Happy Thanksgiving! I thought I would share another inspirational post today–it just seemed fitting on Turkey Day. Hope you enjoy reading about this inspirational mother runner!
I was reading through the Running Times website the other day and came across an article about Wendy Thomas. Wendy is an inspiring 32 year old mother runner who is demonstrating that it’s never too late to start running. Who knows, you might end up making the Olympic Trials! This is exactly what happened to Wendy Thomas, who began running only three years ago!
Wendy started running after having her two kids, doing a couple of “fun runs” throughout the year. There was nothing funny about her 2008 Turkey Trot time though- 18:11 (with no miles logged to train for the race!). With about a thousand more miles and speed workouts, it would still take a miracle for me to get a 5K time like that! After this performance, others began to take notice of her innate running talent. She began training and working out with other runners.
Source – click on image
Thomas was soon working her way towards 60-70 mile weeks and on the hunt for more competition. In 2010, she broke 16:00 for the 5K and placed 11th at this year’s U.S. 10k championship (34:03). She is now training for the U.S. Olympic Trials in January in Houston. She qualified for the trials by running a 1:13:46 at this year’s Philadelphia Rock N’ Roll Half Marathon!
I am keeping my fingers crossed for this 30-something mother runner when she heads to the trials in January. Hopefully she can achieve yet another amazing goal, with her two kids there to cheer her on!
Thanks so much for your support! A friend came across your post today and told me to read it. It put a smile on my face as I waited in the airport heading home from Japan. Good luck with your running!!!!!!!!
You’re welcome Wendy! Thanks for reading–you are such an inspiration to all of us mother runners! Good luck at the Trials, we will be rooting for you!