What is your current Board Position? Membership but I’m also helping with STP as a coach.
How long have you been running and how long have you been a member of Indy Runners? On and off for 13 years. I joined Indy Runners back in 2013 when I trained for my first Full Marathon (Monumental). I took a little break from running, got back into it 2017 but didn’t join Indy Runners again till 2020 – right when the pandemic started.
Are you originally from the Indianapolis Area? No- Born in New York, raised in California, moved to Carmel Indiana 2010 for my husband’s work.
Do you listen to anything while running? If so, what? I used to listen to podcasts (I am a neuroscience/psychology nerd) but sometimes it’s hard to listen to the technical ones because I zone out and have to rewind to make sure I really listened! Usually I go without music because I don’t want to use it as a crutch for running.
What is your favorite distance/race? HALF MARATHONS!
What do you enjoy most about Indy Runners? I love that running brings so many types of people and backgrounds to the table. So diverse and inclusive!
Do you have any goals for the upcoming year? Do not get injured. And have fun.
Why did you begin running? I was NEVER athletic as a kid. I hated PE, sports, and was terribly uncoordinated and physically lazy. But after I gave birth to 3 babies in less than 4 years, I gained so much weight and felt awful about how I looked and felt. So I picked up running. It was SO hard but initially but I stuck with it. Somehow my friends in my new mom’s playgroup convinced me to sign up for a half marathon. That was 2009, and I was old as a new runner – 38! But I was able to shed the baby fat and feel great and kept on running just like Forrest Gump. Here I am, my youngest is now 13 and I’ve run almost 30 half’s and 4 fulls.
What is your favorite running motto/mantra? ‘Running is a process and a journey’. Even though we work towards goals, PRs and finish lines and that somehow this is what gets highlighted the most, the bulk of what we do is in our every day habits and boring monotonous ‘busy work’ (fueling well, hydrating, stretching, very slow aerobic runs, recovery, strength training, sleep) that actually gets us to the finish line with a smile. It’s the cumulative journey of the thousands of miles you run that makes you a runner, not just one race.
What advice would you give to beginning runners? I said this in the STP coaches blog but be consistent and make it a habit. It doesn’t matter if you’re slow or fast, or young or old. It doesn’t matter if it’s on a treadmill or outside. It doesn’t matter if periodically you have to rest and walk. It doesn’t matter if it’s super short as in barely a mile or maybe just half a mile. Try to run almost every day and make it a habit. You will become a runner one day because of your habits.
What is your favorite route to run? I’m a creature of habit and don’t mind running the all roundabouts of West Carmel. But I do like the Monon – particularly starting from 96th St and going northbound. And every time I still look out for the Pirate cat.
What is your favorite running book/movie? So many to choose from, but if I had to pick: David Goggins’ ‘Can’t Hurt Me’ because he is the epitome of the underdog facing the worst adversity. There is no other human being who has his mental strength.
Tell us a little bit about yourself outside of running? 17 years ago I left my job as a Project Manager at Technology consulting firm to be a stay at home mom. Even though there were struggles along the way, it was one of the best decisions I ever made. My husband and I have 3 awesome teens Jack 17, Brody 15, Cole 13 so life remains chaotic. We also have 2 crazy but funny dogs – Chesapeake Bay Retrievers – named Lucy and Peggy!
What is your prerace routine? I don’t have a specific one!!
What is your post run/race meal? Something salty, rich and decadent- sour cream & onion potato chips, bacon cheeseburger, fries. Pizza. I don’t have a sweet tooth, I have a salty fat tooth! 🙂
What is your proudest running moment? Finishing my first 13.1 and seeing my sweet babies (ages 1, 3, 4) right there at the finish line!
What might club members find surprising about you? Back in the 90s I was part of an acapella pop/r&b girl group that toured the country (and Hawaii and the Philippines). I also got to travel to Europe twice (England and Germany) on someone else’s dime as a member of the UC Berkeley Chamber Chorus. Music is still in my blood (and my kids are all musical thank goodness!) but it’s taken a back seat to running.
