Bombs and cancer can’t beat her

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Cancer survivor Kim Doherty is facing a new challenge in her life, the Philadelphia Marathon. Doherty seems almost surprised when describing the path that led her to marathon contention. Her trainer, Mike Bullinger, is not surprised at all having witnessed her determination.

Doherty’s first step to marathon running began when she saw a sign while driving south on Route 202. The sign said Slim and Fit. She stopped to see if this could be part of her 50th birthday commitment to fitness.

As a trained dietitian she wanted both diet and exercise to shape her fitness. She found one trainer for both. With her medical history, she also wanted the training to be personal, one to one. Doherty signed on.

Running was not part of the original plan. As Doherty’s fitness increased, running had more appeal. Training made a “humongous difference in my life.”

Her son encouraged her to run and ran with her on the first 5K run. She aimed to run 50 5K races in her 50th year. She actually achieved 53 runs that year.

A marathon is 46.195K. The distance, refined slightly over the centuries, is based on a fabled run of a messenger from the Battle of Marathon to Athens.

Doherty views herself as holding down two full time jobs. The day job is as director of human resources in the Brandywine School District in Delaware. Training is her second job with long runs on Saturday, short runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and workouts at least once a week.

Doherty ran her first a half marathon in 2012. According to Bullinger, it takes three years to train for a marathon.

Bullinger was injured in the first marathon he ran in Chicago. He attributes the injury to lack of proper training and preparation. “I was young and thought training was running 10 miles a day, every day.”

Since then Bullinger has run 14 marathons and has organized a plan for preparation. The plan uses specific exercises to increase strength in the hips, the core, and the shoulders. The last thirteen weeks the program goes into pushing stamina, balance and strength to the maximum.

The last three weeks, push turns to taper. Workouts maintain the gains of the push while creating stores of energy that will be required for the marathon. According to Bullinger after a half marathon you can run again after a week. After a marathon, “you shouldn’t run again for two weeks.”

Bullinger runs regularly with the Buckley Striders and Delaware Running Club. He and his running buddy Griffin can be seen along the back roads of Chadds Ford and Centerville. Doherty runs with the Jeff Galloway Running Group of Valley Forge.

“We runners are from all around the world, but we are a close knit group” according to Bullinger. “We have to run to show that we will not be deterred by terrorists. We are running in support of the runners in the Boston Marathon.”

Both Bullinger and Doherty are running in the Philadelphia Marathon with a little help from their friends. Their spouses will trek into Center City with them and stay overnight before the race. A group of twelve runners from their running clubs will go and support each other for the 2013 Philadelphia Marathon on Sunday Nov. 17.

Photo: Mike Bullinger and Kim Doherty stretch out under the supervision of Griffin Bullinger.

About Emily Myers

Emily Myers has lived and worked in Chadds Ford for over thirty five years.  She founded the parent company of Chadds Ford Live, Decision Design Research, Inc., in 1982.  ChaddsFordLive.com represents the confluence of Myers' long time, deep involvement in technology and community. Myers was a founding member of the Chadds Ford Business Association and currently serves on its board of directors.  Her hobbies include bridge, golf, photography and Tai Chi. She lives with her husband, Jim Lebedda, in Chadds Ford Township.

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