Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Why I run - Jennifer

My Dearest Sibs:

For as long as I can remember, I have been involved in some sort of group athletic activity -- from competitive team sports in childhood, to training for my first sprint triathlon in 2000, to my first marathon [Chicago] in 2001. To be honest, running a marathon was not on my bucket list. Never crossed my mind. Until....... a challenge. Simpy put, my boyfriend at the time did not think I could run one -- well, nothing gets me more motivated than telling me that I cannot do something. So, off I went and I finished Chicago with a smile on my face and a desire to do a marathon again -- which I did the next year! I married my naysayer, took time off to start a family, had twin girls, and readied myself to train again.
I continue to run because I can. My father -- and my role model for all things athletic -- died last year, peacefully but unexpectedly. He was a marathoner and an all around great guy. So, with him in mind, we run. My siblings and I will run Chicago this year in his honor. I will run to prove to myself that I can do it again. They will run for diabetic research. It will be their first marathon and my third. We could not have picked a better marathon -- from its symetrical date, to its unbelieveable organization, to its incredible crowd support, to its history and neighborhoods, to its course -- Chicago has it all. We will be traveling from Los Angeles, Boulder, Philadelphia, and Austin. The Piskun Pack plans to take the Windy City by storm and, if Dad has anything to do with it, we'll have the run of our lives [which means finishing!], with the most incredible weather, and enjoy more pizza and pasta than we can handle. We are looking forward to it! Thanks for helping us get there! See you 10-10-10!
Sincerely, Jennifer Piskun Johnson, Texas

2 comments:

  1. God, I love to see what and where we have things in common. Boyfriend says I can't? Ohhhh, re-he-heellly?

    Thumbs up, jen!

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