Celebrate Like A Champion!
Columbus, Ohio — May 5, 2012
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Pre-race Stories 2010
April 2010
I am very excited for the Capital City half! It will be my first half marathon. I am from Columbus and my family lives there but the Marine Corps led my husband and me to Northern Virginia. I miss Columbus and come home every chance I get; this gave me a great reason! My father is an avid runner and has tried to motivate me to run for over 10 years. If there's anything I know, it is that no one can motivate you but yourself. Last year my friend Mandy and I decided to train for and run a half marathon while we were walking a charity 5k. For me there was no better place to run my first half marathon than in my beloved buckeye state! Since then we have been training and the day is finally almost here! Mandy and I are driving back for the race and my dad will be running with us as well. He is a champ; he has 84 marathons under his belt, including running marathons in all 50 states! On the day after the Cap City half he is going down to Cincinnati and running the Flying Pig marathon. He plans to make this year's Columbus marathon his 100th, going full circle since Columbus was his very first. Being able to run this with him means the world to me. I can't wait to cross the finish line alongside my dad and my best friend with the encouragement and cheers from my family and friends!
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Julie Windisch
This is my first 1/2 marathon that I have ever run and needless to say this race is something I have to do to prove to myself that I can do what I set my mind to. Three years ago at a skiing race with The Ohio State University I was on my second run for the slalom course when one ski popped off in the middle of my run. I felt a pain like nothing ever felt in my knee. I had ended up completely blowing out my knee, my ACL, MCL, PCL, and 3 of my 4 meniscus were torn. My injury required surgery and I initially had to have a surgery to clean up the mess and try to reduce swelling before the big ACL repair. What happened after the first sugery though was a discovery of a condition that not many are affected with. After the first surgery I was unable to bend or extend my knee at all, we went to the surgeon and I was told I had a condition where my body produces scar tissue 5-10 times faster than the normal body, that my knee had scarred up so quickly from the surgery that it would not bend. In the end I had totalled up 5 knee surgeries, 1 knee manipulation, many knee steroid injections, and about a year and a half of painful, tearful physical therapy before I was able to walk without crutches. It was not until the summer of 2009 that I was able to start running again, it was painful, but before my injury running was my favorite form of exercise. The first few runs were excruciating, but with each additional run the pain was dulled by my determination. I set my first goal of completing an Olympic distance triathlon last summer to get back into running and other sports, then I just never quit training. My goal has been since last August not to win the 1/2 marathon but to complete it without walking. I know with the hard work I have put in that this will be a race for my heart and my will, and that it will be something that will forever be at the top of my accomplishment list.
Ashley Barber
My grandfather, Richard P Long died of non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma on May 1st 2003. My aunt, uncle and I are participating in the Capital City Half Marathon to honor him. He was an extraordinary man who taught our family to be strong, kind, loving individuals and that we could do anything we set our minds to. We miss him greatly.
Michelle Sledge
Hi
I am 15 years old and excited to run my first half marathon on May 1, 2010 at the Columbus City Half Marathon! I started running with my mom (somewhat leisurely!) about a year and a half ago and then ran a 10K with my Uncle Tony when I was on vacation last Spring. I was hooked and continue to love to run!! I also wrestle in high school at a mere 103 pounds and so maintaining my weight is important and running allows me to do it in an enjoyable way. I want to run this half marathon because I had set a goal when I first starting running to complete one before I turned 16 years old. My Uncle Tony is my inspiration as he is like a dad, big brother, mentor and best friend to me. He is an avid runner, but has taught me how to keep it into perspective and most of all do it for fun and fitness. See you at the race!!
Andrew Wilson (Torti)
Hello
I am running CAP city this year to support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation on behalf of my nieces Taylor and Macey. I have a fundraising page at cff.org/Great_Strides/TomSears. I ran the race last year and enjoyed it. And if I happen to post a new PR, all the better. See you on May 1st. Thanks.
Tom Sears
My motivation to run the Cap City 1/2 Marathon? I have lost 90 lbs in the last 18 months! I can do anything!!!!! =) I'm a stronger, healthier woman now with tons of energy! Crossing the finish line will be a huge accomplishment!
Steph Klingler
I decided to participate in the Cap City marathon after two major events: A friend of mine signed with Team in Training and did the Nike Women's Half...and my sister-in-law was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor.
Being impotent to do anything for her or my family as they struggled to deal with this situation, I enrolled in Team in Training...and began walking as a means to do something.
Knowing what my sister–in–law was going through, and in the midst of her own struggle..organized a 5k in her area to raise funds for Brain Cancer research, I was a fool for not embracing what I had been given, be it overweight or not..I had my health.
It became an imperative to me to do this half marathon..to not waste what I had.
Julie lost her battle on Dec. 13th, 2009. While in Los Alamos for her funeral, it was discovered that she and I wore the same size shoe (this was the only size we had in common). I will be wearing her Reeboks to participate in the Cap City Half. I have trained in them, and recently did my 10 mile. I plan to finish.
With Julie on my team..how could I not.
That's why I am doing this marathon...I may not be running it..but that's ok. I'll get to the same finish line :)
I'm doing a half-marathon on May 1st!
I'm raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) as part of their Team in Training program.
I am probably the last person you'd expect to do a marathon event.
But having a goal and raising money for a good cause is a great motivator.
So help me out by donating on my page:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/coh/columh10/nfay4d
Niki Fay
