NBC 5 reporter Lisa Chavarria is running her first marathon on Oct. 7. Over the next few months, follow Lisa's journey to the Bank of America Chicago Marathon start line, from training tips to mental prep and the lessons she learns along the way.
I’m not a "real" runner. I’ve never even been much of an athletic person, but the idea of being in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon has always been on my mind.
What makes this year so special? Part of it was luck. I entered the lottery and figured if my name wasn’t pulled, it wasn’t meant to be.
When I got that email, I was nervous, excited, then frightened.
The true reason why I want to run this year is for my health.
Type 2 Diabetes runs in my family, as it does in many minority families. My mother has it and my grandfather had it.
My family has never lived a very athletic lifestyle and I want to change that.
So, I’m going to give this a shot.
I’m not running to make a particular finish time. I’m not running to impress anyone. I’m running in hopes of changing my path.
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You can follow me right here on NBCChicago.com during my 18 weeks of training. I hope you’ll join me!
