I was never a runner.  In fact, I hated running.  In 2001, I started running because Tim was running.  And that year I did my first race ever, the “Fat Boy 5K”.  It was such a wonderful experience that I quit running after that.

It took a while, but about 5 years ago I started running again thanks to a group of women at the YMCA.  I entered a few 5K’s and actually had fun.  Of course by now, Tim had started doing triathlons and that became a possibility.

After some pestering by my friend, Susan Hayden, I signed up for the 2007 RocketChix triathlon.  I had to learn how to swim laps….a lot of laps.  And it was not pleasant at all.  I also bought I bike and discovered I love to ride.  I finished the RocketChix triathlon and wound up racing in a few more sprint triathlons.

Along the way I continued to run and ride my bike including rides up to 62 miles.  And I also supported Tim in his fundraising for his various charities.  And that is when I decided I wanted to do that.

I signed up for the 2008 St. Jude Marathon and started the team, Running on Faith, to raise money for St. Jude.  And all year long, I was quite literally running on the faith that God would get me through the training and the race.  Only a few weeks before the race, my knee began hurting.  It took a lot of prayers to finish the training and the race….and they worked.  I finished knowing that I had made a difference in a child’s life by being a Hero and raising money.

After that, I went on to complete the Half Ironman Triathlon(1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run) in New Orleans this past April.  This was my first open water swim and first race that long.  It was tough, but I did it!

Through all the training and racing I learned very fast that I cannot do this on my own.  God is with me every step of the way.  He has given me the strength and fight to keep moving forward with the tough training, two teenagers, a husband and a job.  He has also given the children at St. Jude the strength and fight to not give up the hope that one day they will be healed.