Monday, February 8, 2010

My More Half Marathon Questionaire Submission:

QUESTIONNAIRE
Please provide your—
Name: Laura Woodruff
Email: LauraAwoodruff@gmail.com
Age: 25

Are you running or walking the More/Fitness Half-Marathon?
I will be running the Half-Marathon

Why did you decide to participate in the race?
I did this race last April and really loved it. This year, I have convinced one of my best friends (met her when I was 4 years old!) to run it with me. I decided to run this race on a bit of a whim last year in an effort to keep up with my fitness and weight loss goals. Now..I finally consider myself a "runner" and am looking forward to beating last year's race time. 2:11

Is this your first race? If not, how many have you participated in?
This will be the 3rd time I run a half-marathon. I did the More/Fitness race last April, and the Queens Half Marathon in September. The Queen's race I did not train for well enough and was experiencing a lot of knee pain that day. I was very discouraged after that race but that has given me much more determination to be better prepared physically and mentally this time around.

Are you running with a partner or a team?
One of my best friends will be running with me...but we have no discussed whether or not we will run together the whole time...we will most likely be keeping our own pace throughout the race.

How have your friends, family and coworkers reacted to the news that you're participating in the More/Fitness Half Marathon?
Many people are impressed and surprised, especially since I was the kid in elementary school who would walk the mile in gym class, or try running it but always came in last. Yep, I was that kid..so this is personal vindication for me.

Was there a specific motivating factor behind your decision to participate in this year's race? Have you overcome any special obstacles/challenges to get here?
My biggest determination throughout my training is the fact that I am a bridesmaid in one of my best friend's wedding this coming May and I have my own wedding next May. I want to be my healthiest, and most confident on these two days and running makes me feel both healthy and confident. It's the best thing I can do for myself and I already feel much better than I ever have before.

Do you have any training tips or advice for other women who are running the race or who would like to start training?
A Half-Marathon is not that hard...it sounds hard..but in just 12 weeks someone who has never run more than 1 or 2 miles at a time..can easily train for a 13.1 mile race! It's not about how fast you finish...it's just about finishing. That's truly all that matters. I also recommend downloading running podcasts...they're great for running outside.

What’s your goal for this race?
I ran the half marathon in 2:11 last Spring...I'd like to do it in 2 hours or less this year. I think I am at a better place in my running earlier on this year than I was last year and my head is more in the game this time around...so I'm very confident I can break that.

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