My name is Whitney and I am the author of IrunIsweat.  I have been running since 2003 and have loved every moment of it.  It is the most mentally and physically rewarding challenge I have experienced.  I advocate running, healthy lifestyles, and mental strength.  When I run, I sweat.

Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves, though…

From

I am born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA.  My family is very middle class and my parents gave my sister and I their all to raise us to be successful women.  They did a damn good job.  I’m no yinzer.  I am proud to say that despite the fact that neither one of my parents went to college, they saw my older sister through an Ivy League college, and me through undergraduate and graduate school.

(My lovely city)

(My Chatham College mug)

Life

If you would have told me, as I was graduating high school that I would, seven years later be the following things, I would have laughed:

• College graduate
• Have a masters degree
• Run a half marathon
• Run once a day for 95% of my time over the next seven years
• Be in a management position before age 25
• Lose 100 pounds
• Gain about 10 back due to birth control for the man you love
• Start a community development corporation
• Find the man of my dreams, yet make him wait until I’m ready to get married

The Blog Name

I got the name I Run, I Sweat, because it’s obivious… you sweat when you run, right?  Typically, I am drenched after I get a good run in.  This blog is a way for me to go “back to basics”, which is how I ran when I was at my “best”.

One phenomenon I noticed when I transitioned to the gym was that no women sweat!  I was always puzzled by this.  How can this be?  Even in shorts and a tank top, I am sweating!  Thus, the namesake for the site was developed. Now, I have decided to quit my gym membership and go back to basics.  Basics includes me running outside in Pittsburgh weather.  I am prepared mentally for this challenge.  I welcome it as I am also transitioning to a new house with my boyfriend Jared, and my dog Ambrose.

This was the best time to start blogging about the experience of “not going 6.1 mph according to the treadmill”, and listening to my body.  I am putting together everything I have taught myself from years ago and bringing it back to apply to the rest of my life.  My life now does not include student life, but rather balancing my career, a relationship, anything else that is sort of crazy and can only happen to me!

Running Saved My Life

I guess I should also mention that running saved my life.  I have lost 100lbs and maintained this weight loss for six years. Read about it here Someday I will attempt to blog about that process, when I can find the right words. But let’s just rest assured I am maintaining momentum of what that “process” has taught me, everyday.

My Education and Background

I have a bachelor’s degree in social work from Chatham College and a master’s degree in social work & social administration from the University of Pittsburgh.

I got my “dream job” (which again, I will blog about someday) right out of grad school.  Literally, I graduated one month, waited a few weeks, and started my “dream job”.

I work to build community capacity and work in economic development.  My professional life is extremely important to me.  I have made countless sacrifices to gain experience in my field, a field primarily dominated by men.  I landed my first job out of grad school, at the company I wanted to work for, I am exactly where I have aimed to be.  Especially at my age.  Running has taught me this.

So far, lot’s has happened in my life since starting the blog.  I got a new job, which is more of the “dream job” I will some day blog about.

For now, I hope you enjoy my blog, which is just a chronology of my life:  which just happens to include running and sweating =)

Feel free to contact me at irunisweat@gmail.com with any questions!

S’more pictures for your enjoyment…

My Boys!  I don’t know what life would be like without these two…

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