Hello, and thanks for stopping by!  If you are new here, welcome to My Fit Finish, where I hope to encourage other women to be fit & spiritually focused in their own race of life.  Hebrews 12:1 says to “throw off everything that hinders you and run with perseverance the race marked out for you.”  Together we can get rid of excuses and finish fit!

I am so excited to link up with other female runners today for Global Running Day to encourage you to grab a friend and hit the streets together! I had the opportunity recently to link up with the lovely Kristen Stewart from Jonesin’ For a Run.  She is a fellow inspiring momma runner and her blog is loaded with great running tips for any running level.  She asked me to answer the following running questions, in honor of Running Day:

Why Do you Run?

I run because it is my “me” time.  I can pray, listen to music, or my favorite podcast and feel accomplished sometimes before the sun rises.  We have so many demands on us as females, moms, and career women, and running is my de-stressor and main motivator.  I feel alive when I run.  

How many miles have you run so far this year? 

I am currently 19 weeks pregnant so my running goals have changed a bit this year, but ultimately, I want to keep logging miles as long as I can.  I try to run 2-3x a week averaging 3-5 miles per run.  I have slowed a bit but that’s the beauty in running.  It is so versatile that I can easily adjust what I do while growing bigger!  

What big events do you have on the race calendar so far this year?

So far this year, I have run a half marathon, (11 weeks pregnant) several 5ks and 10ks and hope to complete more this summer.  After baby #2 is due in late October, I plan to gear up for the Indy Mini Half Marathon in May for my first half back!  

Before you leave for a run, you must have: 

I like to keep running simple.  Grab my shoes, my iPhone, and go!  I’m going to invest in a Garmin soon to track more specifically how far I run, but usually I like to just go.  I love creating new routes in my neighborhood or finding a local park with a running trail to run on.  It’s important to switch it up so as not to get bored or stagnant in your running.

Who is you favorite running partner?

Although I like the time to be alone, I do love meeting up with friends or family to run.  One of my friends lives nearby so we get together a few times a week in the early morning to knock out a few miles.  I also like to take my son in the jogging stroller on our local trail so he can see the trees and the train go by.  It’s important to me that he see me doing something I love and something for myself.  

If you had to give someone one piece of advice about running, what would it be?

If I could give you any advice on running, it would be to just go.  Don’t stress out about a bad run (we all have them).  Aim high and keep going.  Do something you didn’t think you were capable of.  There is healing in hitting the pavement.  

Today, as we celebrate this awesome day and runners everywhere, I plan to hit the pavement and run a free run.  No gadgets, no stress.  Just me and road.

Be sure to check out Jonesin’ For a Run and others in today’s Link Up!  

Happy Running!