Science teacher Kelly Nicholson lacked interest and passion in other sports while she was in high school, but she had a knack for running and has stuck with it for 32 years.

“All I can do is move forward,” Nicholson said.

She picked up running through track and cross country in high school and has run 10 marathons.

“I swore I’d never run another marathon after I went through my first one,” Nicholson said.

Nicholson ran with three of her friends and promised to stick together, but as the race progressed, one by one, they continued on without each other.

“One of my friends took a nap because he was so tired,” Nicholson said. “He just laid on the lawn and no one even checked if he was still alive. I thought running a marathon was so ridiculous that I vowed to never do it again, and I didn’t for the next 10 years.”

Having run three marathons in the past year, Nicholson clearly had a change of heart.
Nicholson has been part of San Jose Fit, a running and training club that meets at Los Gatos High every Saturday.

“The club can get you from sitting on a couch to running a marathon in six months,” Nicholson said.

I’ve seen it happen because now I’m one of the coaches, and I get to see the people every year who doubted themselves but eventually accomplished an entire marathon.”

The club trains for marathons at the end of the running season, and Nicholson had been avoiding this tradition for years. It wasn’t until one season that Nicholson made great friends, who shamed her into trying it again.

“I ended up doing pretty well on [the Silicon Valley Marathon],” Nicholson said. “My husband, who drove from one place to the next cheering me on, could not catch me. By the time he’d get out of his car I would already pass him. I was just having a really good day. I didn’t even realize it, but I had qualified for the Boston Marathon.”

In 2010, Nicholson participated in the Boston Marathon, which was her most memorable one.

“It was amazing,” Nicholson said. “It was Patriot’s Day, so it was as if the whole state can to watch because for 26 miles to and through Boston, there are at least five people deep cheering for you.
Also, there were little kids giving out oranges and otter pops.”

Running has shaped Nicholson’s lifestyle. She comes from a long line of heavy-set women with heart disease, and running has helped her stay thin and healthy.

“I don’t eat really well,” Nicholson said, ”but I have to watch what I eat so I won’t feel crummy when I run. It keeps my diet honest.”

Also, Nicholson’s mood has improved as a result of exercising.

“I have good workouts when I’m irritated,” Nicholson said. “I run my stress out.”
Nicholson keeps a tight schedule by running five to six miles three times a week, and 10 to 20 miles on the weekend with her club.

Even though she runs so much, the “best part about running is stopping.”

Another benefit to running is that it can be done anywhere. Nicholson even brings her running shoes on vacation.

“I get to see things people normally don’t get to see,” Nicholson said. “When I went to Maui this past summer, I ran across the Haleakala Volcano, which was 10,000 feet up. I passed only about two people the entire time; I felt like I owned that volcano.”

Nicholson ran in New York City on a cold winter morning and watched the city wake up. Also, she ran 11 miles around Venice, seeing all the little back alleys, streets and vendors others would not have found. In London, she ran to the Tower Bridge and along the river.

Nicholson’s motivation to continue running is to prepare for the next race she signs up for. She is currently training for the Big Sur Half Marathon in April.

Running has been such an enormous part of Nicholson’s life that she cannot imagine ever stopping.

She plans to run for “as long as [her] body will hold out.” Until then, she will be training for upcoming marathons and touring the world with a different perspective.
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