Michael will turn 50 next March – “just in time for the Boston Marathon,” he says, which he qualified for at the Johnny Miles Marathon in Pictou County earlier this year.
Laura, 41, also plans to do Boston in 2016. It will be her second crack at the race, having first qualified in 2007.
“We both applied and we were both accepted,” Michael said.
‘A healthy addiction’
Boston isn’t the only time they’ll run together over the next year. Both Laura and Michael will also be in the field for this year’s 23rd running of the Valley Harvest Marathon Oct. 11, which starts and finishes in Wolfville.
“I’ve always run, but I really got into marathon running 14 years ago,” says Laura. “This year’s Valley Harvest Marathon will be the 20th marathon I’ve run.”
Laura ran as a child and young adult, then took it up again after their first child (Cole, now 14) was born. She has run various distances, but chose marathons “because my goal was always to run the Boston Marathon,” she explains.
“I do it because I love to run, for my mental and physical health, and for the adrenalin rush. I keep doing it because it’s like a healthy addiction. The more you run, the more you want to run.”
Michael is a more recent convert to marathon running.
“I was always into sports – hockey, soccer, golf, badminton, you name it, I’ve played it – but I didn’t run much until I met Laura.”
Michael got into distance running through running charity marathons. The first one he did was in Bermuda, in support of Joints in Motion. Since then, he has done three more charity runs for Joints in Motion and Team Diabetes. Laura has joined him for each one.
Michael ran his first marathon in 2003, and this year’s Valley Harvest Marathon will be his sixth.
Big goals
Marathon running is something Michael and Laura can do together. As their boys get older – Cole, Carson, 12, and Cayden, 10 – they are also developing an interest in running.
The family, and Michael in particular, have a particular goal for early in 2016.
“We’re going to Florida for the Disney Marathon. They have 5K and 10K runs and a half and full marathon.”
Michael’s goal, to help celebrate his 50th birthday, is “to run the 5K with Cayden, the 10K with Carson, the half marathon with Cole and the full marathon with Laura.”
He knows it will be grueling to run over four consecutive days, but he is hopeful he will be up to the task.
“It’s a family activity we’re all into, and it will give us a chance to all run together.”
Michael, a native of Souris, P.E.I., works as a pharmacist in Berwick. Laura, who grew up in Tremont near where they now live, is a stay-at-home mom to their three boys.
“We run for the camaraderie,” Laura says. “We’ve made a lot of friends in the running community.”
Valley Harvest Marathon
Both are looking forward to the Valley Harvest Marathon.
“I first ran it in 2007, the last year it started and finished in Kentville,” says Laura. “That was the year I first qualified for Boston.”
She has run the VHM three times since the start and finish was moved to Wolfville and the course changed, and ran a personal best 3:31 in 2013. Michael’s personal best of 3:22 was at this year’s Johnny Miles, punching his ticket for Boston.
The Valley event “is a beautiful course, similar to the Blue Nose Marathon in many ways,” says Laura.
Michael added, “We’ve both been a little under the weather. Hopefully we’ll be recovered. They always put on a great event.”
As for how they hope to finish, Laura acknowledged, “it’s so dependent on the weather. You can train hard for 16 weeks and have it end up a rainy or windy day. It isn’t any harder to run in rain, but it is harder in wind.”
While Laura is really looking forward to next year, but “as nice as it is to go away and run, it’s also nice to do events closer to home.”
As for how long they can continue to do marathons, Laura sees no end in sight.
“I’d like to do this as long as my body will let me. I literally can’t imagine not running,” she said, as Michael confided, “I can’t imagine living with her if she couldn’t run.”
For his part, Michael pointed out, “every time you finish, you tell yourself you’re never doing it again. A half-hour later, you’re already pumped for the next time.”
Michael will turn 50 next March – “just in time for the Boston Marathon,” he says, which he qualified for at the Johnny Miles Marathon in Pictou County earlier this year.
Laura, 41, also plans to do Boston in 2016. It will be her second crack at the race, having first qualified in 2007.
“We both applied and we were both accepted,” Michael said.
‘A healthy addiction’
Boston isn’t the only time they’ll run together over the next year. Both Laura and Michael will also be in the field for this year’s 23rd running of the Valley Harvest Marathon Oct. 11, which starts and finishes in Wolfville.
“I’ve always run, but I really got into marathon running 14 years ago,” says Laura. “This year’s Valley Harvest Marathon will be the 20th marathon I’ve run.”
Laura ran as a child and young adult, then took it up again after their first child (Cole, now 14) was born. She has run various distances, but chose marathons “because my goal was always to run the Boston Marathon,” she explains.
“I do it because I love to run, for my mental and physical health, and for the adrenalin rush. I keep doing it because it’s like a healthy addiction. The more you run, the more you want to run.”
Michael is a more recent convert to marathon running.
“I was always into sports – hockey, soccer, golf, badminton, you name it, I’ve played it – but I didn’t run much until I met Laura.”
Michael got into distance running through running charity marathons. The first one he did was in Bermuda, in support of Joints in Motion. Since then, he has done three more charity runs for Joints in Motion and Team Diabetes. Laura has joined him for each one.
Michael ran his first marathon in 2003, and this year’s Valley Harvest Marathon will be his sixth.
Big goals
Marathon running is something Michael and Laura can do together. As their boys get older – Cole, Carson, 12, and Cayden, 10 – they are also developing an interest in running.
The family, and Michael in particular, have a particular goal for early in 2016.
“We’re going to Florida for the Disney Marathon. They have 5K and 10K runs and a half and full marathon.”
Michael’s goal, to help celebrate his 50th birthday, is “to run the 5K with Cayden, the 10K with Carson, the half marathon with Cole and the full marathon with Laura.”
He knows it will be grueling to run over four consecutive days, but he is hopeful he will be up to the task.
“It’s a family activity we’re all into, and it will give us a chance to all run together.”
Michael, a native of Souris, P.E.I., works as a pharmacist in Berwick. Laura, who grew up in Tremont near where they now live, is a stay-at-home mom to their three boys.
“We run for the camaraderie,” Laura says. “We’ve made a lot of friends in the running community.”
Valley Harvest Marathon
Both are looking forward to the Valley Harvest Marathon.
“I first ran it in 2007, the last year it started and finished in Kentville,” says Laura. “That was the year I first qualified for Boston.”
She has run the VHM three times since the start and finish was moved to Wolfville and the course changed, and ran a personal best 3:31 in 2013. Michael’s personal best of 3:22 was at this year’s Johnny Miles, punching his ticket for Boston.
The Valley event “is a beautiful course, similar to the Blue Nose Marathon in many ways,” says Laura.
Michael added, “We’ve both been a little under the weather. Hopefully we’ll be recovered. They always put on a great event.”
As for how they hope to finish, Laura acknowledged, “it’s so dependent on the weather. You can train hard for 16 weeks and have it end up a rainy or windy day. It isn’t any harder to run in rain, but it is harder in wind.”
While Laura is really looking forward to next year, but “as nice as it is to go away and run, it’s also nice to do events closer to home.”
As for how long they can continue to do marathons, Laura sees no end in sight.
“I’d like to do this as long as my body will let me. I literally can’t imagine not running,” she said, as Michael confided, “I can’t imagine living with her if she couldn’t run.”
For his part, Michael pointed out, “every time you finish, you tell yourself you’re never doing it again. A half-hour later, you’re already pumped for the next time.”
