There are a lot of reasons that compel someone to lace up a pair of running shoes and train to run a grueling 26.2 miles. For some it’s bragging rights. Others do it for the personal challenge and the camaraderie. And some do it for the race medal and T-shirt.
An Orcutt mom and daughter are doing it to help fight childhood cancer. Lori Cook and her daughter, Ashly Copenhaver of Orcutt, are training for the St. Jude Marathon Dec. 3 in Memphis, Tenn., to raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. It’s also a chance for Cook and her daughter to bond.
The marathon will be the second time the women are entering the marathon. Last year the duo performed the half marathon—13.1 miles—despite not being serious runners.
“My daughter said you need to do this with me mom; I said OK,” said Cook, a Santa Maria Joint Union High School District employee.
Copenhaver was the one who originally brought up the idea of supporting St. Jude’s. Before becoming a nurse at Marian Medical Center, Copenhaver was at Davis training to be a doctor. She had the opportunity to see the children’s hospital and the oncology department and was touched by the children there. She wanted to do something, and raising money for St. Jude’s, along with raising awareness of childhood cancer by running the marathon, was one way she could help.
Copenhaver told the Sun last year prior to the race that as a nurse, being involved in the care of a child fighting for his or her life is both terrifying and beyond humbling. She said she was excited to help fight for the treatment and care they deserve.
For her part, Cook was not a runner prior to last year’s event. She said she ran in high school and occasionally jogged with a friend but never trained seriously for such an endurance event. But when her daughter asked her to run the half marathon last year she couldn’t help but get involved. The two began training for the half, and when the day came it was a lot easier than Cook expected.
The weather helped. Cook said it was a cool 35 degrees at the start, which she called an ideal temperature for running. People lined the sides of the race route cheering and offering support. The positive vibes from the supporters and the overall atmosphere made it exciting.
“It was amazing, one of the neatest things I’ve ever experienced,” Cook said. “[The weather], when you run it makes a world of difference. We ran the 13 miles and thought, ‘Wow it’s over already? I think the adrenaline and the people get you through it.”
Last year’s run took them through the St. Jude’s hospital grounds too, and Cook said that also left an impression on her.
“Just seeing all these kids and their families, it was very inspiring,” Cook said.
After such a rewarding experience during last year’s event, the women decided to give themselves a bigger challenge this year and run the full marathon. Together they’ve been training to meet that goal.
They run five to six days a week, taking a long run of about 10 to 14 miles on one of those days. In August Cook averaged about 300 miles. The side effects are positive too, Cook said. “Oh, you lose a lot of weight and you can eat anything you want,” she said.
But more significantly were the health benefits to the already fit Orcutt woman. “My sleep patterns are better, my heart rate is lower, and I even eat better, since I’ve been training.”
One of the challenges has not been the running itself but finding place to run in Santa Maria. A lack of trails or running areas forced her to get creative in running the required mileage during their training. Cook said she had to find routes and back track on some areas to reach the total miles.
Cook and Copenhaver will be joined by Pioneer Valley High School employee Julie Norris, who also plans to run, and some friends who will be there for support.
The money they raise by running in the race benefits St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to fund research and that is shared throughout the entire oncology community. It also helps pay for transportation, lodging, and food to ensure that a sick child is never separated from their family.
Last year Cook aimed to raise $500 and Copenhaver was attempting to raise $2,500. Instead they raised $2,500 and $3,000, respectively. So this year they set their goals higher. Cook wants to raise $2,500 and Copenhaver set her sights on meeting $5,000.
The women plan to make this an annual event in which they participate.
“We are going to do it every year until we can’t do it anymore,” Cook said.
To contribute to their fundraiser effort visit: heroes.stjude.org/lori56 or heroes.stjude.org/ashly.
Editor Shelly Cone can be reached at scone@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Sep 29 – Oct 6, 2016.
