2026 Chicago Marathon

Hi friends and family! 💗 I am coming to you today with exciting news and to ask for your help. I know this sounds wild but…. in 2026, I will be running in the Chicago Marathon as a part of Live Like Roo Foundation’s Team Roo. 

If you know me, you know how much of an important role that dogs (and the animal welfare organizations who help them) play in my life. Live Like Roo provides support and financial assistance to families whose pets have received a cancer diagnosis, primarily through assisting with vet bills, but also through sending care packages and providing moral/emotional support to families and pets in need. Their organization speaks so much to me on any given day, but more potently after the loss of our dog Buckley in May of this year. After numerous fights with cancer that he successfully overcame (and I mean numerous… he was a warrior, even if it meant losing a toe and gaining a few new scars), entering into his later years meant that his battles became too difficult. We said goodbye one night after particularly aggressive tumors in his groin and back legs severely deteriorated his quality of life. Buckley felt like the centerpiece and foundation to our family, and losing him felt (and still feels) insurmountable. I know that, though Live Like Roo could not have cured his cancer, the financial assistance and emotional support they could have provided would have meant the world to us. I would love nothing more for them to help other families who go through the same things. 

I know what you’re thinking - can you survive a marathon??? - and I totally get it. The good news is that I have a year to train, and at the halfway mark in April I’ll be running the St. Jude Rock N Roll Half Marathon as sort of a midterm exam, haha. I don’t post about it much, but I really can’t explain enough how much re-prioritizing movement over the last two and a half years has benefited me. Not just in the physical sense, which is a perk, but moreso in terms of my mental health and ability to keep my head afloat through life’s happenings. Things can be crazy sometimes behind the scenes, and I attribute a surprising amount of my ability to cope with the peace, clear-headedness, and community (and also good sleep) that moving my body gives me. I won’t be trying to qualify for Boston, but I think I can do it!

Here’s where you come in: Part of my commitment to running with Team Roo is to raise some funds to help them keep doing the amazing work they do. I am hoping to raise $2,200 between now and October 11th 2026 (the day of the marathon), and I need your help to do so! Whether it is $1 or $10, anything helps. I know times are tough right now, so please don’t feel pressured, but it would mean a lot to me and your donation will make a huge difference. I will run all 26.2 miles with the encouragement and love of the community behind me, and I know that will carry me far even when I am exhausted and feeling like throwing up at mile 20.

Thank you for reading this far and for even considering helping me towards my goal! I might post a few more times about this between now and October, so bear with me. Wish me luck, and if you see Moose and me running around the Warner parks, feel free to say hi! 💗