—as told to—
As a single mom, an athlete, and a person suffering from anxiety, running is a big part of my every day. But that wasn’t always the case. I didn’t become an actual runner until about 16 years ago when I suffered from postpartum depression and severe anxiety after my second son was born.
I’ve always been active. In high school, I was a 12 varsity-letter athlete, a field hockey player, swimmer, and a soccer player. I always lived in the midfield in soccer, where I could just run. In college, I played field hockey and lacrosse, which was also a lot of running. Essentially, I did any sport where I could run nonstop.
When I found myself struggling after the birth of my second child in 2006, I knew, as an athlete, what drove me. I knew I needed to get back to fitness. I needed it for my brain, and I needed it for my mental health. That’s when I turned to running.
I started off doing some small 5K races. Then I signed up for the Rock ’n’ Roll Half Marathon in San Diego in 2010. That’s all it took—I’ve been hooked since. There was a point when I ran a half marathon every single month for a year. Running was a healthy distraction during a time when I needed one.
About four years ago, my 18-year-long marriage ended, and I was going through a tough time leading up to that. I leaned on running even more during this transition of my life— it became a way to process those challenging moments when emotions were high, and I had to be there for my children.