 Shannon is a lifelong Muskegon area resident who has worked in area hospitals as a nurse for more than 25 years. She and her husband, Brian, raised their two boys, Spencer and Braxton, while Shannon worked through nursing school, earning a Bachelors of Science degree in Nursing. She has five grand kids: Julian, Lily, Isla, Theo, and Willow and loves spending time with them. Shannon is also a very creative and crafty person who was a Close To My Heart scrapbooking consultant for many years, earning high recognition and a place in the hearts of many ladies in the community. She still squeezes in going to scrapbooking “crops” when she has time so that she can capture all those fun family and personal memories. Shannon loves to camp, and you may recognize her in her “Mojito” green metallic Jeep Rubicon and matching GeoPro Jeep edition camper. Shannon is always on the go and has a wide variety of interests, some of which she mentions in her interview. 1. How long have you been running? I have been running off and on since 1986. Some years I ran more than others, but I have been very consistent since Run Woodstock in 2022. 2. Do you race? If so, what is your most memorable race experience? I really love to race and I must confess that I am always looking at age group results from the year before to help me decide on which races I have the best chance of placing in before I register for the current year’s race. Although I am quietly and fiercely competitive, I really treasure the social aspects of running. I think that a good afterparty or participating in a really fun and unusual event with run friends is the best. My favorite two events of all are Run Woodstock and Hootenanny. I really love it when I can combine camping AND racing! How fun is it to do something good for your body, then follow that up with Smores over the campfire? 3. Ever run in a costume? If so, what? OMG, I have so many costumes that I practically need a pole barn! Costumes are my favorite part of running. I have won “Best Hippie” at Run Woodstock two years in a row! I enjoy Island Time (tropical theme) and Hootenanny (owl theme). Some of my most fun costumes include: Waldo (for the Muskegon Polar Plunge benefitting Special Olympics), a Christmas elf at Holiday Hustle, a girl leprechaun for the Blue Lake Fire 5k, and Little Red Riding Hood at the Great Turtle. There is no telling what character I may show up as next! Rumor has it that I may show up as a neon unicorn or a yummy chocolate cookie next!  4. Only running shoes for me are... I run exclusively in Hokas for road and trail. My workout shoes are Hokas, my recovery slides are Hoka, and I loves Hoka clothes/gear. I am waiting for Hoka to find me and offer to sponsor me!
5. What is your worst running-related injury? That’s hard to pick. I have had a number of injuries over the years including hamstring strains, a broken toe, plantar fasciitis, and a variety of miscellaneous little aches and niggles. I work out at Breathe and Believe to develop strength, but I hate to stretch. I have been known to cross train by playing pickleball, practicing yoga, and doing cardio drumming. 6. Hot or cold weather runner? I have spikes and run year-round, but I also love swimming, doing triathlons, cross country skiing, biking of all types, snowshoeing, paddleboarding, and adventure racing. Last year I did my first Winter tri (fat biking, snow shoeing, and cross country skiing) and placed third. I want to try downhill skiing this Winter if I can find heated gloves that work. 7. What is your motivation for running? I love to have fun in whatever I do. People tell me I am always smiling and laughing, and friends say I am the captain of team “Not Boring!” I love running with friends and am easily motivated by the promise of an interesting tech fabric race shirt or hoodie, cool swag, or some sort of interesting finish line food (like blueberry pancakes). My most powerful motivator, however, is FOMO, hands down! My goal is to do 1 to 2 organized events and/or adventures with friends each month. If I ever can’t sleep some night, I sometimes scroll through my phone searching for fun new events that I haven’t done yet. 8. If I didn't run I.... I would be miserable and feel left out. Time away from running, the gym, or some fun activity is just awful for me. 9. I can't run without... Aftershokz headphones and a headband. Well, and a pair of Hokas! 10. What's the farthest you have run at one time? I have run two 50k’s, one at Woodstock that I was “tricked” in to by my coach, who said I could do the “walk of shame” back to the start, or I could just keep going to the finish and get a medal. I have also done Thumb Coast and made a great new friend, Sandy, who helped me keep on going even though I may have wanted to quit more than once. I have also done several races in the Western US, and have gone Rim to floor to Rim of the Grand Canyon with a group of adventurous running friends. 11. What brought you to Run Muskegon and why have you stayed? My friends Cassie and Tracy, and I, wanted to find a group so that we could stay active, but were scared. We waited until Run Muskegon “newbie” night and discovered a running community with dozens of like-minded, super social, but slightly wacky, running friends. I stay with Run Muskegon and remain as active as I can be because I unfortunately see the result of inactivity and poor health choices practically every day in my role as a nurse at Trinity Hospital. I am committed to running, friends, fitness, and FOMO. Those ingredients are the “secret sauce” that keep me involved and coming back mile after mile.
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