I am a long time runner and mother of three. I was looking for something new in my life with my youngest being in school full time when the opportunity at The Running Works came along.
I am lucky to work with such great, knowledgeable staff all who bring a variety of experience to the store. It is my goal to continue to grow and establish The Running Works as Guelph's foremost store for running and fitness enthusiasts.
I'm a running man with a passion for shoes! I've been running since I was in elementary school, seriously taking up the sport in high school. I had the great pleasure of running NCAA cross country and track at St. Francis University (PA), training with and competing against some of the best university athletes from around the world. After graduating, I moved to Guelph to train with the Speed River Club, where I was able to watch the growth of some of Canada's finest distance runners. My competitive days came to an end in 2004 when I moved up in my running specialty retail job. I also spend 5 years as the race director for many of the road races around Guelph. I bring 6 years of specialty running retail with me to the store, and a new fire for both running and the job. I love Guelph for the amazing community it is, and hope to help grow "Runnerville" into the biggest and best running community in Canada!
I have been running since elementary school, and got my first taste of triathlons when I was 10 when I entered the Goderich Triathlon relay as the runner, along with my brother and a friend. A few years later I started doing triathlons on my own, and I have now been competing for more than 10 years. I am in my first semester of a Master's program in exercise physiology at U of G. I currently run in the Saucony Guide 5.
As an adult with a sedentary office job, I took up running just over six years ago, and discovered a passion for it that I never would have imagined. An enthusiastic back-of-the-packer ever since, I have finished events from 5K to the marathon. I'm a bit of an evangelist - you'll often find me spouting off about the joys of running and how everyone should do it. Since I like to talk about running almost as much as I like to run, I also write for iRun Magazine, including my blog, Endorphin Junkie.
Clinic leaders
Mairin works full time at her private practice in Guelph as a registered massage therapist, with specialties in sports and geriatrics/palliative care. She is a Can Fit Pro certified personal trainer. Mairin has been a competitive runner, (5k to marathon distances), and is an avid rower and adaptive rowing coach with the Cambridge Rowing Club. Her mission work, along with her medical team experience with The Costal Challenge Expedition Run, Costa Rica and Primal Quest, Montana, has landed her a position into the medical team for the 2010 Olympics and Paralympic Games.
Anna Gallina is a graduate of both the 5 and 10-km Running Works clinics. She has done several races of those distances and has also added the 15km and half marathon to her repertoire and will be doing her first 25km trail race this fall. She well remembers what it is like to be a beginner runner and as a result makes an inspiring and motivational clinic leader. Anna also has been coaching Special Olympics track and field for the past three years. Her shoe: Saucony Pro Grid Trigon.