This is the first runner interview of many more to come here on my website. During my marathon training I found so many different blogs about running, it was almost overwhelming. Some blogs were old and seemed abandoned, but the majority of blogs provided a lot of interesting stories and really helpful and motivating information. Some of these blogs simply got me hooked and I subscribed to their news feed or Twitter account or Facebook page or I did all of the above. Reading the stories behind those blogs raised my interest in hearing more and so I tried to get in touch with some of these bloggers and I asked them for a quick interview.

The first interview is with Elizabeth from Runningandthecity.com. Her story is truly inspiring. Elizabeth had a heart attack at age 28 and instead of making doctors and pharmaceutical companies rich she reverted to running as the cure  instead and she has been running ever since. I was totally blown away when I heard how many races she has participated in (see answer below) since she picked up running. Elizabeth shares her knowledge and her running experience with others by volunteering in quite a few different organizations.

Here is the interview with Elizabeth from Runningandthecity.com

What is your favorite run, race, workout (event, distance, etc.)?

I love the discipline and insanity of the marathon: the training takes over your life!! And the race itself can be such a mega-event… but lately I’ve been moving my goals towards the half marathon; the training is easier, less time consuming and there is more speed workouts involved. The long runs were getting tough on me. The half is where my interest might be in future races… As for workouts, I like hill sprint repeats above them all. They hurt a lot but the benefits are amazing!

How many races total do you have under your belt?

Wow, had to look that up: 91. That includes 2 ultra marathons, 8 marathons, 23 half marathons and a lot of other distance events.

If you could choose to run one specific race – which would it be and why?

I would love to do the London marathon soon, I am sure it will happen eventually. It looks like so much fun. And Comrades, it’s such a historic race, but the distance scares me. One day…

What do you eat before and after your race? (or hard workouts)?

They day before a marathon or a half, I’ll eat a whole jar of nutella with pretzel sticks and nothing else. The morning of the race, a power bar or a gel, and water. Before hard workouts anything goes: mostly sugar (cupcakes!) and coffee!

What is your best memory of running?

Finishing my first marathon. I had wanted to do the New York City Marathon, since the second I finished my first race, the New York City Half. It took me 3 years to finally muster the courage, but I had never felt so happy than when I got that medal. I could barely move for 5 days straight but I carried that medal in my back pocket with me everywhere!

Do you have a “running hero” you follow (coach, professional athlete, celebrity, etc.)?

Yes, so many! I like a lot of the new runners like Shalane Flanagan (cause she’s unstoppable), Matt Centrowitz and Nick Symmonds, but mostly the ones that made a lot of history, like Bill Rodgers, Alberto Salazar, Fred Lebow, Pre, Emil Zatopek, Billy Mills, Grete Waitz, there’s so many of them I love!

Thank you, Elizabeth for sharing this with us. Your story is truly inspiring. Thank you.

Please visit Elizabeth’s blog for more running related information.