Our speaker for April 5 - Sherrie Ferger
We had a very inspiring presentation from Sherrie Ferger about her being a first time marathoner at age 61 years old. Sherrie completed the Los Angeles Marathon on March 27, 2012, in just under eight hours!
In December 2007, Sherrie fell and fractured her pelvic bone. During her recovery, she decided it was time to change her lifestyle to improve her health. She knew there was a history of diabetes and other illnesses in her family and she was determined not to join their ranks.Sherrie started on a weight watchers program and began exercising. She does a lot of fitness walking, but she enjoys participating in Zumba classes even more. Zumba is an aerobic dance class featuring Latin dance moves like the salsa, the meringue, etc. Overall, Sherrie went from a size 14 to a size 8.
Sherrie’s first run was a 5k at Summer Fest. She was determined to finish it in less than an hour and not be the last person across the finish line. Sherrie succeeded. She finished the race in 59 minutes and 52 seconds, and one person, a man in his 90s, finished after her. She has since participated in several races in preparation for the marathon. Her longest practice session was 20 miles before the 26.2 mile marathon.
On the day of the marathon, she arrived at Dodgers Stadium a little after 6:00 a.m. Sherrie was happy to be at least an hour early so that she did not feel rushed. In addition, the bathroom lines were the longest she has ever seen.
During the race, Sherrie enjoyed the sites along the route, although there was no time for shopping on Rodeo Drive. By about mile 18, she began questioning whether she really wanted to finish. Sherrie rallied and finished the race, motivated partly by all of the supporters along the route. Sherrie’s husband greeted her at the finish line, like he has at so many other races. She is incredibly thankful for her husband’s support.
Sherrie recommended several books in case you are also considering a marathon, including, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Marathon Training. Sherrie also found the following websites very helpful: marathonwalking.com, active.com, insidetrackventura.com, mapmywalk.com, and venturazumba.com.
Sherrie encouraged all of us, telling us that we can do anything we set our mind on. As Nike so famously touted, Just Do It.
Thank you Sherrie for sharing your journey and success!
Deborah A. Perkins
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