Alayna Williamson
Alayna is 36 years old and married to Troy going on 17 years! They have 4 kids: Frasier 13, Elijah 10, Bodie 7, and Sloane 1 ½
*Frasier is in 7th grade track and just ran a 5:37 mile. We are proud parents!!
Alayna is busy being an Associate Professor of Finance, University of Utah, Business consultant, and self-appointed ambassador for cancer research! J Hometown is Ogden and Riverdale, Utah.
Here are a few facts about Alayna when we asked her about her running:
Years running: I've run the Riverdale 4th of July 5K since I was 10-years-old. I also ran track in Jr. High. But, my hubby and I really picked it up again about 7 years ago.
Weekly mileage: 25-30 for leisure; more when I'm in training for a race.
Favorite race distance or race: I love marathons (I've run 11 of them) and really loved the ½ Ironman too.
PR's - (5K, 10K, ½, mara, Ultra) or proudest running accomplishment:
My proudest moments were the St. George marathon when I finally qualified for Boston (3:40:07) and then, of course, the Boston Marathon. Troy and I ran it together in 2010 which was pretty awesome! And, we ran past Rick and Dick Hoyt to boot!
However, I am honestly proud of every race. The ones that are hard, but I still finish, make me appreciate the races when I feel great!
Last year, Troy and I did the Boise ½ Ironman - which was a blast - and we are doing that again this June.
Also, I talked 3 of my sisters into trying to get into the Nike Women's Marathon and we just found out we are in! So, I'm pretty proud that the 4 of us will be running together this October. It will be all 3 sisters' first marathon - so they will all PR!
Favorite training run:
I run all over Layton, Kaysville, and Farmington. I love starting in West Layton and running up Gentile past Valley View golf course. It's a good long climb with beautiful views. I also love the shoreline trail that starts at the Kaysville Wilderness Park and running the Lagoon trail in the fall. You can crunch leaves non-stop!
Why run - (motivation, inspiration):
I recently found out that I have CLL (Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia). It is a cancer that is in my blood and lymph nodes. It is slow growing (hooray!) but is also at the moment non-curable (boo!). It can be managed, however, with chemo when necessary. I haven't had to do chemo yet, and I pray I never will, but my best chance for success is to live as healthy of a life as I can so that I am able to fight and withstand the chemo if/when I need to.
I used to run so I could eat lots and lots of sugar and because I'm competitive. Now that I've found out I have cancer, I have a whole new perspective. I run because I'm alive and I can! I run to stay healthy and fight cancer. I run for cancer research. I run for clarity. I run to reflect and celebrate my life and my blessings. I run to enjoy nature. I run to be an example. I run because I love it and cancer can't stop me!
Goals:
If they still have a St. George Ironman in 2013, I will be registered for it! If not, I intend to register for one elsewhere and compete in 2013. I also intend to get 3 sisters across the finish line in San Francisco!
I also try to instill a love of physical activity in others, especially my kids. We even have a "Williamson Wall of Fame" with all of our medals. I hope to continue to encourage others to compete and to inspire them to lead healthy, active lifestyles (even if some doctor sometime tells them they aren't healthy!)
I would love to run 50 marathons before age 50 and also run a marathon on every continent. How cool would that be!?!
Last, I'm going to live to be age 100! You'll see me on the Today Show with "Smuckers Jam" around my mug shot!
Favorite music to run to:
I listen to a bit of everything as long as it is fast paced. I can tell you that the worst ever is grabbing the wrong iPod before a half-marathon and having only the Sesame Street soundtrack loaded onto it.
Favorite running gear - (shoes, apparel, etc.):
I'm an Adidas shoe girl. I wear Injinji socks (they have toes, like a glove) so I don't get blisters in between my toes. And, I really love KT tape for my knees.
Best advice you've been given as a runner:
When I was trying to qualify for Boston, my husband told me: "If you want to run faster, run faster." It's the truth.train faster and you'll race faster!
Best motivational quote:
I have three: "Carpe the crap out of this diem!", "Don't throw in the towel, use it to wipe your sweat!", and "This won't kill you, you'll pass out first!"
Your role model:
My husband. He is a hard worker, a great runner, honest, genuine, and dedicated. Because of his schedule he gets up at 4 am to run. And I thought my 5am runs were early!
I also think Rick and Dick Hoyt are AMAZING!
Favorite food:
Before cancer, I ate everything, all the time. I justified it because I ran. I absolutely love pasta, bread, chocolate and sugar cookies. However, to combat cancer I have cut all soda and a lot of sugar out of my diet. I now eat a whole lot more whole grains, fruits, and veggies. I limit treats to about 3 times a week. My new favorites are green smoothies Luna bars, and Larbars.
Hobbies or interests other than running:
I try to sweat every single day. I run, bike, swim, and do yoga. I love being active!
Also, I love just spending time with my hubby and kids! We enjoy being outdoors and love to go for bike rides, swim, and run 5K's together. We enjoy boating and have a blast wakeboarding and wake surfing. We also love snow skiing in the winter! I learned to snow ski before I turned 2 and all of my kids have too!
Anything else the world might want to know about you:
We are crazy U of U fans and have been football season ticket holders for 13 years. We love our Utes and cheer for pro teams based on how many former Ute players are on the team! Go UTES!!
Also, we love Striders! I found out I had cancer on a Tuesday and ran a WRC race on Saturday. I cried tears of happiness during that race because that is when I realized that cancer wasn't going to stop me. I hope that I can be an example to others that even bad things can be turned into positives and they really do make you appreciate all the good in this world!
ROCK and RUN ON!!!!
