Running

Streaking 2026

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Get your mind out of the gutter. Admit it. You saw this title and you immediately thought “naked.” This post doesn’t have anything to do with being naked. Streaking is a running term.

For over 20 years now, I have kept track of my annual mileage running. As a semi-professional athlete who made it once to the Olympic Trials, training logs are important. They offer insights into what worked and what didn’t. You notice patterns. They help you to tweak your training in the future to be able to improve. 

Over the years, my mileage has ebbed and flowed. It all depends on what is going on in my life and for what I am training. For a long time, my lowest mileage year was 2016. That was the year I ended up in the hospital with what looked like stroke symptoms. It took a long time to recover from the physical challenges I had that year. 

That said, 2025 is now my lowest mileage year. In fact, 2025 was so low mileage, it makes 2016 look like a marathon year (which it most definitely was not). Why was my 2025 mileage so low?

The neighbor abuse. I was repeatedly injured by the neighbors on purpose. I was harassed daily. Any time I left the house, I was chased by people on bicycles, had rocks thrown at me, and even had vehicles attempt to run me over a few times. It was not safe for me to go outside. That is not counting the active gunfire that started in the neighborhood in June of 2025 or the attempted arson that started in July. 

Trying to walk inside in 2025 while we were living at the old house was not an option either. My activities were frequently interrupted by their behavior and harassment. There were many times we had to hide in the basement for safety, and even then, the house visibly shook around us. 

In 2025, my health took a huge hit. In addition to not being allowed to run or live my life, I was attacked and physically injured by the neighbor’s multiple times. From July until when we left in August, they pounded on the door every single night at random times screaming “fire!” to interrupt our sleep and torment us. This was after their very real attempt to burn down the house in July that resulted in leaves on the tree in front smoking. 

On top of all this, I am battling health issues not related to the abuse we experienced. The doctor last spring told me he thought I had cancer. Everything is exacerbated by the abuse we were experiencing. It didn’t help that I was being physically prevented from leaving the house to seek medical care.

We were forced to move to a different part of the state for our safety. Now that we are in a safe place where I can leave when I need, I am getting the medical care I need. I am improving very, very slowly. There are still some major issues as the result of the physical injuries the old neighbors inflicted on me. But things are moving in a positive direction.

So where does streaking come into play? 

The fact that I was physically prevented from running and leaving the old house had a negative impact on my health. As part of my journey to get my health back, I have decided to start streaking for 2026. 

Streaking is a running term that means continuous days of running. Some runners are just streakers. They will do a mile a day, 3 miles a day, whatever is in their personal wheelhouse.

I have never been able to be a streaker due to overuse injuries. I have always needed at least a day off between runs. I can run every other day, but not every single day.

So, how am I streaking now?

I’m walking. I’m not running. 

Walking is not as strenuous, so I have been ok to streak with walking but not with running.

The doctor is very concerned about me being able to run as a direct result of the physical injuries I have from the old neighbors. However, they are ok with me running and are also encouraging it, for multiple health reasons. 

Of course, my goal is to be able to run again. I was only doing 3 miles a few times a week in my retirement. I don’t need to go far anymore. I just need to go.

Those neighbors at the old house took many things from me, including my ability to run. It is going to be a long road to get things back they took from me. There are things they took from me that I will never get back. Some injuries are permanent. 

So, I am streaking though 2026 with walking. How does it work?

I am walking for 30 minutes a day. I am typically walking about a mile in those 30 minutes. Due to the several feet of snow we have, I am walking inside my house right now. I spend 15 minutes walking upstairs and then 15 minutes walking downstairs. I even found a special “walking” radio station to listen to while I walk. 

I am protecting this 30 minute walk each day as “me” time for both my physical health as well as my mental health. After what we lived through, I deserve 30 minutes a day just for me.

The 30-minute walk is helping a lot with my mood. I’m a lot happier when I’m walking. Of course, I would love to run, but I am not physically able to do that yet. It will come. It’s 30 minutes a day I get to have fun. I have some of my best ideas when I am running/walking. I am able to work through a lot mentally. 

Physically, the walking is helping me to get stronger. There are many physical health benefits of walking from blood flow to musculoskeletal. After all, if you don’t use it, you lose it. 

Some days I don’t feel like walking. I am still forcing myself to do the 30 minutes. I always feel better afterwards. You just have to start. Don’t let things get you down. I am not going to improve if I do not put in the work. 

On the days I don’t feel like walking, I tell myself to just do the first 15-minute segment. After that first 15-minute segment, I always feel so good that I do the second 15-minute segment to complete the 30 minute walk. 

We are only halfway through January. If I cannot streak through 2026, I won’t beat myself up over it. I am fully aware that life happens and I may miss days this year. 

For now, I am protecting that 30 minutes a day as time that I need to recover from the abuse we experienced. I am doing my best to streak through 2026. As soon as the snow and ice are gone, I will be spending my 30 minutes outside. 

For now, I am spending my 30 minutes walking inside my house. I am not bored. I look forward to my walk time each day. 

Have you tried streaking? You don’t need to streak for a year like I am attempting. Some people will try for one week or for 30 days. You can customize your streak to you. I am doing 30 minutes, but you may do 15 minutes for a week. Try it out and see how you feel. 

Here’s to streaking 2026. No nakedness involved. 

Race Circuit Retirement

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Now that I have officially earned and achieved 26 medals, I announce my retirement from the competitive marathon circuit. This does NOT mean I will stop running. I will continue to run. I will just no longer race on the competitive circuit to earn medals. 

Plus, I will no longer run marathons. I will keep to distances of 5k or 10k. 

I have been very fortunate to have had a successful 16-year running career. I have qualified for Olympic Trials (but not made the Olympics, obviously). I have represented Team USA in Canada. I have earned a prestigious B.A.A. (Boston Athletic Association) Boston Marathon medal. I have seen many cities across the North American continent by running 26.2 miles through their streets to the cheers of screaming crowds. 

I have run races on my bucket list. I have achieved many goals. While some dreams were realized, others were crushed. It has not been all glory. The marathon teaches you, and sometimes those lessons are through failure and heartbreak.

There have been many race dedications. I have officially had three start line songs. Much as baseball players have walk-up songs when they come up to bat, so do marathon runners have start line songs. For the first half of my running career, it was “Lose Yourself” by Eminem (before it became popular.) For one heartbreaking race, it was “Berzerk” by Eminem. For the second half of my running career, it was “Remember the Name” by Fort Minor. 

After all, not everyone can start to the Rocky theme song. Although, if you run Philly like I have, you will hear it. Guaranteed. You see, Philly is like my first love. Philly was my first half marathon. Then Philly was my first full marathon. You never forget your first. In fact, 8 of my 26 medals come from Philly.

Speaking of Philly, my running tattoo on my right arm is the Philly logo. It has 8 stars. Each star represents one of my Philly medals. I have done the Rocky Run and stood at the top of the art museum steps literally in Sly’s steps, as there are bronze casings in the cement where he stood.

I have raced in wind, rain, snow, and ice. For one race, it was 23F at the start line. It was so cold; the air horn would not work to start the race. They had to get a police officer to discharge his weapon, so we had a shotgun start. Water and Gatorade would immediately freeze if they hit the ground at aide stations. 

I have been quite fortunate through my running career in that I never had a DNF (did not finish). I came very, very close one challenging race, but I DID finish. I did have a few DNS (did not start) due to either finances in being unable to get to the race, injuries, or illnesses. Yet, even with the DNS’s, I managed to bounce back the following season or race. 

You meet the most amazing, incredible people at races. Someone once said, if you want to see the best of humanity, watch a marathon. It is true. From the cheer zones, to the hilarious on course signs, every single person at a marathon is kind. You see people do things you never thought possible, and I’m not just talking about the whole running 26.2 miles part.

While I may have four degrees, I will say that my running career and my 26 medals are what make me the proudest. If anyone asks me what the best thing is I’ve ever done with my life? My first answer will be the cats. My second answer will be my medals. In that exact order.

I retire having achieved the category of Master’s runner. Since I also have a Master’s degree, I guess that makes me a Jill of all trades, master of two? I am retiring at the top of my game, on my own terms. I am not retiring when my health or disability force me. I am fortunate to have been able to continue running through the ongoing pandemic. I am blessed to have reached my goal in achieving 26 medals even with covid all around me. 

Retirement from the professional race circuit, do not mean stop running. I will keep running. But you see, being on the race circuit? I had sponsorships. I had companies who were paying for my race fees and hotel stays so I could race. I was a ranked runner. That is the life I am leaving behind. I am no longer sponsored. I will no longer race or be ranked. I am just going to run For the Love of Running. Honestly, that’s what I’ve been doing for the past 16 years, but now I won’t be chasing down the medals.

Running is one of the best ways to explore someplace new. It’s a great way to meet new people. The running community is pretty kind. I am a proud supporter of the Back on My Feet program, that helps homeless people find jobs and housing by engaging them in running programs. 

So, while I am retiring from the race circuit with 26 medals, the running continues. I will continue to lace up and stop out for 3 miles or 6 miles. However, I will no longer toe the start line for races. 

This journey I have been on has been the most incredible of my life. I continue for the love of running. As I have always said, run, walk, crawl or dragged, I will cross the finish line. Rejoice! I have conquered! 

Medal 26

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Rejoice, I have conquered! In May 2023, I have earned medal 26. It was a long, hard road. In April 2023, I developed extreme vertigo and was vomiting blood (don’t worry, the hospital turned me away because they were too full of covid and the doctor said that vomiting blood is not a medical emergency. Their exact phrase was “it’s no big deal.”) However, the vertigo and vomiting were no bad I was unable to work for a week.

I still have vertigo. It is most prevalent when I am laying down and when I move my head in certain ways (regardless of whether I am laying down or up and about). Despite these challenges, I still managed to train for another race. It was only a 10k. I did not feel I had it in me to do a full half marathon and I certainly did not have enough time to train with my health challenges.

For my 26th medal, I ran a race (virtual) that has long been on my bucket list – the Flying Pig. Less than 5% of people will ever attempt a marathon. Many say they will run a marathon “when pigs fly.” The Flying Pig is a marathon that is well known for being beginner and walker friendly. However, I chose Flying Pig for my final race on the competitive race circuit. 

For medal 26, I dedicated my race in memory of Mushu. Mushu was a pug we are friends with on Twitter. Mushu passed away early May. He was one of the kindest pets we know online and brought us joy daily. I am not physically able to handle a dog, which is why I have 3 cats, but lived vicariously through Mushu’s adventures online. We asked all our Twitter friends to honor my race by doing an Act of Kindness in Memory of Mushu.

Every medal has a story and every race there was some obstacle that had to be overcome to reach the finish line. With the Flying Pig, I achieved my goal of 26 medals despite having multiple health challenges slowing me down and throwing me off.

I am very grateful for my 16-year running career through both adversity and triumph. At every finish line, I have been able to proclaim, “Rejoice, I have conquered!” as was said at the very first marathon. 

Medal 25

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It’s A Wonderful Run has been on my running list for over a decade now. I’ve been keeping an eye on it and either the weather does not cooperate or it is too close to my fall marathon. This year everything came together perfectly so I was finally able to complete this race on my Bucket List!

The town of Seneca Falls, NY was the setting for Bedford Falls in the Wonderful Life movie. The location is just over an hour from me. While I really wanted to be able to do the race in person and run over the famous bridge in the movie, I did the Covid-safe virtual option.

Using my Garmin, I submitted my official results for the race. I am quite proud in that I was the first female Masters finisher and the second overall Masters finisher! This is the second time since I achieved Masters running status in 2019 that I have come in first place in a race! 

The bell on the medal really does ring. It is most certainly a cherished medal. I am so happy that for medal 25 I was able to finally participate in It’s A Wonderful Run.

If you would like to support my race, please consider a donation to my favorite charity for homeless humans, Back on my Feet, or donate to your local no-kill animal shelter.

Completing It’s A Wonderful Run is a huge accomplishment for me. As I look to retire from competitive racing, I am so glad I was able to meet my goal in finishing this race.

For 2023, I only have one more medal to earn to achieve my life goal of 26 medals. I want to be able to retire from competitive running on my own terms before distance running is taken from me either from Covid or some other unfortunate health means. 

I am feeling pressure in choosing a race for medal 26. I feel like it has to be something meaningful. I am reviewing my running bucket list to see what is feasible for 2023. In the meantime, I am so happy that It’s A Wonderful Run was medal 25.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me on my running journey thus far all these years. As the movie says, “no man is a failure who has friends.”

Medals 22, 23, 24

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In 2012, I completed my Canadian Hat Trick in Montreal. This year, 2022, I completed my American Hat Trick thanks to Philadelphia! A few weeks ago, I completed the Italian Stallion Challenge portion of the Rocky Run! In completing the Italian Stallion Challenge, I ran a 5k, a 10k, and a half marathon. This medal trinity is meaningful in a few ways.

First, I now have a hat trick in both Canada and the USA. Luckily, I completed my Canadian hat trick a decade ago when I was still able to travel without much difficulty. Completing a hat trick in both countries checks off an item on my running bucket list.

A second item was checked off my running bucket list with the Rocky Run achievement. I have now achieved 8 medals from Philadelphia. Why are 8 Philadelphia medals significant? 

When I chose my running tattoo, I chose the Philadelphia Marathon logo. Philly was my first half marathon. Philly was my first full marathon. At the time I had my running tattoo done, I had 8 medals. So when the Philly logo was tattooed on my arm, I had the artist add stars so that there are 8 stars that matched my 8 medals. My thinking at the time was that I would keep adding stars on my arm – one star for each medal. I would add stars in batches every few years to match my medal count.

Adding more stars to my existing tattoo has not been an option, for multiple reasons. Suffice it to say, I have 8 stars, and it will remain at 8 stars. Thus, the 8 stars needed a new meaning.

Since my running tattoo is to commemorate Philly being my first, I decided that the 8 stars would represent each one of my Philly medals. In completing the Italian Stallion Challenge portion of the Rocky Run, I now have 8 medals from Philly to match the 8 stars of my tattoo.

This is a huge item checked off my running bucket list.

My ultimate goal is to achieve 26 medals. Once I have achieved 26 medals, I will retire from competitive running. I will still run, but I won’t be focused as much on medal achievement. My goal for retirement is to be able to keep running until I die. My focus will change from full and half marathons to medals to being able to run the marathon of my life – I want to run until I die. 

I am now registered for a race in December 2022 in which I will earn medal 26. The race I have scheduled for December is another race that has been on my running bucket list for a very long time.

That means that as I head into the 2023 running season, I will look to earn my 26th and final medal. That’s a tall order. I started looking at races for 2023 for medal 26. I did not realize how difficult it would be to choose a “final” race to earn medal 26. While I will continue to run even after achieving 26 medals, it will be the end of an era. It makes my choice of race for medal 26 feel like it is so significant. It is actually quite daunting trying to choose a race for medal 26.

For now, I am proud and content in the 24 medals I have earned. By the Grace of God, I look forward to earning medal 25 in a few weeks.

Once 26 medals have been achieved, I will have new running goals. I may try to run a certain amount of miles in a year, or a certain number of days in a row. We will see. I will keep running, but I will have new goals that no longer include chasing after medals. For now, though, I am still on the path of medal achievement. Here’s to medals 22, 23, and 24. 

Medal # 21

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Rejoice! I have conquered! That is the phrase reportedly exclaimed at the end of the first marathon. This past weekend, I completed a half marathon to earn medal 21.

I had originally planned this half marathon benefitting Ukraine for last spring. Needless today, the weather and life did not cooperate for me to train and complete a spring race. Fall is traditionally running season. It is much easier to train through the summer for a fall race than it is to train through snowy and icy winters for a spring race.

The race benefitted United Help Ukraine, which is a charity that is sending medical supplies to Ukraine. I used my Garmin, and running around my village, completed the 13.1 miles to earn the medal.

I have now earned 21 medals on my way to my 26 medal retirement goal. I have another race this fall. I am hoping to run that race this weekend. The race is supposed to be in November, but given weather and my training schedule, I may be able to complete the distance early. 

If all goes well, the “November” race will be my American hat trick. It is a race that will see me earn three medals if I am able to complete the Italian Stallion Challenge. 

There is a sense of urgency to earning my 26 medals. The big unknown is how much longer I can do this. I am very fortunate in that I have not had covid. However, the American government not only expects everyone to get covid, they want people to get covid multiple times until it either kills you or permanently disables you. This is not a prospect I am looking forward to. I am trying to earn my 26 medals before I get covid. When American society refuses to mask and has a ”you do you” philosophy, it is only a matter of time before you get covid. No place is safe. The hospital has said repeatedly that if you don’t have covid when you go there, you will get it while you are there. We can’t even get healthcare without being exposed to covid.

Medal 21 is special to me, as I wanted to do something to help Ukraine. If I did not have the cats depending on me, I would have volunteered to go to Ukraine to fight. The American government has me on the euthanasia list in the pandemic, so they are completely fine with the idea of me dying in Ukraine. As much as I want to help, I do have three young ones depending on me.

While I am very proud of medal 21, I still have five medals to go to reach my retirement goal. It seems like it is always the times when you are so close to realizing a goal that it is precarious. 

Hopefully this weekend the weather and my body will cooperate for me to complete my next race. 

For today, we can Rejoice! I have conquered! Here is to medal 21. 

Running Season 2022

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Running season 2022 is officially here! I rarely do spring races, but when I do, it is for charity. Fall races are my preference, as they are easier to train for with the weather conditions. This spring, I am running a half marathon benefitting Ukraine.

Proceeds from my spring half marathon are benefitting UnitedHelpUkraine.org. If you would like to support my efforts, please consider a donation to a reputable charity providing aid to Ukraine.

For the fall, I am very happy to announce that I am officially registered for the Italian Stallion Challenge as part of the Rocky Run 2022! I will be chasing down a hat trick of medals as I go 13.1 miles long.

The Rocky Run has been on my bucket list for quite a few years. This year is going to be really special. Once I complete the Italian Stallion Challenge and earn all three medals, I will have reached my goal of 8 medals from Philadelphia. I currently have 8 stars surrounding my Philly Marathon tattoo on my right arm. My goal has been 8 Philly medals.

This year is also significant for another reason. Once I have completed my Ukraine race and the Rocky Run, that will add four medals to my total this year. By the end of 2022, the goal is a total of 24 medals!

In recent years with my health, disability, and the pandemic, I have been looking at the reality of retirement from the competitive running circuit. My goal is to earn and achieve 26 medals when I enter retirement. 

If I am able to earn and achieve all 4 medals this year, then I only need to earn 2 more medals in 2023 to retire. Retirement does not mean that I will stop running or that I will stop racing. For me, retirement means that I will not need to push myself to compete at the same level I have been competing. To be honest, I’m not sure how many more miles I have left in me. Of course, I am going to keep running until I die or otherwise cannot. 

For me, retirement means that I will not be chasing down medals. I may do more 5k races than marathons. I will do more charity runs. I will not worry about my speed, time, or placement. If I am lucky enough to earn more medals than 26, that is fine. It is my competitive racing days that will be over. Once I’m retired, every mile will be the frosting on a cupcake.

Of course, this is all wishful thinking. I currently have 20 medals. I have to earn 6 more medals to achieve my retirement goal. All of this is dependent upon remaining healthy and COVID-free. 

The big excitement is that my goal is in sight. If I can achieve the 4 medals I have planned for this year, then I only need to earn 2 medals in 2023 to reach my goal.

In addition to my action packing running season this year, I am also working on my memoir, titled: Always Pee Downhill: Tales of Running, Life and Love. I am about halfway through the first draft. My goal is to finish as much of my memoir this year as possible. Each chapter details one of my marathon medals. Not only does it look at my training and race day itself, but also the events in my life that were happening at the time. 

To add a little excitement to this year’s running season announcement, here is a never before published sneak peak of the first few paragraphs of my forthcoming memoir, Always Pee Downhill.

November 18, 2007

Philadelphia Half Marathon

Time: 2:21:29

Age: 28

Medal # 1

At mile 6 of the 2017 Philadelphia Half Marathon, the infamous runner’s grid kicked in. I was at the furthest point from an aide station or a porta potty and I had to pee. On one side of me, cars whizzed by at 70 mph on Interstate-95. On the other side of me there was a sea of runners in the race. Right up ahead, I saw a small grouping of trees. I could squat behind one and hide myself from the other runners. I would still be in full view of I-95, but those cars are going 70 mph. They will go by so fast; they won’t have time to register someone squatting to pee on the side of the highway. 

I ran over to the tree, and squatted to go as quickly as possible. I just needed to get it done and hope I was not arrested. Just as I was almost done, someone ran past me and stopped at the tree next to mine. The back of his shirt said “FBI.” I was pretty sure I was about to be arrested for public urination and indecency. 

The man did a double take look at me, apologized, turned, and whipped his out to pee on the tree in front of me. I was done peeing, so I pulled up my shorts as quickly as possible. I got back into the race. Little did I know at the time, this was common practice for marathon runners to just pee as discretely as possible where and when you needed. Runners in sanctioned races are exempt from public urination laws, yet we are still supposed to use a porta potty as much as possible. Peeing where needed is for emergency use only. 

I ran the next mile like I was being chased by the cops. I was still thinking there might be a slight possibility of getting in trouble for my little pee break. But then I figured Mr. FBI man was doing the same thing. I just kept running. I ran like the cops were chasing me. They weren’t, but I had not seen the guy in the FBI shirt pass by me yet, so you never know.

This has been your exclusive sneak peek at my memoir, Always Pee Downhill! Thank you for reading. It’s time to Cowgirl Up! For running season 2022. 

Will Run for Peace

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Ukrainian President Zelensky announced that if anyone wanted to go to Ukraine to help them fight, they would give you arms. I would love to go. The only things preventing me from going are my cats and the fear that they would not take me to fight in Ukraine.

Ukraine is worth fighting for. Their freedom is worth fighting for. Would I fight for America? No, I would not. America is not worth fighting for anymore. America put me on their euthanasia list.

Both the President and the CDC say that I am they type of person that should die in the pandemic. They want me to die. As part of the vaccine mandate, there was a euthanasia plan for those medically unable to be vaccinated. My euthanasia appointment was immediately canceled as soon as the Supreme Cout struck down the vaccine mandate. The hospital told me that as medical professionals, their first duty is to “do no harm,” and they did not want to euthanize anyone if they were not mandated by politics.

In America, I am condemned to die. In addition to the euthanasia list, we have not had a single mask mandate or lockdown. America is trying to make our COVID death toll as high as possible. I don’t want to die of COVID. I would rather die fighting for something in which I believe. I would rather die fighting for Ukraine. Those people deserve freedom.

I try not to get political on this blog, but it is hard with the times in which we are living. However, it’s a wonder Putin does not have the chutzpah to invade the USA. If the USA was invaded, I would not fight. A country that has condemned me to death for my medical conditions is not worth fighting for. If we were invaded, I would surrender. The healthcare as a POW would be a significant improvement over American healthcare. It would be free.  

Healthcare in America is not accessible. It is not affordable. Whether you realize it or not, as soon as the USA declares the pandemic over or downgrades it to an endemic, millions of Americans will lose their healthcare coverage. We will all be back to paying for healthcare 100% out of pocket. We will continue to die because we cannot afford basic care we need.

My life goal is to leave the USA once the cats are gone. If I could figure out how to leave sooner and take the cats with me, I would leave in a heartbeat. I am 100% willing to relinquish my American citizenship to leave the country. 

Immigration to other countries is impossible for low-income Americans. The immigration regulations for American citizens moving to other countries is strict because other countries know we are leaving because we don’t have access to healthcare here. We can’t afford healthcare. I would love to be able to access the NHS or any other functioning health system. As I stated earlier, even healthcare as a POW would be better than what we have available in the USA.

I digress.

I want to help Ukraine. They are worth fighting for. Since I can’t take my cats to a war zone, I need to come up with something else. So, I’m going to do the only thing I know how to do.

I will run for peace.

I have registered for a virtual half marathon this spring benefitting UnitedHelpUkraine.org. This non-profit organization helps provide medical supplies to Ukraine. 

I am a fall racer. I don’t typically run spring races, but when I do, it’s a charity race.

Medal # 21 will be arriving this spring as I prepare for another half marathon. Please consider a donation to UnitedHelpUkraine.org to support my efforts and assist the people of Ukraine.

Ukraine is worth fighting for. Their people did not ask for this. If I did not have 3 cats depending on me, I would volunteer to go fight. I doubt they would accept me, since I am on the American euthanasia list. Or maybe they would, since the USA wants me to die anyway. However, my cats are my only family. I can’t abandon them to fight.

So I will run. I will run for peace. Here comes another half marathon training. This one is for Ukraine.

Medals 19 and 20

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Medals 19 and 20 have been earned! The 2021 running season was one of my best in nearly a decade. For the first time in my running career, I ran two half marathons in one month. While I have completed two half and/or full marathons in a year before, I have never done two in one month. My races have always been spaced several months apart.

This year, both races were virtual and I ran them roughly 6 days apart. I completed both races at the very beginning of November due to concerns about weather and some other things that were going on in life. 

My first race this year was supporting one of my favorite charities for homeless humans, Back on My Feet. Back on My Feet has chapters in several large American cities. I know of their program in Philadelphia.

My second race was the virtual Philadelphia Half Marathon, While I have officially completed the race, I am still waiting for my medal. They were supposedly sent out at the end of October.

The Philly Half was done in support of homeless animals. If you remember from my prior post about the 2021 running season, you could donate to the Humane Society in Honor of Jude, the ASPCA in Honor of Jolene or a small non-profit animal shelter in Honor of Simon.

I am especially antsy about my Philly medal not being here due to it’s meaning. 

In 2007, Philadelphia was my first half marathon. In 2008, Philadelphia was my furst full marathon. In 2021, Philadelphia was my 20th medal. Out of the 20 medals I have earned, 5 are from Philly. 

You just never forget your first.

So, I am anxiously awaiting receipt of medal 20. I will feel much better once it arrives. I have plans for the special medal as far as photos and display. 

This also brings me that much closer to my goal. Once I achieve 26 medals, I plan to “retire” from the professional race circuit. I will still run. I just won’t be as competitive or as adamant about earning medals.

I have already chosen my race for the 2022 running season. It is one that has been on my race bucket list for quite a few years now. 

The miles are in and complete. Medal 20 has been earned. Now I am just waiting for it to arrive. 

Running Season 2021

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It’s official! Training has started for running season 2021. It does not seem possible, as we are still in the grips of a deadly pandemic. Thankfully, the race for which I am training is virtual. It is way too dangerous and completely irresponsible for any races to be held in-person.

As we all know, the Philadelphia Marathon was my first half marathon and then my first full marathon. Of my 18 medals, 4 of them are from Philly. I love that race so much that their logo was tattooed on my arm in 2012.

When I originally got my tattoo, my intent was to have a star for each medal. Well, I have 8 stars and 18 medals. I do not see the possibility of adding any more stars to my tattoo. So now I have to be creative with the meaning of the 8 stars.

I have decided that I want the 8 stars in my tattoo to represent 8 medals from Philly, since it is the Philly logo that is the design. I currently have 4 medals from Philly, so I am half way there.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that this year for the first time, the Philadelphia Marathon has offered a virtual option! I can still run and do it safely!

I am currently registered for the VIRTUAL Philadelphia Half Marathon this November. I will be participating from my home area and using my Garmin to confirm my mileage and time.

My 19th medal overall and 5th medal from Philly will be coming this fall!

Training has started this week. I take longer to train due to my disability. I build my mileage more slowly and have more rest weeks built into my training schedule. 

I have always used my races to support some sort of charity. Whenever I have ran Philly, I typically support their homeless services programs. The city of Philadelphia has some of the most innovative programs to combat homelessness in the country.

This year, since I am participating virtually, I am fundraising for a cause near and dear to me – animal shelters. I am still running Philly for homeless services, but this year is for homeless animals, not homeless humans. The cats are the only family I have and my only goal in life right now is to be able to outlive them so that I can care for them and keep them all together.

Therefore, if you would like to “support” me in running the VIRTUAL Philadelphia Half Marathon this November, I ask that you do so in one of the following ways by making a contribution to a no-kill animal shelter:

  • Jude was adopted from a local Humane Society. If you choose to make a donation to a Humane Society near you in order to “support” my race, please do so “In Honor of Jude.”

  • Simon was adopted from a small, local non-profit animal shelter. If you choose to make a donation to a non-profit animal shelter near you that is not associated with either the Human Society or the SPCA, please do so “In Honor of Simon.”

  • Jolene was adopted from a local SPCA. If you choose to donate to a SPCA near you, please do so “In Honor of Jolene.”

Finally, I would like to bring your attention to a great program that gives beds to shelter beds that you can use in conjunction with any shelter. There is a USA company called Kuranda Beds that makes chew/scratch resistant, orthopedic beds for cats and dogs. Consider giving a shelter animal the gift of a good night’s sleep by donating a shelter bed so that they are not sleeping on a hard floor.

If you go to shelterbeds.org, you can choose a local animal rescue near you (Humane Society, SPCA, non-profit). Each shelter has a “wish list” of what size beds they need for their residents (ie. cat beds, large dog size, etc.) Choose a bed size on their wish list and checkout. The bed will be delivered directly to the shelter with a card saying that the bed came from you. It is a wonderful program that gives pets some comfort while they spend time in a shelter waiting to be adopted.

We have been overwhelmed with how much kindness total strangers from across the country and all over the world have shown us in the few months I was unemployed after losing my job. I would like to make my race this year as a way to give back for all the love and support we received.

My only wish in life is to outlive my cats so I can keep them together, cared for, and loved.

Please consider either adopting a furry friend or making a donation to your local no-kill animal shelter. I would be honored to “celebrate” my race this year with you by having donations go to shelters in Honor of each of my cats – Jude, Simon, and Jolene. 

Here’s to hopefully a safe, fun, and productive training season for my November race!