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Fairport, N.Y. —
Julie DeLorenzo and Tracy Majczak like to do things side-by-side. Both are teachers at Dudley Elementary in Fairport and have first-grade classrooms right next to each other. So when DeLorenzo decided to run a marathon, it seemed logical for her to recruit her colleague and best friend to come along.
Neither had run a full marathon (26.2 miles) before.
“It was the hardest thing we’ve ever done,” said Majczak, of Victor.
With the daunting task ahead of them, they started to work up to their goal in small steps. Together, they started training in the spring of 2011 to prepare for the Rochester Half Marathon in September.
Then in January, they doubled their distance by running the Walt Disney World Marathon. In their classrooms, the runners counted down the days and months left until the big run and kept their student families updated on their training. This also gave them the opportunity to teach their students about the benefits of perseverance.
“We’d tell them that things are difficult in life, but if you push yourself, you can do anything,” said Majczak.
For nine months, they stuck to a careful diet and a strict running routine, which meant many hours away from their families on evenings and weekends. But when the temptation of quitting crept into their minds, they weren’t alone.
“Having each other to lean on was great,” said DeLorenzo.
Support didn’t just come from each other, but from those around them.
“Throughout the nine months we felt like God was looking down on us with our loved ones and our families, and all our students and their parents,” said DeLorenzo. “We could never have gotten through it alone.”
The day of the race finally arrived on Sunday, Jan. 8. With butterflies in their stomachs, the pair arrived at the park at 5:30 a.m. Then they were off, and ran their way through four Disney theme parks. As they ran, they saw more than a few runners hit the ground with injuries or sickness. Although more than 15,000 people started the race, just 13,500 finished.
By 11 in the morning, it was all over. Both women said they crossed the finish line feeling “invincible.” When they returned to their classes that week, they were welcomed by hugs from their students who greeted their teachers with banners.
Now that it’s over, it might be a while before they run another marathon, they say.
“We’re still enjoying the moment,” said Majczak with a smile.
Julie DeLorenzo and Tracy Majczak like to do things side-by-side. Both are teachers at Dudley Elementary in Fairport and have first-grade classrooms right next to each other. So when DeLorenzo decided to run a marathon, it seemed logical for her to recruit her colleague and best friend to come along.
Neither had run a full marathon (26.2 miles) before.
“It was the hardest thing we’ve ever done,” said Majczak, of Victor.
With the daunting task ahead of them, they started to work up to their goal in small steps. Together, they started training in the spring of 2011 to prepare for the Rochester Half Marathon in September.
Then in January, they doubled their distance by running the Walt Disney World Marathon. In their classrooms, the runners counted down the days and months left until the big run and kept their student families updated on their training. This also gave them the opportunity to teach their students about the benefits of perseverance.
“We’d tell them that things are difficult in life, but if you push yourself, you can do anything,” said Majczak.
For nine months, they stuck to a careful diet and a strict running routine, which meant many hours away from their families on evenings and weekends. But when the temptation of quitting crept into their minds, they weren’t alone.
“Having each other to lean on was great,” said DeLorenzo.
Support didn’t just come from each other, but from those around them.
“Throughout the nine months we felt like God was looking down on us with our loved ones and our families, and all our students and their parents,” said DeLorenzo. “We could never have gotten through it alone.”
The day of the race finally arrived on Sunday, Jan. 8. With butterflies in their stomachs, the pair arrived at the park at 5:30 a.m. Then they were off, and ran their way through four Disney theme parks. As they ran, they saw more than a few runners hit the ground with injuries or sickness. Although more than 15,000 people started the race, just 13,500 finished.
By 11 in the morning, it was all over. Both women said they crossed the finish line feeling “invincible.” When they returned to their classes that week, they were welcomed by hugs from their students who greeted their teachers with banners.
Now that it’s over, it might be a while before they run another marathon, they say.
“We’re still enjoying the moment,” said Majczak with a smile.
