January Runner of Month: Amy Bagby

     Our first winner for the Ultimate Fit Runner Of The Month is Amy Bagby!  Here is an excerpt from the email nomination "She loves to run, it's that simple. She has worked hard to get herself where she is. She's as fast now than she's ever been. More importantly though, she has used running and other exercise(s) to build a healthy lifestyle for herself, her family, and her friends. She embodies what running is about."
     Amy is 32 years old and is from Jasper, IN.  She has 3 children with her husband Brandon (Aubrey-6, Addisyn-3, and Amilya-3).  She currently resides in Newburgh and she owns the Lollipop Tree Boutique and La Petite Demoiselle.  She also works at Shamrock Engineering in the sales department.
     A big passion of her's besides her family and fashion is definitely fitness.  In addition to running: She loves Boxing, Kickboxing, Zumba, and lifting weights.  Amy also stated "If anyone ever needs help getting started with their fitness goals or wants a running partner, I'm always here.  I love helping people, especially if it is with their health and reaching goals!"
     We asked Amy a few questions below about her running, enjoy!

**What motivates you to run/walk? My family motivates me to run and workout.  I want our daughters to put their heart into everything that they do and we try to show them a healthy lifestyle.  I also love to help others reach their fitness goals.  It also motivates me when I see others trying to help better themselves as well.

**How many races have you participated in? 10

**What age did you start running/walking for fun & competitively? 31 – My friend and I started running Spring of 2015 and ran our first race in June 2015.

**Favorite place to run/walk? Newburgh River

**Favorite local race? EPD Foundation Swat Challenge

**Favorite race outside of the Tri-State? Rugged Maniac

**Farthest you have traveled to do a race? French Lick – Goal is to start branching out in 2017

**Favorite race distance? 5K

**Favorite race memory? The Rugged Maniac was by far my favorite, I love a good challenge!

**Funniest race memory? When one of my friend's got lost on a trail run.  It was not funny when it happened, but afterwards we laughed!

**Favorite pre & post-race meal/drink? I am pretty simple, protein bar/water pre-race and banana/water post-race.

**What is your favorite brand of running shoe? Brooks and Asics

**How many miles do you run/walk a week? Really varies depending on what is going on with family and work. It can range from 0 – 15 per week.  I am going to try harder to do more for 2017.

**What are your future goals for running/walking? My future goals for running is to achieve my goal pace and run further distances.

**Favorite time of day to run? Morning or late afternoon

**Favorite weather to run in? I'm a sunny kind of person!

**Music or no music? Music