Profession…whatever I can get. Computer contract work.
First love…singing. I won an under 16 solo competition in an international competition when I was 13. My sister and I sang the National Anthem at the 1985 Super Bowl.
I started running in…1996.
Life/sport philosophy…Eight years ago someone said to me, "It's Sunday, you should be in church." I thought, for me, running is like its own religion. There's the social aspect, the working through problems, plus getting into great shape.
I've been with AREC for…7 years in August.
My running experience with AREC has been…very social.
The best thing about AREC is…I've been with several different clubs and many of them, people show up, they run and then they leave. AREC is like the club I ran with in Davis – people hang around after the run and do things outside of the club just as friends.
When I'm not running...I'm looking for work and watching lots of TV, reading and needlepointing.
I always run with…I almost always call Laura because we've trained for marathons together.
My pre-race meal is...Before my first marathon, I knew that carbs were extremely important so I ate nothing but potatoes for a week. The night before my first marathon I ate pasta. Now I just eat whatever. I just try and stay away from things that make me sick, like milk and chocolate. I eat almost nothing the day of the race.
My favorite race is...Hillsea. It's a 7.57 mile cross-country race. The time that you start is based upon your gender and age. Whoever gets to the finish first wins.
My goal is...to always run a PR. One is to try a 100 K. Another thing is to plan and put on a 100 mile relay race, from Long Beach to San Diego.
Running mantra…whatever song comes into my head and it's usually classical. Once I had the song "Three Blind Mice" in my head for 23 miles.
I'm inspired by...people who have never run before, doing their first longer race and then discovering that they really love running and then continuing to run.
My running hero is…my sister because everyone who knows her through me, knows that she is a really fast runner. She, like me, started out and wasn't very good and now she's an awesome runner. She's won 3 marathons. I'm excited that recently, I was able to run her pace--because she's pregnant! She‘s due August 7th.
My dream is…to have a job, then I'd like to have kids. I also want to run the times I want to run without pain. Heck, I just want a date.
My best training tips...1.) Concentrate on your breathing. If you breathe efficiently, it's easy to run efficiently. 2.) Keep your shoulders relaxed and your arms low.
I love...a good challenge.
I hate...people who refuse to see the other side of an argument.
I like ultras because…you get a better value for your money. There aren't a million people there. Better deal for the mileage. More challenging, less emphasis on speed. Really excited, helpful volunteers.
I wish…Bernard would participate in more races. It’s always great seeing him out there.
Final thoughts…I think AREC is a really great group. I'd like to keep the closeness that we have whether we're 15 or 120 people. I'd like to see people get more involved with what the club does and not leave everything to me and Todd Rose.