that was like the best part of it all.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yeah, it was really. It was really great. And you were very emotional about the whole thing.

Tracy Guerrette:

I was, yeah. You know, the Maine Marathon was a goal race for me. Just being from the state of Maine, I feel like it's the marathon in the state and you know, I'm such a Mainer and I love our state and so I just want to go down there and do really well. And so I've been on my goal race this fall and in my heart I knew I could do really well and I trained very hard. I actually, I live in Bangor and I would drive down on the weekends and do my workouts on the course at the different points of the course. So I knew it very well and so kind of secretly I was working really, really hard at it. So yeah, you have that goal and you have the confidence to do it. And I knew I could do it. And so just to be able to run that fast, to win, it obviously was a gift and a blessing. But then to qualify or to run the qualifying time and to run so fast, that was kind of unexpected. So, yeah, I was very emotional and happy with it.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So when you actually finished, did you know that you had gotten a qualifying time for the Olympics?

Tracy Guerrette:

I did. That was a goal of mine, and I. I didn't think I was going to run that fast that soon. To qualify for the Olympic trials, you have to run a sub 2:45 marathon. So that was my goal, and I thought it was going to take me a couple years. And again, in my mind, I had that confidence that I could do it, but to do it on that course, and it's a very challenging course, so a lot of my friends in the running world were kind of deterring me from doing the Maine Marathon because it's such a challenging course. Again, I was pleased to run it that hard and to be that consistent with my mileage and to run it that hard that well, was. Was wonderful.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yes, I've. I've run that course. I've run the marathon now a few times, and it is very challenging, like, especially on the way back. And there's some pretty big hills on Route 88.

Tracy Guerrette:

Yeah, surprisingly, you know, I thought the way out was going to be hard. You know, on an. On an out and back, you kind of just wait for the half. You know, you're waiting to get that 13, and, you know, you could turn around and come back. And so, yeah, and I had practiced it a bunch of times, but there's a Hill at 17, I think. Is it Tunnel Hill?

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yeah.

Tracy Guerrette:

So that kind of hurts. But I knew, because I've trained so much on it, I knew that afterward you have some sort flat, and then there's a downhill. So there's a nice recovery after. So I thought, you know, once I get to 20, it's going to be all, you know, downhill, supposedly coming into Portland. And. But I'm telling you, that last, like, mile and a half is hard because you get onto Baxter Boulevard and you could see the finish, but you still have a mile and a half, and that by that point, you're extremely exhausted. And so I think somebody videotaped me coming in and a friend of mine, and, you know, I was trying to work as hard as I could, but I was just really tired by that point. And I kept looking at him as if to say, stop videotap. But it's a nice footage to have, you know, coming in, but, yeah, it's challenging.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yeah. I think that is the worst part of that last part, is that you're thinking, oh, I'm almost done. But you're really not.

Tracy Guerrette:

You're really not.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And it's much further around.

Tracy Guerrette:

It is much further around. You can see the finish and your watch doesn't lie. So you know I have my garment on and I know that I have about a couple miles left. So you're just trying to work hard, you know, as hard as you can to finish.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So as perspective for people who are listening, who may not be runners, what, what per mile are you needing to run to do? Sub 2:45.

Tracy Guerrette:

Yeah. And so talking with my, my coach, Rob Gomez, we had kind of had a plan that I would go out and do the first 13 miles at a 6:20 pace and then the last 13 at 6:15. And so to go sub 245. It's around a 6:17, but you don't want to mess around. And so again I go out too hard. So I went out at 6:12s and on the backside it was about like a 6:19, but you need. So the Focus was like 6:15. So six minute second pace per mile.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Which is pretty fast.

Tracy Guerrette:

It is pretty fast. It is. It's funny, it's daunting to think about as I sit here with you, but it's amazing what your body can do when you train for it.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You ran a lot of miles to get ready for the Maine Marathon and then the marathon in California that you did not too long after I did.

Tracy Guerrette:

Yeah. You know, for some people, they can't run a lot of mileage. It just really negatively affects their body. And so for everyone, you kind of have to find that sweet spot which will benefit you, but not kind of over train you and hurt you. But for me, I could just run a lot of miles and I think my body's able to take it. And so yeah, I peaked out at 120 miles, so I would run through the summer. I was running 80 to 90, which was not running a lot. I kind of took a step back and focused more on speed because the beach to Beacon was a gold race of mine. And then to ramp up through the fall, it was. Yeah, it was about 100, 120 week.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

That last part is very important. 120 per week?

Tracy Guerrette:

Per week. 120. It takes a lot of time.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You're probably not running every single day.

Tracy Guerrette:

I am. I don't take a day off. A day off for me would be maybe an easy 10 in the morning.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So I just, I want to just give that a moment to sink in for people who are listening. 120 miles a week. So even divided by seven and say the 10 is your small, small mileage. I mean, most days you're running what,

Tracy Guerrette:

at least. At least 15 to 18 maybe. And so then you have that long weekend run. Like, I ran 22 this past Saturday. I ran 16 on Sunday, ran 15 yesterday. I'm hoping to get close to 20 today, so. And I don't do that all at once. I double a lot. And, you know, I'm older, so it's. It's interesting at my age. So I'll try to run more in the morning, but for me to get back out there and run like a four or five easy couple miles in the afternoon really flushes out my legs, surprisingly. And I feel more recovered for the next morning. And so you think you're doing a lot and you're out there running a lot, but you're so used to it that your body kind of craves that just to get it going again. If you could kind of wrap your mind around that.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

But yeah, before you did this, you were a basketball player at the University of Maine.

Tracy Guerrette:

I was.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So you had a whole different life as a different type of athlete?

Tracy Guerrette:

I was, yeah. I've played team sports all my life. You know, I grew up in a small town in northern Maine, St. Agatha. And we didn't have cross country or track or anything. And so I just played every sport that was available to us. And basketball is the one that I kind of gravitated towards. It's the one that I spent the most time doing through the summer and in the off season. So I've been playing since I was 4 and, yeah, playing again. I'm a Mainer. I love the state. So playing at the University of Maine was my. Was my goal and my dream. And I was being recruited throughout New England and Division 1 Schools 2 and 3. But in my heart, I want to play for Maine. And so, yeah, it's totally different mindset. Being a team sport athlete is just very different than being a runner. I find it's being a runner on a cross country team. It's a team aspect, but it's more individual. And so it's. Yeah, it's been really neat to experience both team athletics and then, you know, more, more now in my older age, becoming a runner.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Saint Agatha is not a large town.

Tracy Guerrette:

It's not.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I mean, I've driven through it on the way to Fort Kent many, many times.

Tracy Guerrette:

Yeah, don't blink.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

How big is the school system up there?

Tracy Guerrette:

It's very, very small. It's, you know, the school system, they're divided into different classes and so we're the smallest class in the state. We're D and very small. My graduating class was 33, which was considered a big class back then. And it's still open. The high school is 7 through 12. But I loved it. They say when we talk about good teacher to student ratio, we had small classes, phenomenal teachers, great education, and the town is wonderful. Everybody was my friend. We grew up together, playing sports together, you're in extracurricular activities together, you all go to church together. It was definitely a blessing being able to grow up in such a small, tight knit town and I didn't know any different. I never thought I went without, you know, the closest Walmart's an hour away. That's not a big deal. So, yeah, it was just a wonderful upbringing up there. And it's beautiful as well, you know, I love it and it's probably one of my best places to visit in the state.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

It is beautiful. And it's also interesting that you were able to come out of such a small graduating high school class and play for the University of Maine, which is a Division 1 school. Mm.

Tracy Guerrette:

Yeah. You know, I keep in touch with the U Main coaches. I was recently an assistant coach at the University of Maine with that coaching staff. And the big argument that I would have in a charitable way was, hey, even though a student athlete's from a small town doesn't mean they can't play at this level. And so, yeah, you know, if there's talent there, then they're able to play. And I was very fortunate to have older brothers, so I'd always play with them. And, you know, they made me tough and competitive. I'd go to camps throughout the summer and I play on AAU teams. So I'd play on these AAU teams with the best players throughout the state of Maine and we'd travel throughout New England and beyond. And so I was playing against like that competitiveness, that competitive athlete. And so I knew I could play at that level. And you know, and back in the day, yeah, these, these teams are made up of the best athletes, like I said. So I was playing against kids from down here, from the middle of the state. And so I, I really felt like I was well prepared to play at the University of Maine.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Your last name is French.

Tracy Guerrette:

It is, yep.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And your family is very important to you.

Tracy Guerrette:

Yeah, they are. I'm blessed. You know, I talk about my parents who are still, you know, this sounds like morbid, but they're still alive and doing well. They're older and they still live in St Agatha. But they're saints. They really are. They're the most selfless, generous people that I know. And so, yeah, being brought up from northern Maine, it's very French, it's very Catholic, very tight knit. And so I grew up in a French speaking household and so my parents would speak French to us as children. And what happened, and I regret this is we would respond in English and I think my parents regret not kind of making us speak it more in the home and I regret not practicing more. And so I could understand it perfectly.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

But.

Tracy Guerrette:

But my confidence isn't there when I speak it. And I'm sure, you know, we go to Quebec a lot in Quebec City and my parents are in their element and I try to kind of practice my French when I'm there and it helps like the more you stay there and then you kind of get used to speaking it. But yeah, French speaking community. And you know, to speak with my grandparents, I would have to converse with them in French. So. And it's still very French up there when you go home. You know, the conversations. And it's funny, you know, we just had Christmas and if you sit there in the living room and listen to people talk, they'll go from French to English to French to English. And so, yeah, it's still very much alive and well. And it's really beautiful too. A lot of the traditions of like the French speaking and just the fact that we're Quebecois, a lot of those traditions are still very present up there as well. So that's nice to experience.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

When I go home, even as you're talking, I can.

Tracy Guerrette:

Can you pick it out?

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I can actually pick it out. As you talk about being up there, there's like this interesting inflection that happens. It's very specific to northern Maine. And I know this because I spent a lot of time with people who were French speaking from Northern Maine at, in my life. And what I found was people would. The inflection would leave their voices. But then if they talked about being in northern Maine, it would come back again. And it's very subtle, but I think it's also a very different kind of French than what many people are taught in school these days.

Tracy Guerrette:

You know, unfortunately, that's what happened. So, you know, we're all speaking this. It's almost like it's a Quebecois, Acadian French. So it's not your Parisian French that you would hear in France. So we'd speak it in the home and amongst each other. But then in school we would be taught the Parisian French, which is very different. And again, I just regret. I wish they would have more kind of the tangible French speaking in the schools, you know, so we would learn the proper French from France. And so I think that kind of led to the fact that a lot of us don't speak it anymore. It was more of a confusion than it helped. Interesting fact, though, or just interesting story. A couple years ago, I went to Italy with umaine basketball team. We went and we played a couple games against some professional teams over there. And when we were in Tuscany, there was a group from Bordeaux, France, and I could converse with them perfectly. So I don't know. And they say that the French from those small towns have been preserved. And that's where my ancestry is from. And so if they came to northern Maine or to Nova Scotia, Acadia, and then eventually to northern Maine. Yeah, I don't know. I could understand their dialect. And we conversed very well. A couple days later, we were in Rome and there was a group from Paris and we told. I couldn't understand them and they couldn't understand me. So it's interesting, isn't it? I don't know. I don't know why that is just the different dialects of the French. And my parents are the same. So it's funny, like I mentioned, when we go to Quebec City, all those little towns on the way to Quebec city that you stop in, it's totally French. And my parents are like, they're in their element. They get all excited and even like you're saying they sound differently, it just kind of brings something out in them as well.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yeah. I believe that Saint Agatha was senegat. And I don't know that I'm pronouncing it correctly.

Tracy Guerrette:

It is. You are senegat.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yeah. Which, you know, I learned French in high school. My dad spoke French. He was. His family was from Biddeford and they spoke French amongst the grandparents and the aunts and uncles. I went up to northern Maine, and I did not have any idea what they were talking about.

Tracy Guerrette:

It was so.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

It was so different, but it was so great because I would listen to what they would. People would say and the names and the way they pronounce people's last names. And I would kind of translate back like this. This inflection is so different than what I'm used to, but so interesting, right?

Tracy Guerrette:

Yeah. And I think because people were anglicizing their names, so they, you know, they've changed the names a little bit. But yeah, I think, you know, you Think of the people in Biddeford or Lewiston, they kind of came down from Quebec. And so, again, I think that's the different areas, like, you know, Quebec City, the Quebecois. And then you have some people in Northern Maine, so we're considered Acadians. Right. And the Acadians and the Kebecoiska get kind of competitive against each other. I don't know. So it's just. Yeah, you have all these different dialects and language changing over time. But, yeah, it's. I love it. Again, I really. I think, you know, people talk about two mains and. Okay, yeah, I know we're far up there, but I just. It's beautiful. There's something really special about northern Maine and St. John Valley.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I absolutely agree. And before I went up there, I didn't even realize that, you know, the Quebecois and the Acadian, I mean, they're very different groups, right?

Tracy Guerrette:

Very different groups. And I think within my genealogy, if I look at both sides of my family, I know the Garettes. The Garettes, it's Kebequa, and my mom's a Sidwa Sirois, and I think there's some Kebequa as well. But then you have the Seers, the Michaux, and so you have all these different kind of trees within your family. So I have both Acadian and Kebequa in my family. And my parents are very into history. And so, you know, every time, again, we'd go to Quebec a lot, we'd stop. And my dad loves to visit graveyards, but he just loves the churches because you have all the historical records and things. So we'd visit churches and he'd walk through graveyards, and he just loves that. Just the history and the ancestry. And so that was a big part of growing up, A big important part of growing up for me as well.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You've chosen a path that is unique these days, I would say. You currently work as the director of faith formation at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Bangor.

Tracy Guerrette:

I do.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And you're going even deeper into your faith.

Tracy Guerrette:

I do, yeah. You know, the Catholic faith was just a huge part of my upbringing, just being very French and very Catholic. And, you know, I joke around and some families decorate with, like, Pottery Barn. My parents decorated with, like, Catholic memorabilia, you know, like crucifixes, statues, and just the things that make the faith alive in the home. So, yeah, it was a very important part of our upbringing. It was instilled into me. Yeah. And I had a desire to give my whole life to God since a young age. And it had always been a part of my life. And funny enough, even as an athlete, I really believe that God used just the game of basketball and that simple thing in my life as a tool for my conversion. And so even playing at the University of Maine, basketball helped me to grow a lot in my faith. And so I was pre med undergrad. You know, I had the aspirations of becoming a doctor. And you know, when I graduated, I just had a change of heart. And so it's kind of like great now what? You know, I took organic chemistry twice, you know, my MCATs a bunch of times, biochem, all these just really challenging classes to prepare myself. And I was applying to medical schools, but I wasn't sure. And so I eventually got my teaching certification and went back into teaching. And my mother had been a teacher. And so I think because she had been a teacher, I just swore not to do that. You know, when you're young and you're just, you want to do something different. But I just really discovered how to give a teaching and so started teaching, started coaching, but still wasn't satisfied. There was just something else that was missing. And so, yeah, in 2013, I had just, after much prayer and discernment, decided to enter a religious community. So discern my religious vocation is the terminology, the Catholic terminology, but wanted to be a nun, to give my whole life to God. And I know people could have their faith and that relationship is really important, but I, I just wanted to give everything. And so I entered a convent down in Nashville, Tennessee. The sisters were teachers, and that really appealed to me and beautiful, beautiful community. And in the first couple years of religious life, it's very free. So, you know, there's no other way to discern it, if you can imagine, it's so radical. And so the only way really is to enter the life and to truly live it. And so they allow you to do that. And so, yeah, gave up everything, paid off my car, gave it to my parents and they kept it. Eventually gave it back to me, which was a blessing, but just gave away everything. Cashed out of my 401k, just was that was it. And took that radical step and entered. And God really made it obvious, you know, living the life every day. And God really made it obvious to me that, that I'm not called to live in that community life, that I'm called to live my faith in the world, which I think could be more challenging. You know, when you have the strong belief, it's not that it's really easy. But if you're surrounded in this community with all the people that are like minded, it can be easier. I feel like he's given me that spirit and that even like my competitive nature and my passion to live my faith in the world and to make a difference for him in the world. So I left after six months and went back into coaching because I was coaching at the University of Maine at the time and coach Richard Barron took me back, but I still. There's something missing. And so at the end of that year, resigned again. Poor Coach Barron resigned again and took this position at the church. And so I'm the director of faith formation. And so we have six different churches under the umbrella of St. Paul the Apostle Parish. And so I oversee all the ministries that happen from baptism prep to little kids for faith formation, Sunday school and our high school groups to young adult ministry, our young families groups, adults. So I kind of oversee everything in our church. We're a very vibrant parish because Bangor, you know, Bangor, Hampden, Brewer, it's all together under one umbrella, but very vibrant. And so it's very busy, but such a blessing. And so, you know, for now I could just. I'm very content there. But no matter what I do, I want to do something in ministry, you know, and something to serve people and to give my life so that others may have life, you know, to make a difference in the world in a positive way. So, yeah, it's a blessing to be able to do that. St. Paul the Apostle.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So you used the. For now. So this still isn't what.

Tracy Guerrette:

Yeah.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You're still not exactly sure. That must be so interesting.

Tracy Guerrette:

Yeah, I know. Are we ever though?

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Probably not.

Tracy Guerrette:

Maybe it's me.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I don't think it's just you. But it is interesting that the way that you're approaching this is. All right. I know there's something. I'm not sure what it is. I'm going to keep kind of getting deeper into it and being patient with that process.

Tracy Guerrette:

Right. And so, you know, I'm still discerning my vocation. I'm 37, I'm single. And it's still, you know, I'm still open to whatever God has for me, whether it's marriage or a consecrated form of. Consecrated form of life. You know, totally giving my life to him and living in the world at the same time. But. But yeah, I don't know. I, you know, I've been praying a lot about where I am, and my prayer is, okay, so this is where I am. It's almost like I have a plot of soil in front of me, and I just want to till the soil and work at it with all of my heart and do the best that I can with where he has me right now. And so that's my focus, is to do the best I can and to serve the people of my parish to the best of my ability. And it's such a blessing. You know, I see all the people that I serve almost as like my spiritual children, even the older ones. And we have beautiful families and just beautiful people. And so my heart is full and they're just so kind and loving to me, too. But, yeah, so this is where he has me. And so I want to do the best I can. You know, they say bloom where you're planted, but I know that that's not it. And so, yeah, I'm just. Maybe that's just the way I am. It's like I'm here for now and then we'll see what happens next. See where he brings me next.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yeah, I think there's. I mean, I don't see there's nothing wrong with that. I think it's actually really common, but it's unusual to hear people say that. I mean, a lot of people that, you know, the way that we are, I think in this world, we want to go full force at whatever it is that we're trying to. And we say, like, this is what I'm going to do forever. Or at least that's what I hear. But you seem comfortable with this uncertainty and just doing the best you can where you are now.

Tracy Guerrette:

Yeah, I think God's prepped me for it. Yeah, there's just. There's so many things that I've been able to do in my life. I've been so blessed, and there's so many things that I can do and want to do, and there's so many desires that I have. You know, I love to teach, maybe go back to school and study theology. There's so many things, and I just want to kind of lay them at the foot of the cross and just be led by him totally and just trust him with my life. And he's so faithful and he's so good, so just. And it's a continual. Every day just trust, trust where he'll lead me and guide me.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And at the same time, you seem to like the friction of competition. You seem to like you're not just satisfied to just kind of hang out and do whatever you're like, oh, I'm gonna go for the Next thing, I'm gonna try to qualify for the Olympics.

Tracy Guerrette:

Yeah. You know what's funny about that is coach Richard Barron, such a wonderful man. And so he was the head coach at the University of Maine. He took over in 2011, and he hired me and I became his director of operations. And so when I resigned the second time, he said, tracy, you know, you just can't be faithful like a Catholic. You have to be. You have to, you know, think about becoming a nun. You just can't run. You have to run marathons. And so I think it's just a part of who I am. Just it's ingrained in me. It's just who God has made me to be. And, yeah, I'm very passionate and very competitive. And so with running, it's been a blessing because I'm so competitive and I need that, like, goal and that drive. And so running is great for that. And thanks be to God that I'm able to do it at my age because they say since I'm late to the sport and as women, we kind of tend to do better in our mid to late 30s in endurance sports, like in the marathon. And so kind of hopefully hitting my prime. But, yeah, how cool would it be to run in the Olympic trials? Run alongside the best of the best? Not that I'm gonna win it. People are cute. Like, God bless people. They're so sweet. They think I'm going to the Olympics. And I have to explain, I'm like, no, I'm not. I'm not gonna win the race. Oh, yeah, you can. It's only 20 minutes. I'm like, yeah, but it's, you know, these women are running like five minute miles, and that's really fast. Um, but people are so supportive and so sweet. Uh, but, yeah, what a. What a neat goal to have. And so, yeah, so that's kind of like my next. Even though I ran the time, that's kind of my next goal.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So you ran in California and it wasn't what you wanted to run. You didn't quite qualify, but now you're gonna go again for Boston.

Tracy Guerrette:

That's right.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

In the spring.

Tracy Guerrette:

That's right, yeah. And so ran the Maine Marathon. And unfortunately we didn't know this, and even the race director wasn't aware that it's not a USATF certified course. And so just despite the fact that I ran the qualifying time of a. I ran a 243, which you have to run a sub 245, it doesn't qualify. And so we've petitioned USATF and everything. And I'm still praying for a miracle. So if there's any way, anybody listening, I'm praying for a miracle that they would take the time just because it was such, just you know, my first, my first time running it and I won the marathon and such an emotional day. And so then I had it in mind to run the California International Marathon and didn't, didn't run my time. I ran a 2 hours and 48 minutes out there and I think I jumped back into training way too fast. And they say, you know, it's not very prudent to do back to back marathons. And I learned the hard way. Usually you have one in the spring and one in the fall because your body naturally can't just peak and then come down and peak again really quickly. And being the competitor that I am, I just jumped into heavy mileage. I ran 120 miles a week, 115, 110. And sadly to admit, I ran 90 even before the race. I don't know what I was thinking. So I ran 90 the week before, which is what not to do when you run, you race marathons. But I was very thankful to go out there, you know, one, it was California. I ran in shorts and a T shirt. But it was also the USATF National Championships. So the field was loaded with all these amazing professional runners. And because of my time at Maine, I was an elite athlete. And so I was considered an elite athlete in the field. And so it was really neat to be like kind of treated that way. Kind of dip my toes into what it feels to, to, to be taken care of and to be an elite athlete at a race. And you know, we have our own bottles on the course and we get VIP treatment. We get this special bus to the start. Our own little tent next to the start. This is important. Extra Porta Potties before the race, like all those, you know, small little things that help make it easier. So that was just a blessing. And my mother came out with me and we spent the week, you know, so we ran the race. I went out too hard. I didn't run my time, but I was thankful to be out there and you know, and when I run, I look at running too as just my time with God. And so, you know, it was a great 26.2 miles of pain and suffering and praying because I was really tired and I suffered a lot. But it was just a great time of prayer and time spent with the Lord. And then after mom and I were able to go to Napa Valley and visit the vineyards and do some wine testing. And then we went to San Francisco and spent some time there. So it was just, it was a, it was a gift to be able to go out there and spend that time with my mom. So I took some time off and yes, so Boston is my next goal race on Patriots Day. And I've already jumped back into training, took some, took some good time off and now I'm back at it. And it's funny you could tell you're back at marathon training because I'm like constantly tired and always hungry. It's just, you know, I'm starting to crave pancakes again. And so, you know that you're, you're getting into training, serious training. So hopefully, you know, my goal for Boston would be a sub 240, so. So hopefully I could, you know, PR and run faster and get that qualifying time at Boston.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

For people who have a faith but are also trying to be fully within the world, within the secular world the way that you have. Do you have any words of advice or wisdom? Because I think it's a challenge.

Tracy Guerrette:

Yeah, I think, you know, it's, you could, you could relate to the field of athletics and being an athlete. I think that's why God made me an athlete. It's the only reason why was to come to know him more in my conversion and my growth and my faith. Because as an athlete you're single minded, you know, you're focused on that goal that you're working towards. And in my faith life, I'm just focused on Christ and it's an everyday surrendering my life to him and just really being aware of his presence throughout the day and putting him first in everything. And it is hard, you know, because it's counter cultural. A lot of my belief in the things that you know, of faith are different than what the world teaches or tells you. And so, yeah, it's challenging, but I like the challenge, you know, and it's making sure that I give him my first and my best. So, you know, like this morning my first thing is my cup of coffee, Starbucks and my prayer time, you know, spending time with him in the Bible, just in prayer. And then I like to go to daily Mass as much as I can. So as a Catholic we go to Mass on the weekends, but this morning I went to Mass because I knew I was coming down here for the interview. And so I want to make sure that I put him first. And so, yeah, it's just, you know, it is, it's a challenge. But I love the challenge. And it's, it's really, it's only by his grace and the strength that he gives me to able to live my, my life in the world. And I just want to be a blessing to people as well. I just want to love people and be a blessing and serve people. And doing that, like giving my life to people brings me so much joy. So it's more, it's like sometimes more of a blessing to me. Like, it fills my heart so much to be able to live this way and to be a Christian in the world as well.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, I appreciate your taking the time out of your busy schedule and all the people that you serve and you're running, which takes up a lot of time as well. I've been speaking with Tracy Garrette, who is an elite runner who won the Maine Marathon last October and also a former University of Maine basketball player and currently the director of faith formation at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Bangor. I guess I can still say good luck. You don't have to say break a leg.

Tracy Guerrette:

Please don't.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So I'm running, not break a leg. Good luck at the Boston Marathon and I'll be paying attention.

Tracy Guerrette:

Thank you. I appreciate your time. Thank you.