june runner of the month: Samantha houchin

Congrats to our Ultimate Fit June Runner of the Month, Samantha Houchin.  She was born and raised in Ferdinand, IN and currently lives on the west side of Evansville with her 2 female lab mixes.  She also has a boyfriend named Nick.  Their dogs Avery and Lily are 1 year old littermates that were adopted from It Takes A Village.   They love to run/walk with her daily.  Samantha is 28 years old (but her b-day is June 27th so almost 29!).  She currently works as a dental hygienist in Evansville.  Here is a little more about Samantha!

What motivates you to run/walk?
The health benefits, stress relief, socialization, runner’s high, and the enjoyment of being outside are what motivate me to run. I’m competitive with myself and I love setting goals at the beginning of each year and training to obtain them.

How many races have you participated in?
I have ran in probably 50+. I love signing up for races because it keeps me motivated during training.

What age did you start running/walking for fun & competitively?
23 is when I decided to start running and training for a half marathon

Favorite place to run/walk?
Evansville and Newburgh downtown riverfronts because of the views and the pups get to see so many people.

Favorite local race?
Evansville Half Marathon because there’s always people with music and dancing and cheering you on. I love reading all the funny signs people make. Everyone is so happy and motivating.

Favorite race outside of the Tri-State?
Indianapolis Monumental Marathon because the crowd was phenomenal. Everyone was screaming and cheering you on and the participants were all really nice to me.

Farthest you have traveled to do a race?
Indianapolis

Favorite race distance?  
Half marathons are my favorite and then 5ks. I want to be out running for a long time or just sprint and be done quick.

Favorite race memory?
I have so many favorites. One of them would be when my entire family did the Heartland Half Marathon/5k race together. It was my dad’s first race and he did it seven months after he quit smoking.

Funniest race memory?
I called Nick crying at mile 17 of my marathon to tell him I was hungry for a cheeseburger.  (Someone didn’t pack enough gels to get them through the race)

Craziest thing you saw at or during a race?
I saw a man run a half marathon barefoot!

Favorite pre & post-race meal/drink?
My favorite pre-race meal is oatmeal and egg whites. Post-race I love donuts and chocolate milk. 

What is your favorite brand of running shoe?
I don’t have a favorite brand of shoe. I rotate between three pairs- Brooks, Hoka, and Asics depending on the type of run I am doing.

How many miles do you run/walk a week?
Currently, I am running 25 miles a week. I will increase that by 5 miles each week until my next marathon in November.

What are your future goals for running/walking?
BQ!!!! I would love to qualify for Boston this Fall, but more realistically I will try to qualify next year for Boston 2020. I also want to get top 10 female overall in the Evansville Half Marathon. Goal for every race-smile and get a killer race photo.
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Favorite time of day to run?
I’m probably the only crazy person that likes running in the afternoon. I’m not a morning runner because it takes my legs forever to wake up and start moving.

Favorite weather to run in?
I like a sunny 50 degree day with a light breeze. That’s not too much to ask for is it?

Music or no music?
I started out listening to music, but got bored with it. I switched to audio books that I rent from the library, but then I got scared and nervous on my runs because I would listen to thriller/action books. Now, I run headphone free and take in everything around me.