Talking with The Happy Runner
“Running. Writing about it. Happy to be doing both.”
This is how Felice describes herself on her blog The Happy Runner. After reading those words on my first visit and just a few minutes into reading her posts, I knew I’d come across a down-to-earth person with a love of running and supporting charity events.
Felice lives in upstate New York with her husband and 17 month old son. She works from home as a freelance writer and editor while keeping up her blog. I had the chance to talk to Felice and here is what she has to say about the thrill and challenges of running, and how blogging has given her a sense of community while teaching her along the way.
I hope you will find her attitudes and experiences as motivating as I did!
What initially sparked your interest in running? How long has it been a part of your training?
I used to run when I played lacrosse in college but, at the time, I thought it was a necessary evil. I didn’t mind running in a game, but I didn’t really like running just to run.
In the mid-1990s, I was working in NYC and a co-worker asked me to run in the Corporate Challenge with her. I had been running on and off and so I decided to go for it. I ran somewhat consistently in preparing for the race but it didn’t save me from having a really awful race. The race day temperature was in the high 90s and I went out too hard, didn’t drink any water, and almost passed out at the end. But, I finished, and — oddly enough — had caught the running bug!
What would you name as your most significant barrier to overcome with running? What motivates you to keep going?
The hardest thing for me is fitting it in. I stay at home with my son full-time, but I also do some freelance work and a lot of volunteer work. I usually squeeze my work in during my son’s naps and in the evenings, so my time for running is limited. Since it is something that I truly love, though, I’ve made it a priority in my life.
Some evenings, I’ll be dressed and ready for my run when my husband gets home so I can take off the second he walks in the door. Or, I’ll sneak in a 15 minute run, if that is all my schedule allows. My husband usually wants to spend a lot of time with our son on the weekends, which allows me to get my long runs in.
What would you name as your biggest accomplishment with running?
My biggest accomplishment was running a marathon in 2004. I trained by myself, which was sometimes tough. I’m a solo runner, though, so I thought that training alone would work best for my personality. And, for the most part, it did. I love running alone and I relished in the long runs where it was just me and my thoughts. But, I had to really keep on top of my training and I had to be very disciplined. My goal for the marathon was to finish in 4 hours and 20 minutes. I ended up beating my goal by 8 minutes, which was a GREAT feeling! I was ecstatic (and exhausted) when I crossed that finish line!
I’d love to run another marathon, and my current plan is to run one in 2010 (for a milestone birthday!).
Do you participate in any charity fitness events?
I always run in our local Komen Race for the Cure. It takes place in Albany, NY in October each year and it raises funds and awareness for the fight against breast cancer.
I’ve also run in a number of smaller races that support local causes, including a few races that raised funds for local parks and arts charities. In addition to races, I participate in community walks that raise funds and awareness for some other local charities, like Gilda’s Club.
Why are these events important to you?
My two “hobbies” are running and volunteering. I’m very active in my local Junior League (I’m the president this year) and I’ve volunteered for and served on the board of several other non-profit organizations. I also love to run. So, when I can combine these two things, I’m one happy woman!
I’ve found that in charity races — like the Race for the Cure — you see a lot of people who don’t normally run races. I think that is terrific! It is great to see people coming together and pushing themselves physically, all in support of a good cause. Running a 5k, for example, is really tough for a lot of people. And yet they get out there and do it because they believe in whatever charity is benefiting from the race.
It would probably be a lot easier to phone it in and write a check to the charity, but the power of a mass of people exerting themselves in support of something is pretty amazing and I think people really respond to that. I know I do. I love being part of a large group of people all supporting, for example, breast cancer awareness.
You keep a blog called the Happy Runner. Do you find that blogging about your activity and creating a community through your blog helps you with your training?
Yes! I have become a more dedicated and better runner since I started blogging. Once I became serious about running, I started to read about it. In the beginning especially, I couldn’t read about running enough. I would read Runner’s World religiously, and would take running books out of the library. I still do both, but now I have running blogs to read, and my own blog to write. I feel like I’m part of a running community now.
This community has lifted my spirits when they’ve needed lifting, which tends to happen whether you are a runner or not! And I’ve learned so much from my fellow running bloggers — they’ve shared a ton of training, nutrition and injury prevention tips that have helped me progress toward my goals. They’ve also helped keep me accountable, because I set and wrote about my running goals on my blog. I don’t want to disappoint those who’ve supported me!
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