I'm a married mother of 3, grandmother of 6 who runs marathons for the sense of accomplishment but also to have FUN. Being a veteran of 52 marathons, I believe if I can run a marathon, anyone can - you just have to WANT to.
At 32, I realized I'd gained 20 lbs. in a year and would be over 200 lbs. by the time I hit 40 if I didn't do SOMETHING. I found running fits best with a busy schedule and all you need is a good pair of running shoes.
I began running in 1993 and have logged over 44,000 miles. Running is my escape from the daily grind and my Abnormal Psyche professor referred to it as my "coping mechanism for stress" - it works!
Way back in 1979, I watched Joan Benoit-Samuelson win Boston Marathon and thought "Wow, I'd love to do that someday!" (run it, not win) Many thanks to Joan for inspiring me to WANT to, paving the way for women marathoners, & bringing visibility to the sport. She continues to be a leader and inspiration to women runners setting records in each subsequent age group.
I have since qualified for 18 Boston's and completed 17 with one DNF due to an injury
Special thanks go to Oprah Winfrey for inspiring me to BELIEVE I could run a marathon after her VERY respectable 4:29 finish at Marine Corps Marathon in 1994 for her 40th birthday. Oprah paved the way for everyday runners to go out try.
After Oprah's amazing accomplishment, I realized there was no excuse for not trying. In 1995 I completed my first marathon @ Ocean State in 4:58 in preparation for the 100th Boston in 1996 (finishing 34,531 in a time of 5:48 - ouch!)
At my first marathon I met a woman who had a goal of running a marathon in all 50 states and all 7 continents. This inspired me to consider the 50 States Marathon Club. So far I've completed 26 states plus DC, doing 2-3 marathons a year and repeating Boston each April. It's a great way to see the country. My only requirement for each fall marathon is that it's "someplace else".
Another inspirational runner is John "The Penguin" Bingham who has written for Runner's World & been a guest speaker at many marathons. He provides words of wisdom for runners of all ages, shapes, and sizes. His "Penguin Chronicles" are entertaining and reflective on the inner runner in all of us.
In March, 1999 I read about a runner named Ron Hill who had run EVERY day since 1964. He planted the idea of streaking in my head. Sorry to say on January 30, 2017 Ron ended his streak of 52 years 39 days @ the age of 78 due to health issues
I started my 1st streak on March 25th, 1999. More on streaking on my "Streak Freak" page.
I always said my streak would end the day I couldn't run & my first streak ended 1/08/12 @ 4,672 days with a stress fracture in my foot. I was a bit relieved & vowed I'd never streak again but running every day is part of my normal daily routine so I started a new one March 26, 2015.
My current running streak lives @
Days
Of course, there's a website for the U.S. Running Streak Association.
I'd love to hear your personal running stories.
Please send them to runlaurarun@greenrunning.net
