This is a blog created for our friends, family, and anyone who wishes to follow us on our running adventures as we run half marathoners or full marathons in all 50 states across the U.S.
Stacey left, Tracy right
About Tracy:
I married my high school sweetheart, Andrew, 15 years ago. We have 3 adorable daughters (Kyla is 9, Annabelle 7, and Jillian is 3), and have also been raising my husband's sister, Rachel, since she came to live with us at age 15. Although I love running, it is not my job. I work full time like everyone else, but I secretly wish I was an elite athlete who could run all day or work as a trainer on the Biggest Loser!
I grew up with very bad asthma and never ran until I was 17. Yes I was the girl who always had the doctor's note to get out of P.E. Never in my wildest dreams, or my parents for that matter, did we ever think I would run 1 mile or even 26.2 on multiple occasions. I wouldn't have ever called myself a runner until after I had Jillian. Before that I liked to kick box, do yoga, and ran occasionally but never close to the distance that I do now. Shortly after I had Jillian I started running regularly. At this time Stacey had also just run the Nike Women's Half-Marathon (the one with the firefighters and Tiffany bling). We decided the next year together we would run it as a full marathon together- and that ended up being my second race. My first was a half marathon while training for the full marathon. We ran it, loved it, and were hooked. As they say.... the rest is history.
our daughters with their running bling
About Stacey:
The first time I thought about running a marathon was during the summer of 1996-I sat on a hotel bed in Madrid Spain and watched the Olympic Marathon in Atlanta and I thought someday I want to run a marathon. The opportunity first presented itself in 2005 when my three sisters’ in laws decided to run the Rock n’ Roll San Diego marathon. But I was working full time, taking care of a toddler and trying to get pregnant-it just didn’t seem possible for me. Life happened…and then in 2008 my mother in law and sisters’ in law again decided we should run/walk the Women’s Nike Half Marathon and so it was to be. The sense of accomplishment was incredible and I called the first person who I knew would get it, my sister Tracy. The idea was born next year we would run it together as a marathon. The journey to complete my first marathon was in a sense what began as a personal war for myself. I was still working full time in a stressful job, but now with 2 children and my husband was busy with his own job and career ambitions. The hours training were time for me to reflect, process and think…a lot about who I was and what I wanted out of life and what I wanted for my family. Training brought my family together to support me in my goals. Running gave me myself back. My sister in law once said to me I run because if I’m not happy, then my family’s not happy and she’s so right. Running makes me a better person.
The first time I thought about running a marathon was during the summer of 1996-I sat on a hotel bed in Madrid Spain and watched the Olympic Marathon in Atlanta and I thought someday I want to run a marathon. The opportunity first presented itself in 2005 when my three sisters’ in laws decided to run the Rock n’ Roll San Diego marathon. But I was working full time, taking care of a toddler and trying to get pregnant-it just didn’t seem possible for me. Life happened…and then in 2008 my mother in law and sisters’ in law again decided we should run/walk the Women’s Nike Half Marathon and so it was to be. The sense of accomplishment was incredible and I called the first person who I knew would get it, my sister Tracy. The idea was born next year we would run it together as a marathon. The journey to complete my first marathon was in a sense what began as a personal war for myself. I was still working full time in a stressful job, but now with 2 children and my husband was busy with his own job and career ambitions. The hours training were time for me to reflect, process and think…a lot about who I was and what I wanted out of life and what I wanted for my family. Training brought my family together to support me in my goals. Running gave me myself back. My sister in law once said to me I run because if I’m not happy, then my family’s not happy and she’s so right. Running makes me a better person.
