{"id":54249,"date":"2016-02-08T20:27:21","date_gmt":"2016-02-09T01:27:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fitzness.com\/blog\/?p=54249"},"modified":"2016-02-06T22:29:23","modified_gmt":"2016-02-07T03:29:23","slug":"kristenjensen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fitzness.com\/blog\/kristenjensen\/","title":{"rendered":"Racey Runner: Kristen Jensen"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Kristen Jensen, 26, Lakewood, CA, Geology Tech<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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What inspired you to start doing races?<\/strong>
\nIt was a combination of things.\u00a0 First, my brother was into running at the time.\u00a0 I had been curious about running so I did some research and ran across The Marathon Show podcast with Joe Taricani.\u00a0 His passion for the sport triggered something in me. I have him to thank for a lot of my passion for running.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Do you walk, run or run\/walk, swim, cycle, do obstacles?<\/strong>
\nI use the Galloway run-walk-run method.<\/p>\n

What distances do you do?<\/strong>
\nI\u2019ve done 5ks, 10ks, half marathons and full marathons.<\/p>\n

How many have you done?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have run about 20 half marathons and two, going on three full marathons.<\/p>\n

What do you feel is your greatest race accomplishment?<\/strong>
\nIt wasn\u2019t a PR race for sure, but crossing the finish line at the Long Beach Marathon last year was my greatest accomplishment. I thought about quitting so many times because of the extreme heat.\u00a0 I am really sensitive to heat even without running. My running partner and I kept pushing each other just to make it to the finish line and we did.<\/p>\n

Favorite race and why?<\/strong>
\nMy favorite race is Long Beach.\u00a0 I\u2019ve ran both the half and full courses and it is by far my favorite.\u00a0 Running over the bridges and down the beach is a great experience.<\/p>\n

Do you travel for races?<\/strong>
\nI haven\u2019t really traveled for any races yet.\u00a0 I am all registered to run Rock n Roll Vegas with my Mickey Miler friends though!<\/p>\n

Does your race schedule become expensive? How do you afford to make it happen?<\/strong>
\nRunning is an expensive sport.\u00a0 I try to limit my races to a few that I really want to do.\u00a0 I used to run more Disney races, but I can\u2019t rationalize spending that much on one single race.<\/p>\n

Must-have gear on race day:<\/strong>
\nMy Fitletic<\/a> belt is my favorite piece of running equipment.\u00a0 I\u2019ve tried so many other ways to hold stuff and the Fitletic belt works perfectly.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t bounce or move around and I hardly know it is there.<\/p>\n

Weirdest place you’ve ever chafed:<\/strong>
\nI think the weirdest place that I\u2019ve ever chafed was on the top of my foot.\u00a0 I think it was because I had stepped in a puddle and my shoe was soaked for 10 miles.<\/p>\n

Do you prefer to run in warm weather or cold weather?<\/strong>
\nCold weather is the best to run in.\u00a0 I do not handle heat well at all.<\/p>\n

Favorite pre-race meal\/snack:<\/strong>
\nI really can\u2019t eat too much before a run.\u00a0 I try to force myself to eat a few crackers and a banana.<\/p>\n

Weirdest\/funniest thing you’ve ever experienced at a race:<\/strong>
\nWe were on a long run and we passed by a group of about 20 ladies that were laughing hysterically.\u00a0 Then they started laughing at different pitches and speeds.\u00a0 Then I realized it was a laughter therapy class, but jeez did they have us confused.<\/p>\n

Worst experience during a race:<\/strong>
\nI was running the Surf City half a few years ago and someone cut me off.\u00a0 He clearly started late and was trying to weave his way around people.\u00a0 I fell so hard and slammed by head into the ground. I was already having IT band issues. I pretty much sobbed the rest of the race to the finish line. \u00a0\u00a0The silver lining here was that I was lifted up almost instantly by a bunch of runners who were all checking to make sure I was ok.<\/p>\n

Most awesome moment you’ve ever had at a race:<\/strong>
\nMy favorite race moment was crossing the finish line of my first half marathon with my brother.<\/p>\n

Your favorite part of participating in races:<\/strong>
\nI love to push myself. I also love the bling!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Do you wear costumes? If so, what’s been your favorite?: <\/strong>
\nI\u2019ve worn a couple of costumes.\u00a0 My favorite was when I dressed up as Captain America for the first Avengers Half.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\"131879_10204811392102717_5992282329016427087_o\"<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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How important are awesome medals to you?<\/strong>
\nI love the bling.\u00a0 I won\u2019t not run a race if the medal isn\u2019t great, but it sure helps!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Best medal you’ve earned so far:<\/strong>
\nI love the 2014 Long Beach Marathon Medal! It was the 30th anniversary medal.<\/p>\n

Do you prefer to run alone or with a buddy?<\/strong>
\nI prefer to run with a buddy.\u00a0 Running alone is pretty hard for me.<\/p>\n

Favorite song on your playlist:<\/strong>
\nShut Up and Dance is a good song to listen to.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Who is your race hero and why?<\/strong>
\nI don\u2019t have just one.\u00a0 Between my Long Beach Galloway group and Mickey Milers I have a lot of heroes.\u00a0 It\u2019s inspiring to see everyone post about their great accomplishments.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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What is the top race on your bucket list?<\/strong>
\nI would love to run New York and Boston some day.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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What has been the best physical side effect of your participation in races?\u00a0<\/strong>
\nMy endurance is way up and my leg strength is amazing.<\/p>\n

Your advice for others who might be intimidated by signing up for a race:<\/strong>
\nDon\u2019t be intimidated at all!\u00a0 There are so many people that are just starting off too.\u00a0 Plus, the running community in general, is\u00a0a great group of supportive people.\u00a0 Joining a running group really helps decrease the intimidation factor of running as well.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Anything else you’d like to add?<\/strong>
\nCross training and getting your weekday runs in is crucial to training for a race.\u00a0 If you just do your long runs and skip the rest, you are going to have problems.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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