Running Stories

In all the fundraising it's easy to forget the running piece. Our team is running 13.1 miles to raise money to find a cure for blood cancer. We're doing it in honor of Raegan, and in the end, we're doing it to honor our own bodies too. For many of us, this is a huge hurdle that we will be overcoming - something big we never thought we would do. So I want to share our running stories with you. I'll go first...

Hello, I'm Jean and I'm a Runner...

I ran Cross Country in high school because my parents refused to let me complete high school without a sport and it's the only one where they didn't throw things at you!!! Then I stopped.

I ran in 2004 because I was trying to pass a physical test to get the job of my dreams. Then I stopped.

In February 2012 my Sister-in-law challenged me to run a half marathon with her. I tried every excuse in the book, but was trumped when she said, "I'm 10 years older than you and I can do it. You can even walk if you want. Now what's your excuse?" I was had...so I started training. I did the Jeff Galloway walk/run training method and conquered a half in September, 2012. My husband (who beat me by about 30 minutes or more) greeted me at the finish line with my medal. I can't describe the joy of crossing that finish line and him being there for me - it was a huge moment for me and for us. Then I said, "That was nice...never again!"

Then I decided to do it again :) We intended to run the Rock N Roll Half in Philly again this year and the Southernmost Half in Key West in October but had to pull out of both due to injuries. Ironically, I finally started referring to myself as a "runner" when I had to stop running and go through physical therapy to heal from the damage I'd done. When I lost it, I suddenly realized I loved it. In October, going through the Government shutdown was scary for us since we both receive Government paychecks. My only time when I wasn't worrying about how the $$ was going to work out was when I was on the road listening to my footsteps and just breathing. I realized then that running was giving me so much and I had to keep it up. I quickly went in search of another Half Marathon I could run to make up for the two I'd lost.

We started this Team in Training Team team for so many amazing reasons. 1) To honor Raegan; 2) To challenge her mom to take a few minutes a week to take care of herself; 3) To challenge ourselves to greatness; and 4) To raise money to find a cure for an awful cancer. But it's given me more already - it's given me new friends (Have you SEEN the size of my team?), it's given me coaches (Thanks TNT!), it's given me drive and passion for the sport of running, it's given me a reason to run through the cold weather, which isn't easy for this Florida girl, but does come with the amazing perk of a whole new winter running wardrobe!!, and it's given me a place to go on those really hard days when reality sets in that the dream job is still just a job and people can be ugly and sometimes, so can I. I've had a few long runs lately - those are the ones where I needed the run more than it needed me. It's given me what I needed each time. The days where my runs were tough and I just didn't want to finish, I pushed through, and that gave me the strength to go long when I needed to - the run gives back to me what I put into it and being a numbers/accounting geek, I love that equation!

And once I finish the Half Marathon in April, I'm planning to continue to the Marine Corps Marathon in October. That's right...I said it...I'm going to do a full. I'm officially crazy nuts and I'm completely ok with that :)

Now get out there and run with me!