On September 25 and 26, the Bellingham Bay Marathon—one of the most beautiful road races in the Pacific Northwest—returns after a 2020 hiatus.
Hundreds of runners of all paces will compete in the event’s four categories—5k, 10k, half marathon and full marathon—and among them are several local PeaceHealth caregiver-athletes.
WhatcomTalk recently caught up with a handful of PeaceHealth employees registered to take part in and help with the race, asking them about their race goals and how they stay active in spite of busy professional and personal lives.
Dr. Jordana Hawkins is running the event’s 13.1-mile half-marathon for the second time, a full decade after her first time competing. Now 39, her life is a bit different than the first time she ran the event as a visiting resident: in addition to being a board-certified general pediatrician, she’s a married mother of two young children. She’s also running a half-marathon for the first time since tearing her ACL four years ago.
A self-described frequent runner for both health and sanity, Dr. Hawkins is goal-oriented when it comes to running, as it helps her stay accountable to herself. This year, her race goal is to best her previous time of about 2 hours and 30 minutes, shaving off 10 to 20 minutes.
“I’m training for a little bit more mileage than I did the first time I did it, about 10 or 11 years ago,” Dr. Hawkins says. “Each week, I basically have one long run, which increases by a mile each week, to get to the point of 12 miles by my last training week.”
Besides her longer-mileage training, Dr. Hawkins usually runs about three miles, three times a week, either physically or mentally penciling in whatever time she can get between work shifts and picking up her children from school.
“It is so helpful,” she says of regular exercise. “If there’s been a few days where I haven’t gotten in any run at all, just with my schedule, I can kind of feel my general stress level building. I feel so much better after just a short run. I find that I’m a better parent and human being in general.”
Sheena Zorb, a registered nurse at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center’s cardiovascular center, is another half-marathon participant who works to find time for running in between raising children and also running a small hobby farm.
“Running happens when I find the time,” she says, of being a “weekend pavement pounder.”
A participant of numerous half-marathons, 10ks and a full marathon, Zorb is training twice weekly to get into shape and finish the race without injury. Just entering the event, she says, gave her the motivation to start adding more miles to her running shoes.
For anyone wanting to dust off their exercise equipment, Zorb’s advice is simple:
“Just get out there and do it,” she says. “We always find excuses to not make time for our health and bodies. Even if it’s a 10-minute walk, just getting out and moving will help you feel better physically and mentally.”
Owen Janes, an electrophysiology technologist at St. Joseph’s cardiovascular center, is PeaceHealth’s third half-marathon participant. Janes ran a marathon back in April, and after a short break, is getting back into race-day condition.
Having run the race previously with relay teams, Janes has always enjoyed the course scenery and the comradery he finds with friends who join him in the race. Having friends or buddies to share in staying active, he says, is a great way to create and work towards fitness goals.
Janes’ goal for this year’s Bellingham Bay Marathon is simple: take in the scenery, listen to his body, and have a good time.
“I’m not too concerned about my time,” he says.
Courtney Olsen isn’t competing in this year’s Bellingham Bay Marathon, opting to work behind the scenes as a race representative. But she’s run her fair share of races, including a previous full Bellingham Bay Marathon in which she attempted to run the 2020 Olympic Trials standard of 2 hours, 45 minutes. She came up several minutes short, but her time remains the course record.
Olsen’s mother held the Mount Baker High School mile record for years, and her father was a skilled basketball player, so it’s no surprise Olsen herself became a lifelong athlete. From elementary school kickball and high school hurdles to collegiate steeplechases and professional marathon and ultra-distance running, Olsen has always worked hard to attain her goals.
For anyone running this year’s race, she says to ensure they get to the starting line healthy on race morning.
“A lot of the battle is maintaining your overall health,” she says. “Most of us are working and balancing family and other things on top of our athletic pursuits. You have to commit to doing the little things to keep yourself healthy, because if you were motivated enough to sign up, you’ll be motivated enough to put in the work.”
Regularly listening to and taking care of your body, through activities like stretching, yoga, physical therapy, massage, eating well and basic rest, she says, are critical while training. And regardless of whether you’re getting ready to race or undertaking everyday fitness, building positive routines are what it’s all about.
“The hardest part is simply beginning, and sticking with it, until it becomes reflexive,” she says. Inconsistency is kind of the mood killer, but if you’re consistent the rhythm can help you become more active.”
Like Janes, Olsen says having exercise buddies can be vital to help keep you putting in the work to stay fit.
“When I’m feeling low motivation, I like to call on some of my running friends,” she says. “Running with others gets you out of your own mind, helps running go by faster, and is therapeutic.”
