Runner’s World+ Member: Karla Mei Robertson
Karla is a Runner’s World+ member. Join her and thousands of others chasing their goals with day-by-day training plans, expert advice from editors and coaches, and unlimited digital access. We regularly feature members online and in print!
I was not a runner growing up. I was that kid making excuses to get out of PE. I started running in my mid-20s because I wanted to be healthier. What I’ve found in the past decade is that running has made me healthier, but it has also become a source of meditation, reflection, and release. Running keeps my mind clear to balance my job, my family, and myself.
I joined RW+ because I enjoy the content—learning about other runners, geeking out on gear, learning about ways to optimize my training. I’m not so serious that I would get a coach, but I feel like I can get a lot of good information from RW+
I run to be healthy. I run to clear my mind. As an engineer, I run to think and problem-solve. And I run to build community—whether it be with co-workers when I trained for my first marathon, or as a leader of a local running group (Oiselle Volée Bay Area). I love to bring people together in all aspects of my life, and running is no exception.
I’m motivated by the desire to stay fit, particularly right now as I am 24 weeks pregnant. If I’m honest, I’m down to jog-walks but I’m still getting out there!
One of my favorite runs is a 4 mile loop near my house. 400+ feet of elevation gain, and it’s half sidewalk, half trails in the beautiful Glen Canyon Park, and for being in the city of San Francisco, I don’t have to wait for a single light. It’s also a route that I can make longer and hillier.
My current favorite piece of gear are my ROKA Rio aviator sunglasses. They don’t slip at all, no matter how sweaty I am. No small feat with my small Asian face. And they’re stylish enough that they’re the only pair of sunglasses that I wear.
I didn’t run my first race until I was 30. It was the Nike Women’s Half Marathon in San Francisco, 12 weeks after I gave birth to my first son. I finished in 2:32:18, including a stop to pump because my breasts were so full of milk!
To have my baby in June and get back into running form by the end of the year. But I want to do it slow and steady, so that I can come back stronger than ever before. I hope to join a relay team for CIM in December.
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