Jacqueline Fein

The RunDown
Jacqueline Fein, Age 54.
Married with two sons.
Lives in Houston, Texas.
I'm an empty nester who manages the household.
Running Club - Houston Area Road Runners Club.
I've been running for 10 years.

Why Running
I run for health, fitness, competition and friendship. Plus it makes me feel alive, in tune with the world and myself. It took a couple of years of running to discover that I was actually a runner.

Running with Cancer
Breast cancer is such a terrible disease. I was young, healthy and active when it struck three years ago. It came out of the "blue". No family history or known risk factors.

You know you have to fight to get well. I reached out to my friends and running. I wanted to continue to feel the strength and health that running had given me. I didn't want cancer to take that away from me. So, I worked out each and every day.

My friends were amazing. They jogged and ran by my side in terrible weather and encouraged me on days when every step hurt. I included intensity in every workout. I rode my bike and did intervals in the mornings before receiving chemo.

I signed up and ran a race, sometimes two, every single weekend that year. I ended up participating in over 30 races, triathlons and bike rides. I had four rounds of chemo. I started to recover faster after each round. Finally, my doctor asked if I got cortisol release from exercise. Well, YES, duh! He said I was over-riding the adrenal gland suppression from the drugs with my exercise.

So, running, swimming and biking helped me conquer chemo. The radiation I hated more than anything. But, I got through that too. Most of all, making myself get out there and do it made it bearable. Running gave me the tools I needed to do that.

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Training Habits
I'm currently training for the Buffalo Springs Half Ironman in June 2009. I'll complete a couple of shorter races leading up to this event. I run three days a week at around 20 miles a week. I do steady state intervals, track sessions, tempo and endurance runs.

I also include core and strength work about two times a week, depending on my training schedule. As a triathlete I swim and bike in addition to running. My best workout for the triathlon is a long bike followed by an "off the bike" run.

Racing
My most memorable race was the 2003 Boston Marathon.

Celebrating
I celebrate after a race by socializing with friends and eating ice cream!

Sustenance
I eat a healthy low fat diet with lots of veggies and lean meat. For a treat I indulge in chocolate. My favorite pre-race food is a bagel with cashew butter, orange juice and COFFEE.

Taking Care
I have a massage every week. If an injury starts up I see my sports chiropractor for ART therapy.

Motivation
I've an inner drive that keeps me running and gets me out the door. I always feel better afterwards. I really admire older women runners/triathletes and want to be like them when I reach that age.

Toughing it Out
The hardest thing for me with running is distance. I've an old injury that makes it difficult to run past the half marathon distance.

It Takes a Village
My husband and friends support my running. My running friends surrounded me with love and support during my cancer treatment. It turned out to be one of the most special times in my life.

Usually I run by myself. Sometimes I run a route where I see other friends and visit if I've got the time.

Life in Balance
My life fits around my running.

Being a Woman
I love being a woman runner as it helps me maintain my "girly" figure! The apparel looks good, too.

Running in Her Shoes
If I could be any woman runner I'd be Deena Kastor. I've actually met her on a couple of occasions. She is so sweet and nice. An awesome athlete, too.

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