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Hey there! I'm Julia

It’s no secret that I love running. As a kid I was never really into sports. I dabbled in a few rec teams but never found anything that clicked. Freshman year of high school I decided to sign up for the track team. Back then I wanted the feeling of accomplishment but wasn’t necessarily interested in running far. I ran the 200, 400, and 800 and wasn’t much of a fan. I didn’t know it back then, but distance running was probably the better fit. I stopped track after freshman year but continued to run on my own.

A little more about me...

I went to Duquesne University to pursue a Physician Assistant degree. Freshman year I decided to walk on to the rowing team. Why not right? I fell in love. I fell in love with the team camaraderie, the commitment, and the training for a D1 sport. My interest in fitness peaked while on the rowing team. I decided to switch paths and pursue a degree in exercise physiology. I graduated from Duquesne with a BS in Health Sciences and then graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a Master’s in Health and Physical activity with a concentration in Chronic Diseases. Over the past 12 years I have been a personal trainer, health coach, and running coach.

That Running Life...

While on the rowing team, running became the way I maintained fitness. But it also became the way I released stress during the high demands of school. Throughout my master’s program I kept running but I missed the feeling of training and competing that I had with rowing. I ran my first half marathon in 2009 and fell in love with the training. In 2010 I ran the Pittsburgh Marathon and completely fell in love with the feeling I had when crossing the finish line. My husband, Mark, (boyfriend at the time) said he knew from the look on my face as I crossed the line that I was hooked. He was right. I was hooked. From then I continued to run races and later started helping others train for races.
Since 2010 running has always had a purpose. Running became my way to fill my need to compete and challenge myself. It has always played a huge role in stress relief. After having two kids it became more of my me time.

Structure with the right amount of flexibility

My mission is to coach the whole person not just coach to the paces and numbers. There is a place for numbers and paces but those types of goals cannot be achieved without looking at you as an individual. You are not just a runner. You have a whole life and running is just a part of it. My goal as a coach is for you to feel supported, feel confident and stress less about your training.

Fun Non-Running facts about me

Latina!

I’m a mom of 2 kiddos

Concerts to see my favorites is the best way to escape reality for a few hours

I go to bed looking forward to coffee in the AM

I believe ice cream is the superior dessert

I have a serious love for sushi