Why I'm Running
I don't have arthritis. I'm running because my best friend does.
I ran D1 in college and then did what a lot of former athletes do: stopped. I've been building back since the start of the year. The marathon has been the thing keeping me honest.
Before I knew her, I thought of arthritis the way most people do — something that happens to joints, mostly in older people, mostly manageable. That's not what rheumatoid arthritis is. RA is a chronic disease that runs in the background of everything: the injections, the planning ahead, the energy that goes toward managing pain instead of just living. You don't see it from the outside. You see it when you're close enough to notice the small adjustments someone makes, the things they've quietly stopped doing, the moments where you can help carry something without making it a big deal.
Most people don't think about what chronic illness actually takes from someone until they're watching it happen firsthand. I'm one of those people who didn't know. Now I do.
I'm running with Team Joints in Motion, the Arthritis Foundation's marathon program — funding research, patient support, and the long work of finding a cure.
Short for Arthritis
My dog's name is Arti. If you squint, it works out perfectly.
If you've made it this far, you probably know someone too.