Lauren Ross
Member since 2018
Hometown: Wilbraham, MA
Current city: Portland, OR
Occupation: Registered Dietitian
Instagram handle: @how_to_eat_rd
Racing highlights/PRs: Much like the Red Sox in 2012, 2018 was a rebuilding year for me. Though I managed to bag a long-overdue PR in the marathon in NYC (on my birthday!), the season was mostly spent adjusting to a move across the country, home ownership, married life, and a new job. Current PRs are as follows but keep an eye out as I aim to take them all down this season.
1 mile (track): 5:20, Rose City Mile 2019
1 mile (road): 5:20, The Power Mile 2017, New Orleans, LA
5k: 18:35, Run Wild 5k 2017, Houston TX
10k: 37:53, Crescent City Classic 2018, New Orleans, LA
Half Marathon: 1:22:52, Aramco Houston Half Marathon 2018
Full Marathon: 2:45:23, Chevron Houston Marathon 2020
Best race experience: Previously I would have answered this with one of the handful of times I surprised myself in a race and ran way faster than I thought possible, but after NYC Marathon 2018 ON MY BIRTHDAY I have to go with that, for multiple reasons:
It was my birthday
I broke 3 hours for the first time
It was the first race I wore buns in (so freeing!)
It was cold and sunny, the best weather combo
I ran in a birthday hat and the thousands of spectators were JAZZED
My family and many friends from PDX, HTX, and the northeast came and partied with me after
NYC Marathon is the biggest, most boisterous marathon in the whole dang world and the excitement in the city is just incredible
Best running experience: Any time I get to explore a new place on foot with Brooks is very exciting, especially when my route ends with a beer. However, I've come to really appreciate the time spent supporting teammates through tough workouts. I know how much lighter the load feels when someone is willing to hop in and share the work for a difficult set of repeats or a hard tempo run, which makes it feel even better when I am able to help someone else! One memory in particular that stands out is a long tempo that Liz had in preparation for Boston 2019. It took place as I was coming back after NYC and I wasn't sure I could hold her pace for long. Buoyed by the extra sense of purpose that comes with the goal of helping a friend, I surprised myself and ran stronger than I thought I could. That was a good day!
Passion(s) outside of running: Skiing, dogs, eating fruit I find on the street (cherries, blackberries, raspberries, figs, plums, apples, pears, etc.), costumes, petting puppies while running, hiking, camping, convincing my friends to adopt dogs, coffee, eating snacks in the bath, being done with my masters degree (so much passion for that).
Favorite post-run meal: This is highly dependent on the type of run. If we're talking post-long run, I'll go coffee and water immediately, with some sort of egg-toast-veggie combo, like vegetable frittata with toast or an avocado toast with an egg on it and some lemony arugula. If later in the day, a frosty beverage usually sounds excellent right after, followed by whatever is for dinner, as soon as possible.
