This story is the second part in a four-part series about our Halfsy Hero Susan Swearer. Our series will follow Susan and three other heroes as they train for the 2017 Good Life Halfsy.
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“I will be running the Good Life Halfsy with two of my graduate students, Raul Palacios and Ana Damme. We are showing our support for the Empowerment Initiative, a nonprofit group that empowers youth and adults to end bullying. Since October is National Bullying Prevention Month, we are excited to bring awareness to bullying prevention through running.”
Susan is the chair of Lady Gaga’s Research Advisory Board for Born This Way Foundation, whose mission is to create a kinder and braver world.
Running in the name of such a noble cause keeps Susan focused, and while her speed is building slowly, she realizes this is a (half) marathon, not a sprint. “I wish the miles were coming faster, but my speed is building.”
And not by wishing it, but through a carefully calibrated and balanced fitness program.
“I tend to be an all or nothing person. In the past, my mistakes have been overuse, overdoing it. I’ve been cross training, taking one class every day to make sure I’m building in a really balanced way. I take yoga and body flow classes to make sure I’m balancing all of the running. I think it’s helped. I can really tell the difference!”
“The Good Life Halfsy has really given me the ability to prioritize training. It’s too easy to put it aside for later without a goal like this.”
And while she would love to put her injuries behind her, they are still part of every training session. “My right side just isn’t moving like it should. That’s where I got hit. I had to stand in the mirror to really see it.”
But Susan keeps her mission in mind and keeps reaching for that finish line.
Check back for more Halfsy Hero stories, and to read the next installment of Susan’s story.