Blogger On The Run: The Hungry Runner Girl
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Let us introduce you to our latest Women’s Running magazine Blogger On The Run- Janae from The Hungry Runner Girl! This speedy girl loves running as much as she does food and shares her passion for both daily! Read on to find out how Janae navigates her addiction to running:
WR: How would you describe yourself?
J: My name is Janae and I am from Utah. I absolutely love all things health and fitness related. I taught high school health and physical education before becoming a full-time blogger and spin instructor. Running is one of my biggest passions in life and the marathon distance is my favorite. My marathon pr is 3:04 and I will be training for a sub 3 hour marathon in 2013.
J: I started running when I was twelve years old. My older sister was really into fitness and loved to go running. Whenever she wanted to go running at night my mom made me go with her so that she wouldn’t be by herself, this is when my love for running began. At first it was hard and my lungs would burn but after going with her more and more and seeing the improvements I was having I started to become addicted to the sport. I didn’t ever know how far or how fast I was going but I ran because it made me feel alive.
WR: What keeps you running and training?
J: Running has become a part of me. It is something that I crave and that I miss when I cannot do it. I absolutely love racing and tend to sign up for more races than my bank account likes but it keeps me motivated to put in the miles each day. I know that my day will go so much smoother and I will be a little less crazy if I get in a run in the morning. There is just something about having ‘me’ time each day and getting that endorphin fix that makes me put on my running shoes no matter how tired I am.
WR: What’s your favorite race memory?
J: My favorite race memory happened at the end of my first marathon. I had trained for the entire marathon on a treadmill because I could only run when it was dark outside and I am not a fan or running alone in the dark. I had no idea whether or not I would even be able to finish the race let alone what time I would be able to do it in. When I turned the corner to the final stretch I saw the clock and made a sprint to the end. I finished in 3:20 and was the 5th overall woman finisher. I have never surprised myself so much in a race as I did in my first marathon and I went home that day and signed up for my next marathon.
WR: Best running advice you’ve received or given?
J: The best advice I have been given about running is to have fun with it and to remember why you run. It is so easy to take running too seriously, to get burnt out and forget why you run. It is important to remember what you love about running and including FUN runs into your training. I have also learned through multiple injuries that workouts break you down and recovery makes you stronger. Take rest days, refuel your body, stretch, foam roll and give yourself plenty of time to recover after a speed workout or race. We only get one body and we need to take care of that body so that we can all keep running until we are ninety years old.
WR: What do you hope your readers will get from reading your blog?
J: I hope that my blog helps readers to feel motivated to get out and run. I hope that my blog is a positive part of their day and that I am able to help female readers realize that it is okay to fuel your body with more than enough calories rather than feeling like they need to be restricting their food. I want my readers to feel like they are a part of a community and that we are all good friends with similar goals and passions.
Want to read more? Head over to The Hungry Runner Girl now!