Now it's time for another runner spotlight! If you are interested in being spotlighted on my blog please email me at mindy@roadrunnergirl.com. I would love to feature you! You don't have to have a blog to be spotlighted...you just have to be a runner! :-)
Today I am spotlighting Karen from Losing the Glass Slippers! Do you think she is a Disney fan? Yes she is! She is a beginner runner who has her sights set on the Disney Princess Half Marathon! Keep reading to learn more about her!
Name: Karen Orozco
State:
Missouri
When and
why did you start running?
I dreaded
gym glass in school and I was overweight
as a kid, not morbidly, but enough that as I got older, I became an overweight
adult. I struggled with it for years,
never really able to lose weight. Having
three children only packed on the pounds and I found myself very busy mothering
and not paying much attention to myself. (and well into the 200s)
About a
year after my daughter was born, something clicked and I started taking better
care of myself. I ran across a program
called Couch to 5K and started running.
It was a huge challenge, I was so out of shape! The JOY the day I ran 20 minutes
straight! But, when my knees started
hurting, I decided I had runners knee and just STOPPED. It took years to get back to it but when I did in 2011, I was ready to push
myself...and maybe too much. I injured
myself (plantar fasciitis) and ended up sidelined for most of 2012. 2013 is my year though! I was able to resume running in the fall of
2012 and have been running since, injury free!
I am currently training for my first half marathon...The Princess 1/2!
What is
your favorite race and race distance?
LOL...well,
my favorite race and distance is the 5K, but that's because it's the only
official race I have done so far. I'm
running a 10K on June 1st, I'm excited for that. 5K is a very "comfortable" distance
for me, I'm ready to push myself and do things I'm not as confident about!
EDIT: Karen completed her 10K at the beginning of this month and did awesome! Pics below!
What is
your race day routine?
I am an
early riser, so I wake at least an hour or two before needed. I drink my coffee and eat my normal breakfast
(greek yogurt & fruit) before heading out.
What is
your most favorite piece of running gear?
Right now
that would be my Runningskirts.com compression socks! I love them.
They help my calf pain that I've had while transitioning to more
minimalist shoes and they are cute as well!
I love the hearts on the sides!
Do you
follow any diet or take any specific supplements that complement your running?
I used to
follow all KINDS of diets, I was even a raw vegan for 5 years. Now I am determined to find balance in my
eating. I do watch my calories because I
have been working to lose some weight since last July (40 pounds so far!) and I'm a vegetarian, but I'm working on
balance and not depriving myself. If it
fits in my calories for the day, I have it! Oh and I take Vitamin D and
Magnisuim because I have a Vitamin D deficiency and the Mag seems to help with my
achiness.
What do you
wish you’d known when you first started running?
When I
first started running, I wish I knew I could push through some soreness and
pain. The second time I started up, I
wish I had known NOT to push through so much!
LOL! I guess I would have loved
to know the difference between soreness and injury. It's a balance for me (yep, I like that
word!)
What is
your fondest running memory?
I have
quite a few, but I will never forget that day I ran 20 minutes straight for the
first time. I cried and was in awe. I never thought I could be a runner and there
I was doing it! This has happened nearly
every time I realize that I can do more and go even farther. I cry a bit and I am overwhelmed with how
much running has changed how I feel about myself and how I look at myself and
the world.
What is one
thing that most people do not know about you?
Hmmm, I'm a
very "open book" kind of person, most people know nearly everything
about me since I'm quite the blabbermouth! I used to be able to play the Maple Leaf Rag on the piano, by
memory...no sheet music!
Thanks so much for sharing with us Karen!!!
QOTD: What movies have you seen recently?
