September 14, 2010
My name’s Flo Karp, I’m 50 years old. In February 2007, I embarked on a walk/run program called C25K or Couch To 5K. From the ass-end of winter through the beginning of Spring 2007, I learned how to run. That April, I entered my first 5K where I got a not-so-bad-for-a-beginner 29:08, 11th out of 47 in my Age Group, which put me in the top 25% – I was chuffed!
I spent the next few months training for a Half Marathon and getting faster. After the Half, I entered my second 5K, won first in my AG and that was that: the beginning of a serious obsession.
Oct. 12, 2008 I ran my first marathon, Steamtown, which was the source of much blog angst for the five months preceding it. It ended up being a lot of fun (with a fair amount of pain) and netted me qualification for the Boston Marathon.
January 09, I began a mini-makeover; lost some weight, upped the mileage, started doing push-ups and chin-ups. My times dropped in the Spring, much faster than I could have hoped for.
Nov. 09, I ran my second marathon, Philly. I was aiming for sub 3:20. I bombed and ended up run/walking the last 8 miles. Finished with a painful 3:33. Still, I signed up for Boston 2010, less for the race than for the social gathering of my imaginary friends (forum buddies finally meeting in the flesh).
My first 5K - April 2007, two months after starting to run
I made the decision while training for Boston that it would be my last marathon since I’m much happier doing shorter races. I pretty much dreaded the race the entire training cycle but as it turned out, it was an incredibly happy experience from the social aspect to the race itself, one I’ll never forget. But now I’m happily ensconced in the Half and am having the time of my life.
When I’m not running, I’m a voiceover actress, so you might hear me in a commercial on radio or TV, or in a learning module for a new drug or for convicts entering the workforce (that was a funny one), or some other weird thing.
I have a few online shops too, among them GIMHeadbands, The Gifted Runner and Fish Pie, as well as a handful of various other websites.
Join me on my travels to become as fast as I can before I become a geriatric. Hurry, we don’t have much time!
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