National Running Day

This Wednesday, June 3rd, is National Running Day. So I am kicking off this week with a linkup with some other fun runner bloggers to share our running stories through a Q&A! 

1. Why do you run? I run for health and happiness. I started running because I wanted to get back in shape and have a physically active outlet for my energy after my childhood ballet and gymnastics days were over, but fell in love with it because of the way it contributed to my mental well-being and overall outlook on life.

2. How do you plan to celebrate National Running Day? I plan to celebrate by going for a long run in the sun (I hope!) and maybe stopping by some of the New York Road Runners events.

3. How many miles have you run so far this year? Just over 500 as of today! Averaging 100 miles/month, which works out to 20-25/week. March was a little less and May a little more but it all evens out in the end.

4. What big events do you have on the race calendar so far this year? In January I ran the Walt Disney World Half Marathon, and in March I celebrated my second run-iversary and first half marathon-iversary at the New York City Half Marathon. I’m doing several smaller races to qualify for NYC 2016 through the NYRR 9+1 program, and over Labor Day I will be running the Dumbo Double Dare at Disneyland.

 

Walt Disney World Half Marathon 2015

 

5. Before I leave for a run I must have: My hat. In summer, a baseball cap to keep the sun out of my eyes and in winter, a beanie to keep my head warm! I pretty much always wear my navy college cap, as you can see in the action shots.

6. Do you have one favorite app to track your runs? I don’t use an app to track my runs; I have a sort-of accurate Fitbit Zip which says how many miles I’ve run, but that’s it (and it only tracks .9 for each mile I run, which I’ve learned over time as it will say I’ve only gone 5.4 or so after a 10K! I’m not super high tech.)

 

Cloudsurfers – my running shoe of choice

 

7. Who is your favorite running partner? I mostly run solo, but one of my closest friends and I are doing the Disney races together and on Wednesday mornings I love doing November Project workouts with the entire tribe. I have a couple of good friends within the larger group, but they are all WAY faster than me!

8. What races have you run so far this year? My two half marathons, a 4-miler and a 10K as of this week. I’ve got a couple more short ones on the agenda for June for 9+1.

 

NYC Half Marathon 2015

 

9. If you had to give someone one piece of advice about running what would it be? Run how you do it best. When I first started, I used the couch to 5K app because I couldn’t run more than a half a mile continuously, which had in the past discouraged me from running. Learning to build up my distance to run a 5K and then a 10K and eventually 9 or 10 miles without breaking happened over time, and was by no means easy. Even now, I run best when I run at my own pace and take a few little breaks here and there. I’d rather go the distance because to me, running is best and most enjoyable when I treat it like a marathon, not a sprint, every time I lace up.

10. Describe your relationship with running in one word: Fulfilling. 

 

And one more thing…with all this running that I do, it’s no wonder that many of my recipes are perfect for gluten free running fuel! Try Banana-Maple-Oat Muffins for a delicious pre-run snack, or one of my Oatmeal Cakes (like Blueberry Muffin or Maple Ricotta) for a post-run breakfast that’s easy to make and bake while you get ready for your day after a workout. 

 

 

A pre-run snack smiled back at me!

 

How are you celebrating National Running Day? Any fun runs planned for the week?

 

© 2015 Renaissance Runner Girl. All rights reserved.

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