The Freckled Cheetah

This is a blog about a girl, her love for running, the outdoors, and traveling. This is a blog about hopes and dreams and attempting to make both a reality. Through hard work and determination, early mornings and long nights, I am pursing my goals to become the best I can be as an athlete and a person. I'm so happy you've decided to join me!

My Story

Running is my happy place, my therapist, my worst enemy, my biggest motivator. Running pushes me to become the best I can. My background did not start out in running, which makes my love for the sport even more special. I remember coming in last for the mile run every year in primary school, dreading the next time I would have to suffer through the humiliation.  Running isn't my background, but endurance sport is -- just the aquatic type.

At 5 months old, my mom had me in the pool, by 16 months, I could swim under the lane lines, and at 3, I was in the 25 meter kick board races. At 16, I was competing in multiple events at the State Competition including the 500m freestyle, the longest distance available for state competition. I once even went so far as to compete in a 2-mile pool race. Yes. 2 miles. In the pool. I get dizzy thinking about that to this day. My background is in the water, at the pool, in the ocean waves. Blessed with large feet, my nickname was flipper for the longest time.

In the 10th grade, I made the big decision to give up my club swim team for a variety of reasons. But, coming from a family that doesn't know how to sit still, my mom told me I had to try another sport for the Fall. Enter Katie's running career. I bought a pair of sneakers, reluctantly put them on my feet, and took off running, never really looking back. Three years, 2 years as a captain, a new nickname (Cheetah - for the freckles, not the speed), memories to last a lifetime and friends to last an eternity, I made the jump to collegiate competition. After an injury plagued Freshman season, I was sidelined for 3 years, re-evaluating everything, falling in to a deep lull in motivation and enthusiasm for anything athletic. I packed on 25 pounds and gave up on athletics. I didn't run a single race from November 2009 to October 2012.

Then I randomly signed up for a 5K in the fall of 2012, and as they say, the rest is history.

After hundreds of 5K's, multiple 10 miler's and half-marathons, a full marathon, and an Olympic distance triathlon, here I am. Training for more marathons, and planning on a couple of Ultra's...including my dream -- the 4 Deserts Series Atacama Crossing in Chile, 2017.

Join me as I reflect my journey through running among the pages of this blog. It will be full of highs and lows, times of extreme success and epic failures. Injuries are certain, and so are PR's. Running will always be a part of my life, and I'm so happy you can see a snapshot of my journey.