“We’re just three running friends (Amy, Emily, and Melissa) looking to ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ challenge ourselves and challenge the world to do some good one mile at a time.”

These three incredible women teamed up to raise money for charity through their running. Girls on the Run of Central Maryland was lucky enough to benefit from their efforts running the Dirty German Endurance Festival in May, 2017. They were kind enough to take some of their recovery time to share their experiences with us.

Melissa Amy Emily

1. How did you hear about Girls on the Run?

I can’t recall where I first heard about Girls on the Run, but I had spoken with Morgan Pietryka about it on a long run one weekend. When we launched the idea to give some more meaning to our 50-miler training, one thing we wanted to do was to use the Charity Miles app to earn some money to be donated just by logging our miles. I saw Girls on the Run International on the app and was reminded of my conversation with Morgan. This led us to eventually choose Girls on the Run of Central MD as our main charity, and Morgan connected us to Mia to get started. Being women and having found such amazing support in our own “running tribe” made Girls on the Run such a natural fit to benefit from our efforts.

During our long runs at the beginning when we were sort-of formulating this plan, Melissa had mentioned that one of the women in our running group had some affiliation or contact with GOTR so it naturally fell into place as a way to support our own, but also support these young women who are involved with such an amazing program.

I had heard of the organization from a few runners that volunteered at the 5k races, but really researched into it after watching the documentary “Finding Traction.” It’s about Nikki Kimball’s 273 mile long trail run, and she was a huge supporter of GOTR and mentions them in the documentary. I loved everything GOTR and I was excited when we decided to support our local chapter.

2. Tell us about your races and your goals for fundraising.

Our big goal race was the Dirty German 50 Miler. This was way out of our comfort zones, but we figured that together and with greater purpose behind our miles- we could totally make it happen ☺ The race is held annually in Philadelphia, PA in Pennypack Park. It consists of three loops of 16+ miles on mostly dirt trails, but some sections of paved path as well. Usually, the big concern for race day is heat. We didn’t have that. Instead, we had rain…all day. And more mud than I’ve ever seen…sooooo much mud!! Like picture 6-7 inches (or more) of brownie batter covering a large part of the trails along with water 6 inches to knee deep. At least it wasn’t hot ha!

We are all self-proclaimed terrible fundraisers, so thought we’d set the goal of earning $10 per mile of the race so $500 in total. With the support of a huge part of our own running group- Howard County Moms Run This Town and our family and friends along with the Miracle 11 Foundation- we far surpassed this goal!!

Like Melissa said, it was really like “how do we ask for money?” I think I heard a podcast where an ultra runner was looking for sponsors for his race and essentially had friends, family, and organizations or businesses buy a mile from him… We used that as our inspiration to begin the fundraising process and thought between the three of us we probably have fifty people in our lives who would support us. It was incredible to see the outpouring of support from all over the country! And to have that $500 donation from the Miracle Eleven Foundation was really an honor and such a huge support for us. Everyone really blew us away with the generosity and support.

As Melissa mentioned, the main race was for the German 50 Miler. We set up the Facebook page and Instagram to help track our journey and goals. It came about during a time where there was a lot of negativity around social media, so we wanted to find something positive and good to display. The $10 per mile appeared to be a great starting point, and as Amy and Melissa mentioned, people just blew this goal out of the water.

3. What does it feel like to accomplish such an amazing challenge as a 50-mile race?

To be honest, when we finished- it was almost anticlimactic! We trained for months dedicating hours and hours and soooooo many early weekend mornings, and then, in a mere 12 hours (ha!) it was over. Looking back at what was accomplished throughout training and on race day almost seems like a dream now- I’m still in awe of the fact that I ran the marathon distance plus 6 times in the course of training over three months and got up the next day and ran 5-10 miles. Persistence and dedication to meeting the goal paid off! Race day was amazing really- to have all three of us make it through some minor highs and lows and finish strong and together in insane conditions is something I know I won’t soon forget.

First of all, I was shocked that at 48 miles my body was still moving forward! I don’t think I would call it running, it was more like one continuous fall without actually biffing it - but I think I was delirious, laughing, crying and screaming all at the same time… At one point (perhaps maybe more than one point) I actually yelled out loud “It’s working!!!” as if in complete disbelief that we were actually accomplishing this huge goal that we spent so much time prepping and training for. But yea, it was severely anti-climactic. It was so cold out and our crew had been supporting us in that awful weather all day so we just hurried up, packed our stuff and left (after a killer finisher-photo of course!).

In the days and weeks after, people didn’t even comprehend that distance so when you would say “oh I ran 50-miles” it almost didn’t click for them that we literally travelled 50 whole miles on foot in one shot, not to mention the conditions! It still seems weird.

It took me awhile to even understand what had just been accomplished. There were moments, and even days, before the race that doubts really started to set in for me. Melissa shared a story about explaining to her son what the race was going to be like, and that is when it got real. She told him that she will be running from the time the sun comes up, to the time the sun goes down. I hadn’t really thought it like that before, and I started to get nervous. Plus, having all of the support was great, but it brought another level of accountability.

During the race I had moments that those doubts and fears could have taken over, but instead I had to turn them into something positive to push forward. We had put in so much time training and sacrificing, that I couldn’t even think about not finishing the race. Plus, the accountability to having Melissa and Amy was huge. During the times we were running alone, knowing that they were both out there trudging through the mud, kept me going. We also had incredible support from fellow running friends that kept us going as well. When we all made the cut off after the second loop, I knew we could finish and that we would finish together.

4. Why did you choose to support Girls on the Run through your fundraising?

I co-lead the local Howard County chapter of Moms Run this Town. This group has been life-changing for me. Seeing the effect that positive women can have on each other over and over through the amazing support and friendship of this group really seemed to mirror what Girls on the Run can do for young women- finding your strength sole sisterhood. How could we not support the next generation of women runners??

I mean, those girls are basically us (like 20 years ago or so!) but what a great opportunity to inspire this community of young girls and women!

I believe in this organization and what you are all doing 100%. I echo Melissa and Amy’s comments. I also love that 100% of our funds go directly to the girls. You can’t say that about all nonprofits out there.

5. What motivates you to run and raise funds for nonprofits?

Running keeps me sane. Running keeps my stress levels super low. It is my time for me. It is my way to show my son how to take time to care for yourself, set goals and reach them, and be comfortable with discomfort. To add purpose to this already very purposeful feat by raising money for nonprofits just adds the icing.

Running has given me so much and the running community has really pulled me through some ugly moments more than once in my life… I started running long distance to lose the baby weight and cope with a divorce and being a single mom at the age of 23, then again when I was diagnosed with PTSD after an accident, and again giving me life after relocating to Maryland from Minnesota in 2015. It’s just been a string of amazing people and events so I feel like I owe it to the sport and the fellow communities to make sure I’m supporting them as well.

Running is community. Finding MRTT when I first moved to Maryland three years ago was lifesaving. I hadn’t run consistently since 2009, in fact I had pretty much hung up my shoes. When we moved here in 2014, we didn’t know anyone, and I had to find a way to meet people. Running allows me to connect with others, but it also allows me to connect with myself. My husband has said multiple times that I am a better wife, mom and friend when I am running. Sometimes this reminder is enough to motivate me. I want to be the best me possible, and I am when I run. I believe that people are always looking to give back. We all know there is good in the world, and we have to continue to bring those non-profits doing great things to the surface. Fundraising for our run, just made perfect sense.

6. Where do you find your strength?

I’m persistent and dedicated to almost a fault ha! – or just really stubborn! No really, there is something really valuable in setting a goal for yourself that seems impossible. It puts things in perspective. It helps provide clarity and a sense of what is important- and with that clarity is where there is strength. When I think I know what I am capable of and when I see that I’m capable of more- it makes me want to strive for more. Knowing my son sees this and mirrors this is really all I need.

Wow, well that’s a loaded question. I am personally motivated by fear to some extent. I think it’s good to do things that scare you every once in awhile, just to see what I’m capable of. I think I’ve always been very driven; however, I also recognize that motivation is fleeting so there has to be a mindset of discipline when it comes to taking on big projects or goals. There was a lot of discipline involved in training for this project, and that was extremely rewarding!

I personally find my strength in knowing my purpose and doing my best to live that out every day. When I am feeling lost or not as motivated, it is usually because I am out of balance. I am also a fairly spiritual person, and I find strength in being out in nature as well. This is one reason I have fallen in love with trail running. There is something about getting away from noise and seeking adventure.

7. What message do you hope to send through your running?

Find comfort in discomfort. Don’t be afraid to set goals you have no idea you’ll achieve or not.

I think in my life I aspire to inspire people to think outside of your comfort zone and do things - like actually do things, don’t just talk about them! If you want to achieve something, go out and figure out how to do it! Make your bucket-list a to-do list because you don’t know how much time you have so absolutely live your life with unapologetic enthusiasm.

You are always stronger than you think. Be a positive influence. We are better together. You have the ability to encourage and push others to new levels of greatness.

8. If you could share one piece of wisdom with a girl, what would it be?

Don’t let fear of failure or judgement of others hold you back. Set a goal, have a dream, make a plan, and go for it with blinders on. Every step you take towards that goal always gets you closer. There will be good days and bad days- but keep moving forward and breaking the boundaries you thought you had.

My dad once told me that I’m the only one who is in charge of my own happiness. I don’t know why I never gave myself that permission or recognized it before, but it has been incredibly empowering ever since. So be happy… it’s totally worth it!

Find your passion and run at it with everything you have. Surround yourself with people that support you, rather than tear you down. Your uniqueness is your strength. Listen to that inner voice, because you have the ability to positively change the world.

For more information about these amazing women, check out their blog: https://runningyogimom.blog/

And their GOTR fundraising page: https://www.gotrcentralmd.org/fundraiser/3-women-running-4-good