Outside the Grind is our occasional feature that spotlights the unique passion projects, side hustles, and hobbies of finance professionals outside the office. Let us know if you know, or you are, a CFO or finance pro with an interesting, weird, or unusual side gig.
Jasmine Chiaramonte leads a busy life. She’s the CFO of fast-casual restaurant chain Dig (with some specific expertise in real estate) and a mother of three sons. Needless to say, she knows how to pace herself—a skill you need both as a working parent and as an ultramarathon runner. And “ultra” is right: The last race Chiaramonte competed in was the Spartathlon, a 154-mile race that recreates Pheidippides’ run from Athens to Sparta before the battle of Marathon.
Chiaramonte recently sat down with CFO Brew to discuss her passion for running, the challenge of balancing exercise with being a mom and a finance leader, and how she stays motivated.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
How did you get into running?
I ran in high school and [then] took a break. I did not run competitively in college, then it was something I picked up again after I had my second son—I have three now. Running was just something that I knew I could do on my own time. It didn’t require a scheduled class [or] another person to coordinate with…For a busy working mom, running was the easiest thing for me to do that I could fit into my schedule without relying on other people, or a gym class, or something like that.
How often do you run, and do you participate in any organized runs?
I do run anywhere from five to seven days a week, typically when I’m training for a race. The last race that I ran was actually a very unique race. It’s an international race called Spartathlon, where you run from Athens to Sparta…The race has a pretty strict cut-off; you have to be finished within 36 hours. There’s 75 checkpoints between Athens and Sparta, and you can get pulled off the course at any time if you do not meet the checkpoint within that predetermined time…It’s definitely a race, but the goal is just to finish.
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How did you end up doing?
I finished. I think it took me 34 hours (34:26:24, to be exact). It took me a long time. I had some struggles along the way on that one. It takes place in September in Greece, it’s hot, there’s a lot of changes [in the environment] because you go up in this mountain region, and it’s in the middle of the night by the time you get to the top of the mountain. So you’re hot all day, and then you get to this mountain and you’re cold, and [when] you come down you’re shivering. It was interesting.
That one’s probably a little bit on the extreme end of what I do. A standard race would be like 100 miles. That’s more my specialty and my preferred distancer. That one [the Spartathlon] is just sort of like a once-in-a-lifetime thing that you go and experience.
What do you do to stay motivated?
It’s definitely easy when you have a family and a career to deprioritize your own fitness. But for me, I feel like I’m probably a better employee or worker, probably a better mom if I’ve had 30 or 45 minutes to myself to go out and get some exercise. Everyone is different, but for me…it’s a routine. It’s a habit. I get up, I have some coffee, and I get out the door. As soon as I start to get distracted and answer emails or check my Slack, that run opportunity starts to diminish. So I really just try to get it done…Some people, maybe that opportunity’s in the evening, but it’s really whatever time fits into your schedule.