Heels and Hills

The "Lucky 13" Run Team is filled with happy, friendly people who also happen to run or walk. They are ambassadors to show others Heels and Hills’ core vision, staying active in a fun and unintimidating atmosphere, with a friendly personality, warmness, and positive attitude! Run Team members receive select race entry fees paid, Heels and Hills Run Team tech shirt, additional Heels and Hills apparel at reduced cost, the pride of being part of a select group, and fun socializing with other runners and walkers.

Team Members Bios

Click on a team member's name or picture to read their bio!

Peggy Chesnutt	Tammy Doughterty	Allison Duensing	Jennifer Elvington	Catherine Foreman	Sarah Hendrickson	Jean-Maria Higginbotham
Tracy Joseph	Veronica Mayer	Courtney Ridings	Jamie Smith	Brandie VanNort	Ali Wheat

Meet the Lucky 13 below...

Peggy Chesnutt

As a newer runner and a self-proclaimed "slower runner", Peggy found Heels and Hills in December 2008 and quickly became enamored with the organization's events and the people who attend them.

Peggy and her husband Tom have been married over 30 years, with one grown son who they view as their “crowning achievement”. Peggy and Tom are the founders of Dyslexic Specialists of Irving and spend their days teaching students to read, write, and spell.

When Peggy turned 59, she decided she would run the Dallas White Rock Marathon the following year… without ever having run before. Peggy looks back and asks “What was I thinking?” In December 2007, she began running and committed to prepare for a 5K in January 2008. Peggy says, “I came in second in my age group in my very first race; but did not know that if you stayed you would hear your name called and get a medal!”

Of the lessons that come with running, Peggy says: “The one thing I have truly learned from running is there’s never a reason to keep you from achieving your goals, only excuses. My favorite quote from Runner's World is "if you can get off the couch and grab a bag of potato chips, you are not too fat, too old, or too slow to run."

Peggy is frank about the fact that she’s not fast but she always finishes, even though she’s usually the last in her group of running friends to do so. But Peggy remarks “Running is my personal journey and it has been the best journey I have ever taken in my life. My favorite run is a long run with hill repeats all by myself while listening to my MP3 player. Most of my running friends like to run as a social experience. I like the solitude.”

Peggy met Heels and Hills founder Paula Robertson at the organization’s booth at the White Rock Marathon Expo in December 2008. Peggy tells us, “I fell in love with her spirit and love of being healthy and her personal love of the Heels and Hill experience.” Peggy immediately signed up for the Heels and Hills Half and the Distance Challenge lead-up races. She felt like the Heels and Hills Distance Challenge events were a perfect fit for her, as she likes to run one race per month and these were extremely affordable. Peggy shares, “Little did I know at the time they were also the best racing experience in the area. After that first 1 mile challenge, I was hooked and a committed H&Her. Being a part of the Heels and Hills experience has given me a place where I really belong. It is not about ability, accomplishments, and certainly not about the speed and distance. I feel comfortable with the girls who come out to race. We encourage each other; cheer each other from start to finish. Heels and Hills is just a great place to be. Oh, and I have found the best part about being the slowest one in your running group… all your friends are there cheering you at the finish line.”

After taking a wrong path toward weight loss in her youth wrecked her metabolism, Tammy discovered walking and then running as a great way to stay fit and keep excess weight off and now enjoys being a positive example to others after all the support she has enjoyed in all her running, whether it was the crowd support at the race or the encouragement of her fellow Heels and Hills participants!

Tammy Dougherty lays it out there that her history with running first starts with a childhood of being overweight and crash dieting. She says it changed her metabolism forever and was the wrong path to weight loss. Tammy makes a concerted effort every day now to eat healthy and exercise.

Tammy had a career in the military which always kept her motivated to stay fit and within weight standards, but when she retired 2 ½ years ago, she no longer had anyone “telling” her what she should be doing. Tammy realized, “I needed to do this for myself!” Tammy was a walker due to double ankle reconstructions but desired to at least try and run again. Although being a speed walker had helped her cardio significantly, she took it slowly, a mile at a time, until she completed her first 5K race in November, 2006. Tammy shares, “I didn’t win a prize (okay does a T-shirt count) but the sense of accomplishment was greater than any prize to be had.”

Each race led to another accomplishment whether it was a PR or the farthest mileage. She completed the Houston Half as her first half marathon in 2008, and she says that continues to be one of her favorite races with its amazing crowd support. She so enjoyed that races that she immediately decided that she would do the 2008 Chicago Marathon. Tammy ran her first Heels and Hills Half Marathon in May 2008 at the kickoff of her training for Chicago.

Tammy’s short term goal is to run a 5K without walking but, she says, “My life’s goal is to be a positive example to others whether I’m running, walking, cycling, hiking, geocaching, or just relaxing and having fun with my dogs!” Unfortunately, recent knee surgery and a torn rotator cuff have sidelined Tammy a bit, but as she rehabilitates, she also notes that running is not the only option in staying fit. She’s enjoyed cycling as a new sport that has helped her keep her fitness level up and excess weight off! Tammy tells us, “The key is to not give up or give in. The encouragement I’ve received from people that I’ve met through this group is tremendous and greatly appreciated!”

Tammy continues, “Heels and Hills continues to play an integral part in my rehabilitation by providing an encouraging atmosphere, a safe environment, and the most awesome group of people. Not only for myself but for everyone, no matter what they are doing. This organization affords women (and men) an opportunity to get out and get fit without feeling that we aren’t good or fast enough. Thank you, Heels and Hills, and may you continue to shine as a beacon through your events, volunteers, and the Lucky 13 Run Team!”

Still relatively new to running being a part of her everyday life, Allison completed her first half marathon in 2008 and has a goal to complete her first marathon in 2010. Allison is also the only run team member not living in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. She lives in Houston, but the teamwork and good attitude she showed as a member of the 2009 Heels and Hills team at the Texas Independence Relay made her an easy choice to be part of this great group of Lucky 13!

Allison had been an inconsistent jogger for a long time but, prompted by some other changes in her life, she decided to really focus and learn the habit of being active at the end of 2008. In Allison’s words, “I decided to reclaim my fitness” and she joined a gym and established a routine for her workouts. Allison also likes to cycle, swim, and take various fitness classes, but running has been her primary focus for a couple reasons: “it’s so easy to do anywhere at most any time and it’s really easy to see and feel improvements.”

Allison is most proud of her first half marathon, the Dallas White Rock Half Marathon. She had only been running with any frequency for less than two months and ran the whole thing. For 2010, Allison would like to run her first marathon and work harder on her consistency and speed.

Allison has a great philosophy about how easy it is for new runners to feel intimidated and ultimately what the Heels and Hills’ vision means to her: “What I think I love most about Heels and Hills and its vision is that there’s something everyone can take from it. From the newer “runner” like me to some of the crazy fast runners we had on the relay team [Allison was a member of the 2009 Heels and Hills team at the Texas Independence Relay], for example, the message and the support is the same. It’s not about everyone trying to achieve one particular goal; it’s about each individual setting their own fitness goals that at one time seemed like mere pipe dreams and achieving those goals. And part of the victory is really just in taking steps towards those goals. To the non-runner/non-athlete, everything seems so intimidating at the outset. From trying to buy shoes to the start line at your first race – it’s really easy to feel like you don’t belong. In truth, we all belong, because we all made the effort to buy that first pair of shoes or to show up for the first race. And while the running community in general is welcoming to new folks, Heels and Hills is like the welcoming community for that community at large. Reaching out to people and saying ‘hey, we were once like you, and if we can do it, you can do it and we’re here to help you along the way. So stop the excuses and come on in.’ I love it, and it’s something I feel really special to be a part of.”

Jennifer is a newer walker who got started in an effort to lead a healthier life and manage her diabetes and will be completing her first half marathon at the Heels and Hills and Him Half Marathon on September 27.

Jennifer, her husband, and her 8 year old daughter live in McKinney. She teaches high school math in Frisco and works part-time for her church in Plano. Jennifer has had Type 1 Insulin Dependent Diabetes since the age of 11, and in the 23 years since that diagnosis, has had not one complication. However, after having her daughter 8 years ago, she found that she was consistently gaining about 5 pounds a year. In her words: “A little extra take out here, less exercise there, and some life in between.” So, on top of the Type 1 (which is the juvenile, insulin requiring kind) Diabetes, she slowly developed a form of Type II Diabetes (where your body can't process the insulin). So her body not only isn’t producing insulin but now it struggles to process the insulin taken with her insulin pump.

Her doctor insisted on an exercise routine during her last visit - something 3-4 days a week for more than 30 minutes. She had joined expensive gyms, signed up with costly trainers, joined Biggest Loser competitions, and tried it all, but recently a friend of hers, fellow Run Team member Brandie, mentioned signing up to walk the Heels and Hills and Him Marathon.

Jennifer had walked and even partly ran some 5Ks in the past, but she thought there was no way she could complete a half marathon. She and her friend did some research and developed a walking plan that would work in with their lifestyles. As of August 1, Jennifer is 8 weeks into the plan – she has stuck with it! She finished the most recent H&H June 5K with a new personal record of 49:43. And Jennifer says, “My blood sugars and my diabetes are better than ever!”

Jennifer is a great addition to the run team, with these words from her run team application: “I am absolutely in love with the core vision of H&H - staying active in a fun and unintimidating atmosphere, with your personality, warmness, and positive attitude! I feel like I was the recipient of that at the past 5K. I participated in another 5K last year near my home and felt so intimidated and out of place. Feeling that way at the previous one made me not want to do another. While I finished 71 out of 77 last weekend, I felt so encouraged in just finishing!

I hope to be an encouragement that walking is a great place to start when striving to learn how to make being active a part of your life...in fact, in the past when I would set out on a plan of running before walking, I burned out quickly. My story is one of learning how to set achievable and personal goals rather than constantly comparing myself to others.”

With a busy career and a full family life, Catherine had a wake up call in 2008 to start living a healthier life. That commitment turned into a new-found appreciation for running and incorporating it into her life in a way that has kept it fun and made her much healthier!

Catherine, her husband and four children live in Allen, Texas. She grew up in Richardson, Texas and attended University of North Texas before living in Arkansas for ten years and working as a Child Abuse Investigator. She returned to Texas in 2004 and began working full time for the City of Plano. Catherine's mother and two sisters were all active in running and marathons while she grew up but she always chose to cheer them on from the sidelines. As she got older, she felt that her busy work and family life would not allow her the time needed to train for long distances.

Catherine ran a few short distance runs with her family at some of the local 5K races when she returned to Texas but never felt like she had the time or energy to push herself to run some of the longer races. In 2008, a yearly mandatory wellness test at her job gave her wake up call. She was over 200 pounds and her blood pressure was at a dangerously high level. At 36 years old, she realized she needed to take control of her eating habits and activity level.

She made a commitment to become healthy for herself and family and began exercising 5 days a week with three days of running and two days of weight training. She began slowly with 3 minutes of walking and 2 minutes of running and worked herself up to being able to run for an hour straight. She also joined a weight loss group at her job and began weighing in weekly and learning about portion sizes and how to eat for her health. In November of 2008, she ran an 8 mile race with her sisters and mother on Thanksgiving day. It was the first time she had ever completed that distance and she realized she could work towards any goal she wanted to.

Since that time, Catherine has lost over 35 pounds and plans on losing more in the next year. She has run several 5K, 10K and 15K races and has a few half marathons planned in the future! In the 2009 wellness testing, her blood pressure and weight were at a healthy number. She is excited to be a part of the Heels and Hills team and loves that their philosophy is not about speed and winning, but about having fun and being healthy!

Sarah has been active for most of her life. Running for her is a great outlet for stress, a great way to see the sights, and a great way to enjoy time with friends. This love for running culminates with a lofty goal for her running in 2010.

Sarah Hendrickson sums up her running background as: “before I joined the workforce and before I became a wife and mother, I was a runner.” Sarah started walking almost 20 years ago and has been active ever since. She became more passionate about actually running when she lived overseas with her husband. She ran with several military wives who had deployed husbands, and together they trained for their first marathon in Frankfurt, Germany. Sarah shares, “It was an overwhelming and unbelievable experience.” Since then, she has run three marathons and over two dozen half marathons. She looks forward to her runs as a time to relax and just enjoy being out with nature and doing something she loves. As a social runner, Sarah really enjoys running with friends and just having fun.

Sarah’s goal for 2010 is to complete 10 half marathons over the course of the year and “to enjoy each and every one of them as if it were my last.” When asked what being a part of the Lucky 13 Run Team means to her, Sarah replies, “Being a Heels and Hills runner is very inspiring for me. I am a middle-of-the-pack runner and being able to be a member of such a great organization and support such a worthy cause is awesome.”

After starting walking years before and relearning a healthier eating and fitness routine, Jean-Maria stumbled upon Heels and Hills after deciding that she wanted to complete a half marathon. After participating in the Heels and Hills training program, Jean-Maria completed her first half marathon at the inaugural Heels and Hills in 2007, and that race became the first step towards what is now a very accomplished distance walking resume.

Heels and Hills is all about its runners AND walkers. And Jean-Maria reiterates that: “I am a walker, not a runner. I’ve had 4 knee surgeries including ACL reconstruction back in the summer of 2005. The only time I run is when I play agility with my dogs.”

Jean-Maria started walking in March 2003. Amazingly, she still has the log showing her first treadmill session. “25 minutes and a distance of only 0.83 miles,” she says. “I remember thinking that 3.0 mph on the treadmill was soooo fast, I didn’t think I could ever walk that fast.” Before starting the walking program, Jean-Maria had begun making small changes to her eating habits to stop gaining weight and start losing, while remaining focused on making just one change at a time. Over time, between that and the walking, the pounds began to come off. She next added weight training to her routine and by the end of 2008 was down about 50 pounds!

On this path, Jean-Maria decided she wanted to walk a half marathon. And this was when Jean-Maria made a personal connection with Paula Robertson, the founder of Heels and Hills – Jean-Maria recalls, “In December, 2006, after much fretting, I sent an email to the race director for a new race, Heels and Hills, and asked if a walker could participate in the free training being offered for the inaugural event. A few hours later, I got a reply from Paula :

The training is open to walkers and runners at any level of fitness. Yes, walkers are welcome in the half marathon. The mission of H&H is to promote fitness in women at all levels of fitness.

Yes, I still have the email. So, I registered for the race and in January, 2007 started training.”

Jean-Maria followed Paula’s weekly email training plan and did all the Saturday long walks with the group. On May 5th, she finished her first half marathon in 3:40:41. Always open and honest, Jean-Maria then shares, “I couldn’t walk for almost a month after because I totally blistered my feet during the race. Of course, first really hot weekend of the year… race weekend and I hadn’t found the right combination of shoes and socks because I had trained all winter, not in the heat of summer.”

After completing that first half marathon, Jean-Maria joined a local walking group “Walk this Way” led by Patty Cartwright, and this helped her improve her speed and endurance to walk longer distances. Now she can’t walk as slow as 3.0 mph (the speed that seemed SO fast when she was first getting started) and generally warms up around 4.0 mph or faster.

Since that first half marathon with Heels and Hills, Jean-Maria has completed 13 more half marathons with her best finish at the 2009 Cowtown in a time of 2:55:56. She has also done 4 full marathons, a couple 25k races, and countless shorter distance races. She learned she really enjoys trail races, so along the way, 2 of her half marathons and one 25k have been on the trails and she has several more trail races on her calendar in the coming months.

Jean-Maria claims she “is owned by two of the sweetest, most handsome cocker spaniels in the world.” River is a 4 year old red buff and Zubie is a solid black 2 year old. Both dogs are training to compete in agility and River had his first trial September 6th. Currently Jean-Maria’s other active hobby is running with her dogs at agility classes 3 nights a week.

When asked what Heels and Hills means to her, Jean-Maria answers: “To me, Heels and Hills is about getting moving and being active. It doesn’t matter what size you are or where you are in your fitness journey, just start making one change at a time and put one foot in front of the other. That’s the best way I know to go from a couch potato size 24/26 to a fit size 16.”

Tracy comes from an athletic family but got into running in 2002. Tracy hopes to inspire more people to get and stay active and just be their best!

Tracy Joseph is 45 years old and originally from Peoria, IL but have lived in the DFW area since 1989. With a large family of 6 brothers and 2 sisters, most of her family was very athletic growing up. For the past 25 years, Tracy has worked in aviation maintenance, including her service in the US Air Force from 1984 to 1988 and then with companies General Dynamics, Delta Airlines, and NetJets Inc. since 1988.

Tracy started to run on a treadmill back in about 2002, purely for fitness. Tracy says “The very first time I got on the treadmill, I ran for .20 and nearly died. I didn't understand it because I was playing hardcore racquetball 4-5 times a week, weight training and also doing cross country mountain biking. I was in SHAPE for God's sake! At that point I decided to start running regularly to see just how far I could go. I was elated when I could finally run an entire mile nonstop. I eventually got up to around 10 miles, but had never run outside. A friend talked me into running in a race and that was it. I was hooked. I left the treadmill and didn't look back. Running, for me, is pure joy. By being a part of the Heels and Hills Running team, I have been given a great opportunity to help others discover that joy.”

Tracy says that she is most proud of her 2007 San Diego Rock & Roll Marathon finish because she trained solidly for 4 months and had a great race. She is a huge fan of geocaching and also enjoys mountain climbing, cycling, aviation, and computers. She has two wonderful dogs, Nik and Ben, who she adopted from the Italian Greyhound Rescue 5 years ago. Tracy says, “They're runners (like mom). These 2 make me smile each and every day.”

Tracy hopes to be an example and an inspiration to others, no matter what their fitness levels are. Tracy’s running goals don’t include going out and obliterating the competition; instead, she strives to go out and do her very best at each and every race because she has found that running her "own" race is most satisfying.

When asked what Heels and Hills and its visions means to her, Tracy tells us, “Everyone has to start somewhere. I want to be there to motivate, regardless of whether it's someone's first race or someone going for a PR. Heels and Hills is my opportunity to help others get active and stay active. In return, others in the group are motivating and inspiring me to be my best! It's a WIN/WIN deal for all involved! It doesn't matter how fast you go.... just that you GO!”

When Veronica dreams, she dreams big! After making a plan to complete a running event every month for one year to combat the negative effects of a recently diagnosed chronic illness, November 2009 will celebrate the accomplishment of that goal and with two half marathons completed in that time also! And she has many more awesome goals planned for 2010.

Veronica has been interested in running since her senior year of high school. For a few months, she started jogging with a walkman, but since she walked everywhere, she didn’t stick with it. In 2003, a co-worker introduced Veronica to sprint triathlons. This meant she needed to work on her running. She didn’t have a car until she graduated college, so she was used to walking. When she relocated to Texas, she met a half-marathoner and decided to put that on her goals list.

She would like to become a constant runner. Veronica says, “And I will confess: I’d rather lay on the couch! But there’s something about the outdoor paths and trails that gets one hooked. So I do miss it when I don’t get out there!”

Recently Veronica was diagnosed with a chronic illness. To combat the negative effects to her health, she decided to complete an event each month for one year. In November 2008, she completed the first one: DRC 5K, held as part of the Dallas Running Club Half Marathon, and ironically a race directed from 2005-2008 by Heels and Hills duo Paula Robertson and Libby Jones. To commemorate the anniversary, Veronica will complete the DRC Half Marathon at the same event this November 2009.

Veronica’s 2010 goals are two duathlons, two sprint triathlons, a few half marathons, and the pursuit of being a 10-minute miler.

When asked about what Heels and Hills means to her, she says “I believe in the Heels and Hills’ core vision of a positive “fun and unintimidating atmosphere” in the promotion of women’s fitness. Plus, I enjoy the attitude Heels and Hills brings to the running/walking community. I mention the organization and race events to a lot of beginners, especially those who have never done a race event.”

Courtney recognized the unhealthy lifestyle she was living back in 2005 and, after lots of hard work, has since completed many half marathons and strives everyday to live an active life!

Courtney made a life-changing commitment in the summer of 2005. She was overweight and in her early 50s and diagnosed with hypertension with an unacceptable cholesterol level. Courtney received an email from a radio station she listened to inviting her to a meeting sponsored by the American Stroke Association, and this meeting ended up being her first step towards a healthier lifestyle! She went home that day and told her husband Stan that she had signed up to train for a half marathon. Assuming her husband would want to have her committed, to her surprise, Stan supported her decision, telling her she could accomplish anything she set her mind to.

Courtney trained as a walker starting in August 2005 and completed her first half marathon at the 2006 P.F. Chang Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon five months later with her fellow Train To End Stroke buddies. It took her 3 hours, 26 minutes, and 3 seconds to cross the finish line. Courtney shares, “There are no words to describe the feeling of euphoria I experienced. I was hooked. It wasn’t about the time it took me to reach the finish line but that I finished.” The DFW American Heart Association presented her with the award for “Greatest Lifestyle Change” – as it turns out, Courtney says they had recognized before she did the beginning of the very long and healthy journey she had embarked on.

Since 2006, Courtney has completed two half marathons a year. In September 2009, she will participate in the 2009 Rock ‘n’ Roll Virginia Beach ½ Marathon with her son Michael and daughter-in-law Lana (both U.S. Navy CPOs), who will both be completing their first half marathon! The Heels and Hills and Him Half Marathon on September 27 will mark her second half marathon for the year 2009.

Courtney articulates her fitness philosophy: “I am not fast since I walk more than I run in the races I participate in, but I’m committed. I want to encourage everyone to purchase a pair of tennis shoes and get out there and walk/run for their health. I would love to tell you that I’m a mere shadow of myself since I began this journey but I can’t. I struggle almost every day with food choices and most every day I hop on my treadmill to train for the next race.

I have struggled with a weight problem all of my life. I need the races and the community of fellow walkers and runners. I need to set small goals (5 and 10Ks) as well as the larger goal of completing two half marathons a year. I guess you could say I’m a finish line junkie. I live for the feeling I get when I run across every finish line.”

Courtney met Heels and Hills Founder and President Paula Robertson at the Dallas White Rock Expo in 2006. With Paula’s encouragement Courtney signed up to participate in the inaugural Heels and Hills Half Marathon in May 2007. Courtney tells us, “I am proud to be a Heels &Hills founder. I want to thank Paula and Libby for their vision and passion for women’s fitness.”

Courtney works full time as a Human Resource Manager as well as an executive assistant to the President for a consulting firm in Dallas. In May of 2010, she will complete her 20th year of employment with the company. Courtney shares, “I really love my job and the people I work with. They are my extended family and huge supporters of mine.” Courtney’s other major hobby besides training is quilting – she has been an avid quilter for sixteen years. She and her husband Stan just celebrated their 29th wedding anniversary, and they have two sons, Mark and Michael, and six grandchildren: Jacob, Josh, Honor, River, Jaelyn and Catcher

After health problems and an unhealthy weight changed her perspective, Jamie made the commitment to get and stay active starting 7 years ago. She has turned that journey into a love for cooking and preparing healthy foods, a dedication to her exercise routine, numerous races under her belt, and a vigor for living life and motivating others to do the same!

Jamie Smith began her exercise journey on a serious basis eight years ago when she moved to Texas from Japan, after living in the Tokyo area for about 5 years and getting, her words, “kind of lazy about exercise.” She was 60 pounds heavier than she is now, an unhealthy weight, and one which did not leave her liking the size number on the clothing in her closet. After seeing herself in a photo one day, a change from the norm where she was typically the photographer, she gasped in shock.

So she started working out slowly, then moved onto Tae Bo tapes, walking, lifting weights and then working out at the local rec center and started running. While she had done some running before, it was never something serious. After starting out on a treadmill, she decided to trying running outside, and found she’d been bit by the running bug! Jamie entered her first 5K in The Colony 7 years ago and placed 4th in her age group. It was the Liberty by the Lake 5K and she runs that race every year now to see how her run compares to the previous year.

Jamie went from a size 16+ to the size 4 she is now, and she has continued to hone and improve her exercise and health routines. Jamie became a pescatarian in the meantime (vegetarian who eats fish and sometimes chicken) and loves to cook and experiment with her cooking. Jamie shares, “My mom being Japanese and a foodie, I learned from the best and love to show people that you can cook healthy and it still will taste fabulous!”

Jamie gushes, “I have the greatest 13 year old son on earth, whom we adopted when he was two weeks old while we were in Japan! His birth parents were 12 years old when he was born so he has a ton of energy and running and keeping in fit shape helps me to keep up with his abundant energy!” You will rarely see Jamie without her Livestrong bracelet; when her son was 3 months old, she was diagnosed with pre-cervical cancer and after numerous surgeries, she now is a wonderful example of what it is like to Livestrong! She saws she wears the bracelet “for both myself and others who inspire me to do more, be more and be the best that I can be, each day, every day.”

Jamie has completed 3 half marathons and numerous 5K, 10K and 15K runs. When asked what Heels and Hills means to her, she says, “I love Heels and Hills because their races were the first place where I got my first Master's Win and a PR at the same time...so it inspires me and each time I run, I run against myself and the athlete inside me that finally found her place across the finish line....and my goal is to run at least one full marathon. With the encouragement of Heels and Hills, I think I will easily make that goal!”

Jamie loves technology and gear (based on what she does for a living). She has an African pygmy Hedgehog named Mariel and a rescue shelter dog, part Chow and part Sheperd mix, named Hannah. Jamie jokes, “The only females other than me in the house are non-human!”

Jamie shares her secret: “Now that my closet has been the same size for several years, I know that the formula for being fit is simple. Exercise, eat right and be motivated and motivational to those around you…”

Brandie is a great example of someone who is taking charge of her life and learning the discipline to reach her goals step by step. After losing about 70 pounds in the last year, as a single mom to a 5 year old, Brandie is showing us all what putting a plan into place and making being active a daily part of your lifestyle can help you achieve. In the last year, Brandie has gone from completing her first 5K to completing her first half marathon at Heels and Hills and Him Half on September 27!

Brandie immediately starts her bio with the comment, “I’ve been overweight my whole life. Activity is very new to me as I grew up in a sedentary household with a single mom who was always gone. I have an older brother but he didn't live with us so for the most part, it was just me. I was active some, but not in any specific form, though I enjoyed what I did do. I'd get winded easily which made it tough to keep it up. Over the years, I started many diets, many workout programs, and failed to keep any of them going.”

With that history, when Brandie adopted her now 5 year old son as a single mom back in 2006, she knew that she did not want him to grow up like she did. She wanted to be an active family and live healthy lives. Major changes to your lifestyle can’t happen overnight – it took two years for Brandie to really start implementing changes. At the time she adopted her son, Brandie had joined an online mom’s message board called DFW Area Moms (DAM), where she met her now best friend and made many close friendships, which include Jennifer, her half marathon training partner and fellow Lucky 13 Team member!

In May 2008, Brandie was at her highest weight of 330 lbs. She and her best friend started a Losin Together blog to stay accountable to their weight loss goals, not knowing if it would work or how far it would take them. Brandie started using the Walk Away the Pounds DVDs and got excited as she completed 1 Mile, then 2 Miles, and finally 3 Miles! By September 2008, Brandie’s efforts were showing real changes, with a resulting weight loss of 60 pounds!

That was when Brandie tackled her first 5K, out there supporting another DAM mom whose sister had ovarian cancer, and finished in a time of 1 hour, 15 minutes. She was so proud of how far she had come. In November, Brandie’s weight loss continued to her lowest weight of 251 and she completed the Turkey Trot with a slightly better 5K time.

The holidays and first few months of 2009 were hard for Brandie and setbacks in managing her food led her to gain back about 40 pounds, back to 290 lbs. After cracking down, she has brought her weight back to 260 lbs. And then another DAM mom encouraged her to think about doing a half marathon with her. She was skeptical and didn’t believe it was possible. Brandie says, “I'm not a runner and I'm a SLOW walker.” Between Brandie and her training partner and fellow Lucky 13 Team member Jennifer, they researched and found a walking half marathon training plan that they thought would be a good fit for them and was an achievable plan. On May 23, Brandie completed a 5K on with a time of 58:25. She exclaims, “My goal had been to get under an hour and I did! This gave me the motivation to really say, this is possible. I might be crazy, but it’s possible.” The next day she and Jennifer started their half marathon training. Two months later, Brandie completed the Heels and Hills "A Dollar A K" 5K on July 26 with a time of 53:41. About the almost 5 minute improvement in her 5K time, Brandie says, “I honestly could not believe that my time would change that much in just two months. I'm currently registered for the H&H&H Half Marathon in September, and even though I never would have imagined it possible, its becoming more of a reality every day, I'm so excited about it!”

Long term, Brandie would like to start adding running to her now disciplined walking routine, but at this moment, she’s taking it one goal at a time. Brandie sums up her plans and her outlook: “This walking plan, along with the slow addition of mileage each week, has really shown me that I don't have to rush it, that ANY goal is doable as long as you keep taking the steps towards it. I've applied that to my whole life, as well as weight loss and training. If I miss a day of training, I don't stress over it, but I do get out there the next day I can, and give it my all. The important thing to me, is that my son is out there with me for all of it. He has been such a trooper riding in the stroller, and so far has gone up to 9 miles with us! He will not be in the half, but I want him at the finish line. I want him to see how much I love just getting out and moving. That you don't have to be graceful or skinny or brilliant to do it. And thats one thing that I have really come to love about Heels and Hills, and its founders. They've answered every question I had from day one, and have been so supportive! The first 5K I did with them was very non-threatening. It didn't matter who was first or who was last, it was an achievement just to cross the finish line. They accept me as I am, just as they accept the fastest runner and everyone in between. And I love that I am getting the opportunity to be part of an organization that cares.”

After losing almost 100 pounds in the last 3 years, Ali is a great example of the healthy benefits of making running part of your daily life and having fun while doing it!

Ali is a 24-year old portrait photographer from Bedford, TX, who is also graduating from school this year to become a teacher for young children. When she’s not running, she likes to play video games, write, read, play the guitar/sing, and hang out with friends. She also enjoys yoga, rock climbing, and all sorts of aerobics. Ali says that she is blessed to have very supportive parents, great friends, and her boyfriend Leroy, who comes to all of her races and often runs in them himself! She also has a dog named Scruffy who is a very sweet old West Highland White Terrier.

Ali began her journey towards a healthier, active lifestyle 3 years ago. At that time she weighed over 200 pounds and was completely sedentary. She began working out on the elliptical, lifting weights, and eating right, and then only added in some running a few times a week a little later. After she lost almost 100 pounds in all, Ali found herself without a fitness goal for the first time in years! That was when Ali decided to complete a half marathon. Since completing that first event this past Spring, she started running 5 to 6 days a week, every week, and now Ali says “suddenly running is as much a part of my day as brushing my teeth! This is why Heels and Hills is such a vital organization. When I see someone who is sedentary, I see myself in them. I know that they can become active and healthy because I did it. Heels and Hills, with their friendly, dedicated founders and affordable races, have the perfect start for anyone who's ready to take the first step. It's also fun for the experienced runner! I am honored to be a part of it.”

Looking forward, Ali has more big running goals ahead of her: “This year I was proud to run my first half marathon and set a great, under-2-hour time at my second one! I also ran a 25k and several 5k's and 15k's with Heels and Hills. In the next year, I hope to run at least two marathons and set another personal record at a half marathon. I would also like to try an ultra, even if I have to walk most of it! I intend to continue setting PR's and most importantly, I want to inspire others to become active.”

Last revised August 5, 2009