Janet Braunstein (In Memoriam)

Q: When did you begin running and why?
I began running shortly after I graduated from college. I wanted to stay active, but was living in South Florida and rarely ran more than three miles. I would run after work, when it was quite hot. I caught the “marathon-bug” after I moved to D.C. It was a whole new world. There was shade and a huge Fall marathon everyone was doing! I enjoy traveling for races and I’m fortunate to have such wonderfully supportive family and friends in DC, Florida, New Jersey, Colorado, and California, who have either hosted me or traveled with me to races all over the country.

Q: How did you find out about DCRR and when did you join?
By the time I was in my mid-thirties, I had done several marathons and wanted to get faster. I read something about DCRR’s Wednesday track workout, and thought I’d give it a try. I went consistently for a year, knocked 24 minutes from my marathon time, and qualified for Boston.

Q: What are you training for right now?
As of this posting [September 2018], I’m not signed up for anything in particular. I may do the Richmond Half-Marathon.

Q: What is the toughest run or race you’ve ever participated in?
I realize this is this is not an original answer, but it was probably my first marathon, Marine Corps. I made mistakes in training and during the race and was lucky to finish. I commented afterward that this marathon would be my last. I suppose all us of say “never again” at some point.

As much as I love trail running, I haven’t had much luck with trail races. I had an infamous meltdown at the end of trail half-marathon in Northern Virginia a few years ago. Fortunately, my frequent running buddies, Kerry O’Brien and Laura Chipkin, still talk to me. I once got lost during a poorly marked trail race in West Virginia. I was first female and second overall at the time I took a wrong turn late in the race. At one point, I thought I heard the music from Deliverance. A search party was heading out as I finally made my way to the finish. Needless to say, the race director got an earful from this city slicker. Again, it wasn’t my finest moment.