Runner’s World+ Member: Emily Chappelear
Emily is a Runner’s World+ member. Join her and thousands of others chasing their goals with day-by-day training plans, expert advice from editors and coaches, and unlimited digital access. We regularly feature members online and in print.
About three years ago I started running again after having children. I had struggled to find any time for myself until my youngest was two. I had trouble losing weight after my middle child was stillborn at 40 weeks and then getting pregnant again soon after. When I realized that running was the only time of day I could get to myself, I ran more and more. Suddenly three hour runs were the best part of my week. I started doing marathons and realized I was actually pretty good at them. I lost the weight, gained the confidence, and at 40 felt better about myself than when I was 20. With the current stress of working in medicine during the time of COVID-19, I know I couldn’t make it without running.
I run for stress relief and alone time. My kids nudge me out the door because I’m a better person when I run. I love breathing the fresh air, pushing myself up hills, and seeing how hard I can push myself. No matter the weather, as long as I’ve had my coffee, I can’t wait to get out there.
I am so lucky! I live in the rural mountains of western North Carolina above Asheville so there are trails, gravel roads, and mountains galore. 90% of the time I run from my front door and pick which trail or backroad as I go along... it’s heaven. I grew up running these trails with my dad and I’ll never get sick of them.
Senita sports bra with the pocket for my phone, and I love my Aftershokz!!! Hearing cars and people with my headphones in is like magic.
I dropped out of college three times because I didn’t know what I wanted to “be when I grew up”. Once I hiked the entire Appalachian Trail, once I moved to Guatemala, and once I moved to Africa to work in an AIDS hospice.
To see how close I can get to a 3:00 marathon.
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