My profession…I’m a third grade teacher in the Long Beach district.
I started running in…junior high school. I joined the track team, along with my sister. My dad would make us run in the evenings with him. I ran the mile, but I remember hating it! Then I ran in college a little bit to stay in shape, but my love for running really only happened when I moved to California and started running by the beach.
My favorite word is…vacation! Whether it’s taking a trip or just having time off from school, I LOVE it.
My life/sport philosophy…I try to find a balance between competition and enjoyment, working hard and relaxing, planning and being spontaneous, etc. It’s all about balance.
My favorite spot to be active…is anywhere that has good scenery…which in California is just about everywhere!
Athletic highlights…I’ve run five marathons, and have done pretty well. The hardest one had to be Catalina last year. As soon as I finished I looked at my time and thought, “I can do better than that. Better sign up again next year!”
My running experience with AREC has been…I always look forward to Wednesdays and Saturdays so I can run and hang out. It is so motivating to be surrounded by people with different running goals. I’ve been on weekend camping trips with fellow AREC’ers, and we actually wake up early to get our training runs in! That’s rare.
The best thing about AREC is…being about to say something like, “I only have to run twelve miles this weekend” and they get it. They don’t act shocked, tell me I’m crazy, or roll their eyes. And occasionally I even hear, “That’s all??”
I run because…I love everything about it. It relieves the small amount of stress I have in my life, and it makes me feel healthy. It’s fun to train to accomplish something too. And last but not least, I love to eat and drink, but cellulite runs in my family!
When I’m not running I…cook, relax, cycle, camp, wine taste, snowboard, travel, and, hang out with AREC people. I usually try to combine two or more of these at once!
My favorite running surface is…a hard packed, smooth, slightly downhill dirt path.
My pre-race meal is…anything non-spicy the night before, and in the mornings bananas and peanut butter, along with the sample energy bars they but in the goodie bag!
After a race I treat myself to…beer…as soon as possible. Unless it’s the Wine Country Half J
My favorite race is…the New York Marathon, with Catalina as a close second.
I run marathons, half marathons, 10Ks and 5Ks because…I enjoy the race atmosphere - doing my best, cheering for my friends, hanging out afterwards telling war stories…I love it all!
My goal is…to qualify for Boston at the New York Marathon November 1st! I need a 3:45, but I would like to run under 3:40. I have been getting so much great advice from AREC people!
My running mantra…I usually think about what I’m going to eat and drink when I’m done. I know that’s not really a mantra, but it makes me feel good!
I’m inspired by…those yellow Boston Marathon long-sleeve shirts people started wearing last year, and the people wearing them!
My best training tip…buy good shoes. Go to a place, like Runner’s High, where they let you try on pairs and run around the block. Don’t worry about cost or brand. I used to be stuck on Nike shoes, but there are other brands that actually work better for me.
The best advice I ever got was…don’t do junk miles when training for a marathon. Always have a purpose - speed workouts, hills, pacing, etc.
I want to improve in…speed!!!!!
I love…the feeling right after I cross the finish line in a race, especially if I did well.
I hate…those beeping devices that the Sole Runners wear on Saturday mornings! And I hate losing toenails.
If I could take only one more journey, I would go to…(I don’t even want to think about thought of just one more journey!)
To all…Thanks for running with me every week! You really do improve the quality of my life. I love you!