2012 – Dancer in a Heat Wave: Pain, Agony, and Distress on the Road to Boston

Kate Stanton

When I first set out with the intention of running the Boston Marathon for the Alzheimer’s Association in memory of my dear grandfather, I had some idea of the challenges I would face in my training and fundraising. Some, but not all.

Let's just say the next time a dancer tells you she wants to run a marathon, you should give her a hearty chuckle, accompanied by a very sarcastic “Well, good luck!” While many running enthusiasts regard routine stretching as a necessity for maintaining a functioning body, hypermobility (as they so kindly diagnosed me) is just about as detrimental as not stretching at all.

Without giving you the full rundown of ailments I acquired as part of my training for my first marathon, I’ll leave you with this image of former dancer turned long distance runner: