Heather: I am a Runner

As you know most days I’m into the thick of news reporting so it’s nice break to step away from the daily deadline grind and talk running on my own little space on the web. Today I have a truly great Q & A with Heather from Girl Goes Running today. 
 
I connected with Halifax’s Heather through our Canuck Running Bloggers (& Those Who Them) on Facebook. You should definitely check out her blog. If her daily pics of smoothies do not inspire you than her solid work ethic will! (Plus she has the added bonus of being a maritimer!)

Go on now, get to scrolling. 

I began running when I first met my husband Matt in the winter of 2009. He had just ran his first marathon in Miami, FL and I was looking to adopt a more healthier lifestyle. When I began running on the treadmill at the gym, I was getting results quickly. Matt took me for a run outside in March 2009 and we ran for an hour. I was hooked. By the end of that year alone I had run my very first 10k, 3 half marathons and a couple of 5ks!

In a typical week I run anywhere from 30-40 miles. Now that I’m in the midst of a marathon training cycle I will run 40+ miles/week peaking somewhere between 55-60 miles. I run six days a week always resting on Fridays. I also strength train my body 2x a week with a big emphasis on my core/stability muscles. I’ve learned the hard way just how important those muscles come into play during the late stages of the marathon.

I first saw the electric blue and fluorescent yellow BAA jackets floating around Halifax, which is a huge running community, in 2010 and immediately realized just what an elite running club you had to be in to get ‘The Jacket.’ I wanted one.

In the fall of 2010 I decided I wanted to run my first marathon. I trained hard and ran a 3:49 that following May 2011. I was completely psyched! That following October I ran my second full in 3:45 on a super hot Thanksgiving day. It wasn’t until my third full marathon in Fredericton on Mother’s day that I ran a 3:32 to obtain that BQ. Since then I have qualified twice more with a 3:33 and another 3:32. I’m running my second Boston this April! 

I do have many running friends indeed … lol. Not all of my friends are runners though. I have some friends who are certainly interested in my running stories but I am not completely sure they understand my stories. 🙂 I have met some of my truly great friends through running.

5. What is your favourite distance to run? Why?

My absolute favourite distance to run is certainly the marathon. Something about the allure of the 26.2 keeps bringing me back for more. The feeling of challenge, strength, pain, and triumph compares to none once you cross that finish line.

6. Best or worst or craziest running memory? Tell us about it.

Best memory is strangely a tie, I think. There are two big moments in my running career that are quite vivid in my head. 1) My first Boston Qualifying race. During the make or break last 10k of that marathon I realized that if I kept a strong effort, I’d hit the mark and be ‘in.’ Once it happened I was so overwhelmed that I cried my eyes out … lol. 2) Clearly my 2013 Boston Marathon stands out for many reasons. It was my first time running the prestigious marathon and throughout the whole race I was in awe of the ‘Running Party’ that is Boston. The thousands of spectators, runners and sights to see along the historical course were priceless. Then heading up Boylston Street towards the blue arches was complete Marathon Bliss. I can’t wait to do it again.

My favourite smoothie is the Cran-Orange Smoothie. I use:

Currently I am trying to PR in the marathon (3:32:36 current), and if health permits, I want to complete my first 50km race this October. We’ll see!

I used to go by numbers and plans solely. And if there was a planned 8 miler, even though my shins were sore, I’d run it. Not the most clever idea. Now I look to my body for feedback more than I ever have. I make certain to stay strong, eat healthy and compete with myself. I also have learned that every run need not be gut-busting and faster than the previous. That will lead to the road of injury. My easy runs are easy now and my long runs are long. My hard runs are also hard, even though I whine about that sometimes.