RUN

I started running during my freshman year of high school. Throughout high school, I participated in indoor and outdoor track, and was also on the cross country team. I took a bit of a break from running in college and it was very hard to get back into it after graduation. Luckily, one of my best friends (and fellow runners from H.S.) was eager to run and race with me post-college. We started signing up for 5k road races and I started working out and running more.

In 2005, I ran the Boilermaker (15K), in Utica, N.Y., for the first time. What a race! The entire town comes out to cheer you on, complete with bands, animals from the zoo and live DJs. If you’re looking for a fun 15k, this should be at the top of your list. It’s also the largest 15k race in the U.S. I think somewhere around 11,000-12,000 people run it every year. I had a blast and decided then that I wanted to try running a longer distance.

The following year, my then boyfriend (now husband) and I signed up for a half marathon. However, about two weeks before the race I developed a terrible congestion in my chest. It turns out I was allergic to the kitten we had just brought home (Murphy!) and had developed allergy-induced asthma. I ended up having to bow out of the half marathon and play photographer for the race instead.

My husband and I continued to run the Boilermaker each summer, but my desire to run more (and maybe even a marathon) never died down. Finally, at the start of 2009 I decided this was the year to try. We had just gotten married (October 2008) and I no longer had any wedding planning to eat up my time, so my best friend and I tried to get into the NYC Marathon via lottery. We didn’t make it, but our resolve to run was strong. We chose to run the Mohawk Hudson River Marathon instead. We trained hard and !followed the Galloway Training Method and Marathon Plan. We finished the marathon in 3 hours and 55 minutes!!

After that first marathon, I immediately had an inkling to run another marathon. Not only that, but I started to consider trying to qualify for Boston. In early 2010 I bit the bullet and signed up for the Pocono Run for the Red Marathon on May 16, 2010. I commenced training hard and trying to increase my speed.

Race day came around and I felt pretty good. I had some up and down moments during the race, but at the end of the day I qualified for Boston with a time of 3:39:35! Boston 2011 – here I come!!

Mohawk Hudson River Marathon Recap

My Race History & Highlights

Pocono Run for the Red Marathon Recap