Date of Birth: August 20, 1977
City: Madison, Alabama
Blog/Website: http://howwerollkatiesblog.blogspot.com/
Brief Biography
I love pushing myself to the limit and gravitated to running during high school since it allowed me to do just that. I have been training and running over the last 11 years, taking a partial break from 2006-2007 to have two children. During the last 11 years, I have run over 30 marathons and 50Ks, while also regularly racing in almost every distance leading up to the marathon as well. Though this averages to 2-3 marathons a year, I certainly haven't kept a steady pace like that over the last 11 years! I prefer the "marathon a month" philosophy and have found success running up to 6 marathons/50Ks with about a month in between each one.
I have completed marathons in 19 out of 50 states, have run 6 Mountain Mist 50Ks here in Huntsville, Alabama (my goal is 10), and qualified several times to run the Boston marathon (an earlier goal of mine). In 2004, I won the Huntsville Track Club Grand Prix Female award, was one of two women to achieve the first local "Grand Slam" award, and set several of my PRs. I have steadily been whittling away my times in every distance over the past 3 years. I had a nice comeback year in 2011 where I PRed in the 5K (19:55), half marathon (1:30:53), and marathon (3:15:33).
My husband and fellow runner, Rick, and I have two children, a son who is five and a daughter who is four. My children are my focus and my greatest life accomplishment.
Short Term Goals
- To complete my 7th Mountain Mist 50K
- To complete a marathon in my 20th state (Instant Classic Trail Marathon March 17, 2012)
Long Term Goals
- Complete a marathon in every state
- To continue running as long as I am able
- To encourage a healthy lifestyle for my children
Personal Records
- 2 Mile at Winter Winds on 02/2004 Time 13:16 - Huntsville, AL
- 5km at Firecracker 5K on 07/2011 Time 19:55 - Huntsville, AL
- 4 Mile at Winter Winds on 02/2004 Time 26:59 - Huntsville, AL
- 10km at River City Run on 04/2004 Time 40:43 - Huntsville, AL
- 15km at Monte Sano 15K on 10/2004 Time 1:06:42 - Huntsville, AL
- Half Marathon at Huntsville Half on 11/2011 Time 1:30:53 - Huntsville, AL
- Marathon at on 10/2011 Time 3:15:33 - Chicago, IL
Goal Races
- Mountain Mist 50K January 28, 2012
- Instant Classic Trail Marathon March 17, 2012
- McKay Hollow Madness 25K March 24, 2012
- Cotton Row 10K May 28, 2012
A fun fact others might not know
I am a twin, and my sister and I live in the same neighborhood in the same floor plan!
How have you been an ambassador to the sport of running?
I believe I am an ambassador to the sport of running through my every day actions and encounters with others. I encourage others through weekly training runs (I run three times a week with a group of about ten Madison women of varying levels of fitness. Several in the group completed their first half marathon this year. We all encourage and support each other.). I am on the sidelines with my children at many races, cheering for my husband and other runners and taking pictures of the runners to put on facebook. I volunteer at races and have paced runners for the past two Rocket City Marathons. In 2010, I started a runner's blog (http://howwerollkatiesblog.blogspot.com/). This blog has had over 9,600 page views since its inception in March of 2010. I am using this venue to meet and encourage fellow runners locally and across the country. My husband (and fellow FF Racing Team member, Rick) and I have found many ways to make marathon-level training and running possible with our young family.