November Runner of the Month | Julie Rembold
When and why did you start running? When I was pregnant with my first baby my husband had an opportunity to move to North Carolina (we were living in California which was very expensive and we did not have any family near by). So I retired (lol) and we moved to a new state where we did not know anyone a few weeks before our first baby (Bonnie) was born! So I was in a new place, with a new baby, no job and no real way to meet people and I am an extrovert! LOL … So i met this mom who worked with my husband and had just had her 2nd baby and she said I’m going to start running and pushing the kids in a stroller a few days a week and train for the Virginia Beach 1/2 Marathon that is in 8 months. It would be fun to have someone to run with do you want to meet to run some? I was like HOW long is a 1/2 Marathon? 13.1 miles?!? That does NOT sound fun, but it would be fun to meet a friend a few times a week …. so …. I guess … yes I would love to do that … I think. LOL …. That is how I started running … JUST to have a friend! From there it grew into something that I absolutely love and never knew I loved!
First race? I last minute popped into a 5K July 14th, 2007 in Raleigh, NC and completely surprised myself by running 22:29! I had only been running pushing the stroller! Then I became pregnant with our 2nd, but did still run the Virginia Beach 1/2 Marathon 12 weeks pregnant on September 2nd, 2007 and ran 1:51:04
Most recent race? Chicago Marathon 10/7/2018 in 3:01:42 Plano Turkey Trot 5K (yesterday) 11/22/2018 in 19:09
Favorite piece of gear? Garmin … although I have a LOT of gear I LOVE …. everything else I “could" live without
What shoes do you run in? Trainers: Nike Zoom Vomero 13 Racers: Saucony Fastwitch 8
Favorite way to cross train? Strength training twice a week
Best running memory? Oklahoma City Marathon weekend! I went with my best friend Stacy Merkin (who is on MRRT) and both of our husbands. We got connecting hotel rooms and left the door between open most of the weekend. SOOO many fun memories from the morning of 4am coffee, bagels, and banana …. to post marathon shenanigans … and the road trip down was SO fun! It was just a super fun and special weekend! I ran 3:14:20 which was faster than I ever dreamed possible (including a BQ), but 12 minutes slower than my coaches goal for me, but I did not care it was SUCH a super fun weekend!!!!
Bucket list race? Boston!!! 4/15/2019!
The favorite race so far? Dallas 1/2 Marathon 12/10/2017 in 1:34:40In January of 2017 my husband was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Leukemia. In a day my world was turned upside down and for the rest of 2017 I spent every day trying to keep the sky from falling while my husband battled round after round of aggressive chemo that ended with a stem cell transplant. In November of 2017 he returned to work and we started to try to find some semblance of “normal” life. Having run just 8 miles a week on average for the year I almost did not show up to the race but decided to go, line up in the back so as not to impede anyone who actually trained for the race and run for fun. Finishing with a PR was HUGE for ME personally … it was a turning point and a message to me that we have survived the year and good things are yet to come and somehow I walked away from the year stronger (mentally) and faster (physically) than I started! I have had faster races since but I finished THAT race on top of the world! My 5k yesterday might be a close 2nd!!!! I FOREVER had a goal of wishing I could run at 5k and see the number 6 at the beginning of my pace … like 6:59 would be SO cool! …. yesterday it was 6:10!!!!! …. and my coach said we are just getting started! Such a cool feeling! :)
Do you have a favorite distance? Right now I would say the 5K and the Marathon! …. but I just started really training in February! … Those are the only distances I have ran since I have started really training :)
What is something that most people do not know about you? Until February of 2018 I never ran more than 20 miles a week … even when I trained for a 26.2 mile race … lol … and I had 5 babies in less than 7.5 years! Now they are youngest just turned 5 and oldest is 12! People who have known me for awhile could always seem me with a baby on the front in a Bjorn on the back in an Ergo (at the same time) and a child holding each of my hands … lol … that was until the 5th came!
Favorite tune to rock out to while running? Mostly country music! LOL
The best part about running? 1. The feeling I have when I run. I feel so free, empowered, and in control! 2. The opportunity to have a break from the noise of the world … I often get lost in the thoughts in my head. With 5 VERY talkative kids and a busy life its nice to have time with JUST myself to think, process, plan, pray. Sometimes I solve ALL of the worlds problems on my runs! LOL
Who inspires you? My coach James McKirdy has been a BIG running inspiration to me! He immediately believed in me to be MUCH better than I ever imagined I could be! He challenges me ALL THE TIME but is also very kind and understanding! I would be no where near as fast as I am today if I had not impulsively started working with him in late January of this year! My husband has always been an inspiration to me. He has alway worked hard to be the best version of himself but especially last year when he relentlessly battled a terrible disease! Watching him and what he went through last year makes running a marathon pale in comparison! My BEST running buddies! Stacy Merkin who has been with me throughout the last 3 years and we go to all of our races together and has been forever supportive and also believed in my ability before I believed myself. My amazingly talented friend Crystal who I met in Flagstaff at a running camp our coach put on. She’s an incredible person and athlete! Last but not least my most recent running friend Amanda Davis who I actually run “with”!! It's SO nice to not run alone every day! It has been such a blessing to have such an awesome lady to run WITH lately!
What has been your biggest challenge so far? Houston Marathon 1/15/2017 in 3:47:50My husband had been sick for 2 weeks and Friday the 13th we decided to go to the ER to rule out anything terrible before I left the next morning for the marathon. At 3am we were told cancer and Saturday the 14th at 7am we were told most likely Leukemia and they would be putting him on an ambulance to a bigger hospital to be seen immediately. Although my husband was so sick he could barely speak the found the words to tell me that he wanted me to go to Houston. I found myself debating between my husbands dying wishes and what I thought was the worst thing I could possible do! I did go to Houston with the decision that the only way I could go and honor his wishes was if at every mile marker I blocked everything out and just prayed! I prayed and cried for the first 13 miles and the for the last 13 I was physically deteriorating but mentally I was becoming stronger and stronger on what and how to approach “life” when I returned to Dallas. Recovery was EXTREMELY rough for a handful of hours after that marathon and those 26.2 miles, the decision to go or not to go and the whole weekend was extraordinarily hard and challenging, but in the end I walked away more prepared for 2017 and what was to come!
Any words of advice? Listen to YOUR body! I have found that it is wiser than any training plan, person or goal. In nutrition and training your body often speaks to you with what it needs!