I love running and have been doing it for over 25 years. I like to compete in the half marathon most of all and the training keeps me focused, dedicated, and committed to my goals. One of the things I really like about running is talking to other runners about their running goals. Maybe it's to run a couple of blocks or maybe it's to run a marathon--it doesn't matter. You're out there and I'm on your side.

My cousin, Alison, was training for a marathon a year and half ago and I joined her on long runs. It can get pretty lonely and boring if you're running 20 miles by yourself. We talked about a lot of things including how running helps us eat healthy. I told her it would be neat to come up with the next energy bar. I said, "you know someone will." Then it hit me. That person could be me. Why not? In hindsight, that was my aha moment.I was in culinary school learning about baking and pastry; I always tweaked recipes trying to make them healthier--which my family tolerated only a few times. They told me to stop putting whole wheat and flax seed in their chocolate chip cookies...anyway, I experimented and a year later I came up with something wholesome, yummy and with runners in mind. It wasn't an energy bar. It was a hearty, dense not-too-sweet granola! It has a good carb to protein ratio which is good for post run recovery, and I named it Runner's Granola. I packaged it in recycled, coffee syrup bottles donated from local coffee shops and tested it with my running friends and family. They said I had something pretty darn good. I was encouraged to shop it around to locally-based stores and test it at local road races. I received good feedback.

Funny thing. I ended up starting a company called Runner's Granola, Inc. At its essence, Runner's Granola celebrates runners and their running goals. It celebrates the esprit de coeur that runners share--there's a running community in just about every city and town across the U.S. (the world!!) Runner's Granola is grassroots-based, like a running community. I make the granola by hand and package it in bottles by hand. It's a salute to goals. Don't ever quit. To every runner I say, "Cheers! Here's to good running."