Category Archives: Personalities

Happy Birthday, Ben!

Son, little brother, loving husband, newly-minted dentist, doting dog-father and awesome “nuncle.”

Eternal optimist, die-hard sports fan, fiercely-loyal friend, Beaver believer, crazy sock wearer, football aficionado, goofball and Italian foodie.

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From Boston (then) to Portland (now), plus a handful of cities in between, the past 12 birthdays we’ve celebrated together have been full of adventures.

But they’re what got us here (and there and everywhere…seriously, I know we’re both glad we’re finally in our forever city!), so I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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Your wardrobe is almost entirely orange and black. I still can’t figure out how you never, ever, get cold. When we met, you weren’t a runner, and now you kick my butt on a weekly basis. You know entirely too many useless football stats.

A natural people-person, you’ve got a genuine interest in people and their stories, which I admire. You’ve got a huge heart and leap before you look, often with both feet (which can sometimes drive me crazy!), but I love your zest for life and hope you never lose that irresistible sparkle.

Here’s to many more birthdays and trips around the sun together.

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Happy Birthday, Ben…I love you!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

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Son, engineer, metallurgist, PhD, husband, father, pop-pop.

Cherry-bomber, banana-smusher, pea-smasher, we-gotta-get-outta-this-placer.

Oreo aficionado, pen collector, name-that-tune title holder, keeper of the peace and answer-er to all of our questions.

Devoted family man, caring boss, generous soul and common-sense adviser with a wicked sense of humor.

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From your pre-dawn childhood paper route to dodging melted metal on the foundry floor to logging long hours while leading the charge as an executive, your work ethic and commitment to our family has been something I both admire and appreciate.

And, as I always say, isn’t it a funny thing that the older I get, the smarter you get?!

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Well, we’ve been listening to your advice for years, and although it may not have seemed like much was sinking in (for example, that time I crashed my car into yours…in our driveway), we heard every word.

Thank you for always being there “time after time” — from middle-of-the-night calls to providing a shoulder to cry or lean on before gently guiding us back on track.

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Happy birthday, Dad! I love you! 

Happy Birthday, Stacey!

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Daughter, sister, doctor, best friend, mom — single-handedly raising one of the cutest kiddos ever (I’m a tad biased as a #ProudAuntie, but it’s still true).

Role model, natural-born leader, deal-seeker, stylish dresser.

Compassionate caregiver, avid baker, mindful lifestyler and all-around smartypants.

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Not only do you humor me and my harebrained ideas, but you fully commit to anything you put your mind to — not just doing it, but doing it well.

Case in point: A self-professed non-runner who completed not one but two half marathons in Chicago (above) and Detroit (below) in 2009 and 2011, respectively.

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Life may have given you some lemons these past few years, but you’ve certainly made some pretty damn fantastic lemonade.

You’re the strongest person I know, and I’m thrilled to see you flourishing, happy and healthy.

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Happy birthday, Stacey! I love you! 

Meet My BlogFest Buddies (+ registration giveaway)!

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Summer’s almost upon us, which means one thing in the blogosphere: BlogFest with SweatPink is coming!

BlogFest brings together health and fitness bloggers for four action-packed days of in-depth blogging sessions, unforgettable celebrity workouts and exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the largest fitness conference in the world.

And because I work with the SweatPink crew and am returning for a second year, I was asked to be a Blogfest Buddy this time around. IDEA matched me up with two fabulous first-timers to help show ’em the ropes, so to speak.

Before you get to meet them, though, I’ve got an exciting announcement to make: As in, I’m giving away THREE FREE BlogFest registrations, if you’d like to join us in July! Details on how to enter are below…but first:

Meet my Blogfest Buddies!

Carleeh from Mamarazza on a Mission

1. Who are you? Tell us a bit about yourself and what you blog about.

My name is Carlia, though I have gone by Carleeh since I was about 10 yrs old. I am the mother of three: one 14-year-old boy and two girls (a 12-year-old and a five-year-old redhead)!

I am 34 and have been married for 15 years in June. My husband is a combat-wounded veteran with PTSD from multiple deployments to Iraq. Currently, I am his VA caregiver. I live 30 miles north of Seattle in a small community called Smokey Point.

When my blog is up and running it will be focused on my fitness journey while juggling VA paperwork, kids and staying centered in faith and yoga. I am currently studying to be a CPT with NASM and a Pound fitness instructor.

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2. What are you hoping to get out of BlogFest 2015?

I hope to make friendships and meet with girls I have known on Instagram for years. I am also going to absorb all the bloggy goodness I can to make a legit blog and sweat buckets with the industry’s best!

3. Anything you’re really excited/nervous/anxious about when it comes to the conference?

I have been dying to get to take a Piloxing class, especially with my friend Tasha! I’m nervous about being a newbie in a field and lifestyle that everyone there is accustomed to.

Fitness started to become a passion almost two years ago when I wanted to lose weight, and I decided to look into it as a business about six months ago. I am social, so I’m also anxious that I will be overly excited and embarrass myself. LOL!

4. What are your favorite healthy snacks?

I am addicted to beverages. I love, love, love Kevita, and I also love infused waters. I typically have a water bottle with fruit or herbs at all times. I do really love to eat chocolate-covered strawberries, fresh mango and watermelon, along with trail mixes and chia pudding.

5. What type of workout could you not live without?

Deadlifting and agility/bootcamp . I love ladders, muscle ropes, lifting weights and flipping tires. But I adore yoga, too. I need them all or I would freak out; I like to mix up my workouts (ClassPass is my dream)!

6. If you could close one fast food chain, which would you pick?

I would love to close Burger King; just the thought of their food grosses me out. {shudder}

And next up is…

Amanda from The Road to a Healthy Life

1. Who are you? Tell us a bit about yourself and what you blog about.

I’m a social media and branding professional in the Boston area with a passion for fitness and wellness! I started “The Road To A Healthy Life” in 2012 as a way to stay accountable; I was working in the beer industry and had picked up some unhealthy habits.

Starting and keeping the blog held me accountable and made the whole “let’s get healthy” goal fun and attainable. I blog about everything from weird and funny things that happen on long runs, to self image issues to interviews with local fitness companies.

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2. What are you hoping to get out of BlogFest 2015?

I’m hoping to meet people who love to blog and motivate people! I’m actually going to be a Lightning Round Speaker, so I’m looking forward to learning a little bit of everything and taking the whole experience in!

3. If you could go back to school, what area of study would you focus on?

I would love to go back and study sports medicine. The human body is capable of so much, and I feel like I would be interested in learning more about our physiology.

4. What is your go-to place for fitness questions?

I’m a part of a bunch of local Facebook and workout groups. If I have a question, I have no problem asking anyone and everyone willing to listen!

5. What is your favorite blog you follow and why?

I love reading Dirt in Your Skirt, and Relentless Forward Commotion! Not only are the ladies behind these blog excellent athletes, but they are amazing writers who always seem to publish the right thing at the right time.

6. What is the best thing that has changed about your life since committing to a healthy lifestyle?

The best thing? I think my mindset! Before I made a serious change, I was angry and lethargic and unmotivated.

After making slight changes, like trying to go for my first run, I found a re-ignited passion for goal setting and loved seeing real improvement. I went from gloom and doom to being excited about trying new things and getting out of my comfort zone!

It’s truly been the best thing that’s happened to me — and without that change, I doubt I would be as happy as I am right now!

Thanks again, ladies! Can’t wait to hang out in-person at BlogFest in just a few short months…

And in the meantime, I’ll be choosing three lucky people at random who enter for the BlogFest giveaway, which runs today through 5/25:

CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

If you went to BlogFest, who would you like to meet? 

How I Run: Team LUNA Chix PDX’s Nicole Licking

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In honor of our inaugural Team LUNA Chix Portland Run season, I’ll be introducing my teammates via this interview series throughout the next few months…get to know these impressive ladies, and come join us for a run Monday nights from 6:30-7:30 pm in Portland (click here for details)! 

As soon as I put the call out for athletes this season I got a note from my sister recommending Dr. Nicole Licking, and from the moment I met her, I knew she’d make an incredible addition to our team. Her relationship with running started as a way to stay in shape — quite literally, a jog/run class in college — but has turned into a way of life, and she’s eager to share that experience with other women.

When she’s not logging miles, Nicole works at OHSU as a neurologist who cares for patients with movement disorders. She likes to use running as a release and a means of escape within a busy schedule.

Fun fact: Not only is Nicole well-traveled, but she’s also lived just about every place you can think of — I dare you to find a corner of the country she hasn’t explored or lived in! And while she claims to have never been much of a competitive runner, Nicole does admit to enjoying the thrill of running across the finish line knowing that she gave it her all.

1. What’s your favorite route? Whatever route I can take straight from my front door!

2. What shoes do you wear? Asics

3. What other run gear can’t you live without? My hat — blocks the sun from my eyes and keeps the rain off my glasses

4. What’s your best time-saver or “runhack?” If I don’t have enough time for a run, I use my work-out videos. In 30 minutes, I can still improve my cardio and strength. When that doesn’t work, I take the stairs at work!

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5. What running-related thing are you better at than anyone else? Focus. My academic training has taught me how to just keep going, even when you think you can’t.

6. What do you listen to while running? Anything up-tempo

7. What are you currently training for? Life! I just enjoy running, as it is my “me” time

8. What are your recovery & sleep routines like? As I get older I am understanding more and more how important stretching can be. I am working on improving this in my post-run/work-out routine. I am very religious about getting to bed on time. I need eight hours of sleep a night!

9. What’s the best running advice you’ve ever received? Running is 90% mental

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10. What’s your favorite running-related memory? Winning my first trophy (2nd in my age group in a 10K). I know it sounds silly, but I had never been recognized for true athletic achievement before!

11. Fill in the blank: I’d love to go on a run with __________. My mom

Thanks, Nicole! I’m excited to get to know you even better this season as we cross a few more finish lines together. 

Runner friends, shoot me a note — info (at) kineticfix.com — so I can feature you, too!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

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Sister, nurse, wife, mom, grandma.

Chef, shrink, wound-healer, natural soother, story-teller, housekeeper, personal shopper.

Alternative medicine explorer, Jane Fonda devotee (circa 1980), healthy recipe experimenter.

Adult-onset runner to 2000 Somerset Classic 5k age group 2nd place winner.

Limit pusher, dream chaser, cheerleader, eternal optimist.

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You inspire me more than you know.

You may not always understand all my crazy endeavors — “Running 26.2 miles? Why would you want to do that to yourself?!”

But thanks for being there every step of the way.

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Happy birthday, Mom! I love you!

How I Run: Team LUNA Chix PDX’s Tiffany Henness

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In honor of our inaugural Team LUNA Chix Portland Run season, I’ll be introducing my teammates via this interview series throughout the next few months…get to know these impressive ladies, and come join us for a run Monday nights from 6:30-7:30 pm in Portland (click here for details)! 

Does stalking on Instagram count as meeting someone nowadays? If so, then that’s how Tiffany Henness and I first got to know one another (or, rather, how I started following her and liking #AllThePuppyPictures).

But as far as our first real-life run-in goes, we crossed paths (literally — while on a shakeout jog) one morning at IDEA World Fitness Blogfest with SweatPink last summer. And when I found out we’d both be in Oregon as I was recruiting for our Team LUNA Chix Portland Run, I started bugging her by phone and email, as well.

Digital lives aside, I’m thrilled to have her on the team and to be able to log more miles together this season — not only because she’s super-positive, a great role model and loads of fun to be around, but also because this RRCA Certified Running Coach, CrossFit Level 1 Trainer and ultra-runner is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to living a healthy, fit lifestyle.

She’s in the process of launching her new blog (Thoroughly Thriving — check it out!) where you’ll be able to follow along on her adventures and pick up some great tips. But in the meantime we sat down to chat about a mutual love: Running.

1. What’s your favorite route? Anything trail or scenic. I get bored running the same streets too often, so I frequently explore new areas or reverse routes to keep it interesting.

2. What shoes do you wear? I’ve been in Saucony Guide 7’s for over a year now and am very pleased.

3. What other run gear can’t you live without? INKnBURN running shorts. Best ever.

4. What’s your best time-saver or “runhack?” Learning to run with as little as possible has been huge for me. I don’t need a watch, music or a water bottle. I can totally manage running by feel, reaching inward for motivation, and last up to an hour before finding a water fountain or something. It’s freeing, mentally and physically, to be more minimal on the run.

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5. What running-related thing are you better at than anyone else? Ha! I’d say running without music or mental distractions, simply because almost everyone I know believes (falsely) that they simply could not run without music.

I certainly enjoy tunes once in a while, but I’m great at running in silence, entertaining myself, focusing my mind on my breathing and effort when I need too, and being more meditative when I run.

6. What do you listen to while running? Normally when I listen to music during a run it is because I’m on the treadmill. Therefore, I listen to anything with a solid, driving rhythm (Knights of Cydonia by Muse) or even just a song that makes me smile/laugh/want to dance (Uptown Funk).

7. For what are you currently training? Autumn Leaves 50k in October (and I’ll hit up the Portland Marathon on my way there). Of course, all of this is only in preparation for a hopeful first 50 miler in 2016. I have some big longer-term goals I’m chasing.

8. What are your recovery & sleep routines like? There is no routine right now, but when my mileage increases and I start hitting 14+ mile long runs, the routine will reveal itself.

Here is a complete description of my usual recovery and sleep routine. It boils to some active recovery exercises and small snacks followed by lots of hydration, a full meal, a quick nap, and then light stretching/mobility. Occasionally beer or ice cream is also involved.

9. What’s the best running advice you’ve ever received? Well, I’m not a fast runner and — believe it or not — I used to be even slower than I am now. I was sure that people who ran fast must not feel as awful and uncomfortable as I did.

I have a good friend who is an incredibly fast amateur runner, however, and when I said I didn’t think I could ever run as “effortlessly,” he kindly explained that simply because he runs faster does not mean he’s in less pain (not the injury kind, just the regular ‘ol pain of running). His lungs still burn, his muscles still cry out for him to slow down, his body still feels heavy some days.

He said if I wanted to run faster, then I just had to RUN FASTER and learn to handle the increased discomfort and effort that brings.

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10. What’s your favorite running-related memory? So many! Probably my husband (then boyfriend) and I finishing our first marathon together. That’s when I started using running unreasonable distances as a way to learn about myself, my strengths and weaknesses, my limits and potential.

11. Fill in the blank: I’d love to go on a run with ______. MOXIE!. I love my dog, but she’s rubbish at running right now — tripping me, stopping to sniff and pee everywhere. My dream someday is that she’ll be a great running pal and we can do a half marathon together!

12. Anything else you want to add? Visit me at ThroughlyThriving.com where I write about nourishing, training and giving in order to get the most out of life!

Thanks, Tiffany! I’m pumped that we now live in the same city and will be hitting the track and trails together more often. 

Runner friends, shoot me a note — info (at) kineticfix.com — so I can feature you, too!

Recipe: Banana Carrot Muffins

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I don’t know about you, but rainy weather and cold temperatures always put me in the mood for baking. That can get out of hand pretty quickly in a wet climate like Portland, though, so I’m making an effort to incorporate more nutrients into my sweet treats this season.

Case in point: I adapted the following recipe from Wassner Twins’ delicious Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, making some substitutions based on ingredients we happened to have on hand. The result is a perfect little pick-me-up for enjoying with your morning coffee — and it won’t leave you feeling sluggish for hours after.

Banana Carrot Muffins

Ingredients:

  • 3 bananas
  • 3 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup Agave syrup
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup coconut flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 medium carrots, grated with a box grater (about 1 cup)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a small mixing bowl, use a fork to mash bananas with cinnamon.
  3. Add Agave, oil, eggs and vanilla. Beat with a hand mixer on medium (or rigorously by hand) until combined.
  4. Stir in carrots until they’re evenly dispersed throughout the batter.
  5. Add flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt, mixing by hand until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
  6. Divide mixture into lined muffin pans, filling each one about three-quarters to full (batter won’t rise much).
  7. Bake 20-30 minutes or until edges are golden and a tooth pick inserted into the middle of each muffin comes out clean.

The Wassners recommend using bananas that aren’t over-ripe so the recipe doesn’t get too sweet, but you may want to adjust accordingly if you find that this recipe isn’t sweet enough to your taste.

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You can also play around with the amount of Agave to get the batter to your desired level of sweetness.

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And who would have thought to add carrot into banana bread?

But it’s a great way to get some good vitamin A, as well as a host of other powerful health benefits, including beautiful skin, cancer prevention and anti-aging properties.

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Another area in which you can experiment is the flours: If you’re gluten-free, feel free to swap out the all-purpose flour for your favorite alternative.

But I like to retain some of the white stuff to keep the muffins from getting too dense.

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One word of warning: The batter will be dry and thick, but don’t worry! Simply scoop it into your muffin cups instead of pouring it in.

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Because it is so thick, you’ll also want to smush it down in the cups to make sure they’re filled evenly.

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As you can see, they won’t rise much — if at all — so the best way to tell whether or not they’re done is to make sure to do the toothpick test.

Not only do oven temperatures vary, but these tend to take a bit longer to cook than traditional muffins, so don’t be surprised if their cooking time is on the higher end.

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I promise, though, they’re worth the wait. Your house will smell lovely, and you can eat as many as you’d like, guilt-free…well, within reason.

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What’s your go-to activity when the weather is crummy?

How I Run: Extreme Athlete & Author Dane Rauschenberg

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See Dane. See Dane run. See Dane run a lot.

I first spoke with extreme runner, author and motivational speaker Dane Rauschenberg last year as he launched a Kickstarter campaign to create a film that tells the tale of his solo running of the 202-mile American Odyssey Relay in 50 hours.

Since then, the project has been funded and completed (watch it here), and Dane has continued to log miles, race successfully and provide witty commentary via social media, despite dealing with a few nagging injuries throughout the year.

Let’s just say that I share Dane’s pain here, so I figured it was high time to sit down again and pick his brain about our mutual passion (even if we’re both temporarily sidelined): running.

1. What’s your favorite route? Well, if you ask anyone from my time living in Salt Lake City, it is the 1.5-mile loop in Liberty Park. Situated across the street from my home, it was there I figured out (due to my love of spreadsheets and my meticulous running log) that I ran over 3000 miles around that loop in my four years of running there. I will often just use that loop as a math problem in races when the going gets tough. For example, “Only three more loops of Liberty Park and I am done.”

2. What shoes do you wear? I have been wearing Karhu shoes now for close to two years. I love not only the way the shoes work for me, but also the way the company is structured. There really is not a great deal of difference between most running shoes, so it is subtle nuances which make a shoe and its company great. Karhu does the little things right.

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3. What other run gear can’t you live without? If I am not wearing my ROAD ID I simply feel naked. With as often as I travel to far-flung places, usually by myself, I need to know if something were to happen to me leaving me unable to respond, that the right people would be contacted to know who I am and what to do with my corpse.  (Just kidding on the corpse)

4. What’s your best time-saver or “runhack?” Not washing clothes is helpful as I don’t need to think about what to wear. Plus in races, people will stay far away from me because of runner’s funk.

In all seriousness, though, I find running routes directly from my doorstep and make sure they vary in multiple ways. Driving to run or searching for routes seems like such a waste of time. Even though I live close-ish to renowned Forest Park in Portland as well as the Columbia Gorge, I run in them very infrequently as I don’t want to spend 30 minutes in a car either way to get to where I can run. That’s an hour I could be spending do a variety of other things.

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5. What running-related thing are you better at than anyone else? I doubt I am at the top of any one ladder when it comes to running. But I am extremely well-suited to look at my running history up to a point and know what I need to do in a race or a workout. I rarely have horrible days at the races because I don’t over-reach too often. If that means I tend to play it safe, then so be it.  No race is as important as my health.

6. What do you listen to while running? The tortured souls of the runners who I crush near the finish because they do not know how to pace. Oh, you mean, music? I don’t listen to music. Or I rarely listen to music. For the most part I want to hear my breathing and my heart in my ears so I can pay attention to how I am feeling. I am not a frou-frou be in touch with my inner Dane type, but I know how to respond to my body appropriately.  If I am lost in the dulcet tones of “Rumpshaker” I won’t be able to do that as effectively.

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7. What are you currently training for? I have no big “Oh wow!” thing on the docket. After more than a few years pushing my boundaries (52 marathons in one year, solo running of the 202 mile American Odyssey Relay, etc.) I would like to take some time to get into really good shape for the shorter stuff. I have a ton of personal bests which are very ripe for the picking. This year was supposed to be about that for me, but a weird illness and some lingering side effects from both a bike crash in 2012 and a staph infection in 2013 shelved a lot of my plans. So I am simply picking up and starting again.

8. What are your recovery & sleep routines like? I am a night owl.  I have to constantly remind myself to go to bed before the sun rises. When you live on the West Coast this can cause lots of problems functioning with the other time zones. Given how much I hate mornings, I have no idea how I possibly get ready on race day.  But there is something about the morning of a race that just gets my engine roaring.

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9. What’s the best running advice you’ve ever received? No one really gives a damn about how fast you run. Learn what you are good at and simply try to be the best at it. If it isn’t fast enough for someone, let that be their problem.

10. What’s your favorite running-related memory? Part of the reason I have written two books already, and am working on two more is because I have so many wonderful running memories I wish to share. My go-to answer for this would be when I inexplicably ran my first ever sub-three hour marathon in my 42nd marathon of the year in 2006. There really is no reason for me to have run a six-minute PR after 41 previous marathons, but it happened. Hard to top that memory.

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11. Fill in the blank: I’d love to go on a run with… My dad. He was crippled in a hunting accident before I was born, and we never so much as played catch. He passed away two years ago, and being able to go for a jog together would be pretty nice.

Thanks very much, Dane. I’m looking forward to hearing about your continued success in 2015!

Runner friends of all levels, please email me — info (at) kineticfix.com — if you’d like to be featured.

How I Run: November Project’s Laura McCloskey

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You may have heard me mention November Project™ before — it’s a FREE fitness movement that was born in Boston as a way to stay in shape during cold New England months. Now present in multiple cities in across four time zones in North America, the movement uses a simple sense of accountability (verbal) to motivate and encourage people of all ages, shapes, sizes and fitness levels to get out of their beds and get moving.

That’s the official definition. The unofficial one — my definition — is that November Project is simply “my people.” And if you consistently show up, smile and sweat with ’em, they’ll quickly become your people, too.

After living in the Bay Area for almost a decade, it wasn’t until I found this group that I truly felt at home. They’ll greet you with open arms (literally, get ready for an all-out, hips-in hugfest at the beginning of each workout), you’ll cheer each other on ’til your throats are hoarse, go on some crazy adventures, challenge one another to better your best, and top it all off with a victory tunnel at the end of each workout. If that’s not a good excuse to get out of bed ass-early and get moving, I don’t know what is.

And the ringleader of San Francisco’s “gang of yahoos?” Well, that’s Laura McCloskey. She’s a former Northeastern University track standout with a Boston Marathon “problem” — that is, she keeps qualifying year after year. I sat down with McCloskey to talk about what makes her tick when it comes to motivating herself — and up to 200 others — to #JustShowUp week after week.

1. What’s your favorite route? Nothing makes me happier than trails in the early fall. No route, but just enough of a grasp on the trails so I don’t get completely lost, forcing me to spend the night eating wood chips and fighting off mountain lions. Okay, that’s a bit dramatic, but trails are the perfect cure for a cluttered mind.

2. What shoes do you wear? Asics Gel Nimbus. Discovered them when I was 15 years old and never looked back.

3. What other run gear can’t you live without? Do bags of ice count as running gear?

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4. What’s your best time-saver or “runhack?” Early run? Sleep in your running clothes. The first few miles fly by because you are still in your REM cycle. Also, putting your alarm clock in your running shoes on the other side of the room has gotten me out of bed on those freezing, dark mornings.

5. What running-related thing are you better at than anyone else? Blacking out. Maybe that came out wrong. But I tend to run long runs alone because I can mentally check out and check back in 15 miles later, impressed with how far I have come! If only my work day was like that…

6. What do you listen to while running? All depends on the goal of the run. Sometimes your body needs those chill, relaxed runs, and I will slow the music down to keep the tempo contained. When I am trying to get after it, the beat is fast, the genre is pop, and the air drums I play with my hands are on point.

7. What are you currently training for? I am planning on toeing the line for the Boston Marathon again this spring (if all training goes well). But in general, I am training to just keep up with the fast people I call my friends.

8. What are your recovery & sleep routines like? All nutrition nuts look away; I binge on ice cream and cinnamon buns post marathons. In the general sense of recovery from long runs or a long week of high intensity workouts, I use yoga as my active recovery. I truly believe in the power of taking time away from running, for both the body and the mind. Even if it is only a couple of days, you need to hit the reset button sometimes. Also, never underestimate the power of a bottle of wine. I hear it cures cancer.

When it comes to sleeping, I am a log. And if I get less than 8-9 hours a night, I consider calling in sick to work the next day. Just kidding. But no, really.

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9. What’s the best running advice you’ve ever received? I used to race competitively and my coach always kept us in check. You are running a race, you are not fighting a war. Stay competitive and fight for every second, but don’t ever take the sport so seriously that you stop having fun. Because if you’re not smiling at the end of the race, what is the point?

10. What’s your favorite running-related memory? When I was 14, I won the NYS cross country championship in the pouring rain and knee-high mud. I only won by the hair on my chin, not even a full second. My Dad was right at the finish line with tears in his eyes. I was too young to really appreciate that day, but now when I look back on it I can’t help but get a rush of adrenaline. It’s a funny thing, pulling inspiration from a former version of yourself. But that 14 year-old girl was one bad ass chick. I hope I am making her proud today.

11. Fill in the blank: I’d love to go on a run with: Ellen Degeneres. Followed immediately after with a push-up contest against Michelle Obama.

12. Anything else you want to add? At the end of the day, running is the only thing that keeps my mind steady and my life sane. It has been the most consistent component of my life and connected me to the best people I know.

Thanks for playing, Laura! I couldn’t agree more. 

Wanna watch Laura in action? Click here to see an amazing video she created during her recent “funemployment”/”runcation” in Europe!

Runner friends, please email me — info (at) kineticfix.com — if you’d like to be featured.