Our next runner of the month found her way to NRC by way of a teacher friend at Centennial High School and we are so happy that our group “aced the test” when it came to keeping Kendra motivated to continue running, even in the heat and humidity of Tennessee.
Kendra Mugnano is known to be one of our most consistent and fastest ladies in the group, but she claims she wasn’t always that fast or athletic (I assure you that she’s just being hard on herself!). She has completed many half and full marathons and is hopeful to add a few more big ones to her resume. When we reached out to Kendra to congratulate her on being selected as Runner of the Month, she was surprised and didn’t think she was interesting enough to fill an article. Even after running many miles alongside her (mostly me trying to hang on at her faster pace), even I learned a few new interesting things about her and her running history! Read on to get to know Kendra a little better, including how her husband signing her up for a relay eventually led to her running her first marathon, how she grew closer to one of her running best friends, Liz, over a trash can in the Columbus Marathon, and some of her favorite races thus far and those to come.
NRC: I know you’re not originally from the Nashville area, so where did you grow up and where else have you lived prior to moving to Tennessee?
Kendra: I was born in the very small town of Norwalk, Ohio and grew up in Lodi, Ohio. I have also lived in Connecticut, Indiana, and Cleveland, OH most recently before settling in nearby Brentwood. My husband, John, is an attorney for Bridgestone, so his job is what ultimately moved us from Cleveland to Nashville.
NRC: You’re pretty darn fast! What kind of running did you do growing up and did you play any other sports?
Kendra: I didn’t even start running until my late 20s! Honestly, I was not very athletic as a kid; I played softball and the coach put me in right field (which for those not as familiar with baseball and softball, generally gets less action from hitters) with another girl who also wasn’t very good. The only other extracurricular of note was Color Guard in high school. I didn’t have much time for sports growing up because I was determined to eventually move away from home, and so I started my first job in high school as a cashier at the Ben Franklin Five and Dime Store to save for college.
NRC: Speaking of college, I know you and your husband met at Miami University in Oxford, OH and now your oldest son also attends there. Tell us more about that!
Kendra: My dad’s cousin worked at Miami University and I attended a wedding near campus in middle school; I fell in love with the campus and knew I wanted to go there eventually. It is also where I met my future husband; John and I met at Miami my sophomore year of college. We met in the dining hall through mutual friends and when I called him a few weeks later to ask him to be my date for a sorority party, he said yes but thought I was someone else since making plans then was done solely by phone. He was a gentleman though (he didn’t act too surprised) and we had a great time and now, the rest is history; in fact, this November, we have been together for 33 years and married for 27 years! We have two sons, Johnny (who is a junior at Miami University studying to be an engineer) and Joe, who is a high school senior at Father Ryan.
NRC: Speaking of your husband, John, you say you blame him for really getting your running journey started. How did that come to be?
Kendra: While John was finishing law school at Cleveland Marshall, we moved in with his parents for four years and running became my escape from my father-in-law, who was great to be around, but living under the same roof for four years was a lot, especially in the summer when I wasn’t working as a teacher. I would go for longer runs to have some time and space to myself! Once John finished his law degree, we moved into our own home just in time to welcome our firstborn, Johnny, home.
NRC: I know getting summers off to run and read are some of your favorite parts about being a teacher but what else do you love about the profession?
Kendra: I have taught high school math for 30 years now and seeing the growth and progression of the kids as they grasp new concepts is incredibly rewarding!
NRC: We’ve talked a good bit about your husband, John, and how he got you into running so let’s talk about the rest of your family- your sons and dogs; do any of them run too? What kinds of things do y’all enjoy doing together?
Kendra: Our oldest son, Johnny, is a Junior at Miami studying mechanical engineering and he plays on Miami’s club hockey team; when Johnny was about 10, he would ride his bike alongside me for some of my longer training runs (sounds like a great way to spend time together!). Joe is our younger son and he’s a Senior at Father Ryan who used to play on a travel hockey team but now just plays high school hockey. Our family dog, Velvet who we lost recently was a great training partner to run with; we now have Bella and I hope to eventually run with her, but she is still young (about 14 months old) and while she loves walking, she still has some opportunity with pacing (you and me both, Bella!).
NRC: Back to running, tell us about one of your first races that really got you more serious and competitive about running.
Kendra: The Akron Marathon has a big relay and John’s company, Bridgestone, sponsored several relay teams. John volunteered me for a team since he didn’t want to do it and this was a big deal because people from Bridgestone came from all over the country to compete and they placed me on the “fast” team. We raced well and I had a great time getting to know some of my relay teammates, especially a woman named Sherry. Finishing that relay motivated me to do the Twin Cities Marathon in 2012 alongside Sherry. Since then, Sherry and I have run several marathons including Columbus and Big Sur.
NRC: How did you hear about NRC?
Kendra: It was a fellow teacher at Centennial High School, Preston Johnson, who used to be an NRC regular on Wednesday nights and on the trails Saturday until he moved to East Nashville. I had just finished a few marathons in a short amount of time and Preston recommended NRC as a great way to train, stay motivated to run, and of course, meet great people!
NRC: We are so glad he sent you our way! What is one of your favorite things about NRC?
Kendra: I love the camaraderie and longer conversations we can have on our Saturday long runs that keep me motivated and help the miles go by much faster! I enjoy catching miles on Saturday around Nolensville and Brentwood with friends and fellow NRCers, David Behnen, Andy Michael, Andy Dabson, Caitlin McGuire, Andrea Klint, Scott Alexander, Kyle Prince, and Michael Teague. We recently had a perfect fall run up Burke Hollow and while the incline was a bit steep, the fall foliage was beautiful and the temperatures were perfect for this native Ohioan.
NRC: Who are some great runners you find motivating in your life?
Kendra: All of my Strava friends who I see out there each and every day logging miles, especially folks like Jason Loyd who run some crazy long distances and then get right back out there again within a day or two. I also stay in touch with my running partner, Liz, from Ohio, who I met through teaching; we travel to races together and hold each other accountable for training. When I ran the Columbus Marathon, I incidentally found Liz getting sick alongside the course; I stayed with her the whole race and we finished together. Since then, Liz and I have run Columbus again (no vomiting this time!), Boston, Big Sur, and the Disney Princess Half Marathon.
NRC: What have been some of your most notable or favorite races you’ve done?
Kendra: NYC Marathon because it was my PR (3:31) and it’s also NYC! Big Sur was beautiful though very challenging with hills; the road was so cambered for water run off and it made the long distance run on it more challenging.
NRC: What are some races you’re currently training for?
Kendra: I am running the Half Monkey the first weekend in November and Liz and I will be tackling the hills of the Boston Marathon again in April 2023.
NRC: If you could run any race, what would it be?
Kendra: I’d love to finish the 6 major races- I still have Berlin, London, and Tokyo left having already completed NYC, Chicago, and Boston. London would be first on my list and in fact, I’ve started looking at hopefully making that race happen in 2024.
NRC: We are sure no matter what big race you pick next, you’ll crush it and we can’t wait to cheer for you. Congratulations and we are so glad you’re part of the NRC family!
Speed Round:
NRC: What is your favorite mid-run fuel?
Kendra: I don’t eat while I run, except for maybe a few gummies or Clif blocks and a couple sips of Gatorade during a marathon.
NRC: What is something surprising about you that no one in NRC would guess?
Kendra: If I was not a teacher, I would be a weather girl! (I am with her on this one- they get to be wrong often and keep their job!)
NRC: What is one of the most scenic or unique places you’ve run?
Kendra: Big Sur Marathon and running the Manitou Incline outside of Colorado Springs (it’s about 2,700 steps with 2000 ft of elevation gain in about a mile!)
NRC: What are some of your hobbies?
Kendra: Reading during the summer (I usually read 14-15 books in a 2 month period)