Fit Mama Friday – Meet Beth

Beth, as a marathon runner and triathlete, you are clearly a great runner, swimmer and cyclist – were those sports you’ve been doing since you were young?

I have always been active and grew up with two older athletic brothers. I began swimming competitively at age 10 and swam long-distance and ran track in high school. Stress fractures in my tibia were the only injuries that sidelined me. One of my coaches and mentors was the first man/woman I knew to run a marathon. She qualified for Boston, not a small feat.

In college I began running road races and after graduation in 1985 I started putting running together with swimming and cycling, and enjoyed competing in triathlons for many seasons.  Marathon Sunday having just passed in New York, fond memories and a lot of nostalgia come back, especially as I turned 50 years young(?!) this Fall. My first marathon was New York in 1991 and my goal was to finish.  Three more marathons would follow – all New York – and with a PR of 3:42 narrowly missed my goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon.

Wow – 3:42 is an amazing marathon PR! Did you run the marathons before having kids, or after?

The year I ran 3:42 – 1994 – was the year I met my husband Doug and we were married in 1996 shortly after my 33rd birthday.  Doug – a great athlete but not a runner – has always been supportive and encouraging.  During my first pregnancy in 1997 I ran at first, then went on the elliptical and swam.  Daughter Grace was born in 1998 and 6 weeks later we were headed to the UK so my post-baby work-outs were non-existent for a while, as was my career in marketing.  Exercising resumed again and our jogging stroller was quite a marvel in London – ‘look at that 3-legged pram!” – people would comment.  I ran the first 5k ever held in Hyde Park, with Grace in-tow, in her funny pram, in memory of Princess Diana.  The London Marathon was my goal.  I got in but soon I was pregnant again and while my running days ended sooner I swam regularly. Again, post-pregnant and registered – again –  for London, I was pregnant with our third child at 38.  I was more nervous and more conservative with exercising, transitioning to the pool even sooner.

We repatriated in 2002 and I resumed running when we moved to Cleveland.  I really wanted to run the Chicago Marathon as a 40-something Mom of 3 young children and qualify for Boston, Doug urging me on big-time!  After my last long run what felt like a groin pull was later discovered to be a stress fracture — in my pubic bone no less?!!  It was very upsetting but after taking to the gym and swimming for months I was just grateful to run again and started running half-marathons, with 5 and 10k’s sprinkled in.

So, my marathon tally: 4 run and completed, 3 entered and not-run due to 2 pregnancies and 1 injury.

What are you doing now for exercise? I know you’ve competed in open-water swims and triathlons – what are your workouts like?

We returned to the East Coast six years ago and I continue to run, albeit fewer days.  I do weight training now but do it because it’s a “must”, I don’t really get psyched about it. I’ve learned to play tennis and paddle (when in Rome …!). I run shorter races from time-to-time and hit the water in the Spring to do a mile-and-a-half open water swim in June to raise money for cancer research. I knew Fred LeBow in his last years and finding cures is a strong motivating force for participating in any kind of physical event. It’s more important to me to exercise now because of how it makes me feel – here’s to good health – versus aesthetics.

How has your commitment to staying fit and exercising and competing affected your kids? Every Fit Mama Friday subject I’ve featured has said that their focus on fitness is nothing but a positive for family life – as a full-time mama, do you feel the same way?

It is great for our kids to see their Mom and Dad keeping fit.  We are very compatible as an active, traveling family and our kids seem to know how much more enriching  and exciting life is when you challenge yourself and dive right into things.  As a Mom, being fit means I can lace my shoes up and go off or jump in the water and be me, myself and I.  It’s a lifetime relationship – through thick and thin – which has nothing to do with having a successful career/being a brilliant Mom/spouse.  Speaking of career, my paid career has not resumed (yet untold hours of volunteer work has!) but I feel fortunate to be the full-time manager of the family.  I see it working many ways for families and none of them is easy.  There are no Moms I respect more than those that juggle professional roles while raising a family.

Our three kids are all strong athletes and run, swim, ski and play soccer, basketball and lacrosse.  My daughter Grace is running high school track now.  She varsity-lettered her freshman year and is way faster than I was at her age.  Her “little” sister Charlotte (my girls are both my height now at 5′ 7″) runs like a gazelle and my 12-year-old son Will Henry just ran one of the fastest miles at school.  It makes me proud to watch them, to celebrate their wins, their successes, and to listen and be there when there are setbacks, defeats.  Doug and I believe participation in sports – both individual and team – is paramount in developing life skills which includes a strong backbone.