Your Name: Katie E. Hartranft

A short bio about yourself (where you are from, what you do for a living, favorite whatever)

Hi, my name is Katie Hartranft and I am a graduate of Willoughby South High. I grew up in Eastlake, Ohio and have spent most of my life in this area. I have an undergraduate degree in Visual Arts and a Master’s of Education, both from CSU. I returned to school to obtain my Middle Childhood Math and Science Licensure and am now a 7th grade Science teacher at Ridge Middle School in Mentor, Ohio. I have been married for one year and have a stepdaughter named Eleanor, who is in 4th grade at Hayes Elementary school in Lakewood, Ohio. In my spare time, I like to spend time with my family and friends, workout, or enjoy a good book. My faith and church, Grace Church of Mentor, are very important to me and you will find me there often.

How do you know Brittany?

I know Brittany as a fellow teacher at Ridge Middle School.

When did your running/fitness adventure begin and why (who or what convinced you you should run)?

My running/fitness career started in 4th grade.  I attending a Catholic school where sports started in 4th grade.  I ran cross country and track starting in 4th grade and I’ve never stopped running.  As a 7th grader, I knew fitness was important to me so I took some strength training classes at the YMCA so that I knew how to use gym equipment and also what exercises impacted which muscle groups.  Running and working out has always been my go to activity to help me reach goals and find success.

What is something you absolutely need to have for every run or workout?

My family and running buddies think I’m a dork, but every run I go on, I wear a water belt so that I can stay hydrated and carry my cell phone for safety. I also wear a special watch that has a GPS chip that tracks my running speed and distance. I usually run with friends so we talk the entire run, but if I’m running by myself, I always listen to music. My final accessory is a hat, I hate sweat dripping onto my face, so a hat does the trick.

What is one of your biggest running pet peeves?

A big pet peeve of mine is when people don’t say hello back. Every time I pass a person I say “hello”or “good morning”when people don’t respond back it drives me crazy! I also don’t like when people don’t use running etiquette when passing others.

What is your biggest motivation for running?

I really enjoy meeting a goal. When I sign up for a race, it is motivation to get out there and run, even when its cold or rainy. When I finish a race, I feel accomplished and this is my motivation!

What is the longest race you have done to date? What was your time?

My longest run is a half marathon and my best time is 1 hour 57 minutes 43 seconds!

What goals or aspirations do you have for your fitness or running adventure? Although my running goals seem to shift with where I am in life, I think that at some point I’d like to do a full marathon. I’m not sure I will, but it is on the bucket list, which means I probably will, that is just how I work. As for fitness aspirations, I strive to always stay in shape and take care of my body. I had a great-grandma live to be 103 and to her end she was well enough to move around and interact, I want to be like her and that means taking care of my body.

What advice would you give to someone who says, “I’m not good at running” or “Running is boring/awful/hard/[insert negative connotation here]”?

Running is a mental game.  IF you say you “can’t”, you probably won’t.  So my advice is to be positive and set goals that are achievable.  SO if you have never run, set a goal to run for a minute the first time out.  Then gradually increase your goals.  It is a bad idea to set goals so far from your current situation and think you will achieve them, be reasonable and be positive!  Anyone can run, you just have to go out and do it.

 

Favorite race you have run to date?

My favorite race to date is the Chocolate Run in Columbus, it is a 15 k or 9.3 miles and at the end you get hot chocolate and chocolate candies and all sorts of stuff to dip into melted chocolate. If you like chocolate, this is a great race!