About Me

RUNNING

Hi and welcome to Run the Long Road!  I’m Kristy, a lover of running and all running-related things.  I started running in 2002 because it was something I always wanted to do.  I was a cheerleader through college and that kept me in decent shape.  During grad school I went to the gym here and there but hated it.  So I began to run outside and loved it.  I decided to run my first half marathon that Fall with Team in Training.  I had no idea how to train or what to do and TnT was great!  I survived the race and decided to do it again next year (and the next year, etc.).  I ran my first marathon, the Marine Corps Marathon, in 2004.  The MCM is an incredible race and crossing that finish line was indescribable.  There is nothing like your first marathon!

Finishing my first half marathon with TnT

My sister and I after our first marathon - MCM 2004

NYCM - 2005

So here I am 9 marathons and numerous half marathons later and I caught the running bug…hard!  I love training plans, long runs, and all the preparation that comes with a marathon.  I love to answer questions about running, talk about running with complete strangers and, my absolute favorite, train friends and family for races.  I became a RRCA-certified running coach in April 2010.  I recently started my own coaching business, training runners anywhere from a 5K to a marathon.

My ultimate goal, as with many runners, was to qualify and run the Boston Marathon.  I dreamed about the day when I crossed the finish line with a BQ time on my Garmin.  On September 11, 2011 my dream came true!  I ran the Lehigh Valley Marathon and crossed the finish line in 3:43:46, 1 minute and 14 seconds under my BQ time.  It was an amazing feeling!  That time was good enough for acceptance into the 2012 Boston Marathon!

Finally a Boston Qualifier!

I'm in!

My road to Boston was a long one marked by hard work, determination, and a little luck.  You can read about my journey here and how I did it here.

RANDOM FACTS

• I lived in Philly my whole life with the exception of 3 years spent in Washington, DC for grad school.  I currently live just outside Philly with my husband, Matt, and our fur baby, Hawk.

Wedding Day - July 2009

Hawk

Australia - October 2010

• I met my husband at St. Joseph’s University.  We love SJU…I even referred to it once as my favorite place on earth.  I thoroughly enjoyed my 4 years there and have such fond memories.  We got engaged at SJU and even had a SJU-themed wedding.  It’s no surprise that we named our dog Hawk!

Matt and I with the SJU Hawk on our wedding day

Some of our bridal party are SJU alumni

• I named this blog “Run the Long Road” for 2 reasons:  (1) “Long Road” is a Pearl Jam song and I’m a huge PJ fan and (2) my road to Boston is a long one!  My husband actually came up with the name of this blog.  He’s the creative one in the family.
• I have another favorite place on earth and it’s San Francisco.  I’ve been to Europe and Australia and nothing has trumped San Fran (although Santorini and Sydney came close).  My favorite run is along the Embarcadero, through Fort Mason onto Marina Blvd, passing through Chrissy Field, and ending up underneath the Golden Gate Bridge.  It’s beautiful!

Perfect run

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