Hey Lovelies!
I’ve been MIA for a little while. There’s a lot going on in my life and I’m not quite ready to share yet. But! I’ve gotten back into running after taking a small hiatus and here’s some fun “running” info about me :)
What’s your distance? I am a 5K girl :) It’s just the perfect distance for me, not to long and not to short. My goal is to become a 10K girl! I’ve been running since I was little. My dad is a marathoner and has been taking me running since before I could walk. I played soccer from the time I was in middle school all the way through college but never really enjoyed recreational running until November of 2012. My dad convinced me to run a 5K with him and I got hooked!
What has been my favorite race? My favorite race so far happened in 2013. It was the Firecracker 5000 in Hilton Head. I ran it with my best friend and her whole family on the Fourth of July. We had a blast! It was insane! Over 2,000 runners raced it and we had to watch out for gators along the route (that was a first for me!).
If I could run any race in the world….I would probably run the half marathon in Antarctica. I think it’s an amazing race! My friend Ginger and her mom ran the Antarctica marathon a few years ago and their stories are awesome! It’s one of the most physically challenging marathons. PS: Ginger’s now run a marathon on every continent :)
Do I run for fun or to compete….I run mostly for fun and fitness. But being the athlete that I am..I get slightly competitive. In 2013 – 2014 it was a friendly competition between my dear friend, Nancy, and I to see who could run the most races. We typically train together and it is always fun on race day to see who’s going to come in first.
Have you ever won a race or placed in your age group? I haven’t won a race yet, but I have placed a few times (usually towards the bottom… But winning some bling at a race is on my bucket list :)
Have you experienced any trials/injuries/health issues that you have had to overcome? Totally! The past year and a half have been challenging for me! I was involved in a head on collision in August 2013 and it set me back quite a bit in my training. I had been preparing to race a 10K race in September but due to my injuries I had to bump down to the 5K race. It was a struggle. The doctor told me no running for 6-8 weeks, no intense cardio and no Zumba. The tendons in my ankle had been extremely strained and possibly torn, I had bone bruises, and they later discovered I had a tear in my IT band. It was frustrating and hard to go from training twice a day to hardly being able to walk. But here I am a year later and I’m really close to being back to my “pre-accident” running times. Hopefully, by the fall I’ll be back to running races :)
What does crossing the finish line feel like? Crossing the finish line is a huge moment for me! It’s hard, it’s glorious, it’s a visual representation of accomplishing a goal I set in my mind. It feels amazing. I feel proud knowing that it was something that I did by myself.
Do you have a specific distance and PR that you are proud of? When I started running in 2012, my mile time was at 15 minutes and as a former NCAA soccer girl that was mind blowing. When I was playing in college, I could do 2-3 miles in that time. I knew I had to get my body back into athlete mode. I’m proud to say that I’m almost back to my soccer shape and I ran 3.46 miles in 25 minutes last week.
As a graphic designer, does your mind fill with millions of idea’s for projects while out on a run? Lol :) As a graphic designer, my head stays full of a million ideas. When I’m running I am often inspired by the colors or textures I encounter. Running on my lunch break has been a great way for me to process through all the ideas that are constantly running through my head. I come back to the office with new thoughts and designs. I do let my mind roam. Sometimes it wants to think creatively and other times I think about nothing.
My most embarrassing running moment happened when…. It had been rather cold and I wad beginning to run in my running tights. I’d lost about 20lbs since I bought them but didn’t really think much about it. Needless to say, as I was running I noticed that my bum seemed to be a bit chilly. As I ran by some people I noticed they had a really funny look on their faces and were giggling. I looked down only to realize that my running tights had fallen down and I was pretty much mooning people. I was mortified! I immediately went back to the gym to change. I’ve since bought new running tights :)
I run because….. I want to break the cycle of unhealthiness my family genetics has handed me, I run for a cure for the cancer that took my best friend. I run to save my life.
How many countries have you ran in….. I’ve ran in Dakar, Senegal; Abijon, Cote D’Ivoire; Paris, France; and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Are you a solo runner or a groupie…. I enjoy solo running. It’s one of the few moments of my day where it’s just the trail and me. No phone to answer, no emails, no text messages. It’s me disconnected from my world. I do train with 2 of my friends when our schedule allows and I enjoy of the dynamic of group workouts.
When I’m running I’m typically jamming out to…. Save Me by Shinedown and Swing Me into the 1920’s by DJ Dracula.
What’s with the detailed training log on your blog? I’m horrible about not remembering what I’ve done if I don’t write it down. I’ve found that by keeping a detailed training log I’m better able to determine why I plateau and what I need to work on. It helps me track my consistency. I keep a detailed food log as well :)
When I go for a run I must have…. My Nike+ chip. It’s such a cool thing to not have to worry about keeping track of my pace and time as it automatically logs things for me. I also LOVE my Skullcandy headphones.
So we know you run, what else do you do? In my spare time, I love to swim. I’ve been a professional lifeguard/competitive swimmer for 10 years and I’ve been swimming since I was six months old. My mom says some days she thinks she birthed a fish instead of a daughter. I also coach a 6U soccer team and ride/train horses.
Who’s your #fitspo? So many people motivate me! I follow several people on Twitter who have such amazing weightloss stories. There is a huge community of #Fitfam people that are the best about tweeting you encouragement! My biggest motivation is my desire to break out of this horrible genetic cycle. I want my kids to have a lower risk of health problems and I know that it starts with me. I want to inspire people the way that several blogs did for me when I first started out.
Okay…you’ve got me interested. What should I do if I want to start running? Start slow! Do your research. The key thing for me was getting fitted for the right shoes. Go to a running company and talk with them. Also, see if your community has a running club. We have an amazing one in town and they have been super about helping me as I started my running journey. They’ll teach you breathing techniques, pacing and interval workouts. Lastly, don’t give up when you get frustrated! It takes about 8 weeks for you to see the difference :)
What’s on Lemon’s bucket list? My bucket list :) I have a long one..but I would love to travel to Italy and back to France. I want to run a race on every major holiday (so far I’ve done the 4th of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas). I want to get my Master’s degree (in progress!) and doctorate before I turn 30 (I’ve got 3 years left…eeek!). It’s my dream to run the New York or Boston Marathon :)
One weird thing about Lemon….I speak an African tribal language called Wolof, in addition to French and English, and I’m ambidextrous.
So :) What’s one running goal you have this summer?
XoXo!
One Running Slow (But Getting There) Lemon
Adventures with Kat 