March Runner of the Month | Jennifer Kass
When and why did you start running? I started running the summer after my freshman year in college. My dad was a runner when I was growing up, so I started joining him on his morning runs.
First race? I can’t remember exactly. I think it was a race in Dallas on the 4th of July that first summer of running with my dad.
Most recent race? In January, I ran Dopey Challenge at the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. The Dopey Challenge is a 4-day race series with one race each day. You start with a 5K race, then 10K, half-marathon, and finish with the marathon. You get six medals! Despite the very early mornings, the experience was incredibly fun with course entertainment, costumes and character pictures.
Favorite piece of gear? I love my FitBelt. I bought my first one about 5 years ago and still use it. I was recently gifted a newer style with a zipper which is even better.
What shoes do you run in? I run in Mizuno Wave Inspire shoes. They have served me well for about 6 years.
Favorite way to cross train?
Cross train…what’s that?
Best running memory? I have lots of great memories of running. Running is a source of joy for me and whether running with friends or family or solo, I rarely have a bad run. To name one, the Rudolph Run in December was special because my husband, my mom and four kids ran. Well, I should clarify that the baby rode in the stroller while my mom pushed her.
Bucket list race? I would like to do the 2023 Dopey Challenge. It will be the 30th anniversary of the Walt Disney World Marathon and the 10th anniversary of the Dopey Challenge. Now that I have done it once, I want to take what I learned and make it even better next time.
The favorite race so far?
My favorite local race is the Showdown Half Marathon, because I graduated from the University of Oklahoma (OU). On race day, I represent my Sooner heritage. My favorite race series is the Disney races. They are simply fun. People of all sorts come together to run and the race pictures are unique and plentiful. My favorite single race was the New York Marathon in 2011 with the significant crowd support and unique course. I will never forget running in the green start group and finally joining the blue and orange starts at mile 3. The experience was unlike anything that I had ever seen. The number of runners was hard to comprehend, but also extremely inspirational.
Do you have a favorite distance? Like so many others, the half marathon is my favorite. The distance is notable and requires preparation, but it doesn’t wipe me out. The training is manageable and doesn’t displace other aspects of life.
What is something that most people do not know about you? I was Miss Hispanic OU, the second one at the university. I typically don’t like to be center of attention, but my college friends dropped the application on my desk and encouraged me. They wanted me to do integrals for my talent. I danced instead. Favorite tune to rock out to while running? When I don’t run with my 5am frunners, then I listen to podcasts. Some of my favorites are Best of Both Worlds, Mouse Chat, Another Mother Runner, and Before Breakfast.
Best part about running? There are two things that I enjoy about running. The first is the sense of accomplishment. Running is all up to me. I just have to put my shoes on and start with one foot in front of the other. I can challenge myself with speed work or just run easy. Both are good runs. The second is community. When you find out someone is a runner, you have an instant connection and conversation topic. Who inspires you? Many people have inspired me and continue to inspire me. Earlier, I shared that I started running with my dad, so he was the first to inspire me to start running. He was my first best running friend (BRF). 25 years later, I am still running. He passed away earlier this year and I miss him dearly, but I have many happy memories of us running together including the morning of my wedding. More recently, it is this MRTT group. I discovered this group about 5 years ago and lurked for several months. Then, instead of going to the gym one morning, I decided to join a group track run at 5am and I have been joining that group ever since. I run farther and longer with these ladies than I would do on my own. They share miles with me, teach me all things running, and serve as therapists. Lately, my mom and sister inspire me. They run with the Arlington MRTT. I enjoy seeing them run together and participating in their social activities especially knowing all the other things that fill their life buckets. My mom didn’t start running until later in life, so the fact that she just completed the Double-Double (back to back half marathons) at the beginning of the year is an inspiration for where I want to be later in life.
What has been your biggest challenge so far?
My biggest challenge is time, just managing family, work, home, and running can be daunting. My husband and I both trained for a January marathon. It seemed like a fantastic idea when we signed up together. Doing the training is a whole other story, but we did it. We set priorities and became creative in our schedules. We both ran our own marathons, but it was amazing to be there with him as he completed his first one!
Any words of advice?
Right now, given that we are social distancing, I am not sure that I have any advice. I am just trying to hold it together myself. The things that I tell myself lately are take one day at a time, focus on the things that I can control and be grateful for what I do have. In normal times, that could transfer to running - take one run at a time, focus on the parts of the run that you can control and be grateful for the miles that you accomplish.
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