Friday Spotlight: NonReligiousPopette
Happy Holidays r/running!
For the final Spotlight of 2016 we've got a runner who is personally one of my favorites and one of the most entertaining frequenters in my opinion. Always around to submit great photos and keep the conversation going. She's been a positive influence in our subreddit and is one of the reasons why she's been nominated! So without any more wait, here she is.../u/NonReligiousPopette
Let's do this!
###The Runner:
First Name?
Moly (or Molly)
Age?
29!
Where are you from?
Toledo, Ohio
Occupation?
I quit my job as a laboratory assistant earlier this year to spend more time with my dog and running shoes. And kids.
###Running Q&A's:
What are your PR’s?
29:20 - 5k
1:03:12 - 10k
2:38:00 - half marathon
What is your distance PR?
18 miles because I got lost. It was only supposed to be a 15 mile run. :|
What’s your highest recorded weekly mileage?
56!
What’s your comfy pace?
I favor a good 10:30 minute per mile pace but when I race I’m comfortable with a flat 10.
How long have you been running?
6.5 years!
Tell us why you began running?
When husband and I got engaged, I got more into fitness. We went to the park to give running a try and I sucked. Like, really sucked. Like, I think I made it for ten seconds before I noped out of that situation.
Being the stubborn girl that I am, over the years I was determined to give it another try. After having my daughter, I stumbled upon an article similar to a C25K program. I bought the magazine in the hospital gift shop and took it home to my husband. We bought a jogging stroller, strapped in my six month old little girl, and followed the training plan.
I vividly remember the anger and resentment I had for my husband as he limbered along behind me, occasionally poking my ass to get me to keep going, and counting down the seconds until I could walk again. I wanted to quit but my daughter loved being in the stroller and was happy.
She was a sickly baby and often miserable. We didn’t have the best relationship, either. I worked too much to develop a bond with her. But the endorphins from running and her happiness in the stroller gave us a chance. By the end of the summer I was running for 20 minutes straight and started staying home from work a little more to spend time with my baby. I finally bonded with my baby and with running.
Most memorable running moment?
My first outdoor run after my lung procedure. It took me 17 minutes to go a mile but it was the best feeling ever to be able to run again after 11 months on the sofa. (More details on my bronchial thermoplasty can be found in [this r/asthma post](https://www.reddit.com/r/Asthma/comments/24pe4c/bronchial_thermoplasty_the_final_update/?st=ix6jzhsm&sh=90b46d7a)
Do you have a running mantra?
“Wine and doughnuts, wine and doughnuts, wine and doughnuts” Except I wined myself out at a wedding in August so now it’s just “where’s my doughnut?”
What time of day do you prefer to run?
Midday! I ain’t afraid of no sun!
Any big races coming up?
I’m training for my first marathon in October 2017, the Detroit Free Press! But I also have my favourite annual run, the Glass City half marathon in April 2017. My husband will run it with me for his first half marathon.
What are your short-term running goals?
Replacing my shoes. There’s a hole in the toe.
What are your long-term running goals?
I’d really like to run the Dances with Dirt in Hell, MI.
What’s one piece of running advice you’d give to the younger version of yourself?
Breathing is as important as leg strength. Trade your second leg day in for aerobics!
What is something you need to work on to become a better runner?
Posture. When I get tired, I lean forward and curl my back.
What is your current shoe choice?
Saucony Kinvaras and snow boots.
Trail? Road? Track? Or Treadmill?
Trails and roads! I live in the city but near metroparks. I get the best of both worlds.
What is your ideal running weather?
I’d like to say fall weather but my lungs perform better in early summer.
###Just For Fun:
What’s your spirit animal?
What hobbies and interests do you have besides running?
Lots! I’m a seamstress and enjoy making all of my own running costumes. I also like to bake and decorate cookies, and then I give them away because I hate eating them. I’m dangerously good at Mario Kart and puzzles. And I have a lot of books around. I like to read college text books, Sherlock Holmes stories that I’ve read a dozen times already, running books, Brian Froud artwork books, cooking books, autobiographies and biographies, books about my many hobbies, and an impressive collection of seek and find books meant for my kids but really, I read them more.
Do you have any hidden talents?
I have never failed an IV start. One time I started one in the lower part of a patient’s middle finger and then splinted it accordingly as a statement to the physician that denied the patient a PICC line because “those two lab girls can draw him just fine!”
Biggest pet peeve?
Assuming the worst in people and their actions.
Dream job! What would it be?
I miss working in the trauma bay. I’d love to either finish my nursing degree or, preferably, train to be a paramedic. Two more years until my littlest is in kindergarten and I’m goin’ back to school!
Favorite Quote or Poem?
“Hit somebody!” Bonus points if anyone here can state the reference!
What is your favorite movie?
Lately it’s been Imitation Game, but I’m also fond of the Harry Potter series, Wreck-It Ralph, Sherlock Holmes and the BBC television series Sherlock, and just about anything with Stephen Chow except for CJ7. They let the depression carry on too long in that one.
What is your biggest character flaw?
I stretch myself entirely too thin for the sake of others.
What songs have you been listening to recently?
I like movie soundtracks. Wreck-It Ralph, Pirates of the Caribbean, Sherlock Holmes, Forrest Gump, Imitation Game, and so on. If it has an orchestrated soundtrack, it’s on my playlist.
What are some of your favorite non-running subreddits?
/r/RandomActsofChristmas and r/RAOCSantas (the private subreddit for the gifting Santas to discuss our gifting game plans), and r/BostonTerrier.
###One Last Question:
What is the origin of your username?
My husband was a Digg-er and found reddit when things started getting shoddy over there. He created his username, u/TheNonReligiousPope, because of our last name and the fact that we’re not the holy guy with the funny hat. After a few months of him being on reddit, I made an account at work to troll him. I wanted /u/TheNonReligiousPopette but it was too long. :(
That's it folks! Have a great weekend and stay safe this New Year!
####Thanks for reading everyone!!!
#Please tag u/NonReligiousPopette when asking a question in this thread!
Previously Featured Spotlight Runners:
Posted Dec 30, 2016, 1:27 PM UTC · edited