What do you do for work and what do you like to do in your spare time for work?

For work, I’m a product marketer. In my spare time, I obviously love to run. I love to bake. I’m always trying out new recipes for desserts. And I am training my new puppy in all things behavioral and running.

What are some of your favorite places to run in San Francisco?

I feel very lucky to have lived in different pockets of San Francisco. And so there’s been favorite trails or favorite routes for each era of San Francisco. I first started out in the Mission, so I was always running up Twin Peaks. I spent a lot of weekday mornings running along the Embarcadero with friends before work, and then I had a Hayes Valley era during the pandemic where I was running those slow streets on Page into the park. And then now I’m very blessed to live in the Richmond where I get access to everything. On a whim, I can link up a million different trails in the Presidio. I have my weekday utility loop in Golden Gate Park. I’ll take the puppy out to Land’s End sometimes. Hop over the bridge into the Headlands. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but I would say probably Presidio Loop is just like a good mix of everything.

How would you describe running in San Francisco to someone who’s never been here? What’s unique about it?

I think that no matter how long you live in San Francisco, you’re going to always find something new. And that’s my favorite part. I’ve been running these streets and trails ten years on and every single day there’s something, a new little vista point or a new park that I never knew existed.

How has running shaped your perspective of San Francisco in the Bay Area?

Sometimes when you live in San Francisco, you can kind of get stuck in your own bubble, in your own routines. Running has definitely let me branch out a bit, go to neighborhoods I wouldn’t typically go to and really been the bedrock of the community that I’ve met, and that’s sort of formed my main network in San Francisco.

Why is running an important part of your life?

Running has shaped every piece of my life in some small way. I think it is core to my identity of like, how I describe myself. I am a sister, I’m a friend, I’m a runner, I’m a writer. I think the idea of being able to grab shoes, go out the door, no matter where you are, no matter what time of day, and also to like put it on the back burner for a bit and you can always come back to it. It’s been a constant throughout my life.

How would you describe the running community here?

The running community is quirky, it’s eclectic, it’s spontaneous, it’s down for anything. And I think it is really intimate. Even though there’s so many different run clubs, there’s some threads that sort of connect everybody. I’ve met so many of my friends through one club that leads me to another group run that leads me to another. I met my fiancé through the running community, so it definitely feels very personal, but very far reaching at the same time.

Do you have any specific favorite moving memories here in the Bay or in San Francisco?

Some of my favorite moments have been the pre-dawn moments in San Francisco when I’ve got my headlamp and I’m the only one on the roads or I’m the only one in the park, it just feels so peaceful. Every single time that I’ve done a race in San Francisco, it seems like wherever I look, it’s just somebody that I know or even all the signs are very, you know, micro San Francisco jokes that you would only get if you lived in this particular neighborhood. There’s something I think that’s so special about that.

Any advice for someone who’s looking to start running, switch over the trails or go to a longer distance?

It’s always more fun when you do it with a friend. And if you don’t have a friend, it’s very easy to make a friend running in San Francisco. So I would say show up at one of the numerous clubs, the numerous community runs. There’s so much. It’s sort of like a gateway drug, it just pulls you in. What keeps you in San Francisco? There’s just not that many reasons to leave. I think it’s very rare that a city just pulls you in, and doesn’t let go of its grip on you. It’s the access to nature. It’s the running routes right out your front door. It’s the openness of people here. It’s a flawed city, but it’s our flawed city. There’s something very special about that.

What do you do for work and what do you like to do in your spare time?

I do customer success for a tech startup based out in Marin County. In my spare time, I run a lot. I’ve been traveling a lot more and I might just curl up at home and read a book.

What are some of your favorite places to run in San Francisco?

It’s mostly all in Golden Gate Park. I think it is the best lot of land you can run in maybe all of America. It’s incredible views and great weather year round.

How would you describe running in San Francisco to someone who has never been there? What’s unique about it?

What’s so unique about running in San Francisco is that you get a little bit of everything. Obviously, San Francisco is seven by seven miles. By all accounts it’s not too big of a city, but it has a very dense population and it has a lot of really cool urban trails, cool flat roads, hills, and times where you can run through these parts of San Francisco where you’re like, where am I exactly, because you’re in these forests and deep trees and there’s all kinds of different terrain . No matter where you’re at in the city, you can catch yourself in these unique parts.

How has running shaped your perspective of San Francisco and the Bay Area?

Running, especially in San Francisco, has completely changed my lifestyle, and my perspective of this place. San Francisco is in movies and there’s a lot of cool tourist spots, but when you get to explore this area on two feet, you discover a lot of new areas. That’s how I got into running, actually. I was reading a book and they hit a lot of landmarks in the city. So I just kind of checked it off. I went to Presidio, I went to Lovers Lane, learned about the history of Lovers Lane and through there, found my footing in running.

Why is running an important part of your life?

Running now occupies a space in my life where that’s where I get all my socializing, where most of my goals are set, and it’s kind of where my sense of accomplishment comes from. A lot of the adventures and travel that I go on is running related and I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s a cool way to use your own two feet, your own strength and fitness to discover these new areas.

How would you describe the running community here in San Francisco?

The running community in San Francisco is so unique, so vibrant, and it’s a melting pot of different kinds of experiences, people, backgrounds, and goals. You have your ultra runners, you have your marathoners, you have your track runners, pretty much everything you can find and some weekends you’re on a long run in Golden Gate Park, and all those people come together and we all run together.

Do you have any specific favorite running memories here in the city?

Ironically enough, during the pandemic and 2020, there were these really cool projects happening throughout the city. There were these challenges where you run different segments for time. There were virtual races that were happening. Also friends were undertaking these big running endeavors and being a part of all that was a really special time.

Have you ever run the SF Marathon or Half?

I did The San Francisco Marathon in 2018 where I was actually an ambassador for the race. I had such a good experience. I was still new to marathoning. It was only my second marathon ever and so my expectations were low, but the delivery of the race was very high. I got to explore parts of the city that were really cool, run with people, and it was a very quiet race. It starts at like 5 a.m. and while everyone is still sleeping, you’re running through the city, which is a really cool way of experiencing San Francisco.

What’s your favorite part of the course?

My favorite part of the course is the section where you’re coming down one of the Richmond streets and you’re heading into Golden Gate Park and then you kind of loop through Golden Gate Park and you’re coming out to Haight Street. Haight Street is usually where all the people start lining up and cheering for you. At that point you’re at mile 18 of the race and in a road marathon, that’s when your legs are starting to hurt and you’re starting to really need that boost from people. For me, that was the most memorable part.

Why should people come to the San Francisco Marathon?

The San Francisco Marathon is such a unique race. Obviously the Golden Gate Bridge is the most iconic part of the race, but people don’t realize there’s so many other parts of San Francisco. All you gotta do is explore on two feet. It gives you really cool views of the Marin Headlands. It gives you really cool views of pretty much all the city. Any advice for someone who’s looking to start running or switch to trails or longer distances? I would say the best way to get into running is to just get out and run one mile, if that’s what you’re capable of doing. Use that as an opportunity to meet people and have their experiences teach you how to get better and faster, if that’s something you want to do, teach you about what
races to sign up for. Meeting people and using their wisdom and experience is a great way to expedite your experience of running.

What keeps you in San Francisco?

The community that’s been built out here. The community with running has really, really helped me out here. There’s been a couple of times in more recent years where the opportunity to leave has come up, but I just can’t turn my back on this community. I think the running community is amazing. We overlook the high prices of things for the community and the things that bring you more intrinsic value.

I’m a stem cell scientist at Fujifilm Cellular Dynamics, and in my spare time, I’m always after the best breakfast sandwich. I’m always on the hunt for donuts, getting out in nature, going for a walk. I love doing yoga, so just any excuse to be outside and to move.

What are some of your favorite places to run in the city?

I live very close to Twin Peaks, so Twin Peaks is a staple. Also, Glen Canyon, Mount Davidson and Laguna Honda Trails.

How would you describe running in San Francisco to someone who’s never been here? What’s unique about it?

A thing that’s unique about San Francisco running is that you have a lot of options. There’s really beautiful ways to connect the city on the roads. But then also hidden within and all around the city are all these trails. You can do the Crosstown Trail. You can look in all these specific neighborhoods and see that there’s a lot of stairwells that connect to these secret trails or other roads. There’s a lot of unique places to kind of get lost in San Francisco.

How has running shaped your perspective of San Francisco and the Bay Area?

Running has shaped my perception of San Francisco by allowing me to see all of the different neighborhoods. It’s easy to move to the city and to get into your own routine and stay in your own neighborhood. But when you run and you have an excuse to check out a coffee shop in another neighborhood, or food, or you go join a running group, all these running groups are meeting in different neighborhoods and running through different neighborhoods. When you’re going for a run, you might see something cool in the neighborhood. You might run past a farmer’s market, live music at a restaurant or a bar. So I think it just opens your mind to being able to see what else San Francisco has to offer outside of your own neighborhood.

Why is running an important part of your life?

Running is an important part of my life because it helps keep me grounded. It’s one of the times in my life where there’s a lot of expectations that all of us have and there’s a lot of noise in the world. Running allows me to declutter my mind, allows me to be focused on myself for a little bit and do something good for myself. So I feel like it’s a mind, body, soul type experience.

How would you describe the running community here?

We just had the SF Running Festival, and now my perception of the running community is that it’s much larger than I thought it was. When you go around, you will at least notice one person in each running group. The running community may feel small, but then when you look around, there’s a little bit of something for everybody: there’s a running group called The Unseen, there’s November Project, there’s Midnight Runners, there’s the Marina Run Club, there’s the Noe Valley Run Club, donut run clubs, LGBT running groups.

Do you have any specific favorite memories running here?

I am a big sunrise runner, so one of the memories that continues to be in my mind is when you get to the top of Twin Peaks as the sun is rising. And then there’s also a layer of fog so that you can really only see half of Salesforce Tower. And then you have the sun kind of coming up over it and reflecting off of Salesforce. And then you look to your left and you also see the bridge. I think it’s one of the most iconic views. And then you look down and see this winding street. I feel like there’s no feeling like it. Every single time, it never feels old. It feels new. So I’m always chasing sunrise.

Do you have any advice for someone who’s looking to start running or switch over to trails or, do longer distances?

The main piece of advice I can give is to try to think of it as a sustainable and lifelong hobby. I think it’s easy to jump all in, not necessarily knowing where you want to go, but if you kind of put some structure to it and say, I’m going to run X amount of times per week, I’m going to run this speed this day, and then maybe run a little bit faster another day. If you start incrementally increasing it. And then you also find some friends that hold you accountable and want to run with you and make you feel good while you’re running. I think that allows you to make it a lifelong hobby and a part of your life.

What keeps you here in San Francisco?

So I am from the Midwest, and having been here and never having to really experience a winter, being able to run year round, having amazing food and people around, and then access to the whole Bay Area, whether that be Marin, whether that be Oakland, or even Tahoe or Mammoth. Just all these things being able to have sunshine, beach, mountains, water, snow I think that that makes the Bay Area a very unique place and a place to call forever home.

Is there anything else you want to share about running here?

Running is magical here. When I first moved here, I didn’t know what to expect with running. I joined an existing running group that I was a part of when I moved from Washington, D.C., But then when you meet people in these running groups, they will start showing you what makes the running community special. Someone showed me the trails and now I identify with the trails as being my home. But I wouldn’t have known that if I wouldn’t have just showed up at a running group and been curious. So I think stay curious, enjoy all the amazing places that you can run in San Francisco and in the Bay Area proper and just stay curious.

I am a resident physician at UCSF right now, so I am in training to become a doctor. In my free time, I like to run and spend time with my dog and my friends and my family.

What are some of your favorite places to run in the city?

In the city, I love running in Golden Gate Park. There’s nothing like it. I also love to run in the Presidio, Land’s End, Mount Sutro. I’d say those are my four favorite spots.

You’ve been running in Golden Gate Park for kind of the entirety of your running. Do you get sick of it?

Surprisingly, no. Even though I’ve been running there for years now, there’s always something new to find , which is fun. Especially in the last few years, I’ve noticed that it’s become just a really fun place to go and people watch and see people out there enjoying their time. It’s a beautiful park. Especially since I’ve been in medical school and now in residency, it’s just such a fun place to go and enjoy the outdoors and enjoy other people enjoying the outdoors and see a beautiful place. So, yeah, I haven’t gotten sick of it.

How would you describe running in San Francisco to someone who’s never been here? What makes San Francisco unique?

I think the access to outdoors. From almost every part of the city, you can run from your front door and within a few miles, be in a place where it feels like you’re outside of the city, surrounded by green space and trees and wilderness. I feel like that’s very unique to running in San Francisco. A lot of people complain about the hills, but I say the hills bring you to beautiful views.

How has running shaped your perspective of San Francisco, of the Bay Area?

So I left San Francisco for college, came back and then with November Project had the opportunity to run in a lot of different neighborhoods and that opened my eyes to a lot of the different neighborhoods in San Francisco and each neighborhood has its own personality. Getting to see that and experience it by running through them has been a really fun experience. Also, running has been a vehicle for me to explore other parts of the Bay Area: north to Marin, to the East Bay, South Bay. There’s just always a place to go, run and explore and discover something new. So running has been a really great way for me to explore the greater Bay Area.

Why is running an important part of your life?

There’s many aspects. It’s a way for me to connect with other people, to build relationships with other people . As I’ve grown older, running has become a meditative thing for me to decompress from the day and turn off my brain or think through problems, if something’s troubling me.

How would you describe the running community here?

The running community here is great. It’s a really deep community. There’s a lot of people who are involved in the community. Whatever type of runner you are, there’s a community for it. So if you’re a trail runner, there’s a trail running community. If you’re a road runner, there’s a road running community, and there’s a lot of overlap between the two . The people within the community all are really interesting people. Going on a run, you’re going to meet someone new and they’re going to have a really interesting story and that’s what makes it really fun.

Do you have any specific favorite running memories here?

So many. The most recent one that comes to mind is doing the Quad Dipsea last year. It was a really fun running accomplishment for myself, but also there’s one specific memory of cresting Cardiac Hill and there were a bunch of friends there and my family and my husband Nick’s family and they’re all cheering. And then as I’m running down the hill from there, Nick is running back up and we high fived each other. It was just a good representation of how it felt good to be pursuing a running goal of my own. And then also the community really showed up and getting to really bask in that moment was fun.

Do you have any advice for someone who’s looking to start running or like, switch over to trails or do longer distances?

Yeah, a few things. The first is: go at your own pace. There’s no right way to get into running. And I just think it’s going at a pace that feels best for you. It’s really easy to compare yourself to others and what they’re doing, but that’s only going to make you feel bad about yourself. Setting achievable goals for yourself and then celebrating when you reach those. As far as getting into trail running, the thing I say to people is trail running is like hiking. You can walk. And that’s the secret. Just enjoying the process, making it your own process and celebrating the small wins.

You’ve lived in San Francisco a long time. What keeps you here?

Mmm, so much. I think the community I’ve built here and the access to outdoors and the proximity to really beautiful places that I can run in is what keeps me here.

I am a nurse at UCSF. I work as a clinical nurse specialist. In my spare time, actually, fitness is something I really enjoy and hanging out with my pit bull, Stella.

What are some of your favorite places to run in the city of San Francisco?

The Moraga steps used to be where I would run and the area surrounding in the middle of the night when I worked night shifts as a nurse in the earlier years. So it’s a place I return to quite often. I live in the Upper Haight and so I run into Golden Gate Park. I run around Kezar Stadium. I love running the hills up behind the hospital. That’s sort of my part of the city.

How would you describe living in San Francisco to someone who’s never been here? What’s unique about it?

Variety. So I spend a lot of time in the East Bay and I just marvel at how flat my friends’ neighborhoods are. And I love I love coming here because it reminds me that my legs can do so much more. I really love that you can run the Batteries to Bluffs trail and be between beautiful homes and cliffs and starfish and then hang out right up underneath the Golden Gate Bridge and then just turn around and you’re back in neighborhoods and then you’re back in the city. It’s all just kind of right there. Seriously, starfish and sea anemones in Baker Beach. Baker Beach is a magical place. It’s why I moved here. I saw that with my dad and I was like, I am coming here. I will find a job as a nurse here. I will be here.

How has running shaped your perspective of San Francisco in the Bay Area?

Running has always been a bit of a love hate thing for me. It’s always been really challenging. I’m a person who’s struggled with staying fit, maintaining fitness. It’s just the natural journey I think a lot of us have. It’s sort of the thing that feels like the greatest reboot for me. It’s something I’m rebooting now. I’ve run the San Francisco half and a couple of other half marathons, and now I’m trying to get back to a 5k. I ran a mile non stop recently and that was like a huge feat for me. It’s been a lot of ups and downs. But I think the thing that’s coolest about it is it allows me to explore places I’m usually not allowed to go. Got a dead end? I can go check it out. You got a random trail? I can go and see where it stops and then turn around and come home. If I want to loop, I can do a loop. I don’t have to plan it. It just can happen.

How would you describe the running community here?

There’s so many options. I ran on my own, as I mentioned, for a long time in the middle of the night in the Sunset and just did my own thing. It’s funny, I wore dark clothes. I didn’t want anybody to see me. I didn’t really want to be noticed. And then, you know, years later, a friend of mine introduced me to this free running group called November Project. And then I was running all the time in the daylight, and that was just something I hadn’t done since I was a teenager. And then I had other things come up in my life and started biking instead of running. And then there were people that I would bike commute with. And then now I’m back to running. I’ve got a trio. We’re all trying to run a 5k in January together, so it’s back to a smaller community of like minded, but very differently abled people.

Do you have any specific favorite running memories here?

Finishing the Nike Women’s Half Marathon, for me, was a really big goal. I had volunteered for the medical team for a few years and just being able to be a part of that race and then beating my PR for my half marathon in the San Francisco Half was awesome and I ran that with a friend and had a few people along the way cheering me on. There’s nothing cooler than groups of people you know being there. The first thing that always comes to mind is running late at night up in these hills listening to really excellent music. Sometimes I do sing to myself. It’s a mix of nineties hip hop, sirens, you know, ladies with really huge voices and excellent production. I just remember this one dude that I ran into in my zigzag towards the end of the [San Francisco Half] who had a sign that basically said, Say hi to me, this is my bazillionth marathon and I beat cancer or some very problematic illness. And I was just like, this is why we do this. He was really fun and I ran with him for a moment and it was grounding in a way, and it kept me going.

Any advice for someone who’s looking to start running or to switch over to the trails or to push themselves to a longer distance?

My gosh. I don’t even know how the hell I did it. I think training plans were important. I think having a variety of people that are willing to run with you, even if it’s just for a part of your run. I had one friend who needed to do 20 miles and I was like, I have five for you, and I’m out. And we had a really great five miles. I think giving yourself time and allowing yourself to wander will allow you to sometimes add time, distance and speed. One of the other things I would do is run out to near the ocean where a friend’s kid lived and I would just run to go visit and it allowed me to gain distance at a time where I was really struggling to get my runs in.

What keeps you in San Francisco?

I feel comfortable here. I feel seen here. It’s a place where when I walk around, I see other people like me. I work at a place that I think is just so terrific and I work with a lot of really smart people. And the view’s like I always tell people, I have ocean, I have city, I have gritty, I have smelly, I have weird, I have funky and I have unexplainable, if I just open my eyes. Like, the city is full of everything and then you can go hug a tree in the woods, including in Golden Gate Park, they have some pretty nice redwoods in there. The AIDS Grove is one of the most magical little tiny places in the city. And the thing is, the city is just full of, like, weird magic, cause sea anemones and starfish. I mean c’mon, it’s ridiculous, it’s so cool.