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Who is the "Skinny Runner"?
I'm a 29 year old trophy wife living the dream in Southern California. :)
Actually, I'm a commercial fisherman part time, born and raised on an island in Alaska, and the rest of the year I run, travel, and blog about my life making it appear much cooler than it really is. And I am 29... which is like 59 in blog years.
When and how did you become a runner?
I've always played sports and been active. I even played a little college basketball and by "played" I mean, warmed the bench. But I didn't really get into running until late 2008 when a friend asked me to run a half marathon with her, the Nike Womens Half Marathon in San Francisco. For whatever reason, it just clicked: I realized that running and racing is something I enjoy and makes me feel so darn good! And since then I've run 29 marathons, a 50K and I don't even know how many half marathons (that's my way of saying I'm too lazy to go look it up).
What are your tips for other women who are just starting out?
My tip for other women starting out would be to sign up for a race, any distance. You don't have to go crazy and sign up for a marathon, you could do a 5K and follow a couch-to-5k program. Or a 1 mile family fun run. Signing up for a race gives you a goal and a deadline which means accountability. Now you have something specific and tangible that you're working towards instead of being aimless and not really knowing what you're doing.
What have been some of your favorite races and what is your all-time proudest race moment?
I've been blessed to run a lot of great races and the New York City Marathon probably tops them all for me. It is so exciting and almost overwhelming. I also love small-town, friendly races like the Paso Robles Marathon - run a race through vineyards and then go wine tasting? Yes please!
It's hard to say what my all-time proudest race moment is, but I can narrow it down to two: getting my younger brother across the finish line at his first marathon and we squeaked in under 4 hours. That was probably the closest I've come to crying at a race which I'll never let myself do.
And the second proudest moment was at the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon in 2010. That was where I ran my first marathon and ran 11 more that year so Las Vegas was a full circle: the 12th marathon in 364 days and I PR'ed. Looking back, I've run much faster since then and I'm sure I could run many more than 12 marathons a year, but at that specific moment, I was incredibly proud of myself and what I had done.
What is some of your favorite running gear?
My all-time favorite piece of running gear is my Garmin 405 GPS watch. If I'm outside running, I always have it on - it's like my running security blanket. It's a little pricey but so worth it, in my opinion. For racing, I like a cute headband (Bicbands are my favorite) and a running skirt. I sorta collect running skirts and I love the juxtaposition of getting out there, sweating and giving it your all, while still looking girly and cute.
What are some of your go to pre- and post-run snacks?
I don't always eat anything before I run, but I have to have coffee with creamer. Two cups minimum. If I do grab something, it's either a banana or an energy bar. When I'm racing, I always eat a Picky Bar about 20 minutes before the race starts.
Post-run I'm usually not hungry for an hour or so, but I try to get in some recovery nutrition within 30 minutes. Most of the time it's closer to an hour, but it's something I'm working on. I'll have something simple and easy to get down like chocolate milk (protein and carbs for recovery) or if it's hot out, I'll blend up a protein shake.
You had a great post about “goaling” big. What are some of your health and fitness goals for this year and how do you stay motivated?
I want to run at least 15 marathons this year. I want to break 3:10 for the marathon and get my half PR closer to 1:30. I also want to do some longer distance racing and get into the Ultra racing a little more. And the biggest goal would be to buy some more cute running skirts. Important, indeed.
What keeps me motivated is racing, honestly. I love having a calendar full of races to look forward to and to keep me accountable in my training.
For others looking for motivation who don't necessarily want to sign up for a race, I'd encourage them to find a fitness buddy, a running group or just a workout partner. It's hard to throw in the towel or not show up when your friend is waiting for you at 6am at your meeting spot... I mean, they know where you live, they could come TP your house. But it's great accountability and it makes working out fun when you do it with someone else.
To read more about The Skinny Runner's many racing adventures, please visit SkinnyRunner.com.
