PFA Updates

Aug 03, 2020

(Marathon Training Update #4)

Thank you so much to everyone who has already donated to our “The Longest Day” fundraiser for The Alzheimer’s Association. We are on our way to reaching our new fundraising goal of $10,000 (less than $1,500 to go…) and we truly appreciate your generosity and support. We have wonderful clients!

If you are still interested in donating to this worthy cause, please follow the link below:

https://act.alz.org/site/TR?team_id=608952&fr_id=13035&pg=team

And now let’s hear from our Leg 4 Relay Runner, the apple who doesn’t fall far from the tree, Irene:

How long have you been a runner and what other races have you done?

I started running long distance in my freshman year of high school when I joined the STVM cross country and track team. Throughout those 4 years, I ran countless 5Ks in the fall for cross country and competed in the 1600 meter and 3200 meter races for track in the spring. Running was the most important part of my high school career and the STVM running program was incredibly competitive at the time. My parents deserve medals for dealing with my teenage mood swings, which were completely dependent on my running performance. After graduating, I took a long and much needed break from running. Now, however, I am enjoying it more than ever. I ran my first half marathon in Denver in May 2019 and am hoping to build my way up to running a full marathon!

What are you doing to prepare for the relay? How is your training going?

To prepare for the relay, I have been training in the only way I know how—really inconsistently. My training plan currently consists of running about 5 days a week and supplementing with HIIT and yoga on low mileage days. Because my employer is still operating on a work-from-home status, training has been a really great way to get myself out of my apartment, while still maintaining social distance with others. It’s almost impossible to find a flat course to run on in Pittsburgh, so hill workouts have become a new favorite of mine.

Who will you be running for?

These days it’s rare not to have a personal connection to at least one person, if not several, who are suffering from Alzheimer’s. I will be running for my grandmother, who is experiencing the early stages of Alzheimer’s, as well as several of my close friends who are watching their own grandparents go through the same struggles.

Final thoughts?

In the past 2 years, I’ve lived in 3 different cities and running has been my favorite way to explore my new home. This past week, I was able to come home to Akron to spend time with my family for a little stay-cation. I decided to take advantage of the Metro Parks while I was home and was shocked by how many strangers waved to me and initiated conversation on the trail. I was even invited to join a work out with the Field Cross Country team at Goodyear, my old home course. I had forgotten how special Akron’s running community is, but realized how much I’ve missed it and how lucky I am to be a part of it. Big shout out to Tom for roping me into this race!