Member Of The Month - September 2017

Heading to the Finish Line of her first marathon at 2015 CIM

How did you hear about Pacifica Runners?

In 2013, someone (I forget who!) told me about Pacifica Runners and their upcoming race – the Halloween 5k. So we signed up, and the Hubs and I took turns pushing our 2 kids in a double jog stroller at the Pacifica Runners Halloween 5k…and I got the glory and the cheers for pushing the stroller across the finish line! It was pretty funny.

How long have you been a runner?

I have been running consistently since 2013.

How did you get into running?

After having our 2nd child in July 2012, the Hubs and I made a commitment to be healthy and active for ourselves and for our kids. I began a Couch to 5k running program pushing a jog stroller in September 2012, and it was so hard! At the time, I hated everything about running -- it just wasn’t fun for me…and I didn’t like running even before having kids. I would try to run sporadically over the next few months, but needed motivation somehow. So in June 2013, I registered for two races: the Giant Race 10k (August 2013) and the Nike Women’s Half Marathon (October 2013). I followed a training plan and successfully completely both races, and I finally began to enjoy running. It was especially motivating that the training helped me lose weight and start to get healthy. Since then, I have been running consistently (10k, half marathon, and on trails), and I even ran my first (and only) marathon in December 2015 – something I thought I would never do!

Do you have a favorite race(s)?

The Giant Race 10k in San Francisco is my favorite and I have been doing this race each year since 2013.

What are your favorite running trails/routes?

My favorite route is definitely along our beautiful coast from the Pier to Rockaway Beach to Linda Mar and back. I work in San Francisco, and I also love running along the Embarcadero to AT&T Park just before the sun rises.

What are your future running goals?

My goal is to return to running in 2018 and I plan to tackle trail running. Unfortunately, I have been sidelined from running since July due to a knee injury (torn ACL & meniscus). Despite being sidelined, I am allowed to walk and I even got my surgeon’s okay to walk the Giants 10k and the Tiki Trot 5k last month! Knee surgery is scheduled for November (ouch!). In the meantime, you’ll probably see me walking around town.

What do you enjoy most about Pacifica Runners?

I really enjoy and appreciate the positivity and energy from Pacifica Runners. Everyone is so supportive of every running level in all ages. This helps to motivate me and makes me want to motivate others too. 

Any other cool info about yourself?

Before having kids and running, I used to paddle on a dragon boat racing team from 2003-2004 where I was fortunate enough to travel and compete in various dragon boat races in the U.S., Canada (Vancouver and Montreal) and Asia (Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, and Malaysia). For me, this was a very cool and fun experience.

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