Today we’re lucky to be featuring a hard core runner, Jess, from Run Girl Run.  Jess has run 23 races so far and isn’t stopping any time soon! So whether you’re a beginner runner looking for tips and inspiration or a more experienced runner looking to connect with a fellow racer and read fun race recaps, Jess’s blog is not to be missed.

Also, she has a ton of amazing-looking healthy recipes from from 2010 New Year’s Resolution to cook at least one healthy meal a week.

Almond butter oats, anyone?

My blog covers all aspects of running, health and fitness, including training, nutrition, motivation and making it all fun. Run Girl Run is a title I came up with almost five years ago when I first started my blog. It was meant to be a motivator for me as I was training for my first marathon and using my blog to document the process. In five years, my blog has changed a lot, but I still love writing about running and fitness and helping people people jump right in. I love hearing from people who have just finished their first race or have tried a race I recommended. Plus the community is so encouraging and they are a great group of motivators if I’m having a rough week of training.

Anything that ends in a decadent dessert. I’m not a hugely picky eater, but I love anything that tastes fresh and is well-seasoned. And if someone else makes it for me that’s an even bigger plus! Some of my favorite dishes that I’ve made include a great stir fry and an amazing butternut squash soup.

When people miss their deadlines. I’m so type A and make very detailed lists and plans and it drives me bananas when other people don’t finish parts of a project on time. It also drives me nuts when other people don’t make plans.

To read minds. How cool would it be to know what people were really thinking?

Does running count as a workout move? Because if it does that’s my favorite. But I’m also a huge fan of planks. They’re killer, but they are totally a full body workout.

It’s hard to pick a favorite race since I’ve done so many. The Baltimore Marathon/Half Marathon has a special place in my heart because it was my first marathon ever and also because my mom and I ran the half marathon together this year. One of the best courses I’ve run is the Philadelphia Distance Run course. It’s really flat and goes through some pretty scenic parts of town, but I think my all-time favorite course was the first 13.1 miles of the Philadelphia Marathon race. You ran along water front, through the colleges with cheering frat guys handing out beer, up by the zoo and finished along the river. It was flat and fun. Plus they were handing out delicious soft pretzels at the finish line.

Yikes this is so hard, just one post? One of my most recent favorite posts was my advice for planning a destination race vacation, or a “run-cation” on the cheap. I shared all my tips for planning a 4 night stay in New Orleans for less than $350 per person. They’re great tips and I plan to use them again for many more run-cations to fun places. I’m always up for suggestions if anyone has ideas of where I should go next!