Author: Steph E.

I am a public relations, communications, and marketing integrator who has a passion for learning, consuming, and communicating that can’t be satiated. I believe that communication is at the core of all things. When done right, it can ignite change, sell products, spark ideas, strengthen relationships, and even change history. To me, for these reasons, having the opportunity to create someone’s message or tell a story is an awesome responsibility. Whether it be for a brand, a global corporation, or a population in need, I have the duty to be an ethical leader, creative genius, idea generator, content creator, and any number of other things. I can’t imagine waking up to do anything else. Life is short, but it is amazing! Take chances, be creative, work hard, lead with your heart, always be kind, give back, and never stop learning. My goal in life is to always love what I do, and try to handle every situation with grace and humor. P.S. Go Spartans! "Never let the odds keep you from pursuing what you know in your heart you were meant to do." -Satchel Paige

30 Day Running Challenge: Day 4

Tell us about your first race or when you plan to start!

My first race was a Susan G. Komen 5k in downtown Lansing, and I personally believe there is no better place to start racing than an event like this.  I have been doing this race for 8 years now, and it is such an amazing experience. 

An event like Susan G. Komen is so welcoming to a new or inexperienced runner.  The whole point is to be there, supporting a cause, rejoicing with survivors, celebrating the lives of those who have been lost, and to champion the hope for a cure, and the run is just an added bonus.  But it is just a very friendly, supportive place to run I feel.

I didn’t realize this until I went out to my first non-charity run, which was a 10k.  I felt so out of my element and so intimidated.  The runners were there to RUN, get PR’s, crush previous times, and beat out as many people as they could.  I ended up running a great race that day, but it was just a different feel than I had been used to.  ( I must note that I do feel much more comfortable at all races now that I have a few under my belt).

But, there will still be nothing like that feeling of your first race, and it was just extra sweet for me that I was running for a cause 🙂

Awesome dipped in awesome, covered in bitch sprinkles. Yep, that's me.

30 Day Running Challenge: Day 3

What ultimate running goal would you like to accomplish?

This is one thing that I love about running, the fact that my goals are forever changing.  I never thought completing a marathon would be one of my goals, or to do a triathlon, but alas they were/are.

So, at this point, my next goal would be to shave some serious time off of my marathon and half marathon time (under 5 hours and under 2 hours, respectfully).

My ultimate might be to one day complete an ultra-marathon… that would be AWESOME.

30 Day Running Challenge: Day 2

Why did you continue to run?

At some point, I feel like you can’t really stop.  Each run became a chance to be better than I had been on my last run.  A bad day could easily be washed away with a good run (unfortunately, a bad day could be worsened by a bad run, but let’s focus on the positive).

I guess I continue running because I worked so hard to become a runner, and nothing can beat that feeling of accomplishment after a great run 🙂

Perfectly said!