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Week 18: Interconnection
This week, many of my miles took place in Los Angeles, where I had the opportunity to travel and learn from communities whose histories are rooted in struggles for rights, dignity, and freedom. Woven throughout conversations about courage and community was a common thread: the power of people willing to challenge injustice, advocate for others, and recognize that someone else's future matters just as much as their own.
Thinking about this marathon journey, I'm increasingly aware of how much it means to have both the opportunity to take on this challenge and people willing to help me along the way.
I also reflected on the students at LPLC and how easily learning challenges can become barriers to opportunities that extend well beyond the classroom. The work LPLC does goes beyond strengthening academic skills. It also means recognizing when expectations, systems, or a lack of understanding are limiting students' opportunities, and working to change those circumstances.
These past 18 weeks have taught me about what I'm capable of. But this week shifted my perspective beyond my own progress, reminding me that what we make possible for one another matters just as much.
Added on Sunday, October 18, 2026 at 11:42 PM
Week 17: Barriers
44 miles this week, including my longest training run yet: 20 miles!
One thing I've learned is that I'm not particularly good at pacing myself. 😂 During the run I recognize the need to slow down, and I genuinely try, but somehow my legs don't seem to get the message. This weekend was no exception. I settled into a strong pace, and despite my attempts to rein it in, I kept going faster than I probably should have. The first 15 miles felt great, but by the final 5, I was definitely feeling the consequences. And in the last two miles I had to work for every bit of my strong finish.
It was a great run. It was also really hard. And I'm learning that those two things can absolutely be true at the same time. I’m really proud of myself and how I responded when I felt tired, when my legs were protesting, and I still managed to keep going.
As I get closer to New York, I've been thinking about how fortunate I am to have the opportunity to challenge myself in this way. Especially when I consider that not so long ago women weren't even welcome to participate in marathons.
The history of women in marathon running has been on my mind a lot this week.
In 1966, Bobbi Gibb became the first woman to complete the Boston Marathon, despite being denied an official entry. In 1967, Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to run Boston with an official race number, despite a race official attempting to physically remove her from the course. Women weren't officially allowed to compete in Boston until 1972.
Only 54 years ago.
It's pretty remarkable to think that women were once told they weren't capable of running these distances.
Knowing that history makes this experience feel bigger than my own marathon.
Who gets to decide what we're capable of? It’s so easy to believe the limitations others place on us.
This is something I see in my work at LPLC, too.
Many of our students know what it's like to work incredibly hard at something that seems to come more easily to others. After enough frustration, some begin to question their own abilities. And unfortunately, sometimes the people around them have underestimated those abilities, too.
Through my work at LPLC I get to watch those assumptions be challenged.
With the right instruction, support, and opportunities to succeed, students begin to recognize strengths they may not have seen in themselves. They take risks they once avoided, approach challenges with more confidence, and sometimes get the wonderful satisfaction of proving a few people wrong along the way.
I love that for them.
Added on Sunday, October 11, 2026 at 07:01 PM
$4,000! We Did It!
When I set my original fundraising goal at $4,000, it felt big. And now, thanks to so many of you, we’ve exceeded it.
I’m incredibly grateful for every donation, every share, and every person who has followed along and supported me through this whole journey.
But with four weeks still to go until race day, there’s plenty of time to keep going.
So, I’m officially doubling my goal to $8,000 for LPLC.
Four more weeks of training. Four more weeks of fundraising.
Added on Monday, October 5, 2026 at 03:45 PM
Week 16: Confidence
45 miles this week and I've officially completed four months of marathon training.
This week running felt playful. Not necessarily because every mile was easy, but because for the first time in a while, I wasn't carrying as much doubt with me. I felt strong and confident.
For four months, I've followed the plan. I've gotten up early, run in the dark, worked through tired legs, adjusted when my body needed it, and logged a whole lot of miles when I wasn't particularly motivated.
I've put in the work.
And this week, I got to enjoy what that work has built.
There was something really freeing about realizing I wasn't trying to convince myself I could do this anymore… I just knew I could.
It made me think about our students at LPLC and those moments when we start to see the same shift.
Learning something new can take so much effort at first. There's practice and repetition, mistakes and frustration, and a lot of showing up before something begins to feel easier.
And then, little by little, you see a student start to trust their own skills. There's less hesitation. More independence. A willingness to take a risk.
And the pride when they realize, “Wait, I can do this.”
That's what this week felt like for me.
The marathon is still ahead of me, and 26.2 miles will absolutely demand respect. 😂
But this week wasn't about proving anything.
I put in the work. I’m figuring out how to trust it. And this week I got to have fun with what I've built.
Added on Sunday, October 4, 2026 at 04:05 PM
Week 15 - Progress
Getting out the door has been harder lately. Partly because fifteen weeks of marathon training is starting to catch up with me and partly because lying on the floor with Mae feels like a much better life choice than running. Somehow though I keep choosing running. And the funny thing is, while starting my runs has felt harder, the running itself has felt lighter. This week, thankfully, the miles felt playful again.
I logged 46 miles this week, including a 19-mile long run that consisted of a 10K to the starting line of a half marathon, followed by the race itself.
After the race I happened to run into the friend who ran my very first 5K with me. She reminded me that during that first race, I told her I didn’t feel like a “real runner.” She looked at me and said, “But look at you now!”
That got me.
I don’t think there was ever a moment when I suddenly became a runner. I just kept showing up. One mile became three, three became ten, and now somehow we have arrived at a place where running six miles to get to the race feels like a perfectly reasonable plan. (It is not.)
Our Education Specialists at LPLC get to be the people who point those moments out to our students all the time. We get to remember where they started when they can only see how far they still have to go.
This week, my friend got to do that for me.
What a gift to have people in your life who remember the beginning.
Added on Sunday, September 27, 2026 at 11:09 AM
Week 14 - Commitment
40 miles this week.
Fourteen weeks into marathon training, and I've discovered that motivation is wildly unreliable.
Some of my runs this week felt fun and playful. My legs felt good, my brain was happy, and I was genuinely thrilled to spend my time running.
Other runs were heavy. I was grumpy. I spent most of the run thinking about how much I wanted to go home. Turns out, I need to run those miles too. 😅
This week had me thinking about how marathon training may actually be less about motivation and more about commitment. It's getting up when it's cold and dark. It's planning weekends around long runs. It's going to bed early and saying no to things because tomorrow's mileage says I should.
It's also apparently accepting that my feet may never look the same again. The toenail situation is ongoing and I've officially developed blisters on top of my blisters.
And, in a development no one saw coming… I'm strength training. Am I strong yet? Absolutely not. But the (very) brief workouts are happening, and at this point consistency feels worthy of celebration.
All of this has made me think about the less visible parts of commitment. The adjusting, the sacrificing, and the choosing to keep making space for something.
At LPLC, our families model this kind of commitment all the time. They rearrange schedules, drive to appointments, make financial sacrifices, practice skills at home, advocate at school, and keep showing up. Our students come to us after already spending an entire day working hard at school and are asked to spend even more time on the things that are hardest for them.
I've always admired their commitment, but marathon training has given me a new perspective on the quieter sacrifices behind a big goal, the things other people may never see. Showing up with consistency because you’ve decided that something matters enough to make room for it.
My commitment to my 40 miles this week is obviously very different from the commitment our students and families are giving, but it has made me respect their dedication in a new way.
Motivation comes and goes, but commitment is what gets you out the door when it's dark, you're grumpy, and you're pretty sure you never want to run again. 😂
Fourteen weeks down, six weeks to go.
Added on Sunday, September 20, 2026 at 11:15 PM
Week 13 - Believe
Total Weekly Distance: 46 Miles
Long Run: 18 miles
Eighteen miles gives you a lot of time to think, and this week I kept coming back to a story my brother and I were recently laughing about.
We had PE together in high school, and part of our grade required us to run a mile. I wanted absolutely nothing to do with it.
On the day of our one-mile run, we had a substitute teacher who didn't know one very important rule: do not let my brother and me pair up. 😂
My brother knew exactly how uninterested I was in running that mile, so he helped me cheat. Instead of the required four laps, I ran three. He vouched for me, I happily accepted my fraudulent mile, and we moved on with our lives.
For years, that story made perfect sense because I had already decided something about myself:
I couldn't run. I wasn't athletic in that way. I would never be a runner.
The funny thing about limiting beliefs is that once we decide they're true, we get really good at collecting evidence to support them and avoiding opportunities that might prove us wrong. Why would I try to run a mile if I already knew I couldn't?
Fast forward to 2023. I'd become a hobby cyclist and discovered that I loved endurance sports. The problem was that Boise winters made cycling a little less appealing, and I needed something that would keep me in shape for the bike. Unfortunately, running made the most sense. 😆
So, at around an 11-minute-mile pace, I ran my first entire mile. All four laps. No cheating.
Something shifted.
It wasn't that I suddenly became good at running. I just finally had evidence that something I'd believed about myself for years
might not actually be true.
Maybe I can do this.
Thankfully, I also had an incredibly patient friend who kept showing up with me. She ran at my pace, encouraged me, and celebrated every bit of progress.
One mile became a few miles. A few miles became races. And somewhere along the way, “I'm not a runner” became... well, whatever you call someone who willingly wakes up and runs 18 miles on a weekend. 😂
As I finished those 18 miles feeling strong this weekend, I couldn't stop thinking about the girl who once cheated her way out of one.
And it made me think about our students at Lee Pesky Learning Center.
Students who experience learning and attention challenges can start writing their own stories about themselves very early:
I'm a bad reader.
I'm bad at school.
I can't write.
I'm always behind.
I'm just not smart.
When you've struggled with something over and over again, avoiding it can feel safer than risking another failure. Sometimes that looks like refusing to start. Sometimes it's saying, “I don't care.” Sometimes it's copying someone else's answer or finding another shortcut.
I can relate. I literally had my brother shave 25% off the assignment. 😂
But with the right support, a different approach, and a few small successes those stories begin to change. And that’s what I love about the work we do at Lee Pesky Learning Center.
Every day, our students are building new evidence that their challenges do not define what they are capable of.
Added on Sunday, September 13, 2026 at 10:09 PM
Week 12 (3 months!) - Trust
This week wrapped up 3 months of marathon training and brought my longest run yet: 17 miles!
The nerves leading up to the long run were real. Seventeen miles was a distance I'd never asked my body to go before, and I found myself questioning everything. Did I train enough? Am I strong enough? Can my body actually do this? Mentally, can I sustain running for almost three hours? How will I feel about myself if I fail?
Twelve weeks ago, 17 miles sounded ridiculous. But this week, I did it and I didn’t just survive 17 miles. I finished feeling strong.
I think we all have our own version of 17 miles; the thing in front of us that feels bigger or more difficult than anything we've done before. The thing that makes us question whether we're capable before we've even given ourselves the chance to find out.
I see versions of that happen all the time at Lee Pesky Learning Center.
For students who have struggled with academics, trusting themselves as learners doesn't always come easily. When something has felt hard for a long time, it's difficult to believe that this time might be different.
Part of our work is helping students build the skills they need, but it's also creating enough successful experiences that they begin to see themselves differently. Each success becomes a little more evidence that they're capable.
They start to realize, maybe I can do this.
That's a powerful shift.
This week gave me a little more appreciation for what it feels like to approach something questioning whether you’re capable and just how meaningful it can be when experience finally gives you a reason to trust that you are.
Added on Sunday, September 6, 2026 at 11:10 AM
Week 11: Resilience
This week was hard. Physically, mentally… pretty much all of it. I struggled with serious leg cramps, sore muscles, and said goodbye to some toenails. One morning, my exact thought was, “I don't want to go on a stupid run.” I went anyway. Was it magical? No. Did I rediscover my love of running and frolic home with a new appreciation for the journey? Also no. 😂 But I did it.
Throughout this training journey I’m learning that listening to my body is a lot more complicated than simply knowing when something hurts. I'm learning the difference between soreness from building strength, feeling depleted because I'm asking a lot of my body, and the times when what I actually need is recovery and rest. I’m discovering that doing something hard isn't just about working harder. It's about figuring out what you need in order to keep going.
That's something I see in the work at Lee Pesky Learning Center, too. Kids don't need someone telling them to try harder. They need people willing to understand what they need, give them the right tools and support, celebrate the progress, and help them keep going when something feels really hard.
Summary of Week 11: Not every week is going to be filled with joyful miles and wild blackberries. Some weeks I’ll lose my toenails, question my life choices, and go on the stupid run anyway. ♥️
Added on Sunday, August 30, 2026 at 08:44 PM
Week 10 - Perseverance
43 miles this week. My longest run was 15 miles, which included a half marathon race with two miles pre-race. I went into the race focused on getting my miles in and somehow achieved 3rd place. 🥉 A pretty fun surprise in the middle of a big training week!
Ten weeks in, I've officially reached the point in training where I'm asking my body to do things it's never done before. Until now, there has always been some familiarity in the distance. From here, there isn't. Each long run is a new longest run.
I've been thinking a lot about perseverance lately. In my work, I get the privilege of watching students persevere through difficult things every day. I see how much effort can sit behind something that may look simple from the outside. I see the frustration, the courage it takes to keep trying, the small wins that are actually really big wins, and the pride that comes when something finally clicks.
It's an honor to witness that kind of perseverance. And as I ask my own body and mind to do things they've never done before, I find myself thinking about those moments a lot.
Running 15 miles and learning to read are obviously very different challenges. I chose mine. But there is something about experiencing my own version of this is hard, and I'm going to keep going anyway that makes me appreciate their determination even more.
Added on Sunday, August 23, 2026 at 06:40 PM
Week 9 - Gratitude
Gratitude feels like the theme of this week.
Gratitude for my health, for the beautiful place I get to live and run, and especially for the people in my life. My family, my friends, my colleagues, and the community that continues to show up around me.
This week came with a lot of busyness and emotion, and running felt different because of it. The miles felt heavier and my runs were simply about getting out the door, putting one foot in front of the other and letting the miles give me somewhere to put everything I was carrying.
I finished the week with 34 miles and completed my longest run yet: 14 miles! A friend joined me for the long runs, and I don’t think I could have appreciated the company more. Having someone choose to spend those miles beside me was a perfect reflection of this week. I can do hard things on my own, but that doesn’t mean I have to.
I felt that same kind of support at work this week. I get to work alongside people who are thoughtful, compassionate, incredibly skilled, and deeply committed to showing up for students, families, and each other. This week, I felt that same care personally, and it reminded me just how special the community I’m running for really is.
Nine weeks down and so much gratitude for the people running alongside me literally and figuratively.
Added on Sunday, August 16, 2026 at 07:09 PM
Week 8 - Blackberries
Week 8 and officially two months of marathon training down!
Still not exactly following the traditional marathon-training script over here...
🚴♀️ 170 cycling miles
🏃♀️ 20 running miles
I continued to take it easy on the running this week and gave my ankle the time it needed to fully recover. It was difficult to trust that the rest would pay off, but it did! I wrapped up week 8 with a strong 10-mile run and a happy ankle.
And because I know you've all been deeply invested in my strength-training journey, I'm happy to report that I completed two- yes, TWO- 5-minute strength sessions this week. I couldn't let you down forever. 😂
However, the highlight of this week was stopping to indulge in the wild blackberries. Running snacks don't get much fresher than that!
It's hard to believe I'm already two months into this. Eight weeks of early mornings, learning when to push and when to back off, and finding small joys along the way.
Added on Sunday, August 9, 2026 at 08:14 PM
Week 7 - Flexibility
This marathon training week was... unconventional.
🏃♀️ Running: 6.5 miles
🚴♀️ Cycling: 100 miles
The smoke and a mildly unhappy ankle teamed up against my running plans this week, so I pivoted instead of pushing through. As much as I wanted more running miles, I know one smart week is better than several injured ones.
You'd think this would've been the perfect week to really commit to strength training and stretching. You'd think... 😂 Stretching is still making progress, but strength training remains firmly in the "maybe next week" category.
Now let's all collectively manifest cleaner air and an ankle that remembers I have a marathon to run!
Added on Sunday, August 2, 2026 at 10:05 PM
Week 6 - Joy
Week 6 wrapped up with 37.5 miles and my long run came in at 11 miles. A few more total miles than the training plan called for, but I had the opportunity to complete some miles in Ohio where the views were beautiful.
On one run this week, I tripped and earned myself a skinned knee. I couldn't help but laugh. It felt like being a kid again, coming home scraped up after spending all day outside. A skinned knee has always been a sign of a day outside doing something I love. It’s fitting.
I'm also seeing a little progress in the habits that don't come as naturally. Stretching is becoming much more consistent. Strength training is still in negotiations. 😅
I finished the week feeling incredibly grateful that my body lets me do this.
Added on Sunday, July 26, 2026 at 11:16 AM
Week 5
31.5 miles this week!
The running? Feeling good. The strength training and stretching? I’m still working on making those as non-negotiable as the runs themselves. 😅
One thing I’m especially proud of this week is sticking to my rest days. They’re easy to skip when I’m feeling good, but I’m learning they’re just as important as the miles.
This week also brought more donations, and I’m officially just $90 away from reaching 50% of my fundraising goal!🤯
To everyone who has donated, sent a postcard, shared my fundraiser, or simply cheered me on, thank you. Your encouragement is carrying me through every mile, and I’m so grateful you’re part of this journey.
Added on Sunday, July 19, 2026 at 01:16 PM
Week 4 - Fulfillment
Week 4 is complete and I officially have one month of marathon training behind me.
I logged 28.5 miles this week with my long run coming in at 9.5 miles.
As the distances keep getting longer, it’s giving me more time to slow down and think. Time to reflect.
It might surprise people, but I usually run without headphones. No music. No podcasts. No audiobooks. Just with whatever thoughts decide to join me that day.
One run this week had me thinking about where this all started… I started running for me. To grow. To heal. I needed an outlet during a pretty challenging time in my life. Running became a lifeline.
Now I have the opportunity to run for something greater than myself. It feels surreal. To take something that began as part of my own healing and growth and let it become a way to create opportunities for others, what an honor.
It’s an honor to know that every mile is connected to raising funds for Lee Pesky Learning Center, a place that has changed my life just as much as it changes the lives of the students and families it serves.
Thank you for cheering me on and for supporting my fundraising goal. Every word of encouragement and every donation means more than you know.
On to week 5!
Added on Sunday, July 12, 2026 at 01:13 PM
Week 3 ✅
Week 3 is in the books!
I logged 21.5 miles this week and hit another exciting milestone: 25% of my fundraising goal! Thank you to everyone who has donated!
One of the highlights this week has been having my Mini Aussie, Mae, join me on a few runs. While nobody ever asked her how she felt about training for a marathon, she kept up like a champ; though I think she'd probably prefer a little less running and a lot more stopping to smell everything.
Added on Sunday, July 5, 2026 at 06:08 PM
Week 2
Week 2 brought some fun hill runs in Salem, Oregon. I logged 27 miles this week, including a long run of 8 miles and 900 feet of elevation gain, and finished feeling strong!
I'm learning that recovery deserves just as much attention as the miles. As someone who likes to keep moving, intentionally resting doesn't always come naturally.
Looking back on this week, I'm proud of more than just the mileage. I'm becoming more patient with myself and more aware and responsive to what my body needs. For a first marathon, that feels like a pretty good place to be.
Thank you for following along and cheering me on.
Added on Sunday, June 28, 2026 at 04:53 PM
Week 1 Complete!
Week 1 of marathon training is in the books!
I logged 25 miles this week, including a 7-mile long run, and I'm quickly learning that marathon training is more than just running. The biggest challenge so far has been monitoring and adjusting my pacing.
The most humbling moment of the week, though, was a 5-minute strength workout. Five minutes. About 20 squats and some lunges. With all my regular running, cycling, and hiking, I didn’t expect what the next few days would be like. Every time I sat down, stood up, or walked up stairs, I was reminded that apparently running fitness and strength fitness are not the same thing. 😂
One week down! Thank you to everyone who has already supported me- whether through words of encouragement or a donation toward my $4,000 fundraising goal.
Added on Sunday, June 21, 2026 at 02:21 PM
Day 1
Today was my first official day of training.
Over the last several years, running has been a steady part of my life. The challenge won't be going out for a run, rather embracing the structure that comes with marathon training. It will require discipline not only to complete the scheduled runs, but also to honor the recovery days. Learning to rest may end up being one of the most important parts of the journey.
During today's run, I couldn't help but think about the students we serve at Lee Pesky Learning Center. Progress rarely comes from a single breakthrough. More often, it comes from showing up day after day, practicing skills that don't come easily, and trusting the process even when it feels difficult or when growth feels slow.
The students we work with at LPLC demonstrate that kind of perseverance every day. They tackle challenges, learn new strategies, and continue moving forward despite setbacks and frustrations. Their journeys remind me that meaningful growth often happens one small step at a time.
Today was just the first step in my marathon journey. I'm excited to see how I grow over the coming months, not just as a runner, but as a person. And I'm grateful to be running in support of an organization that helps students discover that growth is possible for them, too.
Added on Monday, June 15, 2026 at 04:20 PM
