Marathon woman: who? Nadine Potalivo Horner, CAE, what? President and CEO, where? Livermore Chamber of Commerce, California, when? January 2002.

Q: When did you become a runner and why?

A: In high school and college I played soccer, in which there is a great deal of running. I enjoyed running, and it was an easy way to stay in shape after I started working. My office--in Washington, D.C., at the time--made it easier by providing a health club and showers for the staff.

I always run at lunchtime to get outside and away from the office. In D.C., my usual route took me past the White House, the Washington Monument, and the Lincoln, Korean, and Vietnam memorials. When the cherry blossoms were in season, I extended my run to include the Roosevelt and Jefferson memorials where the cherry trees are clustered.

Q: When did you begin competitive racing?

A: My first race ever was the Turkey Trot through Alexandria, Virginia. It was the first time that I had a bib number, and I enjoyed the boost of being at the start line, running through my neighborhood, and completing the race. After running some local races, I decided to train for the Marine Corps Marathon. I trained for six months and successfully finished that marathon.

Q: When did you first compete in a family relay event?

A: Before I came to the Bay Area, a friend told me about the Big Sur International Marathon Relay. So, when we arrived in California, our family put together a team of five runners, and we're competing this spring for the third time.

Beginning at sunrise, we run on Highway 1 right along the ocean from Big Sur to Carmel. It's absolutely spectacular. We each run a segment of the 26-mile race, with segments ranging from four to six miles. Buses drop us off at the appropriate spot, we run our segment and pass off a wristband to the next runner, who runs the next leg of the race. We're switching the parts of the race that we run each year so that within five years we'll each have run the equivalent of the full marathon.

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Q: What is it that keeps you involved in running?

A: Running gives me time to get outside and enjoy the great California weather, think on my own--and it's something I can do with my husband. (In fact, it's the only competitive sport in which I can beat him.) I don't need anything besides a good pair of running shoes, and the best part is that when I finish my run I feel great all day.