“The first goal is to make it to the start line healthy and then to get over the finish line healthy.”
What inspired you to start running?
I’ve dabbled in a lot of different fitness-related endeavors. I’ve done traditional weightlifting. I’ve done rock climbing, CrossFit. I’ve sort of gone all over the spectrum and started incorporating running a couple of years ago, actually training for the half marathon that I was doing that summer, just as sort of a new challenge for myself.
This also further relates to the charity that I chose to support. That half marathon was the one-year sobriety anniversary for me. So, I was embarking on that fitness challenge at the time just to channel that energy as a newly sober person and have been on and off running since, but fitness has been a big part of my life.
What charity are you running to support?
The Herren Project. They do substance use and recovery support services in the community. They provide scholarships for folks to receive rehab services and provide a lot of community support.
How do you stay motivated during the tough parts of training?
I have a couple of friends [including] a peer here who is also running the marathon. We keep each other accountable and follow each other on social media and in Strava to make sure we’re getting our runs in. I also have a couple of other runner friends who I bounce training tips off of and that sort of thing.
Then when that long run comes on Saturday, it’s a mix of music and podcasts. And I’ve been running with the Heartbreak Hill Run Club in Newton. That’s been going on since December, and you start to get to know people who are running for Boston and the charities they’re raising [money] for, and that’s been a good way to break up the long run in particular.
What’s the best advice you’ve received or would give about running?
It’s probably to run your own race. Being a competitive person, it’s really easy to get caught up in paces and times and all of these things. But ultimately, this will be my first marathon. The first goal is to make it to the start line healthy and then to get over the finish line healthy. My ego tells me I want to finish it in a certain amount of time, but being realistic, it’s about the holistic experience and not just hitting a time goal for me.