Scoop on Jennifer Wilford

Office held with Striders: Membership chair,
newsletter communications

When did you start running: January 2006 -- though
I've always been athletically active and played
collegiate tennis at the University of Missouri, I
also won tickets to the NCAA Final Four in 1997 in a
radio station promotion by dribbling a basketball
non-stop without a break for almost 23 hours. A great
precursor for long-distance running!

When did you join the Striders: May 2006

Why did you join the Striders: I met amazing women
(Sonia, Yolanda and Sandra) who gave me a ride to my
first-ever race, the Cowtown half marathon in Ft.
Worth in Feb. 2006. At Cowtown I met the other
Striders, who were incredibly supportive as I was a
bit nervous about my first race (they even shared
garbage bags with me as it was a rainy morning!) I
couldn't believe seven weeks ago as my New Year's
resolution I simply wanted to run a half -- I really
didn't envision becoming a more serious runner. I
finished Cowtown in just under 2 hours, was thrilled
with my result, and 18 months later, I'm still hooked.

Best running moment: Cowtown is where it all began, so
it's special, but my best moment was finishing White
Rock Marathon in December 2006 in 3:56. The support of
my Strider running buddies and mentor Sonia made it
happen. My parents, husband and son were there to see
me finish.

Best running tip: Don't forget nutrition in addition
to your training program. Carbs are your friend,
particularly in distance running. I'm pretty
disciplined but I don't hesitate to indulge in dark
chocolate and red wine.

My personal mantra: My own self, at my very best, all
the time.

Hometown- Richland, MO (population 2,000). I graduated
with 56 students in my senior class.