Monday, March 31, 2014

{Q&A} Heather from Divas Run 4 Bling


Good morning!
 I am starting Monday off with an insanely motivational fitness blogger today! Heather is a fellow I'm Fit Possible Ambassador and I am so excited to have her on the SBMRunner answering questions from my guest post Q&A series!
 Heather blogs over at Divas Run For Bling sharing her personal journey in health and running while inspiring so many along the way.


Let’s get to know Heather a little bit better…

1.    Tell us a little about yourself and your blog. What inspired you to create a blog?
I am a runner, scrapbooker and blogger living in Chattanooga, TN with my husband and 3 “fur children” – 2 cats and a 10 lb. Chihuahua named Dixie who thinks she’s human. I also love to be outdoors or in the kitchen.

I was inspired to start Divas Run for Bling when I started getting questions from family members about my running. The blog covers every aspect of my journey as a runner – my training, races, tips & advice, nutrition, healthy recipes, lessons I have learned along the way and, of course, the bling.

2.    When you’re not running, how do you stay active?
When I am not out on the road on a run, I also do some yoga, kettlebell strength training and some circuit training if I can’t get outside.

3.     If we took a peek into your gym bag, what would we find?
You would probably find my water bottle, an extra set of clothes, my Garmin and a Bondi Band for my hair.

4.    If you could only run in one shoe for the rest of your life, what would it be?
At the moment, my favorite shoe is the Newton Lady Isaac.  Love them.

5.    What is your pre-race (or race day) tradition?
I have a bad race stomach on race mornings so my pre-race meal is typically a protein shake. I always try to arrive to the race at least an hour before it starts so that I don’t have to rush around to use the restroom, stretch and get to the start line.

6.    If you could run anywhere in the world, where would that be?
I would love to get the chance to run in England and Scotland. I think that it would be fun to run through the streets surrounded by all the history and scenery.

7.    If you could have only wish in your running career be granted, what would that be?
I would love to be able to do a marathon and qualify for Boston. This will probably never happen as I am a very slow runner and tend to get overtraining injuries from time to time. At this point in my life, my body can’t handle a marathon. But it’s nice to dream.

8.    What is your worst running experience to date? How did you come back from it?
My worst experience was just last month when I had my first Did Not Finish in a half marathon. I made the mistake of eating a little ice cream the night before and, thus, during the race, I had bad abdominal cramps and could not even continue to walk. I have learned my lesson on dairy before a race and for my next one, I will be more mindful of pre-race food.

9.    What advice do you have for those who are just beginning their interest in running?
Take it one day at a time. You can’t just step out the door and run a half marathon in under 2 hours. You have to work up to where you want to be. And listen to your body along the way so that you can avoid painful injuries.

10. What race do you wish of competing in (or) what race has been your favorite to date?
My favorite race to date was actually 2 races – the Dumbo Double Dare at Disneyland in 2013. I did a 10K on Saturday and a half marathon on Sunday – injured during both to the point I had to walk them. But I persevered and finished. I even got to run through Anaheim Angels Baseball Stadium which was uber cool.

11. (Finish this sentence) “I cannot leave for a run without ____”
My iphone with my music

12. Tell us about a moment where running has changed your life.
Crossing the finish line of my very first half marathon. I never thought it would be something I would ever do, but I trained and I got the bling and haven’t looked back since.

13. Tell us how you stay motivated. What inspires you?
I have a wonderfully supportive husband who encourages me to push myself and a running guru of a best friend who tells me to not make excuses and just get off my butt and run.  Both of these guys are runners themselves so they understand what it takes to do what I do.

14. What aspect of running challenges you the most?
Getting out the door is the hardest. I would be completely happy to be a couch potato and never work out but I know that is not healthy. So I have to force myself to walk out the door to go run. Once I’m out and about, all is great.

15.  What is your go to power song?
Feel free to giggle, but my power song of the moment is Let It Go by Idina Menzel from the Frozen soundtrack. It’s not a very fast song but it is encourages me to not think about what anyone else thinks and just focus on being me.



Thank you so much for sharing your story! 
Make sure to check out more of Heather at www.divasrunforbling.com. You can also find Heather on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+



1 comment:

  1. what a great feature and yay for sharing the IFP love! <3

    ReplyDelete