"I'm really good at making sure others understand that not only are they athletes — look at the definition and tell me that doesn't describe you! — but also telling people they are runners. I just decided, 'Listen, that's what I am.' If you run, if you jog, I don't care what it is, you're a runner. And you're an athlete! Own that. Once you own it, you will really see a lot of weight lifted off of you. Then you realize, you're not out here for anybody else. You're out here for you."

Kristian Mines represents all of the best qualities you'll find within the running community. She radiates joy, positivity, and energy. She started running in her forties, she completed her first marathon in Chicago last year, and she's a proud back-of-the-pack athlete. Where Kristian feels she really shines, though, is as a "voluncheerleader." She's on a quest to volunteer at all six World Marathon Majors (she's done three so far!), and she cares deeply about making sure every runner feels celebrated at their respective finish lines. (She's often the last person to leave the finish, cheering until the very end, ensuring no one arrives at the line alone.) Kristian — or "K-Money," as she's best known — lives in Columbus, OH, where she is a training facilitator and analyst.

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What you'll get on this episode:

• Kristian shares how she got the nickname "K-Money" (3:35)
• What's making Kristian happy today (4:20)
• Kristian shares what she's training for right now, and how her training is going so far (5:15)
• What Kristian's childhood was like, and when and why sports entered the picture (17:45)
• How Kristian became a runner (23:15)
• On the first time Kristian called herself a runner (37:30)
• How Kristian deals with judgment and negativity within the running community and beyond (43:00)
• On recruiting non-runners and turning them into aspiring half-marathoners (50:10)
• All about the back-of-the-pack camaraderie (55:00)
• Kristian reflects on how running has changed her life (1:04:45)

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