This is the tenth edition of The Duluth Runner Interview Series, where we get in touch with (mainly) local runners and athletes to share a bit of their story while inspiring others to pursue an active lifestyle.
Intro
Today’s guest loves to get outside and be active. She is a fellow co-worker of mine and I have had the privilege of getting to know her over the past several years.
She is often quick to downplay her own abilities or fitness level, but don’t let her fool you, she stinking qualified and competed at DUATHLON WORLDS in 2009 (consisting of running & biking)!
She currently works in Finance at ALLETE/Minnesota Power…today’s guest is Tara Anderson!
Interview
Why is running important to you?
It’s a great stress reliever. When I don’t get a run in for a few days I start to get cranky – like they say – running is cheaper than therapy! With 2 busy boys at home, other activities and working full time it can be hard to find time to get that run in, but the stress of everyday life makes it even more important!
What are the top two or three things that you do to prevent injury? Have you been susceptible to certain injuries in the past?
My husband coaches our work running group (ALLETE/MP Running Striders) and he used to be a certified personal trainer. He’s done a lot of research over the years as he was running marathons, turned to triathlons, and then to cycling road races. He’s worked with the Strider group on what he calls “prehab” – to help prevent common injuries runners get. A lot of this involves improving balance and targeting running muscles.
I try to do this at least once a week, particularly when I’m training for longer races. I have been fortunate to have had very few (knock on wood) running injuries throughout the years. I had a tibia stress reaction while training for my first marathon in 2014, a lot of what I attribute to poor support in my shoe choice on my long runs; then after I had kids I had plantar fasciitis pretty bad for about a year, which I went to PT for. I taped my feet when I ran for a long time and still wear insoles in my running shoes.
Another injury I’ve had since I had my second child, which is probably an uncomfortable topic for some, includes pelvic floor issues. I had a lot of pain running for quite a while after birth and went to PT for over a year.
What keeps you motivated when you don’t feel like heading out the door for a run?
I have to say for me, it’s my running friends! The running community is so awesome! I never really want to go for a run at say 5:30 AM (or if it’s raining or 20 below), but if I can find a friend to run with – I’m all in!
Who is in your running support group (training partners, people to bounce ideas off of, etc.)?
I feel very fortunate to have various groups of friends that I train with, whether it’s running, riding (road and mountain bike), yoga, strength training…I have running buddies at work, friends that work downtown or live near me, MP Strider teammates, broomball teammates, my husband, my nephew, high school friends, college friends…etc. I love it!
Everyone is so supportive and everyone is willing to share their training stories, war stories, and injury prevention stories. These are the people that push me to keep going and sign up for races!
And of course, my husband for taking care of my sore muscles and always encouraging and supporting me!
When/what is your next race?
I signed up for the Lutsen 25k. This will be my longest trail race to-date. The extent of my trail “racing” has been a few half marathons. I’ve been intrigued to sign up for this race for a few years…and since I wanted to sign up for the Curnow marathon in July, I thought it would be a good idea to jump in the lottery for the 25k! I’ll also do Grandma’s Half Marathon in June.
Do you prefer roads or trails and why?
Definitely trails. I’ve loved trails for years…originally I felt like I was so concerned about falling on my face that I didn’t think about being tired as much. More recently I have found that I more so enjoy the fact that you work hard on the hills and get some recovery on the downhills.
On the roads I feel more pressure to maintain a high threshold at all times. Maybe it’s just old age? ☺ I also feel the same way with cycling – I started with more of a passion for road riding and now am more interested in mountain and fat tire biking.
What is your most memorable race or running achievement?
While running is probably considered more of a “solo” sport, my most memorable running experiences have been those with others – such as running the Berkie Trail Relay, Colfax (CO) marathon relay, running the Grand Traverse with a group of friends, or simply traveling to races with friends.
One of my more recent memorable races was my first marathon – Twin Cities in 2017 – I ran conservatively while waiting to hit the proverbial “wall” and when I didn’t I was ecstatic! Another really memorable experience was when I qualified and competed at Duathlon Worlds in 2009.
Name one racing experience you would like to forget (please describe).
They were probably so bad that they have already been repressed…so I can’t think of one! Honestly, even during a race where I’m feeling miserable…I tend to forget about how bad they were after the fact…maybe a bad race is “like giving birth” or “running a marathon”.
What is something non-running related you would like to share with readers?
My husband Matt and I live in Duluth with our two extremely active boys, Lucas and Max. We also own and manage a vacation rental in the Piedmont neighborhood (in case you have friends or relatives ever looking for a place to stay in town!). I love almost all live sports (from little kids to professional), the MN Vikings, UMD Hockey, and just being around active people!
Closing
Many thanks to Tara for agreeing to stop by The Duluth Runner and share some of her knowledge/experiences with everyone. I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Interview Series – stick around for more to come!