Runner, Quiana White

I also met Quiana in HIIT. We discussed shoes, Kswiss - Jillian Michaels. She was always super friendly & one of the very first people to talk to me in the class. I was sad to see her move away, but that is the way it is in the military...everyone moves & sometimes we are lucky enough to meet up again. Quiana is currently soaking up the sun in Florida and I'm just slightly jealous. I miss the sun so much! England is great, but it needs more sunshine. 

First tell us a little about you:

Age: 29
Married: Yes
Parent: No
Student: No
Do you work outside the home: Yes

How do you find time for running along with your everyday life: I make time for it. I have to have a routine. For me, this means packing my gym back every morning and making sure I go straight to the gym after work. If I go home or deviate from my plan, I won’t end up going because I get too busy. 

How and when did you first get into running: I used to hate running. And then one day this guy that was always in the same Group Classes with me at Lakenheath approached me and told me that he just got his personal training certification, but needed to have test subjects. I had gotten to know him pretty well through the classes, so I said that I would let him train me. He made me run. As much as I hated it, he made me do it. After I had worked out with him for a few months, I ended up loving it!


How has running impacted your life: I feel strong when I am able to complete a run. It has given me a sense of accomplishment and freedom as well. 


Does anyone else in your family run: My husband and I will run together sometimes, but he is less consistent than I am.


Do you run alone or with friends: 99% of the time I am running alone


What was your fitness like before running: I was still doing heavy cardio, but it was typically the elliptical or the stationary bike or the stair climber. However, once I discovered running, I also discovered that no other cardio really makes you feel like running does!


I run because: I love the way that it makes me feel and nothing else gives me the same kind of cardio workout


Your favorite running gear: I love my little Danskin running shorts. 


What has been your biggest accomplishment as a runner: Being able to stick with it and learn how to push through the side pains and continue to the end.


What advice would you give to new runners: Start out at your level and work up. Your endurance will increase and you will be able to do more and more each time. Don’t beat yourself up if you need to walk during your runs. A lot of stuff says that walk/run is actually more beneficial to your body than straight running is.

Races:

Tell us about your first race: The first race that I ever did was Race for Life in the UK in 2011. It was so much fun!


What distances have you ran: The furthest that I’ve ever run is 7 miles. And I still believe that this was a fluke. I was invited with some of the running club girls when I was stationed at Lakenheath and didn’t know until I got there that it was a long run day. I never thought that I would make it. But I made it the whole way! The only time we stopped was for a potty break about halfway through.


What are your favorite distances & types of runs: I like 5K runs. I can still participate in them, but it doesn’t break the bank. I also like races that are in the Spring or Fall because it’s just too hot in Florida to do them during the summer!


What do you look for in a race before signing up: The price and the location


What are your current personal records: Not sure. I haven’t run that many


What was your most memorable race: The first one that I did in the UK that I mentioned previously

Motivation & Inspiration:

What motivates/inspires you to lace up your shoes and step out the door time & time again: The feeling that I get when I’m done with my run!


Have you experienced a runner’s high: Yes


What about those miles that make you feel like quitting, how do you push through: I never really run more than 3 miles, so I can’t really answer this question to its full capacity because I don’t have lots of miles to push through


Do you have a running coach or mentor: No


When did you realize you loved running: After I was done training with my friend for that few months and I got on the treadmill when he was no longer standing next to me telling me to do it. 

Diet:

Have you lost or gained weight due to running: Lost


Do you have any specific diet strategies as a runner: No

Music:

Do you run with it or without it & why: Without. I don’t listen to mainstream music, and it’s too hard to run to classical. So now my breathing is my music. But if I’m running on a treadmill then I’ll plug into the TV


Top 3 fav songs on your running playlist right now: NA

Injuries:

Experienced them & did they make you want to quit: I have major knee injuries as a result of running. I ended up developing them, I think, because when I started running I was about 45 pounds heavier than now. So I think I damaged them then.


How did you recover: They flare up off and on. They’re always tender, but there are times when I can’t run on them at all. So during this time I’ll have to get my cardio in on the elliptical or something else.

How do you prevent them: I will wrap them if they’re just kind of hurting, or I’ll stay off of running completely for a few days to give them some recovery time


Have you lost any toenails: No

Dreams & Goals:

What is your running goal this year: I really want to run my first half marathon this year! 

What is your running dream: I would love to do the Disney Full Marathon while we’re stationed in Tampa


If you could run your weekend run with anyone in the world who would it be: Jillian Michaels. That way she could yell at me the whole time and I’d never want to stop. Haha!