Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Letter to Myself

Well Heather, you’re twenties were hard. And most of the time awkward. But man, we learned a lot.

When I think about turning thirty, I momentarily freak out but then I realize how excited I am to wave goodbye to my twenties. Don’t get me wrong, I’m so grateful for what I learned and where I am today, but it was tough. And reflecting on those ten years, it’s crazy to see how far I’ve come. Let’s recount…

20 to 22. Blissful years. Had a rebellious stage where I drank underage for a good two weeks, but then got sick and was like, “this is dumb”. I was running full time for Dick, working part time for my father and was coaching cross country in the fall. This was the time I took the brave step to not finish school. It was a moment of total fear of disappointing everyone who supported me, but the underlying support from those I loved shocked the crap out of me. I just knew I wasn’t following my dream in that moment and because of that I wasn’t putting my heart into it. Here is where the story started of learning to let go of peoples box they immediately put me inside because I never finished school. I’m still learning that lesson. It was in these years that I also had the opportunity to join Sierra Service Project for a couple of summers - a program that was built on the foundation of service through faith on native american reservations. I lived one summer in California and one in Arizona. It humbled me, broke me down and molded me in a way I’ll never be able to verbally explain. It changed my heart and who I am. 

23. The hardest year of my life thus far. This is when the world I knew was turned upside down. I was caught in the firestorm of one man’s wrong decision, my coach was diagnosed with cancer, I let a wonderful relationship slip out of my hands,  and I broke my hip. Nothing seemed to go right this year, it was all left and in a continuous circle of grief and pain – emotional and physical. But turns out it was also the year I learned the most about myself – how strong and resilient I am. I learned how important the people who are closest to me matter. I also was taught a valuable lesson that although God has a GLORIOUS plan for us, it’s best to just trust in that plan rather than desperately seek it out.

24-27, the years of change, independence and big decisions. After the diagnosis of my coach’s cancer and the upheaval that happened in cross country, I learned a lot about hiding emotions and the false sense of “strength”. I thought I was being strong by keeping my emotions in check, but I was just ignoring life as it was passing me by. I couldn’t live in the moment, because the moment was too painful. So I found this little rabbit hole just outside of feelings and burrowed in. When I look back, I’m sad I didn’t feel more – but I’m also so proud of myself for taking everything head on, even if it was devoid of a lot emotion. These were also the years I moved out on my own - to an apartment and then a guest house on a farm. I was no longer coaching so I learned how to fill my time outside of that – which turned out to be still pouring myself into the kids I used to coach. I really love supporting people in what they love, like a lot. It also opened up the opportunity to really focus on my own running and give it all I’ve got. I traveled to Canada and raced some of my best and most fun races - I was introduced as “and running for the United States, Heather Spinney”.

27 - 30, the Boston chapter. I celebrated my 27th birthday on the road to moving to Massachusetts, so from there on out until 30, it was spent exploring a new state and a new me. The whole 27th year, so my first year in MA was spent reflecting on who I was and what I wanted to do. This wasn’t an intentional voyage I was seeking out, it just happened because I didn’t know anyone and didn’t have friends - so, when I would get done with work or get to the weekend it was spent learning what I wanted to do. Before this it was so natural to just do what my friends were doing and not think about what I wanted.  It was such a blessing. I started doing yoga, I dated, I read books, studied the bible more and went to church at church I had to seek out. I grew a lot that year. And now here we are, three years into the greatest adventure. There have been heartbreaks along the way, relationships lost, people taken away too soon, more feet of snow than I ever imagined and spurts of uncontrollable sadness - but those things have just helped me to gain perspective and to be a better me. But there have also been SO MANY songs of praise: being baptized, meeting and running part of the Boston Marathon with Chris, my friends, a little peanut named Eloise, the summers, my favorite people getting married, solo backpacking, going to all the Red Sox games I want, the fall, getting tattoos, traveling and like I said before, doing the things I’ve learned that I love to do all time.

It’s been a whirlwind 20’s. We’ve been all over the place, emotionally and physically. I’m excited to see where the next ten years take you. But just always remember what the last ten years have taught you: how to be free and independent, how to fiercely love unconditionally and be full of grace, how to stop when you want to stop and go when you want to go and how to be strong and pick yourself up when it’s the last thing you think you can do.

Thursday, May 4, 2017

30 before 30

In 30 days I will turn 30. So naturally, I was encouraged by friends to challenge myself to 30 things I want to do before I'm 30. In no particular order, I hope to accomplish these goals. I will update as the days go by. 

1 - Write a list 
I did it! Day one complete 😌
2 - Sit at a coffee shop and read the paper
3 - Dance like no one is watching
Jackson Darland's wedding. Farm dance parties are the best kind of parties.
4 - Bake something new
5 - Make a new cocktail
- Mint Julep -- note to self: a muddler is an important tool in this quest. It was good, but not nearly enough mint flavor. I shall learn.
6 - Go on a date
7 - Call someone I haven’t talked to in a while
I got to talk to both family and friends I have talked to in a while. This was just a reminder that I need to do that more often because it's soul giving. These people are in my life and worth a phone call for a reason. They make me better. 
8 - Memorize scripture
9 - Write and send a card
10 - Submit my Why We Run to Runners World
- Did it. Seems unlikely they'll see it.
11 - Go on a hike by myself
12 - Build my brand
13 - Buy a funky hat
 
14 - Learn to shoot a gun
15 - Write about my Easter weekend & share
16 - Do a photo shoot with my new camera
17 - Write a letter to myself about what the 20's taught me
 - Letter to Heather
18 - Start and finish a new book
-I have started reading The Zookeepers Wife. I have under 4 weeks to finish. (Update. Didn't finish, couldn't get into the book. So onto a new one - The Glass Castle.
19 - Try a new restaurant
- Tony C's in Seaport for Rob's birthday! Awesome sports bar on the water, but noooo parking. 
20 - Buy someone coffee in the drive thru
-This was an interesting experience for me... I was in the drive-thru with my niece when I realized this was a perfect opportunity to check this off the list. I looked in the rear view mirror and my initial reaction was, mmm nah, I'll do it for someone else. IMMEDIATELY I was so distraught over that thought. Clearly this was something I needed to do today. I made a very quick snap shot judgement and it crushed me. I don't ever want make quick judgements like that. So, of course I bought it for her and went on my way, but what an incredible life lesson I learned in that ten seconds. "My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?" -James 2: 1-4
21 - Write a list of 30 things I’m thankful for:


  1. My Family - all of em.
  2. Eloise Rutherford Spinney
  3. My People
  4. Jesus and His saving grace
  5. Reality Boston
  6. Roommates who get excited about a grown up trash can with me
  7. Running
  8. Chai Tea Lattes
  9. Winter’s that make you truly appreciate the sunshine.
  10. Sunshine
  11. Sunscreen
  12. West Cambridge Community Group
  13. Tuesday Night Ladies
  14. Easter Weekend 2017
  15. Music - the kind that makes you cry or dance like a fool.
  16. Rock Point, AZ and Indian Valley, CA
  17. Sean Patrick Murphy
  18. All the people and experiences that came from Sheldon Cross Country.
  19. Road trips with the windows down
  20. THE OCEAN
  21. Being in love - - and the heartbreak that comes with it.
  22. This version of How Great Thou Art
  23. Candid Photographs
  24. Books on books on books (I used to hate books, but then Harry Potter happened)
  25. Trees - pine trees, the colors of fall, the smell trees make after a rainfall
  26. Cheese & Bread
  27. Adventures on a whim
  28. Wine & Whiskey (not together)
  29. The power of prayer
  30. Did I mention family and friends?

22 - Eat ice cream for breakfast
23 - Fast for a day
So I did this after my 30 hour detox which I think brought me into it with the right mind set. I had a clear mind not distracted from other things of the world. The down side is it came on a really busy day. I worked all day and then babysat right after, so I didn't get much chance to be in prayer or even just to be still and reflect of the reasons behind wanting to do it. Speaking of reasons, they were two fold: one, I actually just wanted to cleanse my body. I've been stomach issues and I just wanted to let my body rest for a day with just water. Two, to be in prayer for certain things. And what I realized is I think I was hoping for a miracle with my prayers in the fast. I've heard that's how it works, right? Wrong. I learned it was the first time I was willing to put things I loved (food, running, ect.) for the benefit of my relationship with God. I never fasted before because it wouldn't benefit my running, clearly showing that my speed on a track is more important than my relationship with Christ. Anyways, I would like to do this again with time to reflect in the moment more and be more mindful of my prayers, but I'm so thankful I had the chance to do this and learn more about myself. 

24 - Treat myself to a 30 minute massage
25 - Digital detox for 30 hours
But really. So good. I want to do this always. I realized how dependent I am on my phone throughout the day. And not even dependent, addicted. I turned my phone off at 10pm and didn't turn it back on until 8am two days later. When I walked to work, I just looked at my surroundings. I grabbed a news paper and read that while I was waiting in line, I was fully in the conversations I was having with other people - gosh it was so good. And such a reality check to be more present. It's not hard, I just have to put the phone down and keep the tv turned off. 

26 - Swim in the Atlantic 
27 - Enter to win Ellen's 12 Days of Giveaways
Check. Fingers crossed. 
28 - Binge watch a new show until 2am
Homeland. Can't stop, won't stop. 
29 - Be brave with my feelings
I did this. In a way I didn't expect, but I did something I wanted to because I didn't know when I would be able to do it again, if ever again.
And here's the thing about being brave with your feelings - it means being brave in a situation that could ultimately crash and burn. And it did, it crashed and burned hard. But I knowingly took that risk, so am I sad? Absolutely. Do I regret? No at all.
30 - Book a trip to somewhere new
- Well, I'm heading to Erie, PA which seems not super exciting except that it's for my FIRST EVER MARATHON. I'm internally and externally freaking out. September 10th, let's do this. 

On a side note, I read this really cool article about turning 30. She talked about how she had a minor freak out because she expected to (excuse me) have her shit together by the time she turned 30 and she didn't - I relate so much to this. Don't get me wrong, I'm SO excited to turn 30 and I will enter my 30's running with open arms, but when I was in my early to mid 20's, I imagined this milestone a whole lot different than where I am now - husband, babies, money, ect ect. It's a lie society told me and I bought into it. I'm not a successful mom/wife with my own company while making every Olympic team and a big house to show for it like I always thought this place could look like... But I wouldn't want to be anywhere else than where I am today. And the way this article ends is a way in which I hope to continue living. Now and well into all the other years coming my way. 

"I want to be free. That’s it. I want to create things that people connect with. I want to laugh. I want to love and be loved. I want to learn endlessly. I want to be the kind of person that gets genuinely excited for another person’s success. I want to cook delicious meals. I want to write. I want to visit beautiful places, even if those places are ten miles from my apartment. I don’t need my life to look big or beautiful or shiny or pretty, because all I really want is for it to feel that way. 
And, perhaps most importantly, I want to ease my way into my life, not force things out of it. I want to connect. And love. And be free physically, but also emotionally, mentally. I want to tell the truth about my life, because I know we connect with realness and authenticity, rather than the aspirational, glittery, perfect lives of people we realize we don’t even truly know. I want to be known and to know others deeply. I want to get to the heart of the matter: be it with humans or with life. 
If the legacy I leave is that others know me to be empathetic, understanding, kind, and compassionate, then I will consider my life well-lived." (http://thoughtcatalog.com/jamie-varon/2014/12/the-maddening-art-of-turning-30/) 

Monday, January 9, 2017

A Glimpse into the Appalachian Trail

An excerpt from my journal on day two after the first day of hiking 19 miles of the Appalachian Trail:

"If I were given the choice to hike ten miles and summit three mountains today, I'd say not way! My body physically cannot do that. I'm too sore and every part of my body aches. But no one is giving me that choice, I simply must. I can't, but I must. It's amazing how fragile our minds can be and how often we doubt what the body is capable of. Although every muscle, muscles I didn't even know existed, are screaming at me, there's something so divine about pushing through every boundary and getting to places not many people get to see. To be writing this on top of my second mountain today at 11:30 am, alone, gives me such pure, tangible and simple joy. It instills strength I didn't know I was capable of. But beyond all of that, it's a place I'm more aware and closest to God. Moments like this are undeniable."

Happy little trail markers:

 Day one pains:

But the sleep was so good (14 hours):

So it begins. Day two terrain:

Day two, mountain one:

Mountain two. Where this entry came to life:

 Night two sunset:

Day three:

I can't, but I must. 

Friday, March 11, 2016

Because He Believed In Me

I sit behind this keyboard not sure how to express my heart. We lost a great man on February 27, 2016. He was a great man with so many accomplishments behind his name. He coached Olympians, was a brilliant scholar, created the aqua-jogger, and constantly worked to change the name of running. So through all of that – why did he choose to believe in me?

I never made it to the Olympics, I struggled to stay healthy and I didn’t finish college. All of these things that he stood for, I fell short of. But day in and day out he believed in. He told me the hard truth when I needed to hear it, but always made sure I knew that he saw my potential.

The thing that stands out most in my memory is how he never wanted me as an athlete. He knew and coached my dad back in their Athletic West days so he knew I had the genes. He kept an eye on me as I grew up, but my first love was always soccer, running was just an after thought. I was decent, so I continued at it. And Dick recognized my lack of passion in the sport. He knew that I had talent and knew he could teach me to be better, but I had to want it too. And he told me over and over again that because of that lack of passion, he never wanted me on his team.

That changed my senior year of high school. I quit soccer and decided that I wanted to run. I was a stand out my freshman year of cross country, but the next two years I did not reach my potential therefore cutting short what my team could have achieved.  So, I said goodbye to soccer and created training and racing goals for myself and made a decision to fight for my team.

It was the first cross-country race of the season my senior year and Dick happened to be there. He had no idea I had quit soccer and he had no idea of these goals I wanted to achieve but no one needed to tell him because he saw it. And that was that. He approached me that day, introduced himself and told me about the Eugene Health and Performance Foundation and how he wanted me to join. Of all the incredible athletes surrounding me that day, he wanted me – I will never forget the day I met him.

I don't hold onto race numbers like a lot of runners do, but I've never thrown away the number I was wearing when I met Dick Brown. I knew then something special had just happened in my life.


After I joined the foundation he always reminded me of when he finally saw me believe in myself for the first time. And how on that day he saw how much I enjoyed the art of running. That day changed my life. He chose to believe in me and opened my eyes to do the same. That day he took a chance on me like no one had before and it continues to give me confidence everyday. Running or not. 

He also always believed I would be a distance runner. And the first time he told me I wasn't a miler I laughed and told him he was out of his mind. Now, 11 years later, with my first marathon in sight, I will be racing in his honor. Because not only did he believe, he knew. 

I aspire to do great things and Richard Brown is a big part of that journey.

In other Dick Brown memories: 

This was an article posted by Runner’s World in June of 2015: http://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/for-inmates-the-wall-has-a-totally-different-meaning 
Dick was involved with creating race opportunities for the Oregon Men's State Penitentiary – and myself and a couple teammates and friends got to join for one of the races. It was an incredible life experience and this article explains that experience well.


And not only did Dick provide me with confidence, world class coaching, laughter and adventures of a life time - he also opened the door to meet "Fast Emily", the type of friend life waits around for. 


He also let me race dressed like a chocolate truffle (in which it was too tight so I ran slow and tripped cutting my knee open) and he let me race dressed as cupid.


And that's only the tip of the memories. Thank you for everything, Dick. 



Sunday, July 19, 2015

Why We Run



As I shuffle through a long run of four miles I can’t help but think about why I continue the cycle. It’s mentally, physically and emotionally trying every time, so there has to be a reason. Why do I continue to suffer through the pain and rehab of a torn hamstring caused by running only so I can get back to running? To most people it wouldn’t make sense, in fact when I myself look at the facts, it doesn’t make sense. But I continue to do it. I continue to push myself as hard as I can until I break, only to do it all over again – so through the incredibly long 34 minute run, I sought to figure out why.

I’ve spent the latter part of my life identifying a big piece of who I am as a runner. I ran semi-professionally in Eugene, Oregon for eight years with two incredible world-class coaches and girls that will carry my secrets forever. Track town, USA is the best place to be as a runner: best atmosphere, best trails, best track, best runners; but it is also the worst. If you’re not the best of the best, that elite athlete that will make it to the Olympics, or if you’re not a top Oregon Duck, it’s hard to find your place. You get stuck in that awkward grey zone where your local high school and middle school accomplishments are the only thing people can remember about you. And that’s where I stood. I had a hard time breaking through whatever wall it was I needed to break through to get to the other side. And that wall beat me down.

After the eight years with my team and 27 years in Eugene, I needed a break from running and a fresh start. I packed up my car and drove across the country to Massachusetts. During this time, I stopped running with a competitive goal in mind and only ran when I wanted to. If I woke up in the morning and didn’t want to run, I didn’t. It was simple and healthy. 

Eventually, I found a team to run for that competed in the New England Grand Prix series every year and every year put up impressive results across the board. Practices with them became something I looked forward to again, not something I dread. I met people that, although very talented, I knew I was going to be friends with forever.  Running had a different feel this time.

Myself and two other ladies on my new team drove to Rhode Island in October of 2014 for a 5K, and at this 5K I got my ass handed to me. I raced like I had been training, half-assed but with a smile across my face. And it was at that moment I knew I wanted more again. I just needed that journey to remember who I was as a runner and not who other people wanted me to be. Now I had the opportunity to approach running with a new vision and purpose: for me.

Over the past few years I have slowly gotten behind the concept of the marathon. One of those races that you have to have a bit of insanity to even conceptualize going after. And soon after my kick-in-the-pants 5K, I found out that the Grand Prix included a marathon in May. It was go time. This was as good of time as any to finally see if my strengths lay in longer distances like my coaches back home always believed.

Training began and I was back in love with running. I craved to get on the trails every day or to run beside the ocean. But with every training cycle comes its glitches. I had a couple minor hiccups with tight muscles and a major hiccup in the tune of one million feet of snow (give or take a couple inches), but nothing a good cross training workout or treadmill run couldn’t fix. I started getting back in the weight room to make sure my ex-stress fractured hip didn’t come back, I even stretched every now and then, and I also created marathon finishing goals.

I had three goals in mind: the first was to finish the race, but finish in a way where I knew the journey leading up to toeing that line made me happy. If I didn’t feel like I was enjoying myself to get there, I didn’t want to be there. The second goal was to achieve the Boston Qualifying standard. From what I knew, that shouldn’t be too hard to do. But also from what I knew, you don’t know anything about the marathon until you do it. And the last and most ballsy goal was to debut under three hours. I was ready for the challenge.

Long story short, the marathon came and went without me. I suffered a partially torn hamstring during a half marathon a couple months before the big dance. I didn’t know it was that bad during the race, so I continued to finish and ran faster than I ever expected. It was on pace for everything I wanted to accomplish for the marathon. To say I was excited about the results doesn’t even begin to capture the moments after that half marathon. I was elated but so oblivious to the idea that something major could actually be wrong with my leg. But then, I went to run the next day and couldn’t. And then I tried again after that and couldn’t. And here I am four months later, marathon came and gone, and I’m finally able to put together a four mile run with little to no pain. It’s not 26.2 miles by any means, but I’m pretty damn proud of it.

So, this brings me full circle to the point of why I decided to tell this story. Through all the pain, suffering, fractured bones and torn muscles I’ve endured over the past years, why do I keep fighting to come back? Clearly, there’s a reason. But sometimes when you’re beaten against a wall over and over again, it’s hard to remember that there is. But that’s what community is for. So, I reached out to people I completely admire and respect and asked them for their reasons, for their passion behind an exhausting sport; I asked them “why do you run?” And the beauty you’ll see in their answers is that it has a resounding similarity of something that’s rooted so deep in a person’s heart and soul. It’s not a surface level commitment to the sport, it’s an emotional attachment that gets us out the door and onto the roads, it’s a relationship with our running shoes that taught us who we are and continue to be. It’s inspiring. These are their stories:

Question: “WHY DO YOU RUN?”

“Hope. What if. That’s usually what I think to myself when I’m daydreaming of track. But once I’m back to being able to actually just run, it’s the joy of having alone time to reflect and get in a zone. I haven’t found anything else that enables me to get into a rhythm mentally and physically like I can with running. Running/training is a tangible way to see progress in life, when most other things are more vague and take longer to see results from. Plus all the amazing memories associated with it. And the running community, that’s one of the biggest things.”
-Casey Masterson, Oregon State Alum, big reason I still run today & can out aqua jog you

“I run because right now I’m able to, and one day I’ll likely have difficultly walking and moving around, so I want to know I made the most of what I could. I will only be able to be content if I know that I’m spending my prime years pushing my body to its limits and really going for broke in every aspect of my life, including running. I run because I feel like it separates me from the rest of population and gives me a reason to live a life that I want to live.”
-Christopher Mulverhill, Oregon Duck steeplechaser, spike ball runner-up

“I like to say I run because it’s tattooed on my heart. Which basically means that it’s a permanent part of me that I one time knowingly put there, I put it in my life, but now I’m stuck with it forever. I don’t know that I could ever stop. It’s a parallel narrative in my life to all the other stuff that’s going on. I’ve been running for 20 years; I’ve run as an adolescent, a young adult, a single person, a married person; I’ve lived in different places, it took me through college and yet it’s always just one foot in front of the other on a trail, through trees, on the roads. It has it’s own story line with it’s own ups and downs. I love that story.”
-Lauren Fleshman, Oiselle Pro runner, Badass, 7th at World Championships in 2011

“I run because it serves as a time, place and medium through which God responds to my questions, fears, desires and cravings to know the truth. Running is a spiritual experience for me. I remember my mom telling me that all I needed to do if I wanted to enter into the Christian faith was to ask Jesus into my heart. I was running when I was finally able to make this request and humble myself before God. In this way, running is the beginning. It was God’s door. But the ensuing physical, mental and spiritual trials in running have transformed it into an enduring part of my human identity. Running is like an old friend who loves and hurts. The relationship evolves year by year.

I run because it both sparks and fulfills my imagination: while running, I dream of running faster, of winning races I shouldn’t win and of covering more ground than I am capable of. Yet the simplicity of running leaves me content, as the joy of good health, sweat, dirt and an acute sensory experience prove that I’m alive. I like to know a few places well, but I am also thrilled by novelty.”
-Jackson Darland, Oregon Duck, world traveler, adventure enthusiast

“Over the past couple of years I have learned a lot about this issue. For most of this time I have been spiraling downward. Guys that I used to beat handily are now uncatchable. Times that used to be an easy workout pace, are now unreachable race goals. But more importantly, the feelings of invincibility were dwindling. The euphoria and other lesser feelings of good health and good fitness were no longer part of my runs. Instead of starting out a run with the thought of gradually picking up the pace, I would go out hoping for that, but knowing that there was a wall somewhere along the course. Other runners were actually feeling pity for me. 

I was seriously at the point a couple weeks ago that I was no longer enjoying running at all. Every day I would drag myself out of bed with new optimism and everyday my hopes would be shattered by another bad run. Someone who never sleeps through his alarm clock started hitting "off" instead of "snooze."

Now that I have become a doper [necessary thyroid medication], and have started running better (not good yet, but better), the enjoyment of running is returning. I am not going to break 4 minutes again, at least not for a mile (T-bone assured me of this fact this very morning), but I am still going to have fun. It is ridiculously awesome to be out for a fast(ish) ten mile run and all the time talking, telling stories, listening to stories, and laughing. The competition, even if it is just internal (“I am not going to stop and walk”) is exhilarating. To will your body to push the limits and have it respond with something, anything, can be very satisfying.”
-Ed Spinney, father of yours truly, Athletics West Alum, Olympic trials in’80 and ‘84 

“I run because it gives me a sense of purpose and confidence that I don’t get from anything else in my day-to-day life. It feels like my own little secret; when I encounter a challenge or a difficult situation in another part of my life, it’s like I have a little flame inside me that reminds me that I can push through anything. I feel at peace when I reflect on all of the work I have put into running, and yet it drives me to always strive for more. Running satisfies me and keeps me hungry at the same time, and anything that does that is something I want to hold on to.”
-Kelsi Klotter, GCU recorder holder indoor 3k, 5k, DMR and outdoor 5k/10k (yeah, ok)

“Why do I run? In short, why not?

When I thought long and hard about my answer for this, the most fundamental reason I could come up with is this: running is the scaffold on which I build my lifestyle. The more I think about it, the more I realize that every aspect of what makes me healthy, physically, emotionally, and mentally, ties back to the choices I make for running. As I think about my life, I think of how running makes me the best version of Maggie that I can be.

I know there are other things in life that could probably accomplish the same goals. I could probably find structure in swimming or biking or something else, and I’m sure there’s an excellent community of rock climbers and kayakers and everything else. But there is something about running that I can’t replace. Something about running just feels right to me, like it’s meant to be. I think if God hadn’t wanted us to be runners, He wouldn’t have made us love it so much. There must be some benefit then, or He wouldn’t have let us get hooked. There is something so sacred about having nothing but your body, your lungs, your feet, your heart and blood vessels, and maybe a good pair of shoes, out on some trail or some road, tuning back in to that which makes us human. I run because it’s a beautiful thing to bring your body to new places, and to push it to new limits. I can’t imagine my life without running. It might not always look the way it does now, but I always want to be a part of this community, and keep taking hits from the runner’s high. That’s a beautiful thing.”
-Maggie Schmaedick, Duck, 3rd fastest Oregon high school prep in 3000m ever, does a mean TSwift rap

“1) Because I like how it feels to be fit and active. 2) I feel empowered as a person in all aspects of my life when I get a new PR or win a race. 3) It has done so much good for me. It kept me out of trouble when I was young. I never drank too much because I wanted to run better, it got me into a good school and it has kept me healthy. I always tell myself that if I haven’t peaked in running, I can’t be mad because it has taken me so far in life and in the country. And 4) To see how high up my ceiling actually is.”
-Chrissy Supino, Dartmouth grad, ass-kicker in said 5K, and team SOS

“At first I started running as a result of a dare or challenge from Bex, then I continued to run simply to be better at it, since I’m pretty (read: extremely) competitive. The fact that Bex beat me in a 5k ate at me. I felt the drive to continue to be better, push myself and run longer and harder.

Over the last 4 years, though I have definitely realized that a common theme that I’ve experienced while running is that it really just allows me to decompress, unwind and sincerely enjoy my time. In all of the insanity of day-to-day life, the few hours each week where I can hit either the road or more recently the trails in the Woods, really puts my mind at east. Sure, I feel the runners high at times and definitely love the sense of accomplishment after crushing a new route, distance or setting a new PR, but it really all comes down to my ability to be out there while sorting through stuff and cruise. I crave my early morning runs. Running along the beach as the sun comes up is magical. There are some mornings where I stop and let myself just look at the sky and landscape and marvel at what God can create in one nanosecond. For me, it’s my time to reflect and work stuff out. It’s just me and the open trail…and my Tasha, of course.

The “short” answer is: I need to.”
-Chris Abbott, running newbie, king of the Lynn Woods and champion of Kan Jam

“It’s the quickest way I know how to cope. If running was taken away, I fear I wouldn’t know how to cope. Also, the fear of not running; fear of letting people down, fear of being out of shape and fear of being perceived different.”
-Alyssa Hamel, Teammate, Boston Qualifier

“I thought a lot about this the past few years as I decided whether or not I wanted to continue down this path after I had accomplished my Olympic goal. I believe that God gives us our talents and our experiences for a reason. Ultimately, my life goal is to make the biggest positive impact on others as I can. The easiest way to do that is to pursue something where you stand out and can be noticed. I thought about what else would make me happy if I wasn’t going to run. Some ideas I had were to be a park-ranger or to pursue a career in sustainable business. In both of these paths I could feel like I was making a small difference in the world but when I compared it to how many people were interested in talking to me about my experience in London, it was clear. Running gives me a platform that I would struggle to achieve in any other arena.

The second reason why I run is because I have not found anything else in life that motivates me to explore the absolute depths of who I am as a person. Mentally, physically, and emotionally, I am tested every single day. This is an amazing thing that many people go through their entire life not thinking about. When I finally give up competitive running, I am very confident that I will know myself on levels beyond what 99.9% of people could never say. Think about how many people go to their desk job every day, go through the motions, and leave.  Their boss may occasionally ask them to put a little more effort into a project here or there but ultimately, being mediocre will get them through a career. Because they are not pushed, they do not dig deep and will never know what their limits are and what it feels like to truly test them selves. In running, the highs are high and the lows are so low but I feel so blessed that I have had a reason to push those boundaries.”
-Bridget Franek, 2012 Steeplechase Olympic Finalist

“Running sets me free in a world I often feel bound to. I get the opportunity every day to go explore a world that was created in God’s eyes. I get to go places car tires will never touch, where the only sounds are the rushing of a river and my footfall against the bark; I get to see the sun set over the ocean in my most vulnerable state. It’s in these moments that I’m changed, it’s in these moments I am free.

Running also continues to teach me I’m more capable than the limits I, and others, continue to place on me. It’s a personal challenge to be better than I was before. When I break through one wall, I realize I could do it again. And when I hit a perfect stride in a race or a training run, I feel invincible and it gives me strength to aim for that perfection in every day life. But ultimately I know the journey to get through each wall and each stride will result in way more happiness than any outcome.”
-Heather Spinney, middle school 1500m record holder and Sheldon High stand out…