Profession… Physical Therapist at Miller Children's Hospital in Long Beach.
I started running in…Kindergarten because I had too much energy and my mom wanted to wear me out.
Life/sport philosophy…Life: Work hard but party harder. Sport: Baby steps. As long as you keep putting one foot in front of the other you will reach your goal.
Favorite spot to be active…At the beach or along PCH. There is just so much to see and do. And playing Frogger with the cars keeps me on my toes.
Athletic highlights…Junior Olympics in 8th grade, I came in 3rd in high jump, finishing my first marathon as a bandit in Boston, playing Division 1 college volleyball.
My running experience with AREC has been… AMAZING! I love all the people I get to meet and all the stories I get to hear. I love that the love of running/drinking can bring together people with such diverse backgrounds and of all ages.
I’ve been with AREC since… July 2006.
The best thing about AREC is… the socialization. Any group that can drink after a workout is awesome.
I run because…I love to eat, and the "inner meanie" comes out when I don't. Running helps to curb the mood swings and clear my mind. I can usually find the answers to questions I didn't even know I was asking, on my long runs.
When I’m not running I'm… working, at least lately. Or I am orchestrating some sort of bar crawl/social event.
My favorite running surface is... pavement, I'm a city girl. But I'm in a much better mood when that pavement is by the beach, the Charles, or the Potomac.
My pre-race meal is…a Snickers bar or Sport Beans. And always a Viactiv vitamin.
After a race I treat myself to… food and drinks, and lots of it. I love a good cheeseburger (minus the bun) and french fries or Taco Bell after a long run. Chipotle is not bad either, because their chips have LOTS of salt.
My favorite race is… Boston. The crowd support is always amazing, and it is great to be able to run through all those cities and finish downtown. I loved it both times I ran it. One of these days I might even buckle down and qualify...wishful thinking.
My goal is…to still be running at 60 (or at least have my body hold up that long.)
My running mantra… "Keep on, keep on, keep on moving with Twix, Twix, Twix. Chocolate carmel satisfaction, pure cookie crisp gets you back in the action. Keep on, keep on, keep on moving with Twix, Twix, Twix." That commercial got in my head in 6th grade and whenever I get really tired, I start singing it for some unknown reason.
I’m inspired by…all the people that keep coming out to AREC every Wednesday. The dedication and desire really motivates me. I'm also super inspired by most of the kids at the hospital. I complain about long runs, and most of them can't even get out of bed by themselves.
My best training tip… salt tablets. It is amazing what those little miracles can do for you.
The best advice I ever got was… baby steps. It's how you start, it's how you finish, it's how you make it through when your mind says no. Oh yeah, and "drive your knees." I always seem to forget that one.
I want to improve in… speed. And my social skills :)
I love… sleeping in, reading a good book, having someone make dinner/clean up after I made dinner, running in the rain, drinking with friends, and listening to good music. And runners that just "get it.”
I hate… the people that quit before they even start. And the ones that think runners are crazy.
I run marathons because… I'm masochistic. Plus it allows me to socialize with my other masochistic friends. I usually only see some of my friends when I'm training.
I wish… I could drink beer.
My most embarrassing running moment was… The jury is still out on this one. I used to run hurdles in high school, so I have had my fair share of falls (at least one a year.) But nothing major has happened yet.
My best experience was… junior year in high school, running cross country at the same time as playing volleyball. We were running Mt. Sac for CIF finals. I was having a hard time on this one hill, and there was my dad near the top. He just kept saying how proud he was of me, and how I was doing so well.
To all… Keep on keeping on... I will see you at the bar after the run!