Check out this Blogger ... Jon from Run Virginia Beach

I have been fortunate to meet so many of the fabulous running bloggers out there. Whether we have met in person, or only by email, it's been a wonderful experience connecting with so many like-minded individuals out there. I am so happy to call many of these bloggers my friends. It's amazing what a simple out-of-the-blue email or comment of encouragement can do. Their blogs provide even more inspiration. This blogger is one of my favorites.

Jon and I started corresponding last Spring, as I was training for a very HOT Madison Marathon. Having run Badwater, Jon gave me a lot of great advice for that difficult race. And, I survived! I continue to be amazed by Jon's dedication to his looooong races and overnight training runs (seriously!?), and that he continues to support the little ol' runners like myself. He gives me some of my best running advice.

Check out this Blogger ...

First Name: Jon

State: Virginia

Blog: http://runvirginiabeach.blogspot.com/ (although it hasn't been updated in about 8 months!)

How long have you been following Running Diva Mom, and why do you read?
About a year..Why do I read RDM? Cause she's awesome (Duh!). She is really a positive person (which the world needs more of) and I like that she talks about different things in her blog from her training to product reviews to completely random things.

How many miles do you run on the average month?
Anywhere from 240 to 300+ depending on where I am in training

Favorite distance:
50 Miles. Anything beyond that is just ridiculousness...which probably explains why I do them :)
Running gear/item you can't train without:
My handheld water bottle.

What is your favorite running memory?
I have so many its hard to pick just one. A few that come to mind are:
Midnight fun runs
Running 42 miles on sand
Hallucinating on the trails
Pacing at Badwater
Just helping as many people as I can achieve their dreams.

...As RDM knows, this could go on and on with many, many adventures.

Oh, a bad memory was the time that I tried both Gummi Bears and M&M's in my mouth at the same time at an aid station...NEVER EVER TRY THIS!

What event(s) are you currently training for?
Philadelphia 100 miler and then a 50 miler (maybe!) two weeks later...After that it will be training and helping my running partner get ready for Badwater!

Post run indulgence:
Coke and ice cream (although usually not together, as this gives me a tummy ache..lol)


Advice for the new runners out there:
--If you are serious about this sport, I would say to listen to everyone. Try everything. Then find what works for you.
-- Try to improve a little bit every day and with every run. Whether its running 1/10 of a mile further or 1 second faster or improving hydration/nutrition.
-- Dream big. I watched my training partner go from never have running an ultra to being accepted to run Badwater in less than two years.
-- Don't be afraid to fail...Al Arnold failed the first two times he tried to run Badwater. The third time he succeeded and became a legend. As my father once said "Without failure, you can't know success"
-- Yes, you will have bad days. You will have days where it sucks to run. Where it hurts. Where you just don't feel like being out there. Where your body just doesn't want to go. We ALL have these days.
-- Don't feel the need to conform. If you want to try something, try it..Who cares what others think?
-- Don't obsess about PR's (Personal Records) SOOO many people I know judge a race based upon whether they set a PR or not. If they did, it was a great race..If they didn't, then the race sucked. Really? Some of my best runs have been ones where I didn't come close to a PR.
-- Appreciate being able to run. So many people don't have this luxury. People that are bed-ridden and in nursing homes would do anything to be able to experience what we can. The birds chirping. The wind freezing our face. The lactic acid build up (okay, maybe not this one)