Now let me tell you, I am not a runner. I run to stay in shape, and enjoy the workout, but 13.1 miles was never a distance I thought I could finish. In fact, I probably wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for Enza Youkilis, wife of Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis.
Enza is training for the Boston Marathon, and has invited me to run with her when I have a chance. She is running the marathon on behalf of Youk’s Kids, the charity she and her husband started to help children in New England and Cincinnati, Kevin’s hometown.
Enza grew up in the Boston area, but has never run a marathon. But you wouldn’t be able to tell, seeing her run now. She finished the half-marathon in Fort Myers in a pretty swift time of 1 hour, 51 minutes. That is a pace of about 8:47 a mile. To compare, I finished in 2 hours and 5 minutes, a pace of about a minute more per mile.
The charity work that many of the Red Sox wives do is really remarkable, but Enza is going above and beyond. Running a half-marathon was difficult enough for me. She is going to double that, and all to help give back to the community she grew up in.
To donate to Enza and Kevin’s cause, go to Youk’s
Kids.
