Weekly Pace Setter: RHONDA

TGIF!

This week, welcome Rhonda...

Name: Rhonda

Blog: Musings of Consciousness

I run in: Asics Gel Foundation 8’s

Why I run: Because I can, because I love the sense of accomplishment at the end of a run, because it makes me feel stronger, because it’s healthy, because setting goals in life and achieving them is awesome. And because sometimes it’s really cool to start a sentence with, “While I was on my 12-mile run this morning…” I mean, seriously, who doesn’t brag about this stuff?

How long have you been running? I used to run a lot a couple of years ago (though I had never trained for races), and then stopped for about a year and a half. So consecutively it’s been since about May of this year.

Are you training for anything right now? I just finished my first Half Marathon, so now I’m starting a Marathon training program. I’m eyeing the Miami Marathon/Half Marathon on January 25, 2009. However, I have a feeling at the end of my 16-week training I will just run the Half in Miami anyway, because I don’t want to simply finish a marathon, I want to finish it strong. I trust that I’ll know when I’m ready to go all the way.

Favorite running song: Gosh…I love so many…and I can find ways to link them all to running. Like, “I’m Fergalicious, my body stay vicious, I be up in the gym just working on my fitness…” Or, “Jesus Walks”, “The only thing that I pray is that my feet don’t fail me now.” And a personal fave, Black Eyed Peas, “And the base keep runnin’, runnin’, and runnin’, runnin’…”



Favorite race: So far…I’d probably have to say the 5K in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It was my first race ever, it was a fantastic weekend with Adam while he ran his first marathon…it was just a lot of memorable firsts that I will always cherish…and that’s when I knew I was hooked on this running thing.

Favorite place to run: When I lived in NYC I used to run by the Hudson River, through TriBeCa and Chelsea, sometimes through the Financial District and Battery Park City…it was incredible. I love running by the water, and when in the City, it was like a little magical escape from the chaotic crazy lifestyle for an hour…my mini-vacation time. It was perfection.

Short-term running goal: In the words of Kanye…I want to run, “Harder, better, faster, stronger.”

Long-term running goal: Run a marathon, finish a marathon in under 4 hours, BQ (of course those last two are assuming I run a marathon and think I actually would want to do it again)…I have other little running fantasies, but perhaps they’re best saved until I’ve actually achieved a few of these other goals.

Favorite cross-training activity: I love Pilates and weights…however I’m in between gym memberships right now, so my cross-training currently consists of training my two friends to become runners. I’ve started them on a run/walk program…so it’s actually decent cross training on top of my own training program. Post-run guilty pleasure food: I seriously need French fries and grilled cheese after every long run…it’s non-negotiable! However, as a vegetarian, it is a personal goal of mine to eventually become a vegan, so it’s counter-productive…darn…

What’s the best piece of running advice you’ve ever received? Ummmmm…I often chant over and over, ”Slow and steady wins the race”…however, that hasn’t actually worked for me yet…so maybe I need to rethink that one…

Favorite race fuel: I live on Vault Zero…”Drinks like a soda, Kicks like an energy drink.” Too bad I’m also supposed to be cutting caffeine from my diet…double darn.

Magazines you currently have subscriptions to: None…I’m kind of on a media cleanse of sorts. Besides, magazines kill a lot of trees. And you can read most magazine articles on the internet nowadays…which sort of contradicts my media cleanse, but at least it’s still green. I’m a bit of a tree hugger and a hypocrite, I suppose.

What is at the top of list for places you’d love to visit? Greece, Alaska (as long as Ms. Palin is out of town that weekend…sorry to make this political), Africa, the Galapagos Islands...I want to see the world, as much of it as possible…and it might be even more fun to run in all the places I visit…I’m a bit of a dreamer, I know.

What is in your CD player right now? I’m on a rotation between John Legend, Kanye West, and Duffy.

What is on your nightstand? Several bangle bracelets, a pair of hoop earrings, two vegetarian cookbooks (yeah, I read cookbooks…it’s a hobby, I think), a glass of water, a box of Kleenex, and some Vaseline (which I like to use instead of chapstick, silly people). Wow, that seemed a bit personal.

Ha ha ha ha ha!! Thanks Rhonda! Hope everyone has a great weekend!