Runner Spotlight - Let Me Introduce Stephanie

Today is Spotlight Thursday

This week I'd like to introduce Stephanie.
I asked Stephanie several questions, to tell part of her story and introduce you all to her 

Stephanie Blogs At:
CatLadyRuns

After Stephanie PR'd last November

How long have you been running?  Or when did you start running?

I’ve been running for about 6 years. I wrote about why I started running in this post


What has been your favorite race and distance you have ever run?  Tell us why?

My favorite distance is probably the half marathon. I feel like its far enough to keep me training and make me feel accomplished but doesn't consume my life like marathon training. At the same time, when training for a marathon I tend to lose weight while still eating ALL OF THE THINGS! That honestly makes 3 or 4 hour training runs pretty worth it :-)


Do you enjoy running in the spring, summer, fall or winter the best?

I LOVE running during the winter because that’s when the weather is finally less humid and the temps are comfortable. I should mention that I live in FL so from February-October its basically 90% humidity and hot. Always so hot…Its basically bikini season already.
Tell me what goes through your mind when you cross a finish line?

The first time I finished a half marathon I started crying because it had been such a hard race and I honestly couldn’t believe I finished and how far I’d come in the few years since I’d started running.


Do you have a specific distance and PR that you are proud of?  Tell us about it.

I’m so proud to have finished my first marathon recently- it was a life changing experience.  I can’t wait to run another one…especially because my dad and husband are planning to be by my side in 2015!


After you run a long race, what is your favorite type of meal to indulge in after?

After races, I treat myself to celebratory mimosas. Its a fun tradition I look forward to when a race gets hard.


Do you listen to music while you run?  Give us the top 2 running songs on your playlist.

I love music on my run and some days its most definitely necessary. Kesha’s “Die Young” (or really anything Kesha) has such a good beat and is fun music. Icona Pop’s “All Night” is also a current favorite.

What is your must have running gadget, or item?

I love my Garmin. It really allowed me to take my training much more seriously knowing how far I was running and how fast and made training for races much easier.


In your spare time What other hobbies or sports do you love do?

I also love to read and am finally sucked into the Harry Potter series (only 15 years late!) I also enjoy writing and am trying to write more seriously. I usually can be found with a cup of coffee in hand. Its my favorite beverage by far. I’d much rather go to a coffee hour than a happy hour!


What type of things motivate you and push you towards success in life?

I am a very Type A person and internally driven. I feel like I always have a ton of ideas swirling around in my head and there’s never enough time in the day to accomplish everything I want to do. I think this is a typical characteristic of a lot of distance runners- we’re internally motivated to beat ourselves and have a lot of drive to keep going mile after mile.


Do you have any tips of suggestions for someone who is thinking of starting up running?

I wrote a whole post on tips for new runners! http://catladyruns.com/2013/12/08/tips-for-new-runners-a-giveaway/


You have a beautiful cat in your blog page picture, what is his/her name?

The cat in my blog pic is named Cuddles. He was our family cat through my teenage years and missed me so much when I started college that he came with me. We have a special bond because his favorite thing is to cuddle in bed with me - hence his name! It feels pretty special to literally be his favorite person in the world! I have 2 other kitties, Aedan and Sophie who make frequent appearances on the blog, as well.


What are a few of your dreams or bucket list items?

A few of my dreams would be to write and publish a book, run a Nike Women’s race (so excited I get to do this soon!) visit Europe



What is my guilty pleasure? 

I absolutely love watching Bravo reality shows. I become so involved with the story lines and look forward to new episodes each week- its probably the only reason we still have cable!
 



You can find Stephanie Blogging at:

She's also on Facebook:

You can find her tweeting at:



No comments :

Post a Comment

Thank you for visiting my blog! I love my readers, feel free to share your comments and opinions!