Saturday, February 22, 2020

SRTT Member Spotlight: Kelly L.

SRTT Member Spotlight*:  Kelly L.


Why support me? Why support anyone? Why support  an organization, or a team, or a person? Why spend your time reading  this? Why donate?

Because you believe. YOU have faith that you are making a difference through supporting others. Faith is powerful.

Let me tell you about my own journey, my own struggles, and WHY  supporting me is powerful and also empowering to other women. It goes a  little something like this:

I, Kelly Lorch, have NEVER been athletic. It’s almost laughable how  non-athletic I was in childhood, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. I  tried out for every possible sport. (basketball, volleyball, track,  softball) I’m 5’10” so you can imagine how horrified the coaches were to  discover how truly uncoordinated I was. I also struggled with asthma. I  was never picked for a team. You can imagine what that did to my  self-confidence and how popular that made me. Kids are cruel. In high  school, I had a medical note from a doctor saying I was excused from any  running activities because of asthma.

In 1999, fresh out of high school, life sucker punched me. It snuck  up from behind and knocked me down. I found out I was going to be a mom  at the age of 18. I took a pregnancy test in a Circuit City bathroom,  where I worked at the time. Circuit City was also where I found out I’d  be a single mom. It’s where we met. He worked there too. All of my  co-workers...they knew he’d been in a terrible car accident and didn’t  survive. Before me. They knew before me. Everyone also knew I was  pregnant. I walked into work that fateful day, unknowing and happy. My  manager randomly gave me an employee review, secluded in a back office,  until my mom and sister could get there to deliver the news.

I couldn’t breath or think or be. I wanted to die, but this little  life inside me gave me purpose. This little life empowered me to be  better and rise up. I pulled myself up by my boot straps and showed life  I’m a survivor.

I gave up college and scholarships. At the age of 18, I got full  time government job with health insurance. I watched my friends go to  college, have a carefree life, go out and party. While I carted my  beautiful daughter to daycare, worked 8 hours, picked her up, and went  home. Only to repeat the process. I had a great support system but it  was still exhausting. Being a single parent is exhausting. Don’t ever  let single parents tell you it’s not.

I didn’t give up, I kept going because I had to. Not just for me  but for that little life that wasn’t mine. At the age of 20, I used my  savings and bought a cute little starter home.

Enter 2003. I started dating my future husband. It takes a  seriously special man to seriously date a single mom. It takes an even  more special man to marry a single mom. And an all around incredible man  to adopt my incredible girl. One year later, OUR daughter’s life would  be forever changed (or ruined) when we had our son.

So let’s recap, shall we: No sports. Asthma. Low self-esteem.  Pregnancy. Young single mom. No college. Full-time job. Homeowner.  Husband. Married with children. Life is good.

Enter 12/31/15. At a New Years Eve party, a friend suggests we RUN  the Triple Crown of Running, a spring race series that occurs over  course of a few months and includes a 5k, a 10k and a 10 miler. Ha! What  a preposterous idea. She’s known me since high school. She’s the  runner, the basketball player, the athlete.

Let’s run, she said. It’ll be fun, she said. As if the idea of me  running wasn’t a joke in and of itself. This asthmatic, non-athletic,  uncoordinated person....RUNNING! It was a terrifying thought. But I know  how to overcome and rise to a challenge. And this would certainly  qualify as a challenge. So, I signed up and began my running journey.

On 1/11/16, I laced up the only pair of semi-athletic shoes I  owned. I’d had them since high school and I graduated in 1999, which  makes them downright geriatric in the world of running shoes.  They were  actually hiking shoes and in perfectly good condition. They were also 2  sizes too small. I knew nothing about proper hydration, or fueling, or  nutrition, or the right type of running shoes. I didn’t own a sports  bra. I kept thinking, god what am I doing? I did what I could with what  little athletic knowledge I had.  I downloaded the Couch to 5k app, went  to my YMCA, walking up the stairs to the track, put my earbuds and did  some stretches I’d watched on YouTube. I felt extremely out of place and  uncomfortable in my own skin. Taking that first step was so monumental.  I had no idea what I was doing but I tried anyway. The C25K app started  me out with 30 seconds of running, 60 seconds of walking, repeat for 30  minutes. That’s all I could do.  Slowly, very slowly, I kept adding  running time.

Being asthmatic presented a problem in the beginning. My lungs  highly disapproved of my activities, which meant using my inhaler before  every run. Growing up, I’d been made fun of when I used it in front of  other kids. So, it was embarrassing and shameful. Before every race, I’d  squirrel away that inhaler, take it out at the last minute, hide my  face behind my hair and use it as quickly as I could. I hated using it,  but I needed it.

But despite everything, I crushed the Triple Crown of Running! Each  race day, that distance was the farthest I’d run up to that point. So  why stop there? There was a half marathon happening weeks after the 10  miler, the Kentucky Derby Festival half marathon. 13.1 miles! Could I do  it? I’d come too far to quit now. Crossing that finish line was like  nothing I’d ever experienced. It was pure joy and elation, a high.  Crossing the finish line was addicting. Getting a medal was addicting.  The self pride and sense of accomplishment you feel is addicting.  Everything about it is addicting and powerful. Training for those  distances and running those distances IS an accomplishment.

Running became a lifeline. It helped my anxiety tremendously. I  found myself in a better mood overall. I was becoming the very best  version of myself. I wanted to eat better. Hydrate better. Fuel better.  Exercise more. Cross-train more.

The biggest surprise of all? Little by little, I started using  inhaler less and less. Eventually, I no longer needed it at all.  And in  2017, I ran two full marathons and never once used it.

Profound. That’s the only word that describes the affect running  had on me. I started referring to myself as a runner. Transforming my  belief system that I’d never be an athlete took time. The first few  times I tested the words “I am a runner” on my tongue felt foreign.  And because of how positive this transformation had been, I wanted other  people to feel the same way too. How could I sit on something so  profound and not share my story? In August of 2018, I became a Race  Ambassador for the Kentucky Derby Marathon. I used that excuse to  overshare on social media. People reached out, both friends and  strangers, asking questions, wanting advice and told me what an  inspiration I was.

And then I had a set back. In August of 2018, the very same month I  found out I’d be a race ambassador, I started having trouble breathing  again. Suddenly. Out of nowhere. Like someone flipped a switch. Every time I ran, I experienced shortness of breath and chest tightness. It  baffled me. I dug out my inhaler and started using again. The weird  thing was, my inhaler wasn’t doing the trick. Those symptoms started  happening more and more, like when I’d walk up a flight of stairs or  while I was sitting at my desk. I consulted with my doctor. She ordered a  slew of tests but insurance would only cover blood work and an echo. Both tests revealed nothing. I was scared but I kept  trying to run. I shortened my distances and slowed my pace. Nothing was  helping and it was terrifying. I began to retreat and withdraw. I got  in my own head. My anxiety flared.

In January 2019, the training program for Kentucky Derby Marathon  kicked off. As a race ambassador, I was supposed to be joining training runs  every Saturday. I was too embarrassed and scared to show up. I still  boasted on social media about the race, the one that made me a  marathoner in 2017. It’s easy to hide behind a keyboard.

I kept trying, kept slowing my pace, kept tweaking my nutrition,  kept hydrating. I switched to interval running, thinking that by taking  walking breaks, my lungs would cooperate. Nothing helped and I still had  shortness of breath and chest tightness. What was happening to me? Too  proud to back down, on 4/27/19 I showed up to run the Derby marathon. I  slapped a smile on my face and had my inhaler in hand. I crossed the  start line feeling good but at mile 3, I needed my inhaler. And again at  mile 5. Mile 9. Mile 15. Mile 18. And mile 22. Suffice to say, I abused my rescue inhaler. Running a marathon is  just as much physical as it is mental, and my mind took me to very dark  places that day. Something was majorly wrong. I wanted to waive the  white flag, take the DNF and go home. My husband and faithful  cheerleader, kept rooting for me with his encouraging smile and “Run KJ”  sign. It gave me something else to focus on and motivation to finish.  He is the ONLY reason I crossed that finish line. I damn near snatched  the medal out of the volunteers hand. A medal I’d been so excited about  earning because as a race ambassador, I’d been a part of the medal reveal.  I cried and told my cheerleader something was very wrong. The shortness  of breath and chest tightness never went away. This time though, I had  an elephant sitting on my chest.

As a lifelong asthmatic, you KNOW when it’s time to beef up your  treatment, when an inhaler isn’t enough and you need a steroid shot or a  nebulizer treatment or visit the ER. Or all 3. I felt like it was time  for all 3. I shoved my medal in my purse and went straight to the ER. I  explained the symptoms I’d had for 9 months. They immediately ran an  EKG, drew blood and did a chest X-ray. Waiting an hour for the results  felt like an eternity. The ER doctor said my blood results revealed my troponin levels were elevated and they were admitting me. Blink.  Blink. Breathe. What? I’d never heard the word troponin in  my life. I had no idea what that meant. A quick Google search will tell  you, it’s a heart attack indicator. Talk about shock. Google will also tell you, prolonged exercise also causes those levels to increase.  Well, Google, I'd say running a marathon falls under that category. The other anomaly was, my  lungs checked out. None of the typical asthmatic markers were present  but I still had shortness of breath and chest tightness.

For two days, they tried to figure it out and ran every test  imaginable: a 24 hour heart monitor, EKGs, a CT scan, chest X-ray, blood  work multiple times a day, an echo, a pulmonary function test. All the  while, I’m laying in that hosptial bed staring at my purse with that damn medal staring back at me. Am I done running? All the test came  back normal and all of the doctors threw up their hands and shrugged their shoulders. They started  asking about my mental state. Was it all in my head?

FINALLY, on the second night, a pulmonologist came to see me. He  sat down and listened, actually listened. He wanted to know everything,  when it began, when it got worse, what I’d done for treatment. I vomited  every bit of it while he patiently listened. At the end of my tale he  asked me if I went through an abnormal amount of stress in August 2018. I  said yes, I’d had a career change, shipped my daughter off to college  and had been planning a major non-profit event. He said, I know what’s  wrong. It’s not your heart or your lungs, it’s your stomach, acid relfux and anxiety.

I fell out of the bed. Not really. But a slight breeze would have done the trick.

My eyes turned into slivers.

Wait. What?

No. That’s so stupid.

I have not been stewing in this hospital for two days, only to have  some silly diagnosis like that. He explained that he too was a runner,  and asthmatic and had the same thing happen to him. Only it took years  for his doctors to figure it out. He explained that when a person  experiences a high amount of stress and anxiety, sometimes the body’s  way of dealing with it is by overproducing stomach acid. In my case, the overproduction  never stopped. Asthmatics have it worse, because when the acid travels up the  esophagus and touches the lung nerves, your body thinks your having an  asthma attack, but you’re really not. And that’s why none of my inhalers  worked.

Well. That explains a lot.

It made sense, perfect blissful sense. All the pieces fit together.  While I’m glad there’s nothing majorly wrong, I hated that something  simple like acid reflux and anxiety caused the damage it did.

I felt so stupid and embarrassed, and completely and utterly defeated.

I took my purse and my stupid medal, picked up some meds and went  home. That genius pulmonologist said to give the medication time and to  give myself time, both physically and mentally. Two weeks. Well that worked for me because I needed time to lick my wounds, work on my pride, and decide if I wanted to keep running.

During those 9 months of symptoms, I’d thought about giving up  running altogether. So many times those thoughts trickled in. And like a bad  cold, they took root. In the world of running, having an injury take  you out for 6-8 weeks is big, 3 months is huge, 9 months...is colossal.  The unknown did strange things to my  psyche and my anxiety. But as we’ve established, I am not a quitter and have been through far worse.

Enter SRTT.  It stands for She Runs This Town, a running club for women. A tribe and a beacon of hope.

Backing up for just a second, in January 2019, a fellow Race Ambassador (Sherry), told me about  SRTT and about how amazing and supportive and uplifting this group is. I  think my eyebrows touched my hairline in disbelief. Sure, Sherry, if you  say so. My brain said there's no way a force like that existed, and certainly not to  the support level she described.

Curiosity got the better of me and I joined the SRTT Facebook  group in January 2019. I watched, observed and stalked from the sidelines for 6 months.  This group took talking about running to a whole new level. I watched as  women posted about injuries and the support they got. I quietly learned  about nutrition by reading what others posted. What works for some,  didn’t work for others. They talked about pacing and intervals, speed  work and hill repeats. A few asthmatic runners posted about their  hurdles. They talked about the uglier side of running: poop, snot  rockets, boob sweat, blisters, black toenails. Mostly though, I watched them  lift each up and praise each other’s accomplishments in a very big, huge way. It  was... exactly as Sherry described, if not more.

It was a group of women empowering each other through running.

Now, I’d been a solo runner since the very beginning. Yes, I’d run on a  treadmill next to a friend, but always with earbuds in. I ran races with  people, but it was like multiple solo runners doing a race side by side. We’d each plug in our music and zone out. We’d  throw out a thumbs  up or a few words occasionally, cross the finish line together, then go  back to solo training runs.

So the very idea of running with other women without the barrier of music was intimidating. What do you talk about? What do you do? Is it  awkward? I’m an awkward person. I mean, I’m about as socially awkward as  they come.

But I found this SRTT group so incredibly inspiring.

So, I did it, I took a chance and showed up to a SRTT group run at  Seneca Park in June 2019.  The event description said it was for new  members. It had been a month since the hospitalization and the medicine  had done its job. I stopped having shortness of breath and chest  tightness. I’d tested the waters on a handful of runs and amazingly enough had zero breathing issues. The mental damage was still there  though. My anxiety about the group run was out of control. I  didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of all these inspiring ladies.  So beforehand, I ran a few solo miles in my own neighborhood.

I was a bundle of nerves when I walked up to the group. I saw my  fellow race ambassador, Sherry! I knew 1 person! Yes! They were all standing in a circle, a symbol of inclusion and unity. And when I walked to the  circle, I was instantly greeted with hellos and smiles. No one else knew  me, but it didn’t matter, I was instantly accepted. No tryouts  necessary. Do you know what that’s like for a person who was rejected  for every sport? It was a complete shock.

We did introductions, which meant saying your name and admitting  your pace. Ugh. Do I say what my pace is now? Or what it was before?  Even though I’d been running without any complications, I was still embarrassed because my pace wasn’t what it used to be. Ultimately, I went  with honesty and when it was my turn, I admitted I was super slow with a 12 minute mile pace. Several ladies chimed in and said that’s not slow,  we’ll show you slow. They light-heartedly laughed and said they’d love  to be that pace. They were ladies from the Turtle Club, a group within  SRTT who have a slower pace. They’re treated just as equally as someone  who has a Boston Qualifying pace, which is super fast for those of you  who don’t know. Acceptance. I was so overwhelmed by so many emotions  that I didn’t pay attention to others paces or names. After  introductions, we were supposed to break off into groups of similar  paces and run with those women. Pair up. Make a friend. That sounded  easy enough, but god, my nerves! I didn’t really know what to do, so I  just started running by myself.

As I was running on this unfamiliar 1.25 mile loop, I see Sherry  approaching from the opposite direction. She knew what I went through  and she said three simple words:

“You look strong”

Encouragement. Acceptance.

Women empowering women through running.

I damn near cried when she said those words. I had to stop and  check my emotions. Get those under control. While I was stopped a new  face came into view. Thank god she introduced herself.  Stephanie. She  said “come run with me, friend.” We talked, we laughed, it wasn’t  awkward. It was easy and natural and effortless. We caught up with  another new face, Beth, and ran with her. Every woman we passed in the  opposite direction, they hollered words of encouragement or gave us high  fives. We did the same.

I. Can’t. Even. With. These. Women.

What alternate universe have I entered. Groups like this don’t exist. Society says, it’s impossible.

I left that day feeling lighter than I had in years. I was hooked.

I kept my eyes peeled for more group runs, which were often. I kept showing up and they kept accepting me.

I met Jessica
And Karen
And Tara Jo
And Lisa
And Laura
And Olivia
And Eileen
And Leanne
And Dana
And Elizabeth
And Niki
And Krista
And Bethann
And Tiffany
And Sarah
And Sabine
And Cassidy
And Kelly
And Donna
And Kris
And Jennifer
And Janna
And Susan

And many, many more. So many more.

All of them are amazing women doing equally amazing things.

To think I almost missed out on knowing them makes my heart hurt,  seriously hurt. But not in the “your troponin levels are elevated, you  might be having a heart attack” way. God. Now I can laugh about it.

Using these women as inspiration, I ran more half marathons in Fall  2019 than I did the two previous years combined. After the Derby  marathon, I said I’d never run another full again. But after finding  this tribe, I knew that wouldn’t stick. I started training again for a  November marathon, but this time, I trained with friends. I found a  small posse within SRTT who was training for the same marathon. We did  all of our distance training runs together. We laughed. We joked. We  talked about race nutrition, and race hydration and all things marathon  related. But we also talked about our childhoods, our families, our  stories. We formed a bond that goes far beyond running. It was, by far,  the best marathon experience I’d ever had. Hands down. Just 6 short  months after my worst marathon experience.

So, if you think for one second, there isn’t something incredibly  powerful about women empowering women through running, I’m here to tell  you, you’re wrong.

It’s absolutely everything.

And THAT is exactly what 261 Fearless is doing, empowering women  through running. Automatic acceptance. No tryouts necessary. But on a  global level. Global.

*This story comes from the source below with permission to repost on our blog from the author. You can find out more about 261 Fearless and Kelly's gofundme page at :  https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/261fearlessteamchicago2020/kellylorch?fbclid=IwAR0G5CV_sFb60I2aWtThR4jlDVlmn3cboM6n5H_toXBJlZD9JrALNAfOAII 

Friday, February 21, 2020

The results are in for our January 2020 Team Challenge!



The results are in for our January 2020 Team Challenge!



Total Monthly Mileage 14,997.85
Average of 88.22 miles/woman
17 teams
170 women

Mileage by Team
1st Place
Team 14
Legs Miserable
1146.52

2nd Place

Team 6
Baby Got Track
1117.09

3rd Place

Team 15
20/20 Vision
1101.48


Remaining Team Placement 

Team 16
Easier Said Than Run
1067.19
Team 9
Nine Before Wine
1023.93
Team 4
Uncalled Fours
1014.42
Team 13
District 13
1008.7
Team 12
Pumped Up Kicks
871.29
Team 2
Straight Off the Couch
857.58
Team 1
Pace Cadets
841.98
Team 5
Holy Fits
836.95
Team 11
Elite Eleven
770.69
Team 7
Magnificent Seven
748.4
Team 10
Better Running Up a Tab
726.18
Team 8
Magic 8 Balls
720.08
Team 17
The Running Queens
596.88
Team 3
Worst Pace Scenario
548.49



February Challenge - There is still time!



Welcome to the February Challenge Event, the Love Your Body Challenge!! For new members, every month we host a challenge to help keep us motivated to reach our goals. We are a very diverse group, many ladies are preparing for spring races and increasing mileage each week, other ladies are beginning their running journey. This challenge is adaptable for everyone, regardless of where you are in your running journey. This challenge is all about loving your body and finding balance!

You will be able to earn points throughout the month by completing various activities. The ladies with the most points at the end of the challenge will be placed in a drawing for a PRIZE! I know you all love PRIZES! Now on to the details!!!

How to earn points...
• GOALS – Post you February fitness/health goal(s) by the end of week 1 and earn 10 points. Goals can be based on mileage/time, strength sessions, increasing daily water intake, improving eating habits, etc. Make sure goals are specific/realistic and don’t be afraid to make goals that scare the $hit out of you.
• CARDIO – Post about your runs…short runs, long runs, group runs, solo runs, fun runs, crappy runs…tell us about it. Share a runfie or picture of your activity tracker. Brag about a PR. Share a special accomplishment or reach out if you are facing a running challenge. Swimming, walking, cycling, rowing, elliptical, etc. also count as cardio. Earn up to 1 point per day (max 29 points per mth).
• STRENGTHENING – Post details or pictures of your strength session. Share your favorite exercises and how strength training has improved your running. Earn up to 1 point per day (max 29 points per mth).
• REJUVENATION – Share what you are doing to facilitate rest, recovery and rejuvenation. Feel free to share a picture of you curled up on the couch, stretching, rolling, etc. Earn up to 1 point per day (max 29 points per mth).
• NOURISH – Did you fuel your body today? Did you consume adequate nutrients/calories? Did you drink enough water? Did you use electrolytes, if necessary? If you were on target, give yourself a point. Earn up to 1 point per day (max 29 points per mth).
• LOVE – At least once per week, set aside some time to show yourself extra love and earn 10 points (max 40 points per mth). Examples include, but are not limited to the following (use your judgment): get a mani/Pedi, get a massage, take a long bath (wine optional), curl up with a good book, meet a friend for some quality time, go on a date, try something new, do something outside of your comfort zone, take yourself on a date, write a gratitude list, do something you enjoy, etc.

So basically, if you share your goal(s) the first week you earn 10 points. Each day you can earn up to 4 points by running, strengthening, rejuvenating and/or nourishing your body. Each week you have an opportunity to earn 10 bonus points for doing something special for yourself!!! The maximum amount of points for the month is 166 points. It is up to you to track your points…be honest with yourself and with us. 😊 You must report your total score by March 5th in order to be eligible for a prize.

PLEASE NOTE daily check-ins are recommended, but NOT REQUIRED! If you are only able to post a few times per week, we get it…life happens! Daily activity points still count for those days as long as you are checking in/posting at least once per week.

Do not want to track points???? No worries...join in the challenge, participate as little or as much as you’d like. We do encourage you to post your monthly mileage goal and report to us regularly on how it’s going. Make the challenge work for you! The most important thing is to remember to run with JOY and LOVE your body!