Menu
I started racing in 2004 and I joined the Calumet Region Strider in 2005. This will be my 6th year participating in the Gold Cup Series.
Runners are such a special group of people and everyone has a story behind their running. Some people do it because they enjoy the competitiveness, some people run to lose weight, some people run because they are trying to overcome an obstacle in their life and running is a way to achieve that. I don't run fast and I really don't try to. I don't wake up at the crack of dawn and run every single morning and I know I will probably never win a wooden shoe (Rotary Ramble) or a brick (Brickyard Run) or even a wooden post (Taltree 10) but I'm ok with that; that isn't why I run. I run because it keeps my happy, it keeps me healthy and it keeps me sane. When the weather is nice, all I want to do is be outside and enjoy a nice run. I can't imagine my life without running being a part of it in some way.
Hello Striders! Well since I came on board as Chair of Social Events and Sponsorship, I must say, I have been having a great time. Although, it is a lot of hard work, I feel completely rewarded afterward. When I see everyone having a great time dancing, mingling, sharing stories, enjoying a good laugh, then I know I have served this club well and did my part.
I have met so many new people that I probably would have never had a chance to talk to had I not been in this position. I am amazed at how large our running club is growing each year and our club wouldn't be what it is today without the hard work of each board member. I am most grateful to serve on a board with so many wonderful hardworking individuals who all love the sport of running.
Once again, I welcome any ideas, comments or suggestions that you may have, so feel free to send me an e-mail message or just stop by the Strider table at the next race and say hello.
Hello Striders! I am very excited to serve as Chair of the Social Events and Sponsorship Committee. I am the proud mother of two very handsome sons, Glen (17) and Justin (12) whom I have raised all by myself. Being a single mother is a tough, stressful and rewarding job all in one. I have worked for a law office as a paralegal for the past 16 years. I am also a member of the Pet Therapy Team which is a voluntary program at the Humane Society of the Calumet Area. We visit residents at nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Northern Indiana and Illinois.
I took up running back in 2000 when I joined a local gym. Running for me was an easy inexpensive way to handle my daily stress. Then in 2004, my sister, Renee, talked me into doing my first 5k race at St. Kevin Church in Chicago, IL with my uncle, Joel Soto. After that, I was "bit" by the running bug and I have been running races ever since.
I became a Strider in 2005 (thanks to Joel & Renee) and I decided that I wanted to run in the Park Forest Scenic 10. I had never run that distance before but I knew if I could get my sister to run it with me, I would be able to do it. That morning I was so nervous with butterflies that I just wanted to drive back home. I'm so glad I didn't because I will never forget that feeling of crossing that finish line, I felt so alive, so powerful and so strong.
In 2006, I ran my first half marathon in Indianapolis with my sister Renee. It was the best experience I ever had in running. So many runners, the thrill, the excitement, the crowd cheering, I, again, felt so alive, so powerful and so strong.
One of my biggest running accomplishments was in 2007 as a recipient of the prestigious Jim Cox Award and having completed the Long Distance Series. Participating in all 26 races was very challenging at times but my sister and I supported each other and got through it together.
I hope to bring some new and exciting ideas to the social events and I welcome any comments or suggestions that you may have. I am very friendly and outgoing and I look forward to meeting more of my fellow Striders and hope to make some new friends along the way.