Letter: Running With My Mom

Written by and submitted on behalf of Sarah Ganz, 15, of Wilmette

One of the greatest things in life are epiphanies – moments of intuitive perception or insight that could possibly change everything. I recall an epiphany that was especially life-changing for me – it was had by my mother on New Year's Day. We were reminiscing about the past year's highlights and hard times when she shared how running her first marathon impacted her life. She described the hardships she had to face to achieve her goal. She also told me she believed if I could run a marathon, I could achieve almost anything.

Now, with ten marathons under her belt, my mother is resilient. She wakes up every morning at dawn with the brightest smile on her face, prepared to be the most loving and kind person anyone would be lucky to encounter. Ever since I was little, my mother has been my best friend, and I knew if I took on this experience, I would be one step closer to embodying some of her best qualities.

On January 7, I decided it was time to start training and went on my first "long" run: four miles with a twelve-minute mile time. Even though that seems insignificant now, this was the first time I ran more than a mile. I truly felt that I could achieve anything. I never thought of myself as the “running type” but as the weeks progressed, the miles increased, my times decreased, and I started loving it. I would stop at nothing to achieve my goal.

So, I ran. I ran through the heartbreaks, bad test grades and any drama that came my way. I knew that if I could get out of my head for at least a half hour, I could survive whatever was on my mind. For the past five months, my most stressful high school experiences have been tuned out by the best of Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West and the like. Not only was I able to focus on something else, I was left with a feeling of strength. As I ran in beat with the lyrics, I felt confident and independent, characteristics that were soon instilled in me even when I wasn’t running.

After months of preparation, April 29 was the day I would finally run the 13.1 miles of my first half marathon. I took my first steps into the cloudy, cold Saturday morning and knew it was time. With each stride, I pictured the feeling of seeing my loved ones at the finish line, each one supporting me on my journey. I pictured how I would become resilient, determined and energetic, just like my mother.

I completed my first 13.1-mile race and am onto my next: the Chicago Spring Half Marathon on Sunday, May 21. This time, I’ll be running alongside my mother. We are training for our first full marathon together, aiming to run it in October. Running has not only provided me with a goal, it has changed how I approach conflict, given me a way to relieve stress and brought me even closer to my best friend and role model: my mother.