Theresa Myers Collage

Meet another member of the American Heart Association’s Minnesota Run with Heart team: Theresa Myers!

Age

35

Hometown/Current City

Hometown Blooming Prairie – Current City Kasson

Number of Marathons

One.

Favorite Race Completed

Grandma’s Marathon 2012 – I ran it with my brother who is an expert marathoner. Best experience of my life, despite the slow time. I was just grateful to have finished it and to have my brother’s support until the very end. He ran alongside me for over 5 hours when he could have finished around 3 if he’d been on his own.

Favorite Location To Train

The bike path around Kasson. Quiet, beautiful scenery. Although I have run around the 3-M campus in St. Paul a couple of times, and that was fun.

Favorite Running Pump-Up Song

The truth?  “Cryin’ Like A B_ _ch!” by Godsmack.   

My Running Secret

Intervals on hills one day/wk.

Biggest Motivation for Long Runs

Thinking about the last 400 meter stretch the whole time and how good it feels to finish! 

How has heart disease touched you?

Anyone who knows me knows how close I was to my great grandmother.  She delivered me in the back seat of a car during the mad rush to the hospital.  After that experience she became a midwife and always called me her soul mate.  She passed away 8 years ago due to complications of her heart failure that could have been prevented if she’d had the education.  After that realization I started to notice how prevalent high blood pressure and diabetes, and recently stroke, is in my family.  Heart disease isn’t talked about enough and it’s struck way too many lovely people in my life.

Why is running important to you?

Running is important for my mental health and, of course, my physical health.  I eat and sleep better when I run, and find that I’m just generally in better spirits.

Motivated? Inspired? Please support Theresa’s goal with a donation to the AHA!