When Elisa Baro first started working for the Sun, she would sometimes run home after work. She didn’t live down the street, mind you; she lived in Guadalupe.
Her slight 4-foot, 11-inch frame would take to the pavement alongside Highway 166, with big rigs and farm trucks rolling by, kicking up dust and throwing dirt off their wheels.
Baro started running cross-country in high school and competed on the team her freshman and sophomore years. She picked it back up a couple of years ago as a way “to set an example to my daughter to live right and be healthy.”
Since she started running again, she’s run four marathons, six half marathons, and a triathlon. It’s this new lifestyle that’s taken over her weekends and mornings, one that at 30 years old makes her feel healthier, happier, and more centered.
On Oct. 19, Baro is headed to San Dimas to run the Spooktacular Half Marathon. On Oct. 12, she ran City to the Sea from San Luis Obispo to Shell Beach—13.1 miles, which she completed in 1:47. Baro’s ultimate goal is to be able to run a full marathon in under four hours.
For her running is about “clearing your mind, being alone, competing against yourself,” she said. “Because you need to stay focused in life. It’s my therapy.”
Along with training on Highway 166, she runs the Orcutt Hills, Point Sal, and the Santa Maria Riverbed.
“Orcutt Hills are definitely my favorite. I like the trails, and I don’t have to worry about getting run off the road by an 18-wheeler,” Baro said. “If I run early in the morning, I feel productive the rest of the day, no matter what I do.”
And the lifestyle change isn’t just about hitting the trail before the sun comes up or after work; for Baro, it’s also about having better eating habits. A couple of years ago, she was diagnosed with an ulcer, and had to look at what she was doing to keep herself healthy.
Instead of soda and Kool-Aid, she now drinks water and Gatorade. Instead of fast food and processed sugar, she now eats more fruits and vegetables. And in the end, that change is something she hopes her daughter sees and can emulate.
Recently, Baro and her daughter ran in the Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum’s Super Hero Fun Run dressed as Power Rangers. And in June, the duo along with another family member, participated in the city of Santa Maria’s Tri-the-Bull Triathlon—Baro ran, and her daughter swam.
The events take up a good chunk of Baro’s weekends and of course they all cost money, but for her that’s all part of the sacrifice to get the reward of feeling good and being healthy.
“[It’s] an expensive habit, but it’s worth the lifestyle,” Baro said. “It’s nice, because my kid goes with me to these things.”
This article appears in Oct 16-23, 2014.