Introducing Jessica! — my next I’m a runner series contributor. If you don’t crack a smile while running her post, you have no sense of humor. 😉
No, seriously. I mean it. Jessica is cute and quirky. I hope you love her candid sense of humor as much as I do.
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Name: Jessica
Age: 29
Blog (if applicable): avid blog reader!
1. How long have you been running?
I just had my 2 year running anniversary in June!
2. How did you begin running?
I was always active in high school, and again after graduating from undergrad. once i decided to go back to grad school and move half way across the country, I became so busy with full time school, 3/4 time job, homework and friends that health was no longer a priority. i gained weight and felt crappy. following graduation, my friend’s organization was hosting a 5k and i thought that might be something i could train for to help me lose weight. i was a pack a day smoker, overweight, and trying to prepare for this race. when starting, i could hardly run a block without panting like crazy. come race day i made it my mission to not walk, even if my run was not much more than a shuffle. i succeeded, and i loved crossing that finish line. unfortunately, i got lazy again. i finished that race and then didn’t lace up my shoes for 3 months. the little bit of weight that i had lost had found its way back. over christmas, while feeling down in the dumps about my health, i made the decision to run a half marathon that following October. its the big one in our city. I had no clue how long it would take me to get up to that distance, only knew i would need to put the shoes back on. I registered and spent the next few months building my mileage. the october half didn’t end up being my first. it was my second 🙂 (see below for worst race experience). i have since run 4 more for a total of 6 half marathons.
i’m on the right. my friend is the one who’s organization hosted my first race 🙂
3. In how many races have you competed?
16
4. What is your favorite pre-run fuel?
I like peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat sandwich thins
5. What is your favorite post-run snack or meal?
fruit! after a long hard run the first thing i want is an orange (which is funny because i can’t stand them any other time). once i fulfill that craving then i start thinking of other things.
6. What is the most embarrassing thing to ever happen to you while running?
i fart. cant’ help it. i do. and you can sometimes hear it. my running buddies love me 🙂
7. Do you like running buddies or do you prefer to run alone?
i enjoy the social aspect of running buddies. not only do they hold me accountable, but they boost my confidence when i need it, hold me back when i need it, and have become some of my closest friends.
8. What’s your must-have object on a run?
garmin. can’t help it. it helps me train smart by telling me to slow down or knowing when i can push it and speed up.
9. What’s your favorite running outfit?
i love the champion baby doll tanks. i think i own them in every color and they are so great for not riding up your mid drift. its only been recently that i’ve lost enough weight to wear shorts without chafing. now i LOVE wearing shorts, even on long runs.
10. Favorite place to run?
i really love trail running. i dont’ get to do it as often as i would like as it will automatically require at at least a 35 minute drive. thankfully i live near a beautiful lake that creates great views for long runs.
11. What is the worst race in which you have ever participated?
My first half marathon was dreadful. in the beginning of the year when i decided to attempt a half, i chose one that was taking place the following october. my confidence experienced a huge boost when i realized that i could actually be strong enough to do one by july. this is where the problem lies. i live in michigan which can get incredibly humid and nasty in the summer. heat i can handle, but humidity i dont’ deal with well at all. my first half marathon was a dinky little small town race on july 3. we had a 7:00 am start time and it was already 97 degrees! they ran out of water on the course and were sending marshals to the store to buy more water. it took me nearly 3 hours to finish it but i did! that is my longest half to date, but most encouraging. under the worst conditions, i still managed to finish it. FYI – it was 103* with 91% humidity when i finished the race.
12. What’s your favorite race distance and why?
i love half marathons. they aren’t easy for me. no run is. but i love training for something that to this day still makes me say, “holy crap that’s far!!”
13. How many times a week do you typically run?
4
14. How has your running or your feelings toward running changed over the years?
people say to me that they can’t be runners because they dont’ like running. confession: neither do i. but i LOVE racing. in order to race you have to train. if i didn’t have races, i’d be sitting on the couch doing nothing. I love the energy that surrounds races. i love knowing that i accomplished what i set out to do, even when things got tough and i wanted to throw in the towel. i am not one of those people that is always on cloud nine when i run, but i am someone that has realized through running, that i really am physically and mentally strong enough to achieve whatever goals i set for myself.
15. What’s your pie-in-the sky running dream?
i’m training for my first full marathon right now. but believe it or not, that’s not my dream. my husband and i are hoping to start trying for a family when i finish the marathon in october. my dream is to be able to run while pregnant, but also have the strength to accept if that can’t be. running will always be waiting for me after baby and i look forward to the day when i run my first race with baby in tow.
16. Any running or race superstitions?
no superstitions really. i never drink a drop of alcohol the day before a race, i refuse to stop at water stations, and i feel that if i charge up hills, i can relax a bit on the way down.
17. What or who inspires you to run?
race medals. i want more. 🙂 give me that bling baby! i only partially kid. read the next answer 🙂
18. What’s your favorite running memorabilia and why?
my favorite race medal was my slowest race of all time. I recently did the Madison quarter marathon with my aunt. She decided she wanted to walk it with me, in celebration of her recent transition to cancer free. I was proud to do it with her and be her support. half marathoners finished before us. my aunt had a shirt that showed her last chemo date in comparison to the race date. people would give us weird looks for how slow we were going and then read her shirt and cheer so LOUD! she is a former runner, and was unable to run the whole race. unfortunately, chemo has had an affect on her nerves and she has issues with severe pain or weird numbness in her feet. its one or the other and this has made running very difficult for her. at this race, she attempted to run! she would run a block, then walk a few. a mile later she might try to run again. i was so proud of her. when we finally crossed the finish line, i was the one that got emotional. not her. i was the one sobbing. that medal was not for me. that’s her medal (she obviously got one of her own as well). when i look at that medal, i think of her and what SHE has achieved. Not my own accomplishments. that makes me want to push harder and further.
this is my aunt and my cousins at the finish line. so proud!
19. How has running changed or contributed to the person you are?
before becoming a ‘serious’ runner, i never realized what it does for you mentally. the emotional and mental benefits far outweigh the physical. i have become more confidant in my ability to set higher goals and do what needs to be done to achieve them. my attitude about running has worked its way into my personal and professional life in a way that i hadn’t expected.
20. A friend just ran a mile and is inspired to start running regularly. What words of wisdom or inspiration do you have for them?
even when you want to quit, dont’. the mental is more difficult than the physical. you’ll be that much stronger at the end…… and buy proper shoes!!!!
I would like to add that running has had such an impact on my life. it is because of running that i started paying better attention to what i put into my body. i’m happy to report that i have quit smoking, cut back on how much i drink, and have lost 25lbs since January! my wonderful husband has supported my crazy running addiction and it is with his help that i have been able to accomplish all of this.
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Jessica, thanks so much for sharing your running tales! I especially loved your recap of the race with you aunt to celebrate being cancer free. What an amazing story!
If you ever start a blog, consider me your first dedicated reader! 🙂
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If you would like to be featured as part of the I’m a runner series, please email me at foodiefresh@gmail.com.