Why I Run & Compete in Endurance Sports

I have been married for 18 + years to my best friend and the love of my life. Together we have 5 fabulous children ages 6 to 16 and live in South Jordan, Utah. I am a Mom, I work from home, I am a licensed medical technologist MLT, ASCP (CM) I am also a student at Weber State University completing my bachelor’s degree in medical laboratory science I love to learn new things, especially about how the body works and how to improve health. I love being with my family. We spend a lot of time together and my husband and I make it a priority to have a weekly date. We enjoy being outdoors, hiking in the mountains or playing in the backyard. Why do I run? Simply stated I run because I can. I have spent my adult life batting rheumatoid arthritis; a chronic, painful, debilitating disease that at one point literally had me begging my doctor to cut my feet off for relief. The idea of running seemed like an impossible dream to me a few years ago. I love that I have regained mobility and that I am capable of running. When my feet hit the pavement and carry me forward it is absolutely amazing to me. Beyond that, I run for me. Running gives me the opportunity to let go of the burdens and worries of everyday life. It kept me sane when health issues threatened the quality of life of one of my children. Running is cleansing and therapeutic. On a long run the physical exertion allows me to let go of whatever burdens & stress I am carrying and it is just me and my body. I do have to say that I enjoy longer distance runs more than short runs. It takes at least three miles for running to be fun. At that point the endorphins start to kick in and the sense of self empowerment- the feeling of knowing that I can do this starts to build. Running gives me the belief and confidence that I can overcome and conquer the obstacles of life and I love that! There are so many different answers I can give as to why I run but I like the simple answer “because I can” best. When I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis at 19, I was told I would be in a wheel chair within 10 years. It was a hard blow. Emotionally it has been a hard battle on top of the physical pain. I have an amazing husband who has always inspired me to keep fighting for what I want and to not give up. I want to inspire others to not give up when they feel like life is stacked against them with whatever challenge they are facing. I ran Provo City Marathon the inaugural year in 2010, what I didn’t realize was that the ache in my hip was a stress fracture just below my femoral head and not a tight muscle. My marathon became very painful at mile 14 but I didn’t quit. My 4:20 estimated finish time turned into 6:15 but I finished. After that it took me 6 months and countless hours of physical therapy to learn to walk again. A year later I was running half marathons. In the spring of 2013 I was feeling ready to re tackle the marathon and to really run my first full marathon. St George sounded like an amazing course. My husband and I put in for the lottery but were not selected. Racing with Passion & One Hour for Life had two St George race entries they were giving away at Gravity Hill 5k. We both entered and amazingly we both drew out! I even placed second in my age group for the 5K race. The last month of training before St George I was dealing with a pain similar to what I felt before my last marathon but in the opposite leg. Two weeks before the race I had an MRI performed just to reassure myself that I was ok. Diagnosis: stress fracture in my right femur. I was crushed and spent a good hour feeling sorry for myself and sobbing. Then I re-read the MRI report. It said “bone marrow edema” which was being interpreted as a stress fracture. Bone marrow edema is also very common in RA and I was not about to let RA take away my dream. My awesome husband reminded me that I was not normal and that if I wanted to do this then I needed to come up with a plan to make it happen. I called my primary care doctor who knows me and asked for his opinion. He spoke with two radiologists and they both agreed I should be on crutches for the next six weeks and were surprised that I was walking let along wishing to run. Medically speaking my doctor could not advise me to run but he understands me and has watched me overcome set backs in the past. He recommended a course of care to help my body deal with the inflammation, told me it was my decision and to call him and tell him how I did after. I lowered my impact for the last two weeks before the race and hoped, prayed and fretted over what would happen. Race day came and I was feeling anxious. I had my husbands support and faith to get me to the starting line. I ran conservatively not wanting to stress my leg. I felt good. My time, 4:43 and that was with two bathroom stops along the way. Hindsight I wish I had ran faster. But my goal was to first be able to walk when the day was over, second finish the race and third “run” well. I accomplished all three. I was so excited to “run” my marathon. I was sore but good sore. I even ran SoJo Half Marathon two weeks later. The next weekend it caught up and I was gimpy for a few days. I still made it to a Halloween 5k at Lifetime Fitness and tried really hard to keep up with 4 year old. In December my husband challenged me to see what would happen if I ran every day. I made it 198 days and then needed to take a break from running. I had ran through cryosurgery on both feet for neuromas associated with my RA. But more bone marrow edema in my femur had me rethink my training plan. I have not missed a single day of exercise since December 10, 2013. Amazingly I feel better than I have ever felt. Even on days I can not walk well I limp to my treadmill or out the door. By the time I get a few miles in I start to feel better and my joints loosen and the swelling goes down and I can move better. In the fall of 2014 I had the opportunity to run St George again, this time healthy. I was so excited to give it my “all” I ran it in 3:57 with 4 bathroom breaks. A 46 minute pr from the year before and just 17 minutes shy of my Boston qualifying time. I have been dreaming of Boston for years. Now it is no longer a dream, it is now a goal. Over the past few years I have learned a lot and have gotten much better at managing my training along with the limitations of my chronic illness in order to stay healthy and be able to compete. As part of my “get to Boston” plan I decided to incorporate Ironman triathlon into my training schedule. It forces me to cross train on a higher level and is helping me stay healthy. I love the 70.3 distance. I will compete in my first full Ironman this November at Ironman Arizona. I am working hard to keep the inflammation of my disease in check so that I can train properly and be prepared for my big day. I plan to continue running and competing in triathlon events. I have set backs, I need to listen to my body, but I do not quit. Life is hard for everyone. We all have our unique challenges we face. But having hope can help us get through so many seemingly impossible situations. I want to share my story in order to share hope and to inspire others to keep fighting their own battled and climbing their own mountains conquering the challenges that life throws at them. ~ Jodi Pettit