Stephanie Rogers

I don’t like the term “bucket list” (a bit morbid, no!?), but to run a marathon I’d say has been my number 1 goal since I can remember. 

I fell in love with running when I was about 14 and ran on every track and cross country team that would have me from junior high school, high school (Go Bombers!) and even in college (Go Prarie Fire!). I loved it and always secretly hoped that I would one day achieve the super human conditioning required to try a marathon.

With a little push from a friend (the lovely Lisa Platt), I began to believe that this goal could be achievable, so I signed up for the Barcelona marathon in 2013. However, I was thwarted by the biggest and cutest surprise of my life, our hillarious and charming Ramon, now almost 6.

Meanwhile, my husband, then a heavy smoker, began his own journey with running when he threw his cigarettes off our balcony one random weekend in February and began running that same day. Awestruck and very inspired, I watched him build up to his first 5 k that June, then a 10 k, then he made some running buddies (cuz how great are running buddies? Some of my favorite high school memories involve my teammates: Erin Schluter, Hayley Grant, Kolette Rutledge, Crystal Martin, Kellen Vail, Jenelle Leatherwood, Coach Christina, Coach Ames and Coach Miller, the goofy boys’ team captained by Ryan Riggins and Jon Fowler... sorry if I’m leaving anyone out, and sorry if I can’t remember/have no idea how to spell (Ko!) your married names!). Rob and his buddies Phoebe Marion and Chris formed their own running club as they all trained together to do their first marathon. I watched my amazing husband go from 2 packs a day + to marathon runner in just over a year. How awesome is that?

I naturally got back into running when my son got a little more independent and, as a 30th birthday present, I ran my first 10k in October 2014. I enjoyed running that year and began to think about the marathon, first challenging myself with a brutal 12 k over the 3 high hills in Barcelona in November 2015. I finished! And I wasn’t last! Ok, I was second to last, but I had a good excuse it turned out. 8 months later, Isabel was born, our loquacious, artistic 2 year-old. The marathon would have to wait once again.

So, without wanting to add a third child to the bunch, I, very quietly decided to give it one more try. I have to credit my husband Rob for running with me over Christmas in 80 degree (27 C) humid Florida. I don’t know if I would have been able to put down the Christmas cookies and go for those runs if it had not been for his support and encouragement! 

And making it this far, I realized that you don’t actually have to be in the best shape of your life, or have washboard abs or have a super fast 10 k in your legs to run a marathon. Though it does take a lot of love and support (thanks family! You’re all the best!) we actually all have it in us, whether you are 18 and on the track team or a mom to little ones, at any (yes, any!) stage of life, you really can accomplish a goal like this. All the conditions don’t have to be right. This time around, I weathered a terrible flu that turned into bronchitis, which made me miss 3 long (over 20 k/13 mile) runs. I know I’m going to have to dig deep and that I’m a little undercooked on the training, and it’s going to hurt a bit. Ok, a lot.

I can’t wait.

Please consider donating to my charity, the Barcelona animal shelter. Their website is https://www.protectorabcn.es/ So check it out if you want to see some cute photos and videos of the animals currently looking for families. We adopted our mighty little Dabo from them way back in 2009. He was a champion.