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Brenda  I began running at age 40. My first race was Uncle Billy's 2-miler in Altavista, VA. I placed second in my age group! I was hooked. I met Sabrina Willis at the annual Peaks of Otter Christmas Classic in Bedford, Virginia, in 2001. She came up to me and asked if I wanted to be on her team. I told her I was pretty slow, and her response was, "Well, you run, don't you?" Her confidence in my ability has always meant so much to me. With her guidance and encouragement, I went from a 12 min/mile pace to a sub-9:00 pace in the 5K. My most cherished award has to be the "Sabrina Award" at the 2002 Apple Valley 5K for showing the greatest improvement in course time. I'm now 44 years old, and in the 4 years I've been running, I've learned a lot through trial and error. Wrong shoes, overtraining and impatience led to a pre-stress fracture that needed several weeks to heal. However, with a lot of prayers, encouragement and support of friends and family, I am now running injury-free. I've learned to run for fun and not set specific goals. However, I would like to eventually run a 10K this year. I have three boys, ages 13, 11 and 7. I have been married to Brent for 14 years. I also have 2 cats, a sheltie and a hamster. I thank God every day for my blessings and my ability to participate in the sport of running! |
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