| 10/15/2016 | Kansas City Marathon |
Lenexa, Kansas | https://mountaindewatmidnight.com/
| Primary Discipline(s) | Road Running, Trail Running, Strength Sports (Bodybuilding, Strongman, Weightlifting, Powerlifting, Crossfit) |
| Bucket List Race | London Marathon |
| Favorite Picky Bars product | How 'Bout Dem Apples Oatmeal w/ nut butter added to it |
| Off-Day Activity | Going to off-leash dog park and eating food |
Representin' the #NoCoast Midwest all but two years of my life. Lived in Oregon briefly, miss it a lot, but there's no place like home (or something). I joined my 8th grade XC team, and have been running ever since. Mostly I do road races but have dabbled in trail running and relay races, which I love but don't have as many opportunities to do. I discovered strength training in college when I had serious knee pain. I enjoy being a runner with a CrossFit habit - my usual week is 20-30 miles w/ 2 days of strength work. Or at least that's what it was until Aug 2021 when I had a baby. My relationship with running has definitely changed over the years but this was a whole new curveball (sorry for the mixed sports metaphor). Our time is a lot more limited, but we make staying active a priority. The thing we missed most while on parental leave was training with our running group. My husband and I train with KC Endurance led by our coaches Jeremy & Jessica Hammer. I first signed up with them just to get a half marathon PR back in 2014, but then we made great friends, and it was like being on a high school team again. I didn't realize until then how much having other people made running more fulfilling for me. And how much I missed cheering on teammates. Some days we miss the team long run on Saturday morning because babies like to party late on Fridays (always Friday...why?!), but our running friends still keep us in the loop so we can join them for Second Breakfast when they get done. I love how everyone in the group is supportive of each other no matter your pace or race goal or if you're just there for the food. When I'm not running or taking care of my baby, I work full-time as a software engineer for a digital marketing company. And that's pretty much it anymore. But I do love reading and writing (I'm an English major but IT pays the bills, yo), and hoping to get some more time for both again.