Jamie and I met a little over a year ago during Potomac River Running Distance Training, but she’s the kind of person that you feel like you’ve known your whole life. Now our kids run track together, she gives me mom advice (who knew elementary school would be so hard for me to navigate?!), and comes over to run on my basement treadmill when the winter weather makes an outdoor run treacherous. Everyone should have a friend like Jamie! 

When did you begin running and why? Way, way back in a different life I ran track and cross country in school. Fast forward to almost 4 years ago – my second son was about 10 months old and a friend talked me into signing up for a 5K. I hadn’t been running in years but I had been cross-training so I figured it shouldn’t be too hard to just jump in and run a 5K with only a few weeks training. And that was it, I couldn’t stop. I was a runner again.

I heard about a 10K training program that would culminate in running the =PR= Perfect 10. I figured, why not? And then I was chosen in the lottery for DC’s inaugural Nike Women’s Half Marathon. Sure! I’ll run a half marathon if I can get a Tiffany necklace at the end! After my second half marathon in March of 2014 I couldn’t get the idea of running a full marathon out of my head. I figured the only way to make the thought go away was to actually finish one, which I did in November 2014.  And apparently I succumb easily to running peer pressure because I was talked into running a second marathon in October 2015.

What is your proudest running moment? My proudest moments were definitely finishing not one, but 2 marathons with my Dad, husband and sons there to cheer me on. There were many moments during training, especially at the beginning, where I didn’t think I could do it and I was positive I was insane to think I could.  Let alone do it twice.  But I trusted my training and finished both.

Why did you sign up for the Training Program with Potomac River Running? It was the =PR= Distance Training Program that got me ready for a marathon. Twice.  And enabled me to meet a wonderful group of runners who have become friends. And those are the friends who keep talking me into registering for races.

Have you run the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run before? Yes, I ran it in 2015.

What is your goal for the 2016 Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run? To have fun and see the sights.  I’d love to get a PR but I’ve run enough races in DC at this point to know the crowds aren’t always conducive to getting the time you want.

Do you have a running mantra? What is it and what does it mean to you? I don’t think I really have a mantra.  When I was training for and running the marathons I broke the distances down into more reasonable lengths in my head and then I would remind myself how much was left if (when) I started to struggle. So halfway I told myself that it was a half-marathon left. At 10 miles I would tell myself it was only 10 more miles. Then 10K, 5K, down to 1 mile. At 1 mile I always think “Anyone can run a mile!”  Which I know isn’t necessarily true but in the moment it helps to keep me motivated.

If you could use only one word to express what running means to you, what would it be? Sanity

What is a fun/interesting fact you learned about Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals? Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals treat one in 10 children in North America each year.