This is the sixty-eighth edition of The Duluth Runner Interview Series, where I 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

“Hi, I am Cristina. I have been a runner for approximately 23 years. As a high school freshman I somehow got it in my head that I was fast. Spoiler alert – I was NOT fast. Back then I raced the 100m dash because it was the only distance I could finish without stopping to walk.

Despite this very real struggle, there was something about running that I liked. I kept at it and by my junior year I was running with the distance team at track instead of the sprinters and I joined cross country in the fall. I never looked back and kept running for the rest of my life.

Now I have finished 8 marathons and I am actually faster than I was in high school. My personal best mile time is 24 seconds faster than my high school mile and I set that PB when I was 34 years old.”

Interview

Why is running important to you?

Gosh, so many reasons. I have picked up my life and moved to new places a handful of times since finishing college. Every time I move, running is how I learn my way around my new environment and how I make friends. It gives me a feeling of freedom and makes me feel strong and powerful. Some of the most beautiful things I have ever seen have been on runs. Running also in part lead me to my career.

What are the top two or three things that you do to prevent injury? Have you been susceptible to certain injuries in the past?

I have been fortunate to not be super susceptible to injuries. I have had a few here and there but it really hasn’t been a major issue. I think a huge reason why is that preventing running injuries is literally my job. I feel like it would like bad if I didn’t practice what I preach!

I do hip stability exercises and balance exercises that are key to preventing injuries. I keep an eye on my training load and I have really learned to listen to what my body needs. I eat enough to give my body the energy it needs to train. I sleep enough that my muscles and bones can repair.

What keeps you motivated when you don’t feel like heading out the door for a workout?

If I am not feeling motivated, I try to pinpoint why I feel that way so I can address the specific issue. There have been a couple of times where I really just was far too tired but I forced myself out the door and the run was crappy. So now if I identify that I am too fatigued, I won’t push it. If it is cold or rainy, I will run indoors.

Several years ago I found a “game” on Pinterest called Treadmill Roulette where you put your music on shuffle and change your paces based on characteristics of the song. I still love to do that about once a month when I need to shake things up.

You recently started Superior Running Medicine, please describe your general philosophy, and what led you to that type of practice?

I am a certified athletic trainer. Athletic trainers (ATs) are health care providers that specialize in treating active populations. This is actually a super appropriate time for me to be interviewed because March is National Athletic Training Month! In March, we work to educate the public on what ATs do and we advocate for our profession.

I have been working in this field for 13 years, primarily in the D1 college setting. About 2 years ago I started to think about how beneficial it would be for “regular” runners to have access to an AT. I started Superior Running Medicine so I could bring affordable, runner specific health care to runners of all ages and ability levels.

Who is in your workout support group?

I am kind of in the market for a new support group! I have been a member of groups in Washington D.C. and Chicago. The Chicago groups were a huge part of my life. I definitely want to give them a shout-out here – Uptown Runners, Back on my Feet and the Fleet Feet Racing Team all have a huge part of my heart. Those groups were the reason I had friends, the reason I got up in the morning and they made me better.

Any future races on your calendar?

I am training for Grandma’s! I am also contemplating running the Twin Cities marathon for the first time this year. I am torn between TC or going back to visit all my friends in Chicago for that marathon. I have run Chicago 4 times but it’s so fun and I know I’ll be looking for an excuse to take a trip back there.

Do you prefer roads or trails and why?

Both! Trails are new to me but I am learning that I really like them! Trails were hard to come by in the major cities I have lived in so I just never had the opportunity. Now that I have such easy access I am learning that I really like trail running. I like that it is harder and that I have to go slower. On the road it can be frustrating to have a “slow” run, even if that is what the training plan calls for. The trails are a great equalizer.

What do you think about while you run?

All kinds of things. Sometimes I think about what I want to eat. Sometimes I think about how far I have come in my running life. If I am in the final half mile of a long run, I visualize that I am about to finish a marathon and my celebrity crush is waiting for me at the finish line. (Chris Evans, if you are reading this, you are invited to come cheer for me at Grandma’s Marathon this year).

Name one racing experience you would like to forget (please describe).

Oooh this is a good question. But my answer is that I don’t want to forget any. I think the worst experience was probably Grandma’s Marathon just this past summer (2021). It was my first ever DNF. I made it about 17 miles and then quit.

I did not train well enough and when I was at about the 13 mile mark I realized that the second half was going to be a suffer-fest. I had family members waiting to see me around mile 17 so I spent the time between 13-17 trying to decide what I was going to do when I got to them. The answer was that I needed to stop. I honestly went through all 5 stages of grief. Marathon training is such a time investment that “failing” felt like a loss. However, I learned from the experience.

I can’t remember who said the quote “Either you win or you learn.” I like to add my own quote at the end of that; “I have never won.” Meaning I learn something every time. My training this year is going to be much better than last year so I don’t have to drop out.

What is something non-endurance activity related you would like to share with readers?

I met Britney Spears at the Sam Goody record store that used to be in the Mall of America back in like 1998 or 99. It was right before “Hit Me Baby (One More Time)'” dropped so my friends and I didn’t know who she was yet but we got her autograph and a CD single. Sadly I don’t have the autograph anymore.

Closing

Many thanks to Cristina for stopping by Duluth Runner to share some of her knowledge/experiences with everyone. I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Interview Series – stick around for more to come!