Sheree's story continued...
That all changed in January of 2006. I was approached by several co-workers to run in the Garry Bjorklund ½
Marathon in June of 2006. My husband was running Grandma’s Marathon that same day, so I thought, “why
not?” It would be fun!
My only goal was to finish the race before the deadline, which was 3 hours and 4 minutes. A half marathon is
13.1 miles, and I had 5 months to train. Piece of cake, I thought. I didn’t realize the amount of “work” that would
be required. But, I was about to find out.
January and February passed without any serious training on my part. Then, the first week of March, I went on a
Caribbean Cruise. That was a wake up call. I had a hard time running around the deck of the ship. Upon
returning to Minnesota, I went to the Grandma’s Marathon website and downloaded a ½ Marathon training plan
for novices.
I began following the plan which called for 1-2 miles of running every day the first week, followed by a day of rest.
I joined a fitness club and starting running on a treadmill because I didn’t like running outside in the cold. The
treadmill was a bit artificial for my liking, so I got a membership at the local high school activity center, and I ran
on an indoor running track. Seven laps equaled one mile.
I alternated between the activity center and the fitness club the first month or so, then as the weather grew
warmer and the snow melted, I began running outside more and more. I was tired and in pain every day. I
developed shin splints. I got a lot of advice from fellow runners, including my husband, mostly that I should take
more rest days. Occasionally I did, but for the most part I stuck to the schedule which soon had me up to 4-5
miles per day, and a long run of 6-8 miles on the weekends.
During the initial training, I was disappointed that I wasn’t losing weight. I thought I was burning plenty of calories
with all of the running I was doing. March and April went by with no weight loss. But, I was getting toned and my
clothes were looser fitting. Then, during the month of May, I suddenly lost 10 pounds. Boom! Gone!
A week before race day, I was still in a lot of pain. I had hip pain and knee pain in addition to my shin splints. I
even wondered if I might have a compression fracture in my tibia, as this sometimes results from running. An
experienced runner at work recommended that I take the next 5 days off before the race. No running. Then,
loosen up the day before the race, take a couple of ibuprofen the morning of the race, and just go out and have
fun. I took this advice.
Race day was very exciting; I caught the bus to the starting line with the other 4,500 participants. The early
morning weather was warm by Duluth standards, and foggy. I had carefully chosen my running clothes for the
day - loose fitting, breathable fabrics, and a brace on each knee. I had nicely broken in running shoes and some
energy food along.
The gun sounded and we were off. I was near the back of the pack and stayed there. My running companions
soon disappeared ahead of me and I found myself alone on the course with other runners widely spaced around
me. I was running at a comfortable pace and stopped for water at each water stop.
The first 8 miles were uneventful. I enjoyed the cheers from the onlookers, and the beautiful scenery of the Lake
Superior shoreline. There were a couple of hills during miles 9 and 10 that caused me to slow down. I felt
strong, but I was now having muscle spasms in my lower back and found myself having to walk to relieve the
pain. The sun was well advanced in the sky above and the temperature was heating up. I alternately ran and
walked the last couple of miles through the downtown area of Duluth and around Canal Park.
Nearing the last turn, one of my co-workers (who had finished the race earlier), ran onto the course and showed
me the finisher’s medal I would soon receive! I was so close. Now I could see the finish line and found I even
had a “burst” of speed left as I passed a few runners. Someone called my name at the least few feet. What a
wonderful feeling it was to cross the finish line!
My official chip time was 2 hours and 52 minutes. Nothing to boast about, but I had succeeded in attaining my
goal of finishing before the deadline of 3 hours and 4 minutes. Call me crazy, but I am planning to do it all over
again in 2007!
Pamela's note: I love Sheree's story. Sheree has been a great example to me in a lot of ways and has been both
a constant source of encouragement and support, even at my weakest moments during this process. Because
she is also my boss, Sheree has seen up close and personal all the many challenges and rewards that have
come from my personal journey. Recently when I literally didn't think I could take another step, she was right
there to assure me that I could. This woman is a mentor and a good friend.
Marathon in June of 2006. My husband was running Grandma’s Marathon that same day, so I thought, “why
not?” It would be fun!
My only goal was to finish the race before the deadline, which was 3 hours and 4 minutes. A half marathon is
13.1 miles, and I had 5 months to train. Piece of cake, I thought. I didn’t realize the amount of “work” that would
be required. But, I was about to find out.
January and February passed without any serious training on my part. Then, the first week of March, I went on a
Caribbean Cruise. That was a wake up call. I had a hard time running around the deck of the ship. Upon
returning to Minnesota, I went to the Grandma’s Marathon website and downloaded a ½ Marathon training plan
for novices.
I began following the plan which called for 1-2 miles of running every day the first week, followed by a day of rest.
I joined a fitness club and starting running on a treadmill because I didn’t like running outside in the cold. The
treadmill was a bit artificial for my liking, so I got a membership at the local high school activity center, and I ran
on an indoor running track. Seven laps equaled one mile.
I alternated between the activity center and the fitness club the first month or so, then as the weather grew
warmer and the snow melted, I began running outside more and more. I was tired and in pain every day. I
developed shin splints. I got a lot of advice from fellow runners, including my husband, mostly that I should take
more rest days. Occasionally I did, but for the most part I stuck to the schedule which soon had me up to 4-5
miles per day, and a long run of 6-8 miles on the weekends.
During the initial training, I was disappointed that I wasn’t losing weight. I thought I was burning plenty of calories
with all of the running I was doing. March and April went by with no weight loss. But, I was getting toned and my
clothes were looser fitting. Then, during the month of May, I suddenly lost 10 pounds. Boom! Gone!
A week before race day, I was still in a lot of pain. I had hip pain and knee pain in addition to my shin splints. I
even wondered if I might have a compression fracture in my tibia, as this sometimes results from running. An
experienced runner at work recommended that I take the next 5 days off before the race. No running. Then,
loosen up the day before the race, take a couple of ibuprofen the morning of the race, and just go out and have
fun. I took this advice.
Race day was very exciting; I caught the bus to the starting line with the other 4,500 participants. The early
morning weather was warm by Duluth standards, and foggy. I had carefully chosen my running clothes for the
day - loose fitting, breathable fabrics, and a brace on each knee. I had nicely broken in running shoes and some
energy food along.
The gun sounded and we were off. I was near the back of the pack and stayed there. My running companions
soon disappeared ahead of me and I found myself alone on the course with other runners widely spaced around
me. I was running at a comfortable pace and stopped for water at each water stop.
The first 8 miles were uneventful. I enjoyed the cheers from the onlookers, and the beautiful scenery of the Lake
Superior shoreline. There were a couple of hills during miles 9 and 10 that caused me to slow down. I felt
strong, but I was now having muscle spasms in my lower back and found myself having to walk to relieve the
pain. The sun was well advanced in the sky above and the temperature was heating up. I alternately ran and
walked the last couple of miles through the downtown area of Duluth and around Canal Park.
Nearing the last turn, one of my co-workers (who had finished the race earlier), ran onto the course and showed
me the finisher’s medal I would soon receive! I was so close. Now I could see the finish line and found I even
had a “burst” of speed left as I passed a few runners. Someone called my name at the least few feet. What a
wonderful feeling it was to cross the finish line!
My official chip time was 2 hours and 52 minutes. Nothing to boast about, but I had succeeded in attaining my
goal of finishing before the deadline of 3 hours and 4 minutes. Call me crazy, but I am planning to do it all over
again in 2007!
Pamela's note: I love Sheree's story. Sheree has been a great example to me in a lot of ways and has been both
a constant source of encouragement and support, even at my weakest moments during this process. Because
she is also my boss, Sheree has seen up close and personal all the many challenges and rewards that have
come from my personal journey. Recently when I literally didn't think I could take another step, she was right
there to assure me that I could. This woman is a mentor and a good friend.
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