Hard work and dedication pay off for Minnesotans running the women's Olympic Marathon Trials race in April.
Not long ago, just before I threw that box out, it dawned on me just how much money I’ve invested in racing over the years.
Nutrition tactics that may help make your next marathon your fastest 26.2 miles yet.
Running keeps life in perspective
for Nancy Rush.
Some people exude such
optimism they can only be described as inspirational. They take life’s
obstacles in stride, they keep their heads up amidst heartache, and they drink
every drop of what life has to offer. Nancy Rush is one of those people. Her
unshakeable zest for life is remarkable. What drives such a person? In this
case, the answer is simple: running.
A Twin Cities runner to
the core, Rush speaks passionately about her experiences throughout her running
career. Having run two marathons in the ’80s, Rush also pursued a brown belt in
karate and characterizes herself as an avid golfer. She admits, however, that
she’s “always loved running the most.”
Rush speaks of the
simplicity of the running experience, “It’s me. It’s my feet hitting the
pavement and generating power and energy.” No equipment, no distractions, no
excuses. The runner and the road. Nothing more. That is what Rush loves so much
about running.
Although she enjoyed the
running experience as a solo endeavor, she also looked for comradery in the
running community. In 2005 her son, then a coach for the Leukemia and Lymphoma
Society’s Team in Training (TNT), suggested she join the team in honor of her
mother who died of multiple myeloma. The thought of joining a team to run a
half or full marathon intrigued her.
Shortly after making the
decision to join TNT, Rush discovered a lump on her jaw. In a stroke of fateful
irony, Rush was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Rather than
derailing her plans, Rush became that much more convinced of her choice to join
TNT. Putting training on hold, she spent the next several months consulting her
physicians about whether her health was stable enough to run. Then, about a
year after first making the decision to join TNT, Rush was healthy and ready to
commit to run the 2006 Nike Women’s Half Marathon in San Francisco. While she
would have liked to run another marathon she says, “26.2 was the dream, but
13.1 was the reality. No one can forecast what is going to happen.”
Rush identifies the
camaraderie amongst teammates as the most powerful part of the Team in Training
experience. So good, in fact, that she plans on going back with the team to
celebrate her 60th birthday for another shot at the hilly 13.1 mile San
Francisco course in 2008. She’ll also be running the Cellcom Green Bay half
marathon before heading to California.
For Nancy Rush, it’s all
about how running makes her feel. Whether she’s soaking up the sun on the half
marathon course in San Francisco or braving sub-zero Minnesota temperatures,
Rush loves to run. For her, running is not about winning anything. Instead, she
says, “It’s about knowing I can do it.” That applies to both running and life.
Rush is a true testament to the power of running and the resilience of the
human spirit.
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