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My Marathon Story

by Melissa hadley

Running marathons was never something I thought I would be doing. Once being over 200 lbs, running was not something my knees wanted to handle and my mindset definitely couldn’t handle such a task. Over the years though, the urge to accomplish something like a marathon got stronger and stronger. My story, like others, has a lot of twists and turns. Long story short, I lost the weight and signed up for my first marathon, which happened to be Boston years ago. I completed it and I was hooked. I eventually qualified to run Boston back in 2008 for the 2009 race. Two months before the 2009 Boston Marathon I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. I was in my ‘best’ health at that time. I was 28 and I was completely shocked. I made the personal decision to not take medication for my

MS, but to instead treat my nutrition with more ‘respect’; quit the quick fixes, got rid of all things artificial in my diet, and I started getting nutrition certifications to educate myself as much as I could. I ran Boston that year with 2 tingly legs and have since run 9 total marathons which now includes, the Virtual Boston Marathon! While running Boston virtually was not on anyone's radar, I knew that I had to complete what I had said I was going to do. I ran this year to support The Brittany Fund for Trauma and Recovery which is an organization created by Brittany Loring who was injured in the Boston Marathon bombing. Her organization helps support trauma survivors who need help financially after their traumatic event. I had donors who had Melissa above at the Finish Line in Boston and at right, with a few fans, at her Virtual Finish Line.

helped me raise $8,000, so as much as I may have been trying to talk myself out of it, I knew I had to stick to it. I planned out my course that went through douglas, Uxbridge, and Whitinsville ultimately ending at West End Creamery. That course was incredibly hilly (I will never understand why I thought running up Benson Road in Whitinsville was a good idea), but I

appreciate my ability to move. MS hasn’t taken that from me, so I will use my god given gift of movement and run for those who can’t.

While I do not train in the conventional way (I do minimal run training), I finished! I had some amazing friends meet me along the course and some ran aside me for three mile stints. Having them there was incredibly helpful since the crowds of the Boston Marathon were not there to cheer me along. Having my husband drive by with our three kids and my dad meeting me with ice water got me through and while I do not think I would do another virtual marathon, I will absolutely strive to get to 10 total marathons under my belt within the next year! In Health, Melissa Hadley