Lauren Davis and I have been bonding over coffee, tea, cake, cookies, ice cream, and running, for about 8 years now. In college, I started calling her Lolo for reasons that I cannot remember, or maybe for no reason–again, I cannot remember. Lolo is creative, quiet (sometimes), SUPER FAST (all the time), thoughtful, loyal, and extremely hard-working. She follows her passions (running, marketing, friending/girl-friending, eating good food, pairing good food with good beer, being a Bruin, puppy-mommying) without restraint, and is never afraid to explore a new hobby (triathlon, website creation, traveling, cooking, baking, photography, computer coding). Those are some of my favorite things about Lolo. Did I mention that she designed this website? And did I mention that she is a very fast runner? Here’s her side of the story:
Current place of residence: Austin, TX
Hometown/place of birth: Corona del Mar, CA
Day job: Marketing Coordinator
Favorite sports or hobbies (besides running): swimming, biking, hiking, and playing tug of war with my dog
Current (2015/2016) run/race goal: 5k/10k PR
Best race distance: 5k & 10k
Dream race: Stockholm Marathon
Race mantra: I usually have a song lyric in my head that makes me feel strong and focused
When/how/why did you start running/endurance sports? I started running in middle school when I was no longer having fun playing soccer. I joined the middle school track team and realized I was pretty good at it!
Hardest race and/or workout you’ve ever completed: Collegiate Triathlon Nationals – it was cold, windy and I was incredibly under-trained. It was horrible!
Most memorable training and/or race moment(s):
1) Breaking 18 minutes in the 5k
2) Breaking the tape for the first time…
If you had to switch sports, what would you switch to, and why? Triathlon, if I had more time to train. Most likely swimming – I love how swimming makes every muscle hurt, but the good kind of hurt.
Words of wisdom to someone considering training for their first foot race: Consistency! Run every day, even if it’s just for 15 minutes.
Something you’ve learned about yourself through running/endurance sport: My ability to deal with stress is much higher than I think.
Pre-race ritual or superstition? I don’t have any superstitions, but I make sure I eat lots of clean protein (fish/steak/pork) and carbs (white/brown rice) the days before.
Training/racing “secrets”/tips? If it hurts, take a day off. I’ve avoided many injuries by just taking a day off when something feels off or I haven’t gotten enough recovery.
Training/racing pet peeve? The person who uses you the whole race, but doesn’t try to pass you.
Why do you keep running? Running allows me to discover what I’m capable of, in a way that nothing else in life does. Running challenges me to push myself through pain and setbacks, and this carries over into every aspect of my life. I’m a better person because I run.
What does “Fuel” mean to you? Giving my body what it craves to get the work done. Sometimes that’s a salad packed with brown rice, beans, and veggies. Other times that’s a burger, fries, and cold beer!
What does being “Fit” mean to you? The feeling that your body is firing on all cylinders and you’re unstoppable! It’s not a number of a scale or a specific pant size.
Pick one:
Trail or track? Track
Solo or group training? I prefer to do quality workouts with a group. But solo run allow you to focus on your body and push yourself.
Chocolate or cheese? Chocolate
Watch on your left wrist or right? Left
Morning or evening workout? Morning
Hat or visor? Hat
Cheerios or Wheaties? I haven’t eaten either in years! I’m an oatmeal gal.
Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate? Coffee
Want to join the Lolo fan club? You can follow her on Twitter @lauren_edavis