My mom is an inspiration to me. We’ve run marathons, half-marathons, 10K’s and 5K’s together over many years. We were training for a marathon when she found out she had pancreatic cancer. She’s a fighter and a tough lady, going into her 4th year with cancer she’s up to running a loop around the park. She’s the true hero and is awesome. There’s many hero’s out there like her. When I’m ready to quit and be done during a race or a training run, I think of her and know she’d do anything to be at mile 16 wanting to quit but she will never be there again and that’s what keeps me going.

Running is a funny thing, it’s therapy and craziness all in one. But we always come back for more. There’s a camaraderie not quite like any other athletic group. People of all shapes and sizes, fast or slow can be a part of the running community. We all feel the same as we cross the finish line regardless of how long it took us to get there.

So on those days, like today for me, when 16 miles took an extra hour, we have to tell ourselves…just keep running, one foot in front of the other.

Running Tips:

Push through the Pain | A Winner Runs Through It | When It’s OK to quit a Race

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