Completing Dad’s Run
Posted on Jul 24, 2023, by Admin
By: Nicole Fadroski
Starting my running journey was all about pursuing a healthier lifestyle. But my motivation behind signing up for the Community First Fox Cities Marathon was much deeper and more significant.
Back in 2009, I made a commitment to myself to adopt a more active lifestyle. I started with walking and eventually worked my way up to running. As I began to shed weight and improve my endurance, I discovered a genuine passion for long-distance running.
It shouldn’t have come as a surprise, considering that running runs in my family. My dad used to take me out on his runs when I was just a baby, strapped in a carrier. However, it was a run that he didn’t bring me on that ultimately changed the course of my own running journey.
At the age of 42, my dad went for a run and was tragically hit by a drunk driver. I was too young to truly know him before he lost his life. But my brothers did, and they told me he would run every day. Running became an opportunity for me to feel closer to my dad. And that connection provided me the inspiration I needed to push through any distance.
Throughout the years, I’ve tackled 5Ks and 10Ks, and even completed a half marathon alongside one of my brothers in 2013. Since then, I’ve steadily increased my mileage by participating in smaller runs. But this year, I set my mind to completing my first full marathon.
At 42, it felt like the right time to challenge myself and pay tribute to my dad by completing a major running accomplishment.
While I know it will be difficult, I had no hesitation in signing up for the Fox Cities Marathon. It’s exciting to do a course I haven’t done before and the timing, with most of the training happening in the summer months, couldn’t be better. I know crossing that finish line in September will be an incredibly meaningful moment for me in so many ways.
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