To celebrate National Women's Health Week, we interviewed ourselves. Learn a few juicy tidbits about your Hot Bird Running coaches, Meghan, Jessica and Caitlin, and find out what inspires them to run.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself?
MEGHAN: I wanted to be a Fly Girl on In Living Color growing up. I'm known to dance in the grocery store or in the middle of a run.
JESSICA: I have 5 brothers, no sisters. I don’t think I wore a dress until my first junior high dance and I definitely didn’t start shaving my legs until that time.
CAITLIN: I was a child actor for about half a second - I have the headshots and Microsoft promotional video to prove it.
When did you start running and why?
JESSICA: Grade school because my dad ran and I wanted to be like him. Running was “cool” to me. Plus, I really enjoyed it and found out it was something I was good at during a grade school field day running event.
MEGHAN: High school to stay in shape for soccer.
CAITLIN: College to lose weight and train for a 5k with a friend and I have never looked back!
Who or what inspired you to run?
CAITLIN: Running taught me how to push my own limits beyond what I thought was possible for myself - this keeps me inspired every day, both in running and in life!
JESSICA: My father inspired to me to me to start running at a very early age as a way to get out and see the sights of my own city or while traveling. After college, my cousin inspired me to develop my running into something more than a healthy way to sweat teaching me that the personal challenges offered in running are limitless and running friendships last a lifetime.
MEGHAN: I've had a lot of different sources of inspiration over the my running career. Most recently, it's the ability to unplug and not have to think about anything other than running!
What is the best piece of running advice you ever received?
MEGHAN: The best advice I've ever received is from my Dad. It's not really specific to running but it definitely applies and I think about it all the time - "Champions adjust."
CAITLIN: It doesn't matter how slow you go, just don't stop. My friend (and complete badass ultramarathoner) Tom told me that at the bottom of a particularly treacherous hill on a trail and I think back to that moment often when I find myself backing away from a tough moment on a run.
JESSICA: Two pieces: When I was 9 or 10 years old, my dad caught me trying to copy his stride (he’s 6’3"). I remember him telling me to shorten my steps and find my own rhythm and to stop exaggerating everything (basically, stop flailing my arms). That was my first form lesson and it sticks with me to this day. Of course the other piece of advice is from my cousin, who taught me to always run in a good outfit because no matter how bad of a run you are having, at least you look good (a little bit of confidence can go a long way!).
Favorite way to sweat other than run?
CAITLIN: SoulCycle and hiking.
JESSICA: Skiing! I don't mind running in the cold, wet winter because it means snow in the mountains!
MEGHAN: I LOVE a good, hard spin class or a vinyasa yoga class