When I originally created this blog, the name was created with the intention of merging two passions together; teaching and running. Running for me, really is a great way to reflect on the day or even clear your mind.
The first time I ran a marathon was in 2016, it was by far the hardest race I have ever ran. Crossing the finish line in tears and the biggest disappointment of not having an official finish time was very discouraging. Mentally, I took a long time off from running following that. Two years to be exact. I ran races over those two years, but my heart wasn’t fully in it.
When I made the decision to run Chicago in 2018, I knew I didn’t want to do the lottery, I wanted to make a difference by connecting my training to a charity. Finding the right charity took some time, but I made the decision to run for the Organization for Autism Research (OAR). Running for the organization connected me with our Chicago Area Runners Association and our local Yankee Runners. This was a group I committed to training with each Saturday for the “long run” portion of the marathon training. It was, one of the best decisions I made.
Many of us in the group were educators or were married to educators. Long runs up to 20 miles gave us plenty of time to discuss “shop” but to also lend support to one another. However, these long runs didn’t feel like those I ran in 2016. I looked forward to going at 5am on Saturday mornings. We told stories, we laughed, we got stuck in the storms and heat. I honestly have to say I had fun!
Leading up to the marathon, I won’t lie that challenges weren’t faced. The heat this summer was brutal. The morning of the race, I planned to meet with a few of my running pals, as our goal was to stick together. I saw colleagues from work in the racing corral and I knew my husband was out on the course waiting for me. I was ready, and I was PUMPED!
I feel like race day came and went so fast. I think people believe I’m lying when I say that I had the best time for all of 26.2! Sure, there were times I was in extreme pain, the end was rough, and just trying to go up stairs…. well we won’t talk about that. Erasing all of those horrible moments, I danced at mile 13, gave high 5s to strangers and friends who I was surprised by along the way. At mile 21, I even busted into the Carlton dance while the music played over the loud speaker. It. Was. FUN!
I honestly feel that running with this group and not doing it alone, is what helped push me in the fun direction. My running buddies and I had a great time together, I helped a 1st time marathoner finish, a multi-marathoner finish, and I finally got my medal and an official finish time!
Teaching In Stride 