Runner's Spotlight: Meet Jocelyn aka Enthusiastic Runner

My next featured runner is one of the few tweeps I've met in person. Meet Jocelyn. I met Jocelyn back in the spring at the NJ Marathon. The NJ Marathon was Jocelyn's 2nd marathon and her goal was to go sub-4. Catching up with her after the race, she told me that she missed out on her sub-4. I could tell she was disappointed and told her that it had taken me 4 tries to run a sub-4, which I believe provided her some reassurance. 

Jocelyn ran the Chicago Marathon this fall and just missed the sub-4 by about 4 minutes. It would appear the number 4 was starting to taunt her. A little over a month later, she ran in her 4th marathon (Philly) and well, I let her tell you what happened...

Q: When did you start running and why?

I grew up playing sports so I always "ran". But I didn't start running (aka without kicking a soccer ball) until I went to college. I started running 4 times a week for 3 or 4 miles just to relieve stress and get fresh air.   When I got my first job out of college, a bunch of guys at my company  (I worked in a mostly male department) asked me to be on their Ragnar Relay Team.  I had never run more than 4 miles before, but in order to impress them, I "trained" for the Relay race.   I had so much fun training that I decided to sign up for a half marathon a couple months later, then a marathon six months later, and now four years later, I'm addicted.  

Q: I loved your blog post about your recent PR effort at the Philly Marathon. What did it mean to break the sub-4 hour barrier?

Thank you for reading my blog post! I never think that people actually read my blog posts.  As for breaking the Sub-4 barrier: My first marathon finish time was a 5:04, so I have come a long way.  It was an unbelievable feeling crossing at 3:50 in Philly!  I was really proud of myself.  It was probably one of the first times I have accomplished a goal just for me - not for my parents, my boss, etc.  Sub-4 was my goal.   

Q: What was your most memorable race?

Hood to Coast 2011 & 2012 with Team Nuun Hydration. I love the team atmosphere of relay races.  It was an amazing opportunity to run with a company I believe in, meet new running friends, and be inspired to become a faster runner.  I will forever be grateful to Nuun for giving me the opportunity to run on their team.

Q: When is your next race?

Next "A" race will be Eugene Marathon in April 2013.  I will probably run a couple half marathons as training runs in the next couple of months, but my eyes are set on Eugene. 

Q: What is your weirdest/funniest running moment?

I have blonde hair, and sometimes I wear my hair in a messy bun when I run. Well, one time I was running and a bird landed on top of my head!  I think he thought my "messy bun" was a bird's nest.  I freaked out (obviously) because the bird wouldn't get off my head!

Q: Who is the biggest motivator in your life?

Great question.  My parents signed me up for sports at a very young age, so I appreciate them for that.  I think it taught me how to be self-motivated when it comes to sports.  Of course I look up to a lot of professional athletes and running friends.  But I think I am self-motivated, aren't all non-professional runners?  No one is paying us to run 20 miles on the weekends! (Unless you are a professional runner).

Q: What is your favorite quote?

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill

Q: If you could only give one piece of running advice to a newbie runner, what would it be?

Start slow!  You don't need to sign-up for a marathon.  You don't even need to sign up for a 5K.  I think running is more than running races - it is about being outside, improving your mood, releasing stress, listening to good music, keeping yourself active and/or spending time with friends.  Think about those things before you think about certain paces or distances.

Q: If you could only use one word to describe what running means to you, what would it be?

Fun!

Q: Anything else we should know about you?
Blog: enthusiasticrunner.com
Twitter: @enthusiasticrun
Runner for Team Oiselle: www.oiselle.com/athletes/jocelyn-bonneau
Nuun Ambassador: nuun.com