Warsaw resident Sherry Miner will use her love of running to participate in the Chicago Marathon in October.
Miner, 46, is the lead barista at Owen’s Starbucks in Warsaw. She is married to Jeff, and they have a son, Craig, 16.
Miner said she has been into running the last couple of years, and running the marathon has been on her bucket list.
The 26.2-mile marathon is Oct. 9. The route begins in Grant Park, goes through the downtown and neighborhoods, and ends in the park.
“It’s one of the top 10 marathons people put on their bucket list. I did my first marathon in October,” Miner said. “I can’t wait. I’m so excited.”
Her first marathon was in Grand Rapids, Mich., and it was 26.2 miles.
She had to fill out an application online to participate in this year’s Chicago marathon and her name was drawn. Miner was one of 45,000 runners selected to participate in the marathon.
She will attend the rally with her husband and son cheering her on.
“It’s one of the largest marathons in the country,” Miner said.
Miner is on a 20-week training program and is in week 16. She runs 10 to 25 miles per week.
She said her next goal is to run the marathon at Disney World, where runners run through all the parks.
She said she has done 5Ks in Winona Lake that are 3.1 miles and has built up through training. She also has done the Fort For Fitness 10K, which is 6.2 miles in Fort Wayne in the fall.
She has done the Indianapolis Mini Marathon the past three years in May, which is 13.1 miles.
“You have to set your mind to it and do it. I work full time, but I have my training program and I go out and do it,” Miner said.
“I find running very relaxing and calming. I can have the worst day, but I can go out and run and its’s all gone.”
She said her goal at the Chicago Marathon is to beat her previous marathon time. Her time was 5 hours, 26 minutes at the marathon in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Miner’s husband said he is proud of his wife. “I ride my bike along behind her when she is training,” Jeff said.
Miner has a tattoo on her left foot that says “One Step At A Time” and has the mileage of marathons she has completed including 26.2, 13.1 and 6.2.
