The Runner Chick Story

My profile photo might look cute- Runner Chick – with a little chick-y. But there is a wealth of meaning behind it. Let me rewind to 2005. My husband and I were house hunting and ended up finding a cute salt box cape in a little neighborhood right near downtown. We moved in and literally shared a driveway with the neighbors – a nice couple, a dozen years or so older with pre-teen kids. We got to know them and turns out we had a lot in common despite our difference in ages. Food, books, games, etc. we’d just hang out with them on their porch and be neighborly. My friend Debbi, the wife, had Multiple Sclerosis though. Slowly, Debbi couldn’t quite keep up with our croquet tournaments on the lawn. 

Time passed, and my husband and I had kids. I traded one hobby (tennis) for another (running). I found it much easier to lace up and jog down the street whenever I could squeeze in the time (sometimes pushing a jogging stroller). Deb Deb, as my kids called her by this point, was a constant next door. We’d see her pull in the driveway, get out with her walker, and try her hardest to get her groceries in the door. My son would run over, pull like heck at the heaviest bags, and help our neighbor. We always do Christmas with the neighbors. Rather than exchange presents as a group we’d do a “funny” gift exchange. We’ve had everything from pink flamingos to stale pizza in the exchange. One year I was behind in my funny gift finding and luckily at the bookstore downtown I saw something that would work – magnets with chicks on them – chick magnets! Christmas comes and we sit down to do funny presents. Debbi gets mine and opens it, looks, and then sort of puts it aside. Her kids, home from college, start laughing, hahahaha chick magnets, funny, get it Mom/Debbi? Straight faced Debbi say – yes – I get it – but it’s not funny. Which of course makes it funnier. 

I remember clearly on October 26, 2015 I stopped in mid-run to say Happy Birthday at her office downtown since that was her birthday – I knew I had a present for her at home but couldn’t resist surprising her. She was so happy to see me but I could also tell something was wrong. She told me that there had been some tests since she wasn’t feeling quite right and there may be some spots on her liver. They were going to do more tests but since it was her birthday (59!) she put them off and would have them later that week. That pit sort of forms in your stomach when you hear bad news and stays there. Well – into November and many tests later – Debbi was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Here was a woman living with one debilitating disease for 20+ years and now she’s diagnosed with cancer? And one of the worst cancers with the lowest life expectancy? This wasn’t fair. Debbi fought cancer like everything else she tackled in her life – with grace. That year we had our funny Christmas present exchange again – she again got my present – this time I had more success (The Ha Ha Moustache game – it was awesome!) Friends and neighbors came over to our house and I can’t believe how many people played gathered – of course to spend time with Debbi. January she seemed a bit slower and fell asleep literally next to me during the Super Bowl. February she traveled to Los Angeles to see her daughter run the LA Marathon and qualify for Boston. All this time feeling the effects of the cancer. Into March of last year she started showing what we suspected were cancer symptoms. At Easter we could tell she wasn’t eating well, she was tied to the pills and vitamin routine that she was keeping up, and was just tired. One weekend she had an episode that forced her into the hospital. From the hospital she went to rehab and her family spent literally the month of April at her bedside. Cancer was winning.

I knew that I wanted and needed to do something. So late in April, knowing I’d be doing the Redding CT Road Race for a third time, I set a challenge to raise money in Debbi’s honor for our Bethel Relay for Life. I’d kick off six weeks of running at least 25 miles a week in the best way possible – on May 1st with the half marathon. I also wanted to pay homage to the friendship I had with Debbi and with a funny play on the chick magnets, I ended up with my Runner Chick emblem. We made shirts (pink of course – one for me, one for her daughter and one for mine) and the challenge was set. The last week in April Debbi was moved to the hospice. We knew that the end was coming. The shirts were delivered and on Saturday April 30 I went to see Debbi in hospice to show her the shirt and let her know I was ready for my 150 miles. She wasn’t really awake and was in a lot of pain but I did get a little laugh and smile from her.

The next day dawned wet and nasty – and I still had that 13.1 to run. I had wardrobe issues. The pink tank top seemed fine when thinking a May half would be warm and sunny. So I layered. I told my husband to just let me run – if anything happened to Debbi while I was out on the course just don’t tell me until after. I stuck with it and PR’d in 2:07 (after some malfunctions with the chip because of the wetness… that’s another story). We let Debbi know through her family and I was set to continue the six week challenge – 13.1 done for the week only 11.9 to go…

I’d like to say the day after the race was perfect. It wasn’t Debbi passed away peacefully the next day. I like to think that she waited to not ruin my race. I know it was her time. And I had work to do. Each week for the next 6 I ran. I ran for her, I ran to raise funds for Relay, I ran for my family as a way to connect, but I ran for me. It was my alone time where I could process what had happened. I finished those six weeks and 150 miles. And have kept going. For my friend and neighbor who couldn’t keep going any longer.

We all have marathons in life to get through and I hope that what I’ve learned from Debbi as the Runner Chick can help others achieve their finish lines.