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Hyland Pursues Passion for Running in Daily Life

Running on a newly discovered trail in Andover, Rachel Hyland, Instructor in Spanish, progresses into her hour-long workout, slowly picking up speed along the way. Ever since running on her sixth grade track team, Hyland has had a passion for running.

“At this point, I’ve been running for so long, it just feels like part of who I am. I try to incorporate it into most days,” said Hyland.

In the classroom, as well as on the course, Hyland enjoys being on the move.

“I relax when I’m on the move. That’s one of the reasons I like teaching. When I’m in the classroom, I’m moving around, and it’s a dynamic environment that relaxes and motivates me,” said Hyland.

Hyland has run five marathons including the Boston Marathon in 2012 and most recently a marathon in Philadelphia last fall. Currently training for the Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, MI., Hyland tries to incorporate running at least once a day into her weekly routine.

“I do longer runs on Wednesdays and the weekends and between 6-10 [miles] on the other days of the week. [I’m] just trying to run a better time and enjoy it, as well as stay injury free,” said Hyland.

Throughout her running career, Hyland has had no major injuries with the exception a stress fracture in 2013.

“[The stress fracture] was the only big [injury]. To recover from a stress fracture, usually eight weeks of no running at all [is required]. You have to build up really slowly for the next four to five months,” said Hyland.

To train off campus, Hyland travels to Boston every Wednesday to run with the Boston Athletic Association, a running club located in Boston.

“They have a club team and a competitive team. I race for them a couple times a year and they have a great community of runners outside of Andover,” said Hyland.
While on her runs, Hyland enjoys discovering new trails, as well as running on certain loops around campus.

“I love running with people, and I love running with the team on campus. I find it’s a good way to be social with friends and my husband,” said Hyland.

Since running for Williams College, Hyland has coached track and cross-country at the Millbrook School and at Andover since she joined the faculty in 2010.