While training for CIM, @that_runner_girl_goes let us know what running means to her: “Running has been a strong asset to fulfilling one of my greatest passions, traveling. I have gotten to race a 5K in Abu Dhabi, a 10K in the Florida Keys, a half marathon through the streets of Philadelphia, and my first marathon was a run through the beautiful, scenic streets of Oahu. I love having so many options in California and being able to make small vacations out of each race. Just this weekend I got away to San Jose for a half marathon and then got to explore a city I knew little about. I know that this is just the beginning of my race destinations. How cool would it be to run through the snow, the forest, and end at the ocean?! Maybe Alaska will be soon!” How do you?

“When training for a Marathon, people often look at the whole plan and get nervous… ‘Can I run this much in a week? I’ve never ran that far! I don’t know if I can do that workout’ these are thoughts that go through all of our heads. I take the approach of using that as motivation and try to spin it to ‘How can I run that much in a week? What’s it going to feel like to be that far? How can I set myself up to tackle this workout?’ Looking a few days forward in my training and figuring out how I can get my training in, rather than if I can get my training in will always be the approach I take.” – @therealmattduffy

“Sacramento is a wonderful city to run in, but recently I have escaped to the hills for training runs. This offers a challenge for my body by adding new terrain and more elevation. When changing your environment, it is important to fuel properly. I find that CLIF Bars provide the carbohydrates my body needs for energy, along with a great taste! They are easy to pack so remember to carry an extra in case of emergencies out on the trails! You never know what you may encounter so it’s best to be prepared, and same goes for on the roads! Has everyone been testing out nutrition options in their training?” @that_runner_girl_goes

Our on course fuel for CIM will be provided by @clifbar, and with CIM training in full swing we’re going to be following along with 2 runners who are using @clifbar to fuel their training! Meet our first featured runner, @that_runner_girl_goes: Hello, Kristina here! I am super stoked to be training for the California International Marathon! I have been running casually since college and find that every year I become more fascinated with the sport itself and the social media world it has created. I love using Instagram because it allows me to use a snapshot to highlight my running experience and add insight to my training, while offering others in the community to contribute their experiences! Run one, run all! Let’s all help each other reach that finish line together