

Where are you from? |
Forest Lake, MN |
Current P.R. |
3:47:35 (marathon) 1:48:37 (half marathon) |
Typical pace |
For pacing: 10:00-11:00/mile For racing: 7:45-8:45/mile |
Number of marathons |
14 |
Occupation |
Environmental Specialist for a state agency |
Favorite marathon |
Tie between Twin Cities Marathon and Grandma’s Marathon |
Hobbies |
Running (obviously!), Nordic skiing, weight training, yoga, hiking, travelling, gardening and houseplants, paddle boarding, reading. |
Favorite Running Food |
ALL the carbs, especially pastries and pasta! Pizza too! |
What are you reading now? |
Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano. I just finished The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese, which was long but excellent. |
Who do you train with? |
My husband and sometimes my dog and my 15 year old son. We also run with a Twin Cities based running group multiple times/year. |
Personal goals |
Run all the World Major Marathons (2/6 done), Visit all the US National Parks (30/63 done), Travel as much as possible to make full use out of my vacation time every year, run smart and sustainably so that I am still able to run well into old age. |
|
|
A quotation you like… |
I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list. –Susan Sontag
|
||
Why do you run?
|
So many reasons. Running can be hard, but there is always a sense of accomplishment when I get through a tough run and I prove to myself that I can do hard things. I love the community and encouragement that comes with group runs, but I also love the solitude and opportunity to sort out and clear my head on solo runs. I love running when I travel because it is an intimate way to explore new places. Plus, runners are just cool people in general and I feel fortunate to be in such great company. |
||
Describe your best marathon memory.
|
I have two favorite marathon memories. The first was my very first marathon in 1995—Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, MN. It was the summer after I graduated high school, and one of my dear friends from school had convinced me and another friend to run it. We had such an amazing time that weekend and a lot of fun during the race and I will always treasure that first marathon experience. That friend died suddenly and unexpectedly in June, 2016, a few days before I was going to run Grandma’s Marathon after a 7 year marathon hiatus (because I had young children at home). That first marathon experience, and Grandma’s marathon, became even more precious to me after she passed. Appropriately, my second favorite marathon memory was at Grandma’s in 2022. My first, and so far only, Boston Qualifying time was earned at that race. I had trained the hardest I had ever trained for a marathon with the goal of qualifying for Boston, and the hard work paid off. There were times in the later miles when I questioned if I would be able to make my goal, but I dug deep and kept driving and accomplished a goal that I had previously viewed as unattainable. I like to think that my friend was with me that day. |
||
Why do you pace?
|
I have a few reasons. First, I love helping people meet their goals and want to encourage them when they’re struggling. I have run with pacers many times and sometimes they can be a light in a dark tunnel; I want to provide that same light whenever possible. Second, I want to make running sustainable for me so that I can continue to do it many years into the future. Pacing is a great way for me to participate in events while staying true to a pace that is healthy for me, rather than getting swept into the energy of the event and pushing myself harder than I should. |
||
Tell us your best pacing experience.
|
There are so many great pacing experiences, but one of my favorites was at Grandma’s Half Marathon in 2023. A young boy, about 12 years old, ran on and off with me and when talking with him, I found out he has a goal of running a half in all 50 states and my pace was his goal time. At the start, he had gotten stuck in the bathroom line and wasn’t able to start with me, but he caught up. The other runners in our pace group were so impressed with this young man and there was so much encouragement, positivity, and great conversation in our group. I was one of the best pace groups I’ve ever been in. I lost the young man a few times at water stops, but he always caught up and ended up going on to finish ahead of his goal. I have a son about his age and my mama heart was so impressed and proud of him, and I was grateful for such a positive group that helped me encourage him! |
||
Why should someone run in your pace group?
|
I am very dedicated to keeping my splits as even as possible and finishing within my goal time. For the first half, I’ll run a little bit faster than goal pace to bank up to 30-45 seconds of time just in case the course runs long, but will then give some of that time back in the last mile. I am there to support the race of the people who run with me, so I am happy to answer questions or have a conversation. I announce splits at the mile markers and will offer some running tips and tricks along the way. |
||
Any tips for runners about to join your group?
|
I am here for you and want you to have a great race! If you’re in doubt about which pace group you should start with, I recommend starting with the slower group and work up to the faster group as the race goes on. I will slow down at water stops and might walk if I need to give up some time. Never pass up a water stop, and remember to fuel every 30-45 minutes. If there’s free fuel on course but it’s something you’ve never tried, take it and try it out on a future training run so you know how your body does with it rather than risking digestive upset during the race! |
||
Anything else you’d like to share? |
I have two boys (12 and 15), 4 cats, 1 dog, and many chickens. I’m happy to talk about the critters and kids in my life or any other non-controversial topics! We’re out there to have fun while running many miles together and I love listening to peoples’ stories and sharing my own.
|
||
What philanthropic activities do you have? |
Participate in environmental cleanups, donate blood at Red Cross 6 times/year, volunteer with my sons’ school’s Foundation to plan and execute various fundraiser activities (including a Halloween-theme 5k).
|