Find Your Strong Project: Week 3 Spotlight

“What inspires you to run?”

Week 3 of the Find Your Strong Project garnered submissions ranging from chocolate bars to family portraits. Margaret C., one of the week’s winners, joined us for a Q&A to share her thoughts on the importance of family and motivation:

He was my biggest cheerleader and the best fan - now he gets to run along with me instead of cheering from the sidelines.

What made your father the best fan?

My dad took a genuine interest in my sports; he was always there to cheer me on and one of the proudest parents you would ever meet. He had a way of being hard on you, encouraging and supportive all at the same time. I’m not sure how he did it. He always did whatever he could to make sure we achieved our goals. Whether it was sitting for hours looking at tapes of my meets or being the crew chief on my brother’s motorcycle, he was there to help.

Did he play a part in your becoming a runner?

Both of my parents were huge advocates of being active and involved in sports. It was instilled in us at an early age and it continued into our adulthood. My entire family is incredibly supportive – my husband, mom, and sister are already working on their routes and signs for the Marine Corps Marathon!

Margaret and Brandy at the Frederick Half-Marathon

Are there any athletes in your life that you cheer for from the sidelines?

Absolutely! I’ve made a lot of friends through dailymile that I cheer for even if I’m not physically there. There are a couple of runners work, and also my sister who I love to cheer for. And my good friend Brandy, but not from the sidelines since we run races together (I’m usually behind her so it counts – she is a great runner!)

Is it important that your children grow up to become runners as well?

David (my 3 year old) loves to put on his running shoes and “run” with mommy. I think it is important for him to grow up and be active in sports, but whether or not that is running will be up to him.

Your first half marathon was just earlier this month. How did that go?

It was great. The route took us through some great scenery and the spectators were wonderful. The group that put it on (Corrigan Sports) did a terrific job. There were a couple of times where I questioned why I was running in the first place, and also regretted the training runs I had missed. Overall it was a really enjoyable experience and I’m ready to do it again. Plus, I got to wear my race jacket for the rest of the week!

You mentioned over on your blog that the race left you unfulfilled. Why is that?

I guess I expected to cross the finish line with arms raised saying “Yes, I did it. My goal is complete!” I didn’t, and instead I felt as if it was just a step toward something bigger. I’m not really sure what that bigger goal is at this point but I do know that this race was only the beginning.

You’ve now just kicked off marathon training! Are there any learnings from the half-marathon that will help this time around?

There are definitely a couple of things I learned from my recent half marathon training. This time around I’m going to incorporate a lot more strength training and follow my training paces more closely. I’m also going to keep myself more accountable; I’m not hurting anyone but myself when I skip a session or cut my mileage short for no good reason. I did it way too often the last time around and I know I’ll be kicking myself later on when those miles really count.

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Thanks to Margaret for her time, and congratulations to all the other third week winners! You can find each week’s submissions at saucony.com/strong.