Ed. Note – I am trying to bring back a little feature each month about runners in AREC. If you would like to share your running experience, please talk to me and I will give you a questionnaire or help you write your article.
Many of you probably don’t know Christy Burtner, though she has been running with AREC since June, and a member since August. She is fairly short in stature but has the most enthusiasm for running per inch!
When did you start running?
I started running a very tiny bit in high school after a 300-pound friend (with a 50% chance of having a heart attack) beat me in my P.E. class 1-mile race… I was a little out of shape!
In college, I slowly became a discipline fiend and worked out daily. I found running to be the hardest and most tortuous form of exercise; therefore, I started to force myself to run. It was just me and the track – nothing to push or pull or keep me motivated and keep going. Back then, I could not even run half a mile… but now I am becoming a running addict!
What were your goals then? Now?
When I first started running in college, my goal was to run a quarter mile without stopping. Now my immediate goal is to run a long hash without stopping and to snare a hare…, eh… I mean, to run 8 miles at AREC without stopping, yeah. I would also like to do a marathon, maybe the Dublin Marathon, but I need to work up to that.
What’s your favorite part about running?
Running takes discipline. Once I get past the wall on a bad day, I find it hard to stop running. I get out there and I am free from the restraints of my environment.
I also have come to embrace running with groups; there is a great sense of camaraderie. Runners just have a certain sense of community and spirit, and that helps keep me motivated to run. Besides, believe it or not, after running along for a while, I do get a bit bored with myself.
What’s your favorite race or running course?
Every time I go on a Hash House Harrier run, I have a new favorite. I kept saying week after week, “this course was my favorite.” I then came to the realization that any new run is my “favorite;” there is always a new adventure around every corner, over every fence, across a field, in the sand, through a tunnel, or across a cement river! It reminds me of when I was younger, when we would run through town, fleeing neighborhood bullies (or just for fun). Oh, and I also like to drink beer after I run. That makes just about any course my “favorite.”
What’s a personal goal of yours (running or otherwise)?
I would like to be able to run faster than my cousin, who was a high school track star. I would like to finish faster than her relentlessly.
Outside of running, I would like to work in a more creative field than my current work. I have been told that I am good at writing, so perhaps that is my goal (Ed. Note. Hopefully, we will see more articles in the future!). I also like to help people less fortunate than myself.