Meet Club Member: Nita Sweeney

Nita Sweeney(HF4789) – My journey to becoming Half Fanatic #4789 began while I was sitting on the sofa. There may have been bon bons.

When a high school friend posted on social media “Call me crazy, but this running is getting to be fun!” I thought we should do a wellness check. But she lived in Florida and I was glued to the couch. Instead, I watched her progress. She appeared to be enjoying herself while I felt miserable. At 49, I was overweight, chronically depressed, grief-stricken, unmotivated, and desperate. I’d tried nearly everything as evidenced by the dust-covered, mini-trampoline and various other abandoned equipment in the basement as well as the unused gym membership card in my purse. I was also in therapy, on meds, meditated, had friends, a loving husband, and a dog. But I had never seriously considered running.

I got brave when our central Ohio winter turned to spring. After I leashed up our yellow Labrador retriever, Morgan, as a decoy, I pulled on trail shoes (the only thing close to sneakers I owned) and carried a digital timer down into a hidden ravine so the neighbors (who weren’t even home) wouldn’t see me try to run at my age, size, slowness, etc. My plan was to “jog” for sixty seconds as the training plan my friend had followed instructed. I hit the timer and—surprise—didn’t die!

I made the mistake of telling my sister I’d taken up running. She suggested we participate in a charity 5k. Appalled at the thought of running anywhere but my safe neighborhood, I told her, “No way! I’m a private runner.” But the race supported sarcoma cancer research. My sister’s only daughter, my niece, Jamey, had died from osteosarcoma. After some deep reflection, I got over myself and did the race.

What a fabulous surprise! Not all runners wear spandex. Participants came in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Some brought children and dogs! The music and laughter made the event feel like a party. I was hooked.

This began a journey beyond anything I could have imagined. As the months passed and I continued to run, I lost weight, my depression lifted enough that I could reduce the many medications I had been on, and I felt stronger than I had in decades. I joined a local running group, Marathoner in Training, and completed my first half marathon. No one warned me that I’d actually joined a fellowship. My running companions are simply the best!

In addition to emotional and physical progress, my professional life improved. After many failed attempts with other books, I was able to complete a book manuscript and find a publisher. Depression Hates a Moving Target: How Running with My Dog Brought Me Back from the Brink hit bookstore shelves in May of 2019. Stamina built through long-distance running made this possible.

At the spaghetti dinner the night before the Ohio River Road Runners Club Marathon, my fourth half, a man at the table explained that he was using the race to level up to “the Sun” as part of the Half Fanatics group. Intrigued, I joined right away, earned Uranus status, and claimed my number.

I’m also one of those 50-staters. In October, I checked off state number 26 with the Savannah River Half in North Augusta, South Carolina.

My husband, Ed, and I enjoy planning trips around a combination of museums he wants to visit, conferences he wants to attend, and races. After the New Orleans Rock n’ Roll half, we visited the World War II museum. After Little Rock, we toured the Clinton Presidential Library. We saw both Bush Presidential libraries in Texas and attended a convention in Austin before I ran the Fort Worth Half. To finish visiting all of the existing presidential libraries, we saw the Truman and Eisenhower libraries before and after I completed four Mainly Marathon halfs in five days.

To date, I’ve finished three ultra marathons, three full marathons, thirty-nine half marathons, and more than 100 shorter races. I’m not a Marathon Maniac, yet, but, stay tuned!

Photo and Post Credit Marathon Maniacs Newsletter & Nita Sweeney