Occupation: PE Teacher at American Creativity Academy in Kuwait City, Kuwait
How long have you been running and what motivates you?
I have been running since I was finished playing basketball in college which was in 2005. I started out running short distances like a couple miles at a time. I started adding more and more miles. I signed up for The Riverbank Run 5k in Grand Rapids, MI where I was living at the time and actually placed for my age. I believe I was second or third and I had no idea that I could finish amongst the top runners.
How would you describe your nutrition? Omnivore, veggie, vegan, raw, locavore…
I try to eat a primarily plant-based diet. I do eat fish and I will eat a little bit of chicken every once in a while but I avoid it for the most part. I eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, beans and nuts. I will eat some cereal, oatmeal, yogurt and organic eggs and cheese also. I will indulge every once in a while on a “sweet treat” or chips or something of that nature but it doesn’t interest me as much as it used to. I’d say 85-90% of my diet is plant-based.
How do you feel your nutrition affects your performance during events and in daily life?
I feel like trying to eat a primarily plant-based diet has made a positive difference in my everyday life. I feel better about myself and like my body is working more efficiently. I feel like I get less significant bouts of hunger. I sometimes would get crabby or feel lightheaded after a few hours of not eating anything but now I feel like there is less of an impact in how my moods change. I think that has to do with my sugar levels being at a more moderate state than wavering as a result of eating lots of sugary, high sodium or processed foods.
You were at the Boston Marathon last year. How did you train to qualify?
I followed Hal Higdon’s advanced marathon training and qualified by running the Chicago Marathon in 3:20.
Would you like to tell us a little bit about the scene and your experience after the bombs went off?
I was a couple of blocks away when the bombs went off. I had just received my medal and picked up my gear and walked to a place to meet my friends that were there to watch. We were originally supposed to meet by the finish line where they were standing when I finished and I am very glad that we changed meeting points. I heard the first bomb go off and immediately thought of fireworks or some type of celebration occurring. I then heard the second one go off shortly after and I turned to a person that had recently finished also and asked what that noise could have possibly been. The woman responded by saying, “I don’t know,” in somewhat of a concerned fashion. My friends then walked up and we kind of disregarded the two noises we had just heard and started talking about details of the race. My friend then warned us that we should leave because she saw a couple of girls running from the area on their phones crying. Then a few more people running. Then someone got an alert that there were two explosions near the finish line. I immediately panicked as the last place I was my mother was by the finish line when I received my medal. I was able to get in contact with her after several attempts at much time had passed. It took us two hours to meet up with the difficulty in communication. We kept hearing different things such as bombs being reported at a library, in the Boston Commons, etc. We saw many groups of emergency vehicles responding and going in every direction. The city was almost eery after a few hours with the exception of emergency vehicles. We were across the harbor staying in a hotel and we took a ferry back which surprisingly was able to take us as all of the other modes of transportation were either shutdown, being used or scarce. I was very much looking forward to the feeling of accomplishment and celebrating something I had worked on for so long but I was unable to have any type of positive feelings toward finishing the race. I felt blessed and extremely lucky that my family, friends or I was not injured or killed during the events that occurred that day.
I wrote this after the experience via FB status:
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April 16 near Canajoharie, New York via mobile
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Nothing
that I experienced was even comparable to what the victims of the
explosions and their families went through yesterday. My deepest
condolences go out to them. I will continue on to marathon and its a
horrific thought that yesterday's explosions resulted in it being the
last for several. I truly appreciate everyone's kind words and concerns
directed to my family, my friends and me. An event meant to celebrate
human spirit, courage and will was taken from thousands of people from
all over the world. It upsets me deeply to think that the genuinely
triumphant time when the determined, sweaty, bloody, blistered and
delirious people cross the finish line after completing one of the most
grueling tasks was a target of such a heinous crime. I believe that the
best thing we can do is stick out our chests, lift up our chins and vow
to remain strong and brave because those that were responsible do not
have a splinter of the courage and human spirit that were and are within
the victims and injured, those that helped, those showing support and
those who finished or attempted to finish the race.
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