Jacqueline Hansen
What a good day!
It began with Joe Henderson letting me know that my book is now available at Amazon. (Linked to this website now.)
It was a beautiful, sunny and not-too-hot of a day under clear skies. President Diane Harrison’s Investiture was held at Cal-State University, Northridge. As a member of the Ad Hoc Committee on Athletics Engagement, and also a member of the President’s Intercollegiate Athletic Advisory Board, I was seated, as pictured here, with other athletic committee members and athletic department personnel. It was a wonderful gathering. The ceremony was exquisite and celebratory.
The day ended splendidly with the High-Performance USATF Track Meet at Occidental College. Hard to say what my favorite races were, since the meet was already narrowed to my favorite distances and there were so many great performances by some of the world’s best.
Here are results and photos: USATF High Performance Meet, 5-17-13 (Flotrack results) and also at: Runnerspace for photos
Today is Thursday, May 16th.The Boston Athletic Association announced today that all of the marathoners who could not finish this year’s race because of the bombings are invited to return for next year’s race. My friend Jeaney Garcia is one of those runners, and she is over-the-top excited to be included. We are starting her new training schedule right away.
It is also my friend Joan Benoit Samuelson’s birthday. How fitting. Completely coincidental, my book was published and released just today. Joanie wrote the foreward. I am the recipient of a fine gift. And yet it’s her birthday. Thank you Joanie!
Thank you, Joe Henderson, for pacing me to this publishing finish line, in what I’d say was a 2:30 marathon. Actually that comment originated with the co-author of our next book, Janet Heinonen. We three JH’s have lived a good deal of running history together, and we have stories to tell. Joe edited my book, coached and mentored me through the publishing process. He applied what another friend said was “tough love,” making me write every word myself. I had daily homework for months. I am already having withdrawal symptoms!
The print and e-book book is now available at Amazon.com (following soon at Barnes & Noble):
A Long Time Coming: Running through the women’s marathon revolution
224 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1484045220 (CreateSpace-Assigned)
ISBN-10: 148404522X
BISAC: Sports & Recreation / Running & Jogging
Women had to travel a long, hard road to equality in long-distance running. The 26.2-mile distance was the least of this effort. In the 1960s, when Jacqueline Hansen began running, the longest Olympic women’s race was 800 meters – less than half a mile. She grew up with the sport, running her first marathon in 1972, winning the Boston Marathon in 1973, then setting world records in 1974 (first sub-2:45 time for a woman) and 1975 (with the first sub-2:40). Her efforts for women’s running rights were just beginning then. Hansen became a crusader for this cause, and her work with the International Runners Committee helped convince sports officials to add the marathon to the Olympic program in 1984. The inaugural marathon champion, Joan Benoit Samuelson, writes in the Foreword: “How fitting it was that the first Olympic Marathon for women was run in Jacqueline’s hometown of Los Angeles. Her book tells the story of a true pioneer, who has lived the history of our sport and has helped make possible all that we runners do today.”
May 14th: New developments continue to surprise. The group of runners I encountered in Santa Monica soon after my return from Boston got in touch with me and invited me for dinner. This was the group I saw all wearing “Stay Epic” t-shirts, with “Nothing can keep us down. Boston 4-15-13″ on the back of the shirt. I now own my own shirt. And I met the original Epic Man.
The story is best told, by my host, in this blog. The Epic Man has quite the story of his own about running Boston – well, let’s just say it involved a lot more than running, but take a look for yourself:
What It’s All About | The Epic Man
Recalling the first tribute run I attended upon my return, the one at the Manhattan Beach Pier, a young man spoke of his uncle, a Redondo Beach man, who would be spending more than two months in a Boston Hospital. His name is John Odom and here is his update: John Odom Recovery Fund.
As for me, I’m still at six miles max, but enjoying my daily walks, and feeling healthy again. I am reasonably sure I will be able to say “book published” in perhaps less than two weeks.
May 3, 2013: I am mostly recovered from physical illness and back to walking as much as one-and-a-half hours at a time. Six miles down, and only twenty to go. I’m a coach; I can coach myself.
The mental and emotional part of health and wellness will take a little longer, maybe a lot longer, to recuperate. (Remember, I’m a health ed. teacher by trade at the moment.)
One good friend sent me this article from “The New Yorker,” by Haruki Murakami. It is a beautiful piece. Interestingly enough, another good friend left his book, “What I Talk About When I Talk About Running,” on my desk upon my return from Boston. I cannot wait to dive in and read his good work. (However, first, I had to finish my own small and humble piece, what with last-minute editing.)
I hope everyone will read his entire article, it is truly beautiful. A few things struck home with me:
“Emotional scars . . . In a sense, the real pain begins only after some time has passed,, after you’ve overcome the initial shock and things have begun to settle. . . “
“For me, it’s through running every single day, that I grieve for those whose lives were lost and for those who were injured on Boylston Street. This is the only personal message I can send them. I know it’s not much, but I hope that my voice gets through. I hope, too, that the Boston Marathon will recover from its wounds, and that those twenty-six miles will again seem beautiful, natural, free.”
Searching for words to express feelings about the experience have eluded me for the most part, but I found these words to send one of my dearest of friends there, just earlier today: “It was beyond description to be with you throughout Boston, the roller coaster of emotions in every sense. I hope your life and those of everyone involved in the tragedy will return to some sort of normalcy, with less drama, and that peace will prevail.” This is what I would like to say to everyone I know who was there. Also, I draw strength from the resiliency of the people of Boston.
Two videos to inspire:
B.A.A. Statement: Tom Grilk and Dave McGillivray
Boston Marathon Inspiration: Marathon Strong
Today is Monday, April 22, 2013
I am feeling very mixed emotions. For one, I am at home and very ill. I suppose it is the stress of traveling and the obvious mega-stress of the events of last week. I shared the moment of silence declared in Boston today. I ordered “Boston Stands as One” training shirts, as a reminder of our vow to return next year for me and my associate dean who wants to go with me.
I am enjoying somewhat celebrity status with interviews, and the recognition at last night’s department end-of-year dinner. I am pleased to be recognized and appreciated. I am humbled, however, by those less fortunate than I am at this moment. I wonder how to reach out and help those who are going to have a long road to recovery. I pray for those families who lost loved ones and others who have sustained substantial injuries. I am investigating appropriate charity funds and groups to refer friends to who want to help.
I am not training yet, but instead trying to recover from whatever ails me, and I feel worse than I have in years. But I will rebound.I love this photo of a banner that is hanging in Boston today:
Associate Dean, LMU-SOE, Kathy Ash with Jacqueline
Today, I am also pleased to have sent the final draft of my book off to the official proof-reader for final corrections before publishing. The time draws nearer. The title is appropriately “A Long Time Coming: Running through the women’s marathon revolution.”
From today’s school newspaper, the Loyolan: http://bit.ly/10a1WlM
Note: As of Saturday, April 28th, it is 11 months and 24 days until Boston Marathon 2014.
New Book
