First half marathon. The Spirit of Pittsburgh 1/2 Marathon (1:53)
I just love talking to people who are health minded. I like learning from them and acquiring new ideas. Meet Kim, our featured Sole Momma! Kim is a 40 something Sole Momma who eloquently balances a family, full-time career and marathon training! Whoot Whoot! Her blog This Runners Fuel is one of the reasons I decided to take on running some local 5K’s during my marathon recovery this spring. I especially love her weekend motivational quotes and the recipe of the week that features some very cool vegetarian recipes.
So let’s welcome Kim and get to know her!
When did you first become interested in fitness and running? I have always exercised to stay trim and ran on the treadmill, but about 2 years ago, I went vegetarian and found energy I hadn’t had in years. I started running on the road, which was a new thing for me. I enjoyed it and decided that I was going to challenge myself and run a local 5K.
One month later, I ran the 5K and surprisingly, won first place in my age group. I ran another one month later and within 3 months was running my first half marathon. It’s addicting.
Kim and her biggest cheering section, hubby Rich and daughter Madison.
What was the biggest challenge of training for your first marathon? Anything you would do differently? By far the biggest challenge for me was finding enough time to fit in all those miles. Between working full-time, putting healthy meals on the table and devoting enough time to my husband and daughter, I felt a little unsure of how I would approach such a rigorous training program. There were a lot of 4:30am wake ups, after work runs in the dark and on the weekends my social life definitely suffered, but I was determined to do this. If I could have done things differently, I would have kept up with my strength training and spent more time stretching. There just weren’t enough days in the week.
What are the most challenging and or rewarding parts of having fitness as an integral part of your life? It’s hard for me to consider my attention to fitness a “challenge” in any way. I think that I would face more challenges if I weren’t so focused on my health. It’s all win-win to me. My body allows me to take on certain tasks and pleasures in life without feeling limited. The stamina I have obtained through physical exercise and proper diet is immeasurable, not to mention the mental release exercise brings to help carry me through my busy schedule with sanity.
Kim, (in blue), running the PGH 1/2 marathon 2010
On your blog you talk a lot about food and nutrition. What inspired you to become a vegetarian, and what advice would you give to someone who wants to try to move toward a Vegan diet? I originally became vegetarian after researching current farming practices in the United States, but over the past couple of years, it has evolved more into an issue of health. Unfortunately for me, there is a family history of high cholesterol, heart disease and high blood pressure. Research shows that a vegetarian diet is one of the best ways to win the fight against these genes. Choosing a vegetarian or vegan diet is a very personal choice and I would never try to force it on anyone, but for those who are considering the switch, take it slowly. Don’t think about the foods you won’t be eating anymore. Instead, focus on a whole new world of foods out there waiting to be tasted and enjoyed! It’s pretty amazing!
What are you most coveted pair of shoes and why? 
Hands down, my favorite shoes so far are my Asic Kayano 16’s!!! I love them. I had some hip problems last year and found out I was an over-pronator (who knew?) and someone recommended them since they were a stability shoe. The hip problem disappeared after running in them a few weeks and it’s never been back. They have taken me through some great races, and of course my first Marathon. I bought two pairs at once in January and each have about 200 miles on them, and quite frankly I am starting to panic (a little).
Is there anything else we should know about you and your blog! My blog has been another thing that has just made running and eating healthy so fun. Sharing my marathon training experience online with people made it so much easier and fun to tackle. I actually have a lot of regular readers who tell me how much they enjoy my posts. It’s rewarding. My advice for anyone who has considered a blog – Open your mouth (or start typing), someone out there is interested in what you have to say.
You can sign up for Kim’s blog here! www.thisrunnersfuel.com Thanks Kim for sharing your story with us!
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