Running

By Trish • November 1st, 2014

Published in baystateparent magazine When Jane Lizotte of Shrewsbury begins her Thanksgiving morning, she won’t be in the kitchen preparing a turkey. Instead, the Shrewsbury Middle School principal will be preparing for the Turkey Trot for the Memory, a community race started by Lizotte and her family in memory of Lizotte’s late father and Massachusetts Supreme Court Justice Francis P. O’Connor. Now in its fourth year, Trot for the Memory 5-miler and 2-mile fun run raises funds for the Alzheimer’s Association ..read more

Within minutes of crossing the Boston Marathon finish line yesterday – 15 minutes faster than my usual time – I was elated. It was my 10th Boston Marathon and my best time ever at Boston. I saw my family in the crowded pack of spectators, waved joyfully at them, and crossed the Finish Line. As I was quickly made my way into the Westin Hotel where our Alzheimer’s team runners and family meet every year, the bombs went off. My family ..read more

The Women’s Running Boom – and how it is making moms healthier and happier Published in baystateparent magazine When Susan Smith of Westborough, MA decided to try running as an alternative to her gym workouts in the Spring of 2011, she wasn’t sure what to expect. The fitness director at her gym had been taking a group of women out for short runs to introduce them to the sport. “One day, I said, ‘What the heck, I’m just going to go ..read more

Published June 2012 in baysyateparent magazine You may have seen them at the Boston Marathon, the barrel-chested father pushing his 125- pound quadriplegic son in a wheelchair, cheered on by fans and fellow runners. Their presence elicits both cheers and tears from bystanders, who witness with awe the dad who has competed with his disabled son in over 1,075 running events in the past 33 years. This past April, Dick and Rick Hoyt completed their 30th Boston Marathon– a ..read more

Last Monday, the 116th Boston Marathon went down in history as one of the hottest Boston Marathons on record, with temperatures soaring into the upper 80s. The scorching sun slowed down nearly all the runners on the course. It forced some to the sidelines without finishing, and prompted others to opt out of this year’s race altogether. This was not the case for 71-year-old Dick Hoyt and his 50-year-old son Rick, whom Dick pushed for 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boston ..read more

Yesterday I skipped church and ran the Mercedes Marathon in Birmingham instead. Yes, I said Birmingham, not Burlington. I had decided to travel to Alabama’s largest city to try to qualify for next year’s Boston Marathon by running 26.2 miles in 4:00 hours or better – my personal BQ (Boston Qualifier). I kept my qualifying quest a secret from most people, because  I knew it sounded crazy, and was afraid if I missed my goal it really would ..read more

Two years ago, I coached a group of over two dozen new runners to complete their first 5K.  The idea came after I wrote an article for baystateparent magazine called “You Are a Runner!”  I wrote the article to inspire women and men to consider running as a way to acheive their fitness goals. But I know from experience that it can be frustrating to get motivated by reading an article but then not know where to start. So we decided ..read more

“MAGIC Man” George Chmiel Runs Ultras to Raise Funds and Awareness of Children’s Growth Disorders Published in baystateparent magazine First-place winner: Human Interest, NENPA 2010 Awards It was a hurting wrist that got 29-year-old Boston resident George Chmiel running three years ago, trying to find a way to overcome the setback of a torn ligament from playing pickup football. But it was a hurting little girl, suffering from a rare, life-threatening growth disorder that got him ultramarathoning for a cause. Luci Horvath, (age 3) ..read more

George Chmiel Goes the Extra 155 Miles for Children’s Growth Disorders Video credit; Chris Lusher with permission from RacingThePlanet Ltd: George Chmiel’s Aussie Adventure I’ve met a lot of contagiously crazy, enthusiastically energetic, over-the-top inspirational people in my running circles, but I have to say that George Chmiel beats them all. George blows away any idea of self-imposed physical limits. “Just say no” is not a phrase in his vocabulary. His can-do mindset is mind boggling. And his compassion for ..read more

Published in the Metrowest Daily News and the Westborough News It’s the holy grail. The brass ring. The oldest, the notorious, the elite, the famed. The magical, mythical Boston Marathon. And I was running it. Just saying “I’m training for the Boston Marathon,” gave me a smug, self-satisfied feeling. I won’t lie. No matter that I was a charity runner, had the flabby breasts-tummy-thigh-thing going from bearing three children in five years. I dreamed of that moment in April when I ..read more