O.k., so you met the Badass Mother Runners of Team Sarah yesterday; today, Team Dimity a.k.a. Are my kids still chasing me? takes the stage before our showdown in the Ragnar Relay D.C. in less than two weeks (!). We’re swift, we’re fearless, and we really hope we can escape the little buggers over the course of 192 miles.
Freedom and daughter

Freedom Green, Mother of 5, from Owings Mills, MD

1. When and why did you start running? I started in high school with my stepdad, but I really started running after baby #5. I had to get myself and my family life under control. I didn’t feel like “me” anymore.
2. What has been your favorite Ragnar training run and why? 4.5 miles, conquered 11…..yes 11, BIG, long hills, pushing Coach Curly in the stroller without stopping once. I’ve never done this much hill training. I feel alive and ready to roar!
3. What leg of yours are you most looking forward to running and why? I’m totally pumped to be starting leg 1 the day of our 1st daughter’s Birthday. Looking forward to running free, letting my spirit soar, and laughing with other moms.
4. One word that describes you as a runner: believer.
You can find Freedom on Twitter.
Krista on a run

Krista Kruger, Mother of 3, hails from Cuba City, WI

1. When and why did you start running? I started running May of 2012; my best friend Johnna wanted to run a 5K. We were hooked. We run half marathons side by side and are planning our first full marathon in 2014.
2. What has been your favorite Ragnar training run and why? I did a 5-mile night run in the rural country setting I live in; it was the best training for a Ragnar night run in an area of the country I have never been and on a course I have never run.
3. What leg of yours are you most looking forward to running and why? I am looking forward to being done with the 2 mile hill on my first leg! After that hill, it is all downhill for me.
4. One word that describes you as a runner: influential.
Dimity, mother of 2 in Denver, can run, but she prefers to ring cowbells.

Dimity, mother of 2 in Denver, can run, but she prefers to ring cowbells.


1. When and why did you start running? Crosstraining for rowing in 1990. I huffed and puffed and eventually, about seven years later, found a groove when I ran the New York City Marathon.
2. What has been your favorite Ragnar training run and why? I haven’t specifically trained for this Ragnar, but going 19+ miles in the Colorado Ragnar a few weeks ago is sufficient training, I’m hoping. (I also just had a really good running weekend with Sarah; we covered over 14 miles in 2 days, which is a lot for me these days. So now it’s time to taper, right?)
3. What leg of yours are you most looking forward to running and why? Can I cop out and say I’m most looking forward to cheering? I mean, I’ll run and all, but give me a good cowbell, and I’ll annoy everybody in the transition area, save myself—and hopefully my teammates.
4. One word that describes your running: Sarah would say loud. “You’re not really light on your feet, are you Dimity?” she said nicely (truly) at the beginning of one run in Portland this past weekend. “I describe myself as a clod-hopper: I am nothing if not accurate,” I replied. These days, I would say steady. I’m not ripping it up, but—knock on wood—I’ve gone for two years with no running-induced injury. I did have a chip fracture in my toe, but that was from clumsiness, not running.
Joan on a run

Joan Sturdevant, Mother of 2, from Richmond, VA1


1. When and why did you start running? I always felt like there was a runner in me, but I didn’t really enjoy it for a long time, so I feel like I didn’t really ‘become a runner’ until my late 20s. I ran my first marathon at age 30 and I just kept going after that through multiple marathons and an Ironman.  Then, I had two children, and it’s been tough getting back ‘in the game’ but I’m so glad that I have! Now it is so important for me to be doing something that I enjoy, that makes me feel good and strong, and that my children can watch and be a part of!
2. What has been your favorite Ragnar training run and why? The best run was a 10-miler run without the stroller. (I’ve had to push a double for most of my training runs.)  The miles just ticked by and I felt like I was running strong again!
3. What leg of yours are you most looking forward to running and why? It looks like my 2nd leg of the Ragnar relay will be sometime in the middle of the night.  I’m actually excited about that because, just like this relay, running at night is something I’ve never done before.  I’ll be honest and say that yes, I’m a little afraid to run in the dark, but I’m looking forward to the challenge.
4. One word that describes you as a runner: easygoing.
You can find Joan on Facebook.
Laura on a run

Laura Ford, Mother of 3, calls California, MD home

1. When and why did you start running? My dad remembers that I ran my first 5k in 29 minutes when I was 7, but I didn’t start to run consistently and purposefully until 5 years ago when I needed to reclaim my body and sanity.
2. What has been your favorite Ragnar training run and why? I did a 12-mile training run by myself at the end of July without stopping, hurting, or wanting to quit; a year ago, I hadn’t raced farther than a 10k. (Attached picture is from my first half in November 2012.)
3. What leg of yours are you most looking forward to running and why? I’ll be running 7.3 miles around 2 AM through the battlefields of Antietam, which has great historical significance; 1 leg later, we’re stopping for ice cream at South Mountain Creamery!
4. One word that describes you as a runner: determined.
You can find Laura on her blog.
Jill and her daughter at race

Jill Broderick, Mother of 2, resides in Albuquerque, NM

1. When and why did you start running? I ran off and on through adulthood, but have taken it up as my main ‘hobby’ since having two children.  Running gives me the time to focus on myself, so that I can focus on the family the rest of the day with a smile.
2. What has been your favorite Ragnar training run and why? Probably a 19 miler a couple of weeks ago.  I did 8 miles on my own, met a friend for 6 more miles on trails, and had planned to finish the last 4 miles on my own, but ran into another friend on the main running path here in Albuquerque, so I crashed her solo run and  tagged along with her until the end.  What seemed like a very daunting amount of miles when I woke up flew by when broken up into shorter distances with friends.
3. What leg of yours are you most looking forward to running and why?  I am looking forward to Leg 18 – the climb up and over South Mountain.  3.5 miles with 580 elevation gain, 450 loss that ends at the South Mountain Creamery!  Who doesn’t want to end a run with a little ice cream —even if it will be 3:30am?
4. One word that describes you as a runner: dedicated.
You can find Jill on Twitter.

Nikki at a race

Nikki Maroon, Mother of 1, hails from Saratoga Springs, NY


1. When and why did you start running? I started running in college to get in better shape; I was an on and off runner for quite awhile. I found a love of “running long” in 2011 and haven’t stopped since!
2. What has been your favorite Ragnar training run and why? I really love the sense of BAMR that accompanies running two a days and hills!
3. What leg of yours are you most looking forward to running and why? I’m actually looking forward to leg 7, which is my first leg. It has a massive (1000+ ft!!) elevation gain, but I can’t wait to finish the climb and see what I accomplished. Plus, I like hills!
4. One word that describes you as a runner: unpredictable.

You can find Nikki on Instagram.
Angela on a run

Angela Bruns, Mother of 2, from Lakewood, CO

1. When and why did you start running?  I started running April 2009 because I was bored with walking on the treadmill so I challenged myself to jog 30 seconds, then 1 minute, etc. My first race was half-marathon in Columbus, OH October 2009. As I finished and saw the full marathoners continuing on, I felt totally bummed that I had to stop!
2. What has been your favorite Ragnar training run and why? The first time I ran in the dark with a headlamp; it made me feel really dedicated.
3. What leg of yours are you most looking forward to running and why? Leg 8, despite the 1,000 ft hill climb. I think I will be itching to run and the adrenaline will carry me up the hill!
4. One word that describes you as a runner: Committed.
Laura LJ on a run

Laura Lacroix-Johnson, Mother of 1, calls Sterling VA home


1. When and why did you start running? I used to get winded walking up the stairs!  When I started running in April 2012 I had a 15-month old boy who moved quicker than I did. I love a lot of things about running but I especially love that I can clear my head of the minutia from the day and find peace and clarity after a good run.
2. What has been your favorite Ragnar training run and why? My favorite training runs for Ragnar have been dubbed “the Wu-tang runs” (In case you don’t know Wu-tang – ain’t nothin to F$&K with!). Twice a week I will get up at 4:30a.m. to an alarm that says “don’t think – just go”.  Then I run to one of my BRF’s houses and we take on 5 miles at 5:00a.m. Getting to run under the starry night sky with the occasional bats and hear only the syncopated sound of our feet is nothing short of awesome!  I can take on anything the day throws at me after that!
3. What leg of yours are you most looking forward to running and why? The one that will fall around 2 a.m.  Reason:  crazy middle of the night running sounds like it will be an awesome adventure!
4. One word that describes you as a runner: fearless.
Meryl on a run

Meryl Carver-Allmond, Mother of 1, hails from Lawrence, KS

1. When and why did you start running? I started running because my husband needed a running buddy with his same “we just had a baby” schedule.  He drug me along kicking and screaming for at least the first 3 months.  That was a year ago last June, and now I’m as big of a a run junkie as he is.
2. What has been your favorite Ragnar training run and why? About 6 miles, one spooky morning before sunrise on the 150th anniversary of the day my town was invaded during the Civil War. I kept wondering when I was going to get shot by a ghost.
3. What leg of yours are you most looking forward to running and why? Apparently my last leg has amazing views of the D.C. monuments–I’m really psyched for that!
4. One word that describes you as a runner: stubborn
You can find Meryl on Twitter, Instagram, and her blog.
Aimee on a run

Aimee Hoyt, Mother of 1, calls Albuquerque, NM home

1. When and why did you start running?  I started running eleven years ago.  I was a backpacking and climbing instructor and thought running would keep me in shape when I wasn’t out on trips.  Years later, when I had my son and realized I couldn’t regularly leave home for a 30-day backcountry trips in Alaska, I figured out that trail running covers about the same amount of ground in a day that I’d cover in two weeks with a 70-pound pack!
2. What has been your favorite Ragnar training run and why?  I often run by myself on trails, so Ragnar has motivated me to run more on roads, which makes it a little easier to run with friends.
3. What leg of yours are you most looking forward to running and why?  Leg 23.  It’s through Sugarloaf Mountain Park (doesn’t that just sound delicious and bready–especially to someone who eats mostly gluten-free because of her son’s dietary restrictions?) and I’m hoping the timing will be right so that the sun is coming up as I’m running.  And it has hills, which reminds me of home.
4. One word that describes you as a runner: dirty.
You can find Aimee on Facebook and on her blog.
Janelle and daughter on a run

Janelle Williams, Mother of 2, currently lives in Houston, TX and calls Alaska and Oregon home

 1. When and why did you start running? I ran for much of my childhood, but at 31, I had to have cartilage replacement surgery, kneecap realignment and was told I would never run again. Five months later, I did a 5k through a combination of run/walk. Nows ix years post surgery, I have run two marathons, too many halves to count, trained to do 21 miles in Ragnar and I’m training for Houston Marathon in January  I often credit the doctor telling me never and my push to say, yes I will, to saving my life.  I have found a new and different love in running that is no longer competitive and am finding a zen in running that helps me relax.
 2. What has been your favorite Ragnar training run and why? My favorite training run was in Bend, Oregon where we were on a family holiday; my husband and I got to run 10 miles together.  While I could not keep the pace I had hoped (darn altitude, hills, and sinus infection) it was wonderful to be out enjoying time with him in some beautiful country. I am most proud of the week I ran 40 miles total—a record high mileage week for me—and over the span of two days ran 20 miles.  It was tough but so rewarding when I finished and I realized what I had accomplished.
3. What leg of yours are you most looking forward to running and why? My last leg (leg 36). It goes over the Woodrow Wilson Bridge,which is like a dream come true for me.I am obsessed with running bridges and I get to run in three states over the bridge!  I also can’t wait to bring in a strong finish for Team Dimity!
4. One word that describes you as a runner: determined.
Karyn is our alternate who has gamely offered to come along for the ride and chip in with driving and logistics. She's got 5 kids—twins at the end—and lives in Gaithersburg, MD.

Karyn is our alternate who has gamely offered to come along for the ride and chip in with driving and logistics. She’s got 5 kids—twins at the end—and lives in Gaithersburg, MD.

1. When and why did you start running?  In 1998, I ran the Marine Corp Marathon to raise money for a good cause. After that, marriage and kids happened and the running continued between pregnancies to lose the ‘baby’ fat.  I started seriously training for races again in 2010, and running then became more about me (me-time, sanity saver, and the overall good feeling of being fit and accomplishing my goals) while setting a good example for my kids. I ran about 7 half marathons before running the Marine Corp again in 2011 where, 13 years later, I PR’d by over an hour.
2. What has been your favorite Ragnar training run and why? My favorite part of being prepared for the possibility of running Ragnar is doing more than one workout in a day.  It makes me feel pretty good for being able to tackle that in a day along with everything else in life!
3. One word that describes you as a runner: committed
Find Karyn on Twitter.