Thumbs Up Thursday...Angie

This week's spotlight is on Angie. I had the pleasure of meeting Angie during the first loop of the Cleveland Fall Classic 1/2 Marathon a few weeks ago. Jenn and I ran with her for quite awhile and quickly learned she is hilarious and a lot of fun!

Jodi: How long have you been running?
Angie: About a year and a half.

Jodi: Why did you start running?
Angie: I always thought it would be cool to be a runner, but I had no idea how to get started. I'd throw on my cotton sweatpants and a hoodie and take off to run 2 miles. By the end of the block I'd be out of breath and dying and convinced I just wasn't made for running. Then the internet was born and I learned about Couch to 5k.

Jodi: How many years have you been racing?
Angie: I did my first 5k on the last day of Couch to 5k, so exactly 9 weeks after I started running.

Jodi: What is your favorite distance to race and why?
Angie: I love the half marathon. The training doesn't kill you, and you can stay in shape for it. A 10 miler every couple weeks and you can run a half marathon any time you want. It might not be your fastest one, but you can finish it and feel good while doing so.

Jodi: What is your favorite race memory?
Angie: Aww I love them all equally. Seeing my husbands face when he walked out to find me at the end of the marathon where I was REALLY struggling is up there, though. He was so worried. I love him!

Jodi: What is your least favorite race memory?
Angie: The Flying Pig half this year in the pouring rain, alone, was really tough. Despite being with 20,000 other runners, I felt really alone and far from home. I was quite emo for 13.1 miles.
Jodi: What is your proudest running moment to date?
Angie: Currently, it's crossing the finish line at a 10k in 56:30 when my goal, which I wasn't sure I'd be able to meet, was 59:59.

Jodi: What one item do you absolutely have to have with you on a training run?
Angie: Water. I dehydrate very easily. I carry water on any run longer than 3, and sometimes even on shorter ones than that.

Jodi: What is your favorite fuel during a race?
Angie: None of them are my favorite, but the least offensive to both my taste buds and my delicate stomach is Hammer Apple Cinnamon gel.

Jodi: What is your favorite post race snack?
Angie: Nesquik chocolate milk. I stop at the gas station after my long runs and buy 2.

Jodi: Who do you admire most and why?
Angie: My current hero is Jenn, the first Thumbs Up Thursday spotlight featured here. I know how hard it is to run heavy, and she did it even heavier than I was. She's also way faster than me, even having started where she did. She's an amazing inspiration!

Jodi: Do you have a favorite quote?
Angie: My favorite running quote is: "It's very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants you to quit."
-George Sheehan

Jodi: Finish this statement, when I run I feel _______.
Angie: Healthy and strong. Or as if I might die. Depends on the day.

Jodi: What is your current goal?
Angie: My goal for 2011 is to break 2 hours in the half marathon. My current PR is 2:12, so I've got some work to do!

Jodi: Please feel free to add anything else you feel will help others lace up their shoes and get out there and run!!
Angie: When I started running, I was 38 years old and 65lbs overweight. To say I was out of shape would be the understatement of the year. I was at the literal couch end of Couch to 5k. Completing that program was the hardest thing I've ever done. And also the best. It changed my life - I've never been happier, healthier or more fit - and I'm 40 years old. How many people can say that?

And because no Thumbs Up Thursday would be complete without photos, I give you these!!

Thanks again for the opportunity to give you a Thumbs Up Angie! Best of luck in achieving your sub 2 hour 1/2 marathon in 2011!!

Keep running, you're simply the best, and Angie YOU inspire ME!!