Where are you from?

Royal Oak, Michigan

Current P.R.

3:29:05 – Grand Rapids 2016

Typical pace

8-8:30 on roads

Number of marathons

15 Marathons, 3-Ultras

Occupation

Finance

Favorite marathon

Road – Flying Pigs, Cincinnati

Trail – Thames Path 100, UK

Hobbies

Traveling, running, snowboarding, biking, hiking, climbing, eating, socializing, and incorporating good wine and/or beer into all of the above where possible

Favorite Running Food

Salted boiled potatoes

What are you reading now?

A Pacer Bio Questionnaire

And The Way of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson

Who do you train with?

My husband and the best running “family” in the world

Personal goals

UTMB 2018

A quotation you like…

“We lose ourselves in the things we love. We find ourselves there, too” Kristin Martz

“Your body will argue that there is no justifiable reason to continue. Your only recourse is to call on your spirit, which fortunately functions independently of logic” – Tim Noakes

“That’s what running does to lives. It’s not just exercise. It’s not just achievement. It’s a daily discipline that has nothing to do with speed, weight, social status, sexual orientation, political affiliation, where you live, what car you drive, or whether anyone anywhere loves you.  It’s about the slow and painful process of being the best you can be.  That’s why the first step out the door is always so hard. That’s when we choose between settling for average and being a superhero version of ourselves.” –Martin Dugard, To Be A Runner

Why do you run?

What started as a way to stay fit for sports or simply maintain a healthy lifestyle has turned into a passion that I try to incorporate as much as possible into all of my other hobbies.  Traveling to a new town? Skip the expensive and boring bus tour, I’ll run it instead! Need to catch up with friends? Let’s go for a 4 hour run on the weekend - that should get us sufficiently caught up! How about that terrible commute to work? … you guessed it ;)

But rewind a few years and the main reason I got into running was the people.  Back in 2011, I stumbled upon this running group at work. If not for the corporate gym, we may have never had a reason to get to know each other.  We came from different departments across the company and, aside from running, are very different people at different stages of life, with a variety of backgrounds and life experiences. I was welcomed into the group without hesitation, and at the age of 22, the farthest I had ever run was one 10-mile Crim and really didn’t think I was capable of much more. Needless to say, I had a lot to learn, but luckily, some of my new running friends had been running longer than I had been alive! This crazy running group took me in during a pivotal time in my life, and along with coaching me through all the ups and downs every *newbie* runner experiences, they also provided the emotional support I needed at that time.  They trained with me through my first ½ and full marathons and it has been an on-going journey ever since.

Running is my therapy. It – (and those I do it with) – is what keeps me sane. I cannot even imagine the life I’d be living and the kind of person I would be without it…

Describe your best marathon memory.

If I have to pick just one, it would have to be at the TP 100, running through the night along the river Thames in England with my husband and our best friend.  Through cow fields, dense blinding fog, and a cold dark night, when we finally felt the sun shine on our faces we all stopped to soak it in.  It was as if the day before and the ~75 miles we had muddled through were a distant memory… we had this renewed strength to push through and knew that we would be crossing that finish line before the day was over.

Why do you pace?

I love meeting and getting to know new people while supporting them to reach their goals.  Running is about community and being together and living in the moment and getting that beautiful feeling in your legs at the end of a long run… After you run races for yourself a few times, getting to share these experiences with others, perhaps for their first time or maybe when they aiming for a PR, is an incredible thing to get to be a part of – it’s an honor really.

Tell us your best pacing experience.

I got picked up by a woman in a bar two nights before the Disney Marathon. She noticed I was wearing the race shirt I had just picked up at the expo, so she started up conversation and we instantly hit it off.  I wasn’t an official pacer for the marathon and I had no personal time goals in mind since I was signed up for the Goofy Challenge (a half Saturday followed by a full Sunday). But when I came to find out that it was going to be her first marathon I asked if I could be her personal pacer. She was extremely excited and couldn’t believe I would want to run with an “old lady” like her.  We met up minutes before the race started and set off. Along the way, we sang random songs, talked about our bowels, and let out a few cat-calls and screams to the cheering spectators.  After crossing that finish line we danced like fools… Luckily her family caught us busting it out on tape! =P

Afterwards she thanked me excessively, however, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to express to her how grateful I am to have had the privilege of being by her side that day.

Why should someone run in your pace group?

It’s going to be a blast, and we will probably be best friends by the end.

Any tips for runners about to join your group?

One word: LUBE!  There are two kinds of runners: Those that use lube, and those that scream in the shower after the run. 

Anything else you’d like to share?

I’m kind of a goof. But I have to keep it interesting somehow... I work in finance after all!

What philanthropic activities do you have?

I volunteer through Motor Citizens, an organization through my company that participates in a variety of community outreach activities.  Usually those from my running group at work will plan on signing up for these events together throughout the year.  It’s really nice to have positive “peer pressure” from others to get involved and give back… and after the activity, we go for a run of course!