name: Bonnie Barczykowski
Year: 58
home town: New York, New York
Profession: CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA
Time elapsed: 19 years
Reason for doing this: I love how running impacts me mentally, physically and emotionally. I love running alone and with others. On most Saturdays, I go for long runs with my twin sister and/or my daughter. It's a great time to catch up with each other and quickly log the miles.
As a child, I never played any sports, except for a little soccer in middle school. I often joked that I only ran if a bear was chasing me, and even then it depended on the size of the bear. As I approached 40, my husband said, “It would be fun if we ran a half marathon together.” I reluctantly agreed.
I didn't have any running gear, so I was able to figure out the distance of my runs by recording the miles as I drove the same route. He often tells the story of how, after a few weeks of running and walking training, he came home delighted to have run from his local school to his neighborhood without walking or stopping. I was so proud, only to realize much later that it was less than a quarter mile.
Soon after, I crossed the finish line of my first race, signed up for another, and have been running ever since – for 19 years. I ran my first half marathon using Jeff Galloway's beginner training schedule.
Over the years afterwards, I ran two half marathons in the spring and two in the fall, along with numerous 5K and 10K races in between.
In the first few years, when my kids were young, I did most of my running locally. As the years went on, I combined my love of traveling with my love of running. Some of my favorite US races include the Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon and Nashville Rock n Roll.
In 2018 I joined the Seven Continents Club and have run half marathons in Australia, Iceland, Patagonia, Antarctica and many across the U.S. I plan to run through Africa and Asia in 2025 and 2026. If all goes according to plan, I will have completed seven continents by the time I'm 60.
After completing over 70 half marathons, I decided to train for a full marathon and have completed eight full marathons since the fall of 2019.
A friend of mine told me that she sets three goals each year: a personal goal, a professional goal, and a health goal. I decided to do the same. This habit has helped me achieve so many good things in my life, like getting my MBA, becoming a business owner, and saying yes when my husband asked me to train for my first half marathon many years ago.
In 2012, I joined Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri as COO and then CEO. I am now honored to serve as the National CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA. Running plays an important role in my professional life because training for a race requires strategy, discipline, and accountability, just as leading an organization does. Some of my best ideas come during long runs. I expect my team to look at me in shock when I run 20 miles, and perhaps wonder what idea I'm coming back with.
I want every Girl Scout to find what they enjoy most that will best benefit their mental, physical and emotional health. Many Girl Scout councils sponsor their own runs and walks, and it's great to see girls become interested in running through these events.
Now I run three to four times a week, cross train two days a week and rest one day, and as soon as I finish one training schedule I move straight onto the next.
Running has changed my life. The people I've met, the goals I've achieved, the places I've seen – all of this was possible because of one simple question: “Wouldn't it be fun if we ran a half marathon together?” I know that running has made me stronger physically, mentally and emotionally.
These tips have made my running journey a success.
1. Run just one mile
This habit has helped me many times when I just don't feel like going outside – especially when it's too hot, too cold, too windy, too hilly, too late at night, too early in the morning, etc. Just tell yourself, “I can run a mile!” And very rarely, you can only run a mile.
2. Track your runs
Even though there are a ton of great apps out there, I still print out my running schedule and highlight each run I complete because the feeling of accomplishment motivates me the next day.
3. Support yourself
Positive self-talk is important. Whether it was your best run/race or not, embrace the fact that you participated. I love the “Be Proud, You Are Here” signs you see at races. And if you fall off schedule, don't give up until next week, month, or race. Just start again the next day.
4. It's never too late
Finally, there is no time limit on when you can start. Pick your distance and find a training plan. There are a lot of great training schedules and great training groups out there. Do your research, pick the one that suits you, and just get started.
Emily Schiffer has been a writer for over 10 years, covering everything from health and wellness to entertainment and celebrity. success, Men's Healthand Prevention Magazine. Her freelance writing career includes: Women's Health, Runner's World, peopleEmily graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in Magazine Journalism and a minor in Music from the Medill School of Journalism. She currently lives in Charleston, South Carolina and enjoys teaching ballet, surfing, and long walks on the beach with her miniature dachshund, Gertrude.