Every runner has a reason. We all have goals that inspire us to go the extra mile – and we want to celebrate yours.

 

Whether you’re training to achieve a new personal record, trying to stay healthy for you and your family, looking for an outlet to escape everyday anxieties, or just beginning your journey into running and fitness, we want to know: What moves you?

 

We set out to explore this question further by interviewing our employees and highlighting their answers. See below to learn from their individual experiences pounding the pavement and pursuing running goals.

 

Share your story using the hashtag #PopularBKHalf and follow along to be part of the journey.

 

Meet Monica

What do you find most challenging about racing?

Training for a race requires time and dedication. What I find to be most challenging about racing is striking the balance between work and training.

What inspired you to race in the Popular Brooklyn Half?

I’ve been running since 2010 and this will be my sixth Brooklyn half marathon, but it will be my first Popular Brooklyn Half. As a Popular employee, I’m so proud to be part of this inaugural race!

What do you find most rewarding, aka, what moves you to run?

For me, crossing the finish line is one of the most rewarding experiences. When I hit my Personal Record (PR), the emotions are even stronger.

What are your favorite training tips? 

• There will always be faster people than you, and there will always be slower people than you. The race is not against other people; the race is against yourself.

• Look for a training partner or join a running group. Running is more fun when you run with other people.
• Track your training. Create a simple log with distance, pace and how you felt, before, during and after each run.
• Make sure you have a good pair of running shoes. The right shoes make a difference during the race.

What’s an unexpected similarity between banking and racing? 

In banking, you must be aware of the environment and prepared to adapt with constant changes, like technology and regulations. Similarly, when running, you must also be aware of the environment, e.g., when approaching a hill, you should adjust your speed to overcome that challenge.

What moves you beyond racing and banking?

I’m passionate about traveling the world.

 

Meet Marc

What do you find most challenging about racing?

I enjoy the mental challenge. Your mind and body may tell you to stop, but the ability to push through those thoughts and reach new plateaus is extremely rewarding.

What inspired you to race in the Popular Brooklyn Half?

I thought to myself, what better way to challenge my personal fitness while representing Popular, the bank I work for and aim to grow, at the same time.

What do you find most rewarding, aka, what moves you to run? 

I’m motivated to run by physical and mental health benefits. When I run, I look forward to sweating and enjoying the post-run runners’ high.

What are your favorite training tips? 

When training, I always try and improve from my last session. My favorite tips include:

• Wear the correct shoes.
• Sweat is good. If I am not dripping with sweat, I know I didn’t train hard enough.
• Listen to your body; after a long, hard training session, rest is just as important as training.

What’s an unexpected similarity between banking and racing? 

My relationship with my clients is like a long marathon: ongoing and constantly evolving.  Sure, certain occasions require us to sprint, but the ultimate value is in the long-term relationship.

What moves you beyond racing and banking?

One of my favorite sayings is, “a house is only as strong as the foundation it sits upon.”  Beyond racing and banking, I’m focused on my health, family, friends and growing my wealth. My focus on these things allows me to build a strong, personal foundation –  this motivates me each and every day.

 

Meet Julie

What do you find most challenging about racing?

For most people, the most challenging thing about running is simply starting. It’s putting yourself in the right mindset to begin a run, and the commitment you make to yourself to finish the run. Starting is the biggest challenge any runner faces every time they lace up.

Once my laces are tied and my shoes hit the pavement, that’s where I start finding the rewards. At the beginning of the run, it’s the feeling of my body waking up and finding it’s rhythm. I start to find my breath and already feel rewarded by the satisfaction of starting.

A couple miles in, I find my pace. As I start to warm up and run faster, I’m rewarded again, as I get progressively more comfortable with the run. Then, around mile 8 or 9 something extraordinary happens. Endorphins are released and I’m engulfed by a feeling of euphoria. I often find myself at mile 9 with a cheesy grin plastered across my face. I couldn’t stop smiling if I tried.

What inspired you to race in the Popular Brooklyn Half?

The Popular Brooklyn Half is the largest half marathon in the country; it’s iconic among the running community nationally. What more of a reason does a half marathon runner need than the notoriety and kudos of running the Popular Brooklyn Half?

What do you find most rewarding, aka, what moves you to run?

Nothing compares to the feeling of accomplishment when I cross the finish line. That feeling goes up exponentially each time I improve my PR, or personal record, and even more-so if and when I manage to place, either in my age group or overall.

What are your favorite training tips? 

Start slow, and save your energy for the last few miles, you’ll need it. Run like you plan to run on race day. Prepare yourself for each training run as if it were race day. Take note of what you ate yesterday and how your run feels today. Are you fueling correctly? Pay attention to your form. It helps to imagine yourself at ideal performance. Envision it and you’ll achieve it.

What’s an unexpected similarity between banking and racing? 

Imagine training for a race like putting money into your savings account. Your body is your account and training is money. Every time you train you deposit money in the “bank”. If you overdo it and get injured, that’s like spending money. You must train and make enough deposits in advance of the expense to be able to afford it, and you should avoid making any frivolous withdrawals. As you train and make more and more deposits, you get closer to being able to afford that important expense.

What moves you beyond racing and banking?

Design. As a web and graphic designer, I’m very passionate about art and design, especially how it relates to the visual communication of ideas and concepts.

 

Meet Paul

What do you find most challenging about racing?

For me, getting in long distance runs in during my training is a always challenge. There’s so much going on especially this day and age, one thing continuously after another, that it can be difficult to set aside enough time to run. So, the most challenging part about racing is the entire time before I get to the starting line on race day.

What inspired you to race in the Popular Brooklyn Half?

I was inspired to run the Popular Brooklyn Half because over the years I’ve run a number of full marathons, including the NYC marathon. This will only be my second half marathon and the Brooklyn half is so iconic, it’s extremely exciting to have the chance to run it, especially since I will be running with numerous members of my family, my colleagues and many patrons of the bank.

What do you find most rewarding, aka, what moves you to run?

The most rewarding part of running for me, is that I’ve been a runner for most of my life, I remember when my children were younger, I would go for runs and they would bike alongside me. Now, many years later, they’re running in the same races and so far ahead of me that I can’t keep up.

What are your favorite training tips? 

My favorite training tip is if the miles are getting to your head, have someone drop you off the number of miles you want to run, so that you are forced to run all the way back home.

What’s an unexpected similarity between banking and racing? 

An unexpected similarity between banking and racing is investing. It’s about doing something now for the goal of achieving something bigger in the future. In both cases, there are a lot of uncontrollable factors but that’s why, to minimize risk it’s necessary to diversify when investing and in training in all kinds of conditions for racing.

What moves you beyond racing and banking?

I’m an avid traveler and have a real passion for seeing all that there is in the world. It’s amazing meeting new people and experiencing different cultures.