Hi there, I’m Danae! I’m an Arizona native currently living in Colorado, and loving every minute of it! Welcome to my website Recipe Runner. This website is all about my two passions, cooking and running. I haven’t always been as obsessed with cooking and running as much as I am now, but once the bug bit me I knew there was no turning back!
My love of running started in high school, where I ran for 4 years on the cross country team and 3 years on the track team. I didn’t run in college, but shortly after I got an itch to try running my first half marathon. From that race forward I realized how much I truly loved running and racing. Since then I have run more 5k’s, 10k’s, and half marathons than I can remember, and 5 full marathons, those I don’t forget.
Running is a way that I do something just for me. I love pushing myself to see how far I can run and fast I can become. When I run I feel happy, strong, and healthy. When I don’t run…well ask my husband, I get a little cranky and crazy. I credit my improvement in running to my sister. I have always looked up to her as a runner. She has coached me over the last few years and thanks to her I have continued to improve and set new personal records, I’ve even won a few races! Another great thing about running is I have a lot of time to think about things, like food and recipes! When I’m out on a 15 mile run I come up with some of my best ideas, hence the name Recipe Runner!
In October 2013 I ended up in the hospital for 10 days and was diagnosed with bilateral deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in my head. This was a huge blow to me mentally and physically. I went from running 60-70 miles a week to having to learn how to walk a mile again. However, I have since recovered and my running mileage is back to where it was. Having that scare and not being able to run for an extended period of time made me realize how important running is to me and never to take one of things I love the most for granted.
On to my second passion; cooking and baking. I credit my love for cooking and baking to my Mom and both of my Grandmas. Growing up my mom would almost always make my sister and I homemade meals. I am so thankful that I grew up in a home where the majority of my meals were prepared rather than coming from a restaurant or the freezer section at the grocery store. Seeing my mom cook and helping her occasionally at a young age helped give me more of an appreciation for different types of food and quality food.
My Grandmas were also great cooks and bakers. I love going through their old recipes and recreating them. One of my Grandmas even owned her own pie shop in Colorado. I can still remember as a kid helping her at the shop make apple and cherry pies, that’s probably where my love of baking started and why I love pie so much!
When I’m not running or cooking I enjoy spending time with my husband and two cats. My husband is the official taste tester in the kitchen and my #1 fan on race days, I couldn’t imagine doing either of these things without his support. To keep things entertaining in our lives we have our two cats Mercury and Daisy. These cats are two peas in a pod and you’ll often find me sharing pictures of them on Instagram.
Through this website I hope that I can inspire and motivate you to stay active and that my recipes and photos will tempt you to try cooking and baking and maybe even come up with your own recipes!
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Feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, concerns, or just to say hi at danae@reciperunner.com