Victoria, feeling victorious after her first 10K.

For many women, ZOOMA is a chance to reconnect with old friends—and run a race while they’re at it. Victoria Mason, a 35-year-old writer who blogs at The Mummy Chronicles and Mummy’s Product Reviews, and her friend, Jen, are no different. The pair were college roommates at the University of Maryland, and now, thanks to their five collective children under the age of seven, only see each other twice a year. “I tried to coax a girls weekend out of her for ZOOMA,” says Victoria, “We don’t get a lot of one on one time together anymore since we have had kids. We are going to spend the night at her house, but she and I both know other friends who are doing the half-marathon and 10k so we’ll meet up with them post-race. That’s one of the things I like about the idea of a ZOOMA: it gives you an easy excuse for some girlfriend time.”

Here’s a closer look at Victoria, who will be running the ZOOMA 10K while Jen takes on the half-marathon; Jen, who Victoria calls, “so motivating,” wants to beat her time from the 2011 ZOOMA. “Jen inspires me to go further, make better time and to be in all around better shape,” she adds, “We might drive others crazy when we get together because we talk about running a lot!”  

When did you start running? I initially started running in 1999 during my first job for the Department of Defense. My job there entailed traveling at least once a month, for two weeks at a time for 11 months of every year. Running was the only thing I could do anywhere: a hotel gym, a military base, where I was often sent to work, gym or track facility and at home in College Park, MD.

She'll be as smiley as she is here after the race, when she has a chance to reconnect with her pals.

What has been a highlight of your running career thus far?  My first 10k back in December 2009. It was rainy and cold and I did it to qualify for the DC Half-Marathon in March. I had never run that long or far before and thought it would be impossible. Little did I know I was pregnant with my third child and it would take me until now to do my first half-marathon, which I’m going to run on May 20^th. I have been training since January 2012 when I decided I needed a goal and something to look forward to as much as I needed a push to get rid of the last of my baby weight.

What is the best part of running for you?  I love being outdoors year-round and that it is something I can do anywhere. It’s free, keeps me in shape and always improves my mood.  You never know if a run will produce a runner’s high, so why not keep going out to try and get it?

The hardest part? For me, it is a mind over body issue. A lot of my bad runs or lack of motivation to go beyond my comfort zone/mileage come from my brain talking me out of things.  I try to work it out by reasoning right back. I don’t know how logical that sounds but just as I can psyche myself out of things, I can psyche myself right back into them. I’ve been known to yell at myself while running and it is usually because my brain is saying things like, “Eh, you’ve already done five miles, why do two more?”

What is your goal for the ZOOMA? Right now I seem to run 10K right at an hour but I’ve had a few runs that were shorter in time, so that’s my goal.

What three words describe your running? Slow (ha!). Steady. Quiet.

Where:
Charm City Run – Annapolis Towne Centre at Parole
1910 Towne Center Blvd Suite 120
Annapolis, MD 21401

When: Wednesday, May 30

Time: 6:30-9:00 pm

RSVP today!

When: Tuesday, May 22 at 6:30pm

Where:
Bike Doctor
953 Ritchie Highway
Arnold, MD 21012

RSVP

Click HERE to enter! 

Jolie Hornyak and Griffin, her son and motivation, enjoying ZOOMA Atlanta--and on their way to a sub-30-minute 5K PR.

A gorgeous crisp morning greeted the 928 racers at the ZOOMA Atlanta half marathon and 5K—brilliant blue skies and temperatures in the mid-50s. It was the first time the women’s race series had come to the shores of the Lake Lanier Islands, and it was the first half-marathon run exclusively on the islands.

“It was beautifully scenic,” said Jennifer Mohler, who ran the 5K with three friends. It was her first ZOOMA race, although she had been wanting to run one for several years. “It was invigorating, and I’m very pleased with how my friends and I ran.”

The race was the first one in five years for Sarah Caron, who chose it as her culmination race after following the Couch to 5K training plan. “The race was a get-started point for me. It was so motivating: I found the race, then it was my inspiration to train,” she said.

Jolie Hornyak also felt triumphant post-race: It was the first 5K she’d ever run faster than 30 minutes. Her secret weapon? Her 15-year-old son, Griffin, who ran the race with her. “It was fantastic. I love this beautiful venue,” she said at the post-race party, held on Pine Isle Pointe, which juts out into the lake.

Jolie wasn’t the only mother runner completing the 5K with her “child.” Donna McDowell ran with her daughter, Jennessa Peterson. The last time Donna ran a race was 32 years ago–when she was pregnant with Jennessa. After having a malignancy removed from her lung last year, mother Donna’s slogan in 2012 is, “What am I waiting for.”

The half-marathoners enjoyed the rolling hills of the course, which made several loops past the island’s water park, across the entrance bridge, around the clock tower, and past the pine-dotted campgrounds. The loop course made for excellent spectating—family and friends could cheer on their racer several times from one spot—and it created, “a fun atmosphere,” said Maresa Smith, who ran the half while two friends did the 5K. “This was our first ZOOMA and our first women’s race; we’d always wanted to do an all-women’s race. It had great energy.”

As with any race in this part of Georgia, encountering a few hills was inevitable. Yet they didn’t stop racers like Holly Hahn from setting a personal best, knocking 10 minutes off her previous fastest 13.1-miler. She liked that it was, “a nice, chill race—not big or scary like races in Atlanta proper.”

Belinda Moon also surpassed her expectations: Her goal was to run 1:54, but she crossed the line in 1:50. “It was nice to have so many spectators cheering at the main turnaround,” she said. “I thought the course was really awesome.”

Happy running! 

The 2012 ZOOMA race series was minutes away from kicking off in Austin under overcast skies with temperatures already in the 70s at nearly 7:30 a.m. on March 31. The half-marathoners took their places near signs that ticked off potential race paces, starting at 7:00-minute miles back to 12:00-minute ones and beyond. ZOOMA volunteer and runner Karen Speir charmed the crowd with a beautiful singing of the national anthem, then Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea, the authors of the just-released Train Like a Mother, said a few rousing words to the assemblage of runners. Next up was Sara Hall, a Muscle Milk-sponsored Olympian headed to the London Games, with a few words of encouragement. Then the runners headed away from the Hyatt Lost Pines resort to traverse the quiet country roads lined with a profusion of bluebonnets, paintbrushes, and primroses. A few minutes later, 450 5K racers set off for their personal “victory lap,” in the words of McDowell.

After the 3.1-mile race, Michella Melton, a runner dressed in a hot pink tank like her friends, said she runs ZOOMA, “for the resort, the champagne at the finish line, the post-race atmosphere, and the challenging course.” This was the second time the 37-year-old from Celina had done ZOOMA Texas. Jamie Turner of Georgetown ran the 5K with three friends. “It’s a very good course that’s a good balance of hills. And it’s beautiful, like running in the prairie,” said Turner, smiling. 

Two happy, determined finshers.

Neasel Conner, an Austin runner six weeks pregnant with her first child, agreed the course was “awesome,” she exclaimed. “The scenery makes the run easier; being a part of nature helps to push you forward.”

Other racers were fueled by competition. Alwyn Pinnow and her 10-year-old daughter, Faith, ran the 5K together with Krista and Brynn Darr, another mother-daughter duo. This was Faith’s fourth 5K, and she missed having more guys in the race. “It’s more fun to beat the boys. It’s not as fun to pick off other women.”

Chelsea Chang, a 24-year-old runner from Temple who ran the half-marathon, however, loved the mostly women field. “There were a lot of strong ladies out there, a lot of fist pumping and high-fiving when they passed each other on the out-and-back between miles 6 to 9.”

 Women traveled from outside the state to run the ZOOMA race and enjoy the lovely Hyatt resort, including Jennifer Allen of Erie, Colorado, who ran the half-marathon with a gal-pal. “It was a great catch-up time without our kids, and now we can relax and put our feet up.” Since race day was her 40^th birthday, Jennifer said with a twinkle in her eye, “we’re going to hydrate with wine.”

Bree Ray, 32, traveled from Ashland, Oregon, with her mother to experience their first ZOOMA race. Since the race was so well organized, she said, “We didn’t have to think about anything but running and having fun.”

For the last few months they made the personal sacrifices necessary to train for a 5k or half marathon. Weekday schedules were juggled to accommodate runs and cross training. They woke up early on Saturday mornings and braved the cold (or heat!or rain!) while the rest of their families stayed snuggled in bed.

With the help of H-E-B and their dietitian, the group learned to look at food as FUEL and started focusing on taking care of their bodies from the inside out. Through yoga and meditation we learned that by taking care of ourselves first, we can better take care of others.  

Along the way amazing stories emerged. Ladies who were losing weight, mothers gaining confidence through conquering miles, friendships forged on tough training runs.

On Saturday, March 31st the H-E-B ZOOMA Texas Girlfriends Program completed the ZOOMA Texas half marathon and 5k, each of them crossing the finish line with a smile on their face.

Race Day

photo credit: Lisa Moawad

photo credit: Janna Carroll

A heartfelt thanks goes out to our amazing group of mentors this year. Because of you, these ladies have found a love of running. Your passion for others has helped lay a foundation of fitness which will serve them for years to come.

This program was made possible through the generous support and community involvement of H-E-B. You can read more about the H-E-B ZOOMA Texas Girlfriends Program by clicking HERE.