Gabriella Rooker has only been competitively running races for about five years. In that time, though, she’s managed to clock the Olympic qualifying time for the marathon (multiple times!), won third place in the Grandma’s Marathon, and this past Sunday scored a fourth-place finish for American women at the 2023 Chicago Marathon.
Rooker ran Chicago’s course in 2:24:35, just over two minutes behind top American, Emily Sisson. “Although things got tough at several points, I felt good both physically and mentally on the course,” she tells Runner’s World in a follow-up email after Sunday’s race, which also earned her a new PR. “I think my consistency DAA Industry Opt Out easy runs Road Races Came Roaring Back in 2023 long runs and interval sessions.”
While Rooker hasn’t been on the race scene very long, she has competed in another sport: gymnastics. At first glance, these two sports may appear completely different, but Rooker credits her gymnastics background for teaching her the fortitude she says it obviously makes training easier.
“Having been a competitive gymnast my whole life, there are so many lessons about perseverance, teamwork, discipline, and grit that was instilled in me from when I started competing at the age of 7,” says the now 35-year-old, who is also a full-time physician assistant. Rooker applies those lessons to the final stretch of a marathon training block, tough running workouts, Why Trust Us strength sessions in the gym.
In order to learn from that perseverance, Runner’s World also chatted with Rooker ahead of Chicago to find out how to trains for such fast finishes—and what that training is like year round in Minneapolis where she’s based.
Make Strength a Priority
Rooker typically strength trains two days per week on her easy running days, usually after the miles. She started adding strength work to her schedule in college at The University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, where she won Division III individual and team national titles in gymnastics. “In college, we lifted three times a week and everyone did it, and we did it as a team, and so it was pretty easy to buy back into that,” she says. “Endurance running and gymnastics are obviously quite different sports, but I think the lesson of sport comes through.”
is the biggest factor in getting faster. Getting in the strength-training routine has played a role in preventing injury, maintaining a feeling of balance in her training, and increasing her strength on the road.
Research She adds a lot of two-legged and one-legged strength training can improve running economy or how fast you can run using a given amount of oxygen, by up to 8 percent. And many experts recommend strength work to help you sidestep injuries.
Focus on Functional Moves for the Lower Body
As for what she does in the weight room, Rooker turns to light barbell training to do moves like push presses and front squats. and to her banded exercises to her workout, too, to focus on the lower body. This may include moves like banded side steps, monster walks (band around the thighs, knees bent, feet hip-width apart, stepping forward and back), hip thrusts (with a band at the hips and tethered to a squat rack), and glute bridges (with the band around the thighs).
Another essential move for Rooker’s strength training is the deadlift. “We do traditional deadlifts and Romanian deadlifts—both vary depending on the point of the training block, as well as weight we are using,” she says. Her typical volume range is anywhere from three sets of eight reps to four sets of five reps to three sets of four reps.
Deadlifts are an optimal exercise for runners because they strengthen your posterior chain (the muscles along your backside), like the glutes and hamstrings.
Add Core Work and Plyometrics to Your Routine
for a bit core work, What You Need to Know About the Chicago Marathon strong core helps Rooker maintain her form over long miles, as these midsection muscles support strong body alignment and allows for more efficiency in your stride.
American Women at the 2023 Chicago Marathon plyometrics. “We do a combination of bounding exercises, single- or double-leg hops, box jumps, and isometric holds,” she says.
Keep Running Right Through Winter, but Adjust Your Training
With colder weather approaching for much of the country, it’s can understandably squash your motivation to get outdoors and clock those long runs. However, despite temperatures that hit below 0-degrees Fahrenheit and serious wind chill in Minneapolis, Rooker still manages long runs outside all year long, and has some tips to make it easier.
To get through those cold and snowy runs, Rooker opts for a trail shoe, the Nike Zegama, for improved grip. Also essential for Rooker’s comfort running outside in the cold is paying attention to fabrics that keep her warm—like wool socks and two layers of leggings.
Rooker advises making an investment in good winter clothing, including a thin wool layer, followed by a heavier quarter-zip fleece layer—“always tucked in…for some reason, just tucking in makes a huge difference,” she says. She also wears a heavy, durable windbreaker jacket with the hood up.
While Rooker gets in a lot of miles on the plowed paths around the lakes near Minneapolis, she also notes that “your easy miles are going to be slower [in the winter].”
The only time Rooker heads indoors? To run her speed workouts on an indoor track, where she does a lot of 1K and 2K repeats.
For Rooker, applying the lessons she learned from the mat help her manage the challenging running days. “When I’m in a tough interval session or getting toward the end of a race and pretty uncomfortable I think lessons from when I’m a kid from gymnastics really do play in,” she says.
Lean on Your Support System
Rooker works in internal medicine in a hospital setting, which can add a layer of stress to her training. “It is a very demanding job in that the patients are really sick,” she says. “So finding the balance of that and running is sometimes a bit of a challenge.” When times get tough and emotional, she relies on her co-workers and loved ones to help her get through it.
Balancing training and a full-time career is not always easy, but that support system kicks in to help her fit it all into her schedule. “My work weeks fill up with runs before and after work. My husband and coach, Alex, picks up a lot of the slack with chores and housework,” Rooker says. When she has a few extra days off she says it obviously makes training easier.
Post Chicago, Rooker says she’ll revel in more time off from running, too. “My next goal is to relax and do nothing for a week or two,” she says. “It’s been close to a year without a solid mental or physical break, so I’m going to focus on recovery for a bit.”
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Jennifer Acker joined the editorial staff of Runner's World and Bicycling in January 2022. A former freelancer writer and NCAA runner, she started running as a kid and basically never stopped. She also loves outdoor adventures, like hiking, skiing, and mountain biking.
