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Linda Quirk Dreams Big

Quirk: unpredictable act or event.

Maybe the name says it all. Linda Quirk. Certainly there was no way to predict the way her life is now. She’s 56, married with three children, three grandchildren and one more on the way but she’s not your everyday granny.

She’s a woman with a passion, with a cause, an incredible runner, and she’s hardly predictable.

Retired, she now lives in Florida, if she’s not traveling the globe running in places that reasonable people rarely visit let alone want to run.

Photos Courtesy of BP Gasoline with Invigorate.

She’s trying to raise awareness for the Caron Foundation and their work on drug and alcohol recovery treatment centers. Her stepdaughter’s addiction and eventual recovery inspired Linda to run seven marathons on seven continents and raise money and awareness in the process. Run7on7.com is her full-time commitment.

Between her busy schedule WomenRunningTogether was able to get her to slow down long enough to answer a few questions.

On Running

WRT: I've read that you run almost every day. What gets you out the door?

Linda Quirk: Running gives me purpose. I truly enjoy all aspects of running, from how it makes me feel to the added health benefits. I’ve been running off and on since I was 22 but only serious when I was 35. I’m very goal oriented, so setting running goals (big or small) allows me to treat each run as a job that I love getting up for.

WRT: How far do you run?

Linda Quirk: On my “easy days” I run five to seven miles with tempo and interval workouts. While my “long days” I can run anywhere from 10 to 24 miles. It depends on where I’m at with my training.

WRT: You’ve run practically all over the world, so where do you love to run?

Linda Quirk: At the beach with a slight breeze blowing, that’s my favorite place. Hearing the waves breaking; smelling the ocean air helps me concentrate more clearly.

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WRT: What's the biggest benefit you've got from running?

Linda Quirk: Confidence. Knowing that with hard work I can accomplish anything that I set my mind to. I was always very shy and somewhat introverted, so running’s allowed me to open up and meet people. It gets me out there socializing. Now, with Run7on7.com and Facebook, I’m meeting people all the time.

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Raising Money For Caron

WRT: You may have started out shy but look at you now. You go girl. You met your goal of seven marathons on seven continents. You raised over a quarter of million dollars for Caron. Congratulations. So tell us about your next challenge "Four Deserts in 2010".

Linda Quirk: The economic climate this past year made it difficult to meet my goal of a million dollars for Caron Treatment Centers. Yes, we were successful in raising over $250,000, so to stay true to my word I’m using 2009 as a training year for 2010.

Then I’ll attempt to become the first, or certainly the oldest, woman to complete the four deserts in under a year. It’ll be a great challenge. The Atacama in Chile, Gobi in China, Sahara in Egypt and Antarctica. All told, it’s 155 miles over the course of seven days.

WRT: That’s some goal! We won’t be complaining about a 5k on the track.

Linda Quirk: To make it even more difficult we have to carry everything to sustain ourselves, on our backs. The race organizers will supply medical, support crew, water and tents for the competitors to sleep in. It’ll be exciting. It’s a new adventure!

WRT: Well, I’m not sure carrying all that stuff in the desert is anyone else’s idea of excitement but we’re excited for you. Now, Linda, you're also raising awareness for addiction treatment. How's the response been?

Linda Quirk: Overwhelmingly positive. No matter where I’ve gone, domestically and internationally, I hear stories of how the disease of addiction has affected somebody’s life. My goal’s to bring it to the forefront so that individuals, families and anyone touched by this disease can talk openly about it, seek advice and know that they’re not alone. Addiction’s a lonely disease, with a deep seated stigma attached to it that makes it hard for people to support or seek help. Although there’s no cure, there’s hope for recovery. That’s the message I’m sending out.

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Linda-Quirk

It Takes a Village

WRT: Well, you’ve certainly reached a lot of people through your work. So who’s there for you, who supports you and your running?

Linda Quirk: I’m so fortunate to have a very supportive husband and family. They’ve always encouraged me to run, compete and reach for my goals. They also love to visit the cities, states and countries that I’m running in. We’ve had some wonderful family vacations centered around my running endeavors.

I‘m also extremely lucky to have BP Gasoline with Invigorate as a sponsor and I’m honored to be part of their Team Invigorate. Skirtsports apparel has been especially supportive of my mission by supplying all of my running clothes. With the help of both of my sponsors I‘ve been able to get my message for recovery out to the world.

Running Together

WRT: And who’s there with you running all those miles?

Linda: Due to my schedule many of my runs are alone. However, someone from Caron Renaissance Treatment Center ran five of the seven continents with me. I love running with others, especially my daughter-in-law, who actually ran China with me. I try to run with other friends, especially women, on Saturdays. Then it’s off to Starbucks for that morning cup of coffee!

Changes

WRT: Your life has obviously changed. You've got your own website, been interviewed on TV and in magazines. What's the journey been like?

Linda: It’s been incredible. I’ve ventured way out of my comfort zone. Not only have I learned so much but I’ve seen and met so many wonderful people from all over the world.

WRT: What's been your family's response to it all? Have you influenced them to run or be active?

Linda: My family is very excited and proud of the work I’m doing and the amount of awareness that’s been accomplished so far. My hope is that my children and grandchildren will follow my example. That they’ll find, whatever it is in their own lives, something that brings them the same sort personal fulfillment. I also believe it’s good for them to watch mom/grandma stay fit and live a healthy life. Hopefully it’s something they emulate, in their own way of course.

Words of Wisdom

WRT: What advice would you give other women on taking up running?

Linda: Begin slow and set a goal. When I first began, my goal was to run one time around the track, walk one time and then run again until I completed one mile. Remember it’s a process. Be patient. Today, my goal is running 155 miles over the course of seven days! My personal motto:
If You Can See It, You Can Do It. If You Believe It, It Will Happen…so DREAM BIG!!

WRT: It’s certainly working for you. WomenRunningTogether believes in you. We’ll be thinking about you, seeing it happen. Good luck. We’ll be checking your website, watching your journey.

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