This story was forwarded to me by Sarah-Ashley Solie and I was thrilled to be able to pass it along to the rest of the running mate community.
Solie was a beginner, just like everyone else, but she put in the time and the miles without quitting, and in April of this year she ran her first marathon. This is a great testament to what we can accomplish if we are willing to put forth the effort. Great job Sarah-Ashley!
My Marathon Story
I never thought I would be a runner. Walking had always been my primary source of exercise. I thought that I would not enjoy running and that it would be too painful and would be hard on my joints. Little did I know, when I first came across the 5K101 training series on iTunes, that it would eventually lead me to running a full marathon. I started the 5k101 training series in January of 2010. The eight week training series begins with short periods of running in between longer bouts of walking and gradually builds up to running a full 30 minutes. Todd Lange, the developer and “coach” of the training series, gives you guidance and cheers you on while you are working to complete each session. Something about the 5K101 training series and Todd’s style of coaching, made me want to keep up with the series. In February 2010, I ran my first 5k. In July, I ran the Bluegrass 10,000 for the first time and then in October, I completed the Iron Horse half marathon in Midway, Ky.
A few months after the half marathon, my sister mentioned to me that several people from her church were planning on running in the Country Music Marathon. The church members were planning to run in support of their pastor’s family. The pastor’s 8 year old daughter passed away in a tragic accident February 2010. The pastor’s husband had taken up running as a form of therapy as he worked through his grief. I was not sure I could do it, but I decided to sign up. I began training for the marathon in January 2011.
As you might imagine, training in the winter can be challenging. Often there would be snow and ice covering the roads on the Saturdays that I was scheduled to do my long runs. But I was determined to keep to the schedule so with yak traks on my shoes, I would set out on my long run. The heavy rain that we had this past Spring also posed some challenges. I got caught in a downpour on one of my long runs and when I returned home I was absolutely soaked from head to toe. When I would have a particularly difficult run, I would ask my husband to take my picture when I returned home. I wanted to document the days when it was really tough, when I wanted to quit but made it through.
After months of training, the day of the marathon finally arrived. April 30th, 2011 definitely ranks up there as one of the best days of my life. One of my favorite running quotes is “When you cross the finish line, no matter how fast or how slow, it will change your life forever.” But it wasn’t just the actual event that was life changing for me…it was the training leading up to it. Running in some ways is a metaphor for life. Life brings days of great joy and days of challenge. We actually grow the most during are periods of challenge and it makes us more appreciative of the joyful times.
On April 30th, I ran for Emmy whose life was taken too soon, I ran for my mother who dealt with a terminal illness for over 20 years with remarkable grace, I ran for my sister who was with me the first 13 miles, I ran for my daughter, my
husband and the rest of my family, I ran for my dear friends, and most importantly, I ran for me. Running is a gift I give myself so that I can give more to others.
I truly believe that health is one of the greatest gifts we can give to ourselves. I am not advocating that everyone become a runner but I do feel that you need to find an activity that you enjoy and provides you with the strength and energy to do the things you want to do in life. In the upcoming school year, the PTA Health and Wellness committee will be planning different activities that will encourage Stonewall students to be more active. Parents, I encourage you to be active with your kids. You are their biggest role model.
Sarah‐Ashley Solie
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