Athlete Bio: Jess McMullin [Run With Jess]

Meet Jess the blogger behind Run With Jess. I’m loving her favorite quote – “A goal should scare you a little and excite you a lot.”  A good reminder that it’s OK for a goal to scare you!

Name: Jess McMullin

Age: 37

Location: Central Illinois, but I still call Wisconsin “home”

Blog:  www.runwithjess.com

Twitter:  RUNwJESS

Occupation: Stay-Home Mom, Graphic Designer

Years Running: 3

Why did you start running: I’ve run on and off since high school, but it wasn’t until after my second baby that I took up the sport on a regular basis.  I started running to lose baby weight, but ended up finding a new hobby that I look forward to each and every day.

Fun Fact about me: The only reason I made the varsity track team as a high school freshman was because I had strong arms and could whip the discus something fierce.  Of course, I owe this all to my dad and the many weekends I spent splitting and hauling wood with him.

Favorite Race Distance: Half Marathon… it’s long enough that it requires significant training, but not too overwhelming that it takes over my entire life.

PRs:

Marathon 4:43

Half Marathon: 2:03

10K: 55:12

8K: 44:30

5K: 27:43

Do you cross train or lift weights: Yes!  The more I cross-train, the better runner I become.  Cross-training keeps me fit without overtraining and injuries.  My favorite cross-trains are Spinning and now Swimming.

Running accomplishment you are most proud of:  Running my first marathon Sept 2011 was a big deal for me.  I trained hard and really enjoyed the day at the Quad Cities Marathon.  Looking forward to a repeat…

Favorite Pre-Race Food:  Whole grain waffle topped with peanut butter and banana slices

Favorite Piece of Running Apparel:  Always in a BondiBand headband!

How do you find/make time to train: I work from home with young kids while my husband works full time.  He has a pretty demanding military job – so my schedule needs to be flexible.  I squeeze in workouts and runs whenever I can – many times begging friends/family to babysit for me. It also helps to have a dreadmill in the basement!

Favorite Quote:  “A goal should scare you a little and excite you a lot.”