Inspirational story from Ellen Larkin

MNRS: How many races did you do in 2019?

Ellen: 4 - Goldy's 5K, Lake Minnetonka Half, Lola's Half, RBC Race for the Kids Half

MNRS: Do you have a goal or did you complete a goal in the last year?

Ellen: I wanted to complete all 3 half marathons in the summer series and PR in at least one in comparison to my time from last year. I ran the Lake Minnetonka Half last spring (2018) and didn't feel great about my run. I wanted to go back and complete it in a better time and feel relatively good throughout the race. I typically do at least one half, but after that I tend to give up running for more than a month. While the rest is nice, I miss being in good running shape. This year, I decided I wanted to keep up my running shape for longer, so I signed up for all 3 races! I PR'd in Lola's (which I anticipated would be the hardest run), so it felt great to accomplish that. I was pleased to keep my better fitness throughout the summer, too.

MNRS: What inspires you to run?

Ellen: My family, particularly my mom. My mom ran various races when we kids were young, but several years ago, she picked up running again with the MN run series. After I finished as a collegiate athlete, I wanted to keep up my fitness with a competitive goal, and she invited me to run the RBC Race for the Kids. I had never run more than a 5K, but her encouragement and training alongside me got me through. Since then, I've enjoyed training for at least one race with various members of my family.

MNRS: When did you start running?

Ellen: I had never run more than a 5K until my last year of college. That first half (RBC Race for the Kids) in 2016 was the start of my distance running.

MNRS: What is one of your most memorable race experiences?

Ellen: I anticipated Lola's Half to be the hardest race of the 4 races I signed up for this summer. It was much more hilly than the rest - so I trained more hills in anticipation. At the end of the race, I was very tired and dreading that last hill up into town. My mom had run the 5K and came down to meet me. She paced me in the last half mile, and I ended up PR'ing! Her push at the end made it happen. A special memory for both of us.