Wednesday’s Inspiring Woman…Rising above Adversity, Marathon Diva…Karen Spence.

Wednesday’s Inspiring Woman…Rising above Adversity, Marathon Diva…Karen Spence.

Sometimes you get lucky in life. Sometimes a best friend ends up being your hero as well.    

Meet my friend Karen….    

Wow. Looking at the picture her teeth are so much whiter than mine. (Curses! All that coffee.) And she’s a much better athlete than me. (Oh well, not much either of us can do about that.)    

Looking at her you’d never know she was made of steel — or iron. She’s been through a lot the past few years, but she still rocks on..    

The weekend before the snow rolled in, she was down at Disney World completing her second Goofy Marathon and a Half Challenge. This is signing on to run the Half Marathon on Saturday and the Full Marathon on Sunday.    

I’ve never done this…but I’ve seen lots of Goofy finishers walking around with those prized Goofy medals around their necks.    

If you run all three...you get all three. Pretty cool huh? Well, I think so.

Special K, how long have you been teaching?    

 I’ve have been teaching for 12 years. I stayed home with my two girls till they were in school. I teach 4th grade math and science.    

What do you find fulfilling about your job? Your life?    

Teaching is very fulfilling. So much so that I am out of sorts when I am not in my classroom. The best part is the children. They are amazing — each and every one that has ever walked into my classroom all these years. (I can honestly say that she loves teaching. Each year she gushes about her students.)     

The children’s outlook on life is refreshing. They learn so quickly and are eager students. They teach me what is important. That leads me into what is fulfilling in life…    

It is relationships. All kinds. With my students, my family, with my friends and co-workers, but mostly with God. I am very driven with  my relationship with God. I do nothing without Him involved. I know God gives me all that I need to get through everyday, work and even a race. He is my confidence.     

After a triathlon a few years ago.

What have you done athletically in life?     

My life has been centered around sports. Competition is as natural to me as breathing. I have played about every team sport; basketball, volleyball, soccer, softball, swim team, tennis. Growing up between two brothers you had to be competitive and play like a boy. Or as Dad would say, “Karen you need to play better than a boy!”    

I know she's in there somewhere.....If I remember correctly, this is leaving the Animal Kingdom mile 17 -- 18 or so.

What is it about the endurance sports that keep you coming back for more?   

Endurance sports are what I call grown-up sports. They are a great way to compete as an adult. Endurance races that I have been involved with are  mountain bike races, triathlons and marathons. These events are where it’s really just you competing with the clock.    

What keeps me coming back for more? Those great little chemicals called endorphins. They keep me happy and sane. (I completely agree.)    

How did you train for this year’s Goofy? Was it different that your first time?    

This year’s training was different from my first one. In one word…alone. I spent a great deal of time on that white line on the side of the road alone. It was okay, because it became a time to sort out life.    

This whole training season was spent working around huge life events. My husband, Rick’s, health became a serious issue again and there was a move. Losing a house and moving 10 years of stuff to a smaller place in short period of time took priority. But it worked out. I was blessed all the while.    

 I remember crossing the marathon finish line with you a few years ago and you said at the time you had checked the Goofy thing off your list — once was enough. What changed?    

I did say that one Goofy was enough but after I did the 1/2 Ironman last year, I wanted to do the Goofy Challenge again. Something about those silly endorphins.    

 What is your takeaway from this experience?     

Most memorable moments were running with my oldest daughter, Annabeth, in her first half marathon. Also, in the marathon the next day seeing my family cheering for me at mile 18 and 22. And running with a new phone in my jacket, that allowed me to get messages from a friend who cheered me and followed my progress the whole race. I was not really alone at all.    

Karen with her husband, Rick.

(Rick, Karen’s husband, after getting clearance from his Duke Docs did the half with Karen and their daughter, and he ran 13 miles of the marathon (miles 1 – 5 then miles 18 to the finish) with his wife the next day. Unbelievable. No — with IronRic I believe.)   

  Do you have any counsel for someone dreaming of signing up for an athletic challenge — either half marathon or full?    

My advice is to “Go for it.” You can do it. It is all about pace and training. Get a friend to commit to it with you. Then find someone who has done it before and talk with them. The best training advice comes from experience.    

Our biggest challenge is ourselves. You would not believe what your body can do. Don’t ever get comfortable. Push the envelope. Grow up and old and be one of those people that others want to learn from. Experience as much of life as you can…Approach challenges with a positive attitude and hold on for the ride of your life.   

Love you lots K.   

Tomorrow check out a Q & A with Chris Fankhauser Bonham. This fun marathoner, home schooling mom, who now lives with her family in the beautiful mountains of Tennessee, went back to Central Florida to run 26.2. And she looks exactly as she did in high school. Good grief.