Coach: Who is your running role model?

RR:  Right now, it is my sister Meredith [who started training a year ago and recently enjoyed a 15 minute personal best in her goal half marathon].  I have been running since I was a teenager, but to see the commitment and the passion she has put toward running, and the progress she has made is super amazing to me.  So, she is definitely my role model right now.

Coach: What has been your most memorable running / racing experience?

RR: It was actually when I completed my first Bar Trail mountain race.  It was the first competitive race I had ever been in.  To actually be in this race going up a trail with a gazillion people all around you was something I had never experienced.  You had to finish in 3 and a half hours, so just to finish was a big thing for me, they make no exceptions.  If you come across at 3:35, they are already breaking things down at the finish line.

Coach: What have you enjoyed about working with Focus-N-Fly?

RR: I think the primary thing I like about FNF is the accountability – here is the schedule, here is how many miles you are supposed to run.  That accountability thing is pretty motivating for me.  It also is training me to think about running in a different way instead of just going out there and running.  It has forced me to be a little more technical with my running, which I think has been a big part of my improvement.  It has educated me about my running – the track workouts, the paces, even just thinking about “Ok, once around a track is 400 meters.”

Coach: What is one part of your racing routine you can’t do without (sleep, pre race meal, tie shoes certain way, other ritual)?

RR: I usually wear the same race outfit for every race.  I don’t have one otherwise, I probably should!

Coach: What is your favorite place to go for a run?

RR:  On the beach in Oceanside.  I ran with Meredith there. Since I am in Colorado, there is no beach here, and to run on the beach is so freeing and feels really good.

Coach: In the next year, what goals do you hope to accomplish?

RR:  Colorado Springs has a grand prix of running, a series of races.  They have a short series (5ks, some 10ks), or long series (more 10ks),  So this year, I want to complete the short series, and next year, the long series