Tell me about your running life: favorite race, most proud PR, sneaker brand, most favorite can't-live-without piece of gear. 

Jess Lituchy: I’m more of a social runner than a racer. My absolute favorite thing to do is head out for a nice long run with old friends and new, start at a relaxed pace, and then ease off that speed! That said, my favorite distance to race is the half marathon, and my proudest PR is 2:00 at Philly in 2018.
Steph Shiau: When I moved to NYC in 2010, I was in graduate school and couldn't afford the volleyball leagues in the city so I decided to try running on my own. I didn't know that much about running, but I quickly realized that I enjoyed how it made me feel - strong and empowered. My first race was the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in Philadelphia in 2011 and I was really proud of finishing! In 2016, I caught the marathon bug and decided to train for my first marathon. To answer your questions, my favorite race is probably the NYC Marathon - and my proudest PR was cutting an hour off my marathon time from 4:36 (NYC) to 3:59 (NYC) to 3:36 (Lehigh Valley). What changed? I switched from running alone to running with friends through the amazing Group Training program that NYRR offers.
JL: As for gear, I have very normal, but extremely large feet, so I wear any neutral shoe that is available in a women’s 12. No, that’s not a typo. I’m always happier when I remember my visor. Not a sunglasses gal!
SS: I love gear, where do I start? Currently my favorite winter item - my Nike Pegasus Shield shoes! Be sure to talk to Anastasia F if you need gear recommendations. Oh, and I can’t live without bodyglide.

How about your other life? What else do you do for fun, family, work, etc? 

SS: I moved to SOMA in Fall 2019 with my husband (who does not run, but loves to bike!). When I am not running, I am an epidemiologist at Rutgers School of Public Health. I teach and mentor graduate students and my research is focused on improving health for youth and adults growing up and aging with HIV and other infections. I also LOVE food and cooking/baking/eating. We also really enjoy camping, and are always looking for company!
JL: When not running, planning to run, organizing a running event, or talking about running, I am a consultant for an efficiencies firm. So my second favorite thing to talk to you about is how to streamline your tasks so that you spend as little time as possible on the things you don’t enjoy, and freeing up the rest of your time for those things you love doing! I have two daughters, 18 and 21, and a very patient and loving wife who does not run and kind of wishes I would talk about something else once in a while. Also two cats and a dog.

What are YOUR reasons behind starting this group? 
JL: This group grew out of a convergence of a lot of things. I have organized the 10 Days of 10Ks for the last three years while working for a Summit nonprofit also organizing events in my role there. I left the nonprofit job in the fall, and helped Allison N organize her brainchild, the first annual SOMA Fox Chase (10K, 13.1, 26.2). The running community’s response to that event was quite a bit stronger than we expected. And it occurred to Stephanie and me that there was an appetite in our community for a more formal run club. We put our heads together and figured that with her run coach certification, and my background in events, we could start a club that offered set workouts and races, to compliment the offerings of the other running and triathlon clubs in the area. As to why we named it after the SOMA Fox - I don’t exactly remember! We loved Shauna Cagan’s artwork for the Fox Chase, it gave us a ready mascot and cool team colors. Plus, the little beastie pops up everywhere! I really hope that members find joy, friendship, camaraderie, and community running with us. I hope that we create a warm and welcoming space for runners of all backgrounds, identities, and speeds. I hope that we create a little world of sport where we cheer each other on, take pride in our successes, welcome newcomers, and take care of our health.

SS: When I first moved to the area I was worried about having to marathon train solo. Luckily I connected with an amazing group of women through Will Run For Coffee who were so welcoming from my first week in town! I rarely had to run alone and training was so much fun! Then in 2020, Dana H and Gina Z and I were signed up to run the Berlin Marathon together under the team name "Jersey Foxes" (I moved into a house with Fox wallpaper in one of the bedrooms). Sadly, we didn't get to run Berlin but then Allison N and Jess came up with the SOMA Fox Chase, which was incredibly successful! Afterwards Jess and I met to discuss forming an official running group, with regular weekly runs, open to all members of our community, and SFRC was born. I am grateful for this new running family we are building and hope everyone finds joy in running and supporting each other (and our community)!  Also many shoutouts to Jess and the SFRC Board for helping to make this happen!

When you spot Jess and Steph on a run, introduce yourself!!