Lori George

Lori George
Resides in: Weisenberg Township
Years running: 15, with intermittent breaks for pregnancy
Bio: married to husband Sean for 11 years, stay at home mom to 4 kids: Rhys (7), Wes(5), Gwen(4), Max(3)

What do you enjoy most about running?
Honestly, the alone time. I’m quite selfish about it. I also enjoy listening to music of my choice that isn’t being sung by Muppets or Barbie. Of course, I love the gratification that comes with running a little faster, a little longer, or the indulgence of lazy recovery runs when I’m not wearing my watch and recording splits. And while I’ve had several disastrous race experiences, I love training for events. The set schedule of runs in a training plan fits my personality perfectly.

What are your favorite training foods?
Um, does mac and cheese count? Seriously, though, a bagel or a couple of animal crackers pre-run (depending on the distance), chocolate milk for recovery, and Hammer Nutrition gels and Heed during long runs and races.

What is the strangest/funniest thing that has happened to you on a run?
Being scared to death by an owl that got a little too close.

What is your biggest running accomplishment and why?
Finishing my first half marathon ranks up there, but I think I was most proud when I placed third in my age group in a local 10K. Admittedly, it wasn’t a big field, and I think there were only about 15 people in my age group, but I was really proud of the way I was able to kick it into high gear and finish with a time that was pleasantly unexpected. It was then that I realized I was making the transition from just trying to finish to trying to finish faster, and it was exciting to discover. In a less tangible way, I love that my kids are learning that taking good care of their bodies is vitally important and non-negotiable. They love that I run, and they love to run as well and are always staging races in our backyard. It’s encouraging to see them choosing a healthy lifestyle that includes good food choices at a young age.

Best piece of running advice you’ve ever received?
A very good friend who is an accomplished runner and triathlete really encouraged me to cross train with a purpose. Last year I got into a habit of over-training by combining my running with some other form of cardio (spinning, elliptical, etc), and after many months of two hour cardio sessions I ended up injured, frustrated, and ironically, slower. So I shifted my focus a bit and just finished my first sprint triathlon a few weeks ago. I realized that I was able to maintain my running by focusing on quality runs as opposed to squeezing in junk miles whenever I had the chance and by adding swimming and biking to the mix I was able to enjoy the feeling of accomplishment that comes with training while giving my running muscles a break a couple of times a week. And I credit the emphasis on swimming to the fact that right now I feel that I’m in the best shape of my life, even though my pace right now isn’t what it was a year ago. But now I’m more confident that I can improve again as a result of what I’ve learned.

Running Heroes?
My mom and my brother-in-law both started running this past year, and both have lost a lot of weight doing it the old-fashioned way: hard work, commitment, and healthy choices. I tend to sometimes forget how tough it is to be a beginning runner, but both have completed a couple of 5Ks and continue to run with more races on their personal calendars. And both have overcome many obstacles in their lives, and they still find the time and energy to just do what they need to do without making any excuses. Although I find it unfortunate that neither really regards themselves as “runners” because they aren’t fast by other people’s standards.

Current running goals?
I’m doing an open water swim in a couple of weeks, and the swim leg of a triathlon relay in August, so after those are done, I’m going to start focusing on improving my pace again. I’d like to break a 24 minute 5K sometime in the next year and a 50 minute 10K. Within the next couple of years I’d also like to do a full marathon when the time is right, and hopefully one day qualify for Boston (isn’t that on every runner’s dream list?) I’ll have to train really hard to do it, so I want to be sure that I have both the motivation and the time to devote to the training.

What are some things you’ve learned about yourself from running?
That the mind can be more limiting than the body, and it’s just as important to train for mental fortitude as it is for physical endurance. I went through a bad string of several half-marathons where I trained hard, but made tactical errors during the race, then checked out mentally and finished terribly disappointed in tears and with awful times. And although it sounds corny, I have learned from those experiences, and after a few conservatively run races, I feel like I’m finally getting a little bit of confidence back. I knew I was on the right track with this during my recent triathlon when I panicked during the chaotic swim (right in the middle of Lake Nockamixon) and was literally moments away from telling one of the lifeguards that I wanted to stop and get on the first boat back to the shore. But I managed to pull myself together, finish the swim, regroup during the bike, and pull off a decent run. While my time was several minutes slower than I would have liked it to be, I was able to prove to myself that it’s possible to work through a difficult race experience and I know that I will draw on that in future road races, hopefully more confident as a result.

What would your family and friends tell us about your passion for running?
While my husband also works out religiously, he’s not a runner, so he would tell you that I’m sort of crazy but he’s also proud of me (he always makes sure that I know this…very sweet). My kids would tell you that I’m a much better mother when I get my run or workout in for the day. And I agree completely. :-)