For Jennifer Gould it isn’t about taking first place, she runs to finish says Mlive.com.
Gould is a 38-year-old mother of four, a wife and a business owner – a full plate by any standard. But the Bay Cityan also finds time to run each day and prepare two sets of meals – one for her family and one to satisfy her own vegan lifestyle.
Gould knows that her packed lifestyle would be impossible without dedication and determination.
“You have to really want it,” she said when asked what advice she would give to others, especially busy moms, who want to make changes in their life.
“You have to be committed. Don’t ever start if you’re not committed,” she said.
Gould took up running in 2008 without any previous experience or training.
“My son began running cross country when he was a freshman in high school and I thought, ‘I could do that, too.’ That’s when I decided to just start running,” she said.
She logged one to two miles each day, and completed her first race that same year.
She isn’t in it for the numbers though.
“I just wanted to run,” she says. “My first race was a 5K at the Auburn Cornfest and I wasn’t worried about taking first place, I just wanted to push myself to finish.”
Photo by Vincepal