My name is Jill and I am a distance runner, I often joke that it takes me 3 miles just to warm up. I live with my husband, our daughter and our boxer dog, JadeTheBoxer. Professionally I am a web worker, my official title is “Director of Web Services”. I’ll decline to say specifically where I work on the blog. I am certified as a running coach with the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) and coached 4 seasons for Team Challenge, the endurance fundraising branch of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America. (Stopped when I got pregnant.)
I started blogging in 2001 with a personal blog. I started this site in 2008 to share my passion for running and health with others and it has evolved into my main online presence. I love testing new running, fitness and health products and often write reviews of them on this site. (Some products are sent to me by the company, some are things I’ve purchased myself.)
I am also in recovery from an eating disorder, Anorexia Nervosa restricting sub-type with compensatory exercise compulsion and perfectionism. I look forward to the day where I can say that I am fully recovered, as well as a day when the world stops judging health by numbers (scales, sizes, measurements, etc.) and starts recognizing that health is essentially an optimal expression of the genetic hand we’ve been dealt.
Running
Shortly after my 29th birthday I made a list of “Things to do Before I turned 30”. Finishing a marathon was one of those items. Five months later, in January 2008, I completed the P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in Phoenix, AZ. My mom and I both did the marathon, it was awesome to experience something of that magnitude with someone so important to me!
Finishing the marathon was an empowering, exciting and life-altering achievement. I went straight across the finish line into the medical tent for knee issues. I hurt and was delirious from lack of food at the end. I didn’t train very smart, but within moments I knew I wanted to do another marathon. I knew that if I was going to do this again (and again and again), I had to learn how to train properly and take care of myself the right way. I also knew that I wanted to do something really meaningful in life, to feel like I was giving back in some way.
On May 15, 2008 I attended a Team in Training meeting. At the end of the meeting, I signed up and committed to train for and run the San Antonio Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in addition to raising $3500 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. On November 16, 2008 I ran the full marathon in San Antonio, having exceeded my fundraising goal. I got sick during the marathon, but I finished (in a much better time than my first marathon) feeling pretty good overall. But I knew I had more to learn about this sport.
In January 2009 I earned my first DNF for a race. I fell 6.7 miles into the P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon. I ripped my hands to shreds, but also split open my chin and had to get stitches. That was a rough moment, but it’s also been a good learning experience for me. Even though I am pretty strong, I am not invincible and everybody needs to learn how to take it easy on themselves at times.
In the summer of 2009 I earned my coaching certification from the Road Runners Club of America and I have coached for Fleet Feet Las Vegas and Team Challenge. I love helping others learn to love running!
Eating Disorders
I have struggled with body image and disordered eating for many years with a brief diet pill flirtation in college, but in 2005 I moved to a new city where I was alone a lot while my husband worked long hours at a new job and I sat in my home, telecommuting for my job, thus I didn’t know how to meet new people. I kept a lot of burdens close to my heart, not sharing with anyone else. That sent me into a dark depression, and the only thing I knew how to control was my food intake. I started restricting my calories to an extreme in the name of “health” and spending lots of time at the gym or finding different ways to burn calories. I was exhausted, yet would spend time spinning my legs on the elliptical machine like a zombie, numb to the world and my feelings and my body. I had tumbled headfirst into a full-on eating disorder.
I got smaller and smaller, yet people praised me. The sad thing is that behind my back they would say things about how unhealthy I looked. Yet when I started to train for my first marathon, something clicked inside that told me I was embarking on a new path and needed to fuel myself… a little more. It wasn’t enough… I was still obsessed with keeping my intake pretty low. I gained a little weight to be able to cover the distance, but not enough to be healthy overall. After that first race I was inspired to “fix myself”… so I gained back a little more weight while running more and more. I completed another marathon and trained for my third, all while still being pretty dangerously underweight.
The DNF was particularly difficult. I found that I was really blue after that, falling back into more extreme restricting and my mood was very dark. At the encouragement of family and friends, I sought help… checking into an Intensive Outpatient Program for eating disorders. I spent 10 weeks in that program, working to correct my disordered eating and body weight as well as resolving all the underlying emotional troubles.
I have learned a lot of tools for coping with my inner demons and I’ve made a lot of progress. I have more work to do, recovery is a long process and can take years (and years and years) to accomplish. I’m up to the challenge though!
Jill Will Run 
Run Jill Run!!! And beat JACK while doing it!!!!
While googling teamintrainingsa your website was one of the first options. Seeing your name I had to take a peak. RNRSA is my first marathon and am nervous but excited. Good luck on your training/fundraising. I will look for you at practice!!!
GO TEAM!!!
Jill Brady
Jill – I’m not in SA’s Team In Traning, I’m participating with Southern Nevada. But I’ll be cheering for every other TNT group on the course when I see them (if they’re not all way in front of me). Maybe I’ll get to cheer for you too!
Wow! you’re soo inspirational! i hope i can be as good as a runner as you- i think i overtrained for a long time- so like i had to stop for a long time and couldn’t run (my knees- i got runner’s knee…like bad- it just flared up) i’m trying to get back into running again (first building up 3 continous miles (i just break them up to let my knees rest) but hearing and reading your story is getting me out there and not discouraged- does it just take time to build up your endurance to run a marathon? i would love to do one in my lifetime as well!
Jill, read your comment on our Action Wipes in the “fitness for mommies” blog. I think you could really use them too. Send me an email to discuss.
Jill – Have a great product for your next contest! -K
thanks for the nice comments on my blog, i see you ran the full rnr phoenix, i did the half this year, and i want to run san antonio too. you picked some awesome races!
i was googling (is that a word?) sights to find songs with 150 bpm and one of them had a link to your blog which i had to check out given the name! it’s awesome and is officially a toolbar favorite.
I’ve heard great things from everyone who has been a part of Team in Training. best of look in all your endeavors!
Hi Jill!
It was great “meeting” you on Monday at the Coach’s certification. Wish we would have had more time to talk! I’m looking forward to reading more on your blog!
HI Jill-
I just stumbled upon your blog from the top jogging blogs list- looks like both of our bogs are on it.
You have great stuff on your blog! I love Team in Training too! I’m on a hiatus from the organization now, but spent five years running and mentoring with them. I even met my husband through TNT. 🙂
Best of luck with your running and your blog!
Abbey Algiers
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I came into your blog on accident, and I’m glad I did…thank you for sharing your story!!!
Hi Jill,
This story is beyond inspirational, and it’s amazing to see that your love of running and your desire to achieve your goals of running marathons, and being healthy and happy, were enough to motivate you to take action.
you’re such a strong, determined woman;
congratulations on your amazing achievements! don’t give up, there’s so much life out there after an eating disorder 🙂
I’m a passionate runner, and my past disordered eating behaviours have left me weaker than I should be, and as a result, I’ve obtained stress fractures.
this has been my wake up call to get healthy and strong once and for all so I can run marathons one day!
🙂
Thank you for reaching out! Good luck on improving your own health, the world definitely encourages disordered eating more than it encourages healthy behaviors! (Although, it pretends that the disordered messages are “healthy”!)
As a fellow “gal in recovery,” I agree. So much of what is spoken and broadcast and written uses the word “healthy” to mean “fits the current ideal for body type.” Earlier this year, I started to run (ok..who am i kidding, i jog) after having more than a year pass since I left residential treatment. I am taking a cool class and jogging with new friends as we build up to a half marathon. One question: how do you balance increasing distances and the resulting increasing energy needs with those historical ED thoughts?
Some days are a lot harder than others, as ED thoughts still come on strong from time to time. But through recovery I’ve learned a lot of tools (opposite action, distracting, etc.) to try and get away from those thoughts. And I try to remind myself of WHY I need the fuel/energy. Sometimes remembering the science is powerful enough to help. But I admit, there are days where I have a REALLY REALLY REALLY hard time pulling myself out of that.
I’m so happy I came upon your blog! Thank you for sharing your story. I am in recovery from an eating disorder right now as well while running competitively. I look forward to following your blog posts!
You already achieved my huge goal: Running a Marathon! Look fwd to reading more tips from you!
I’ve struggled with many of the same challenges, and find inspiration in your words. I hope to better myself everyday like you, and find that healthy balance between food, fitness and overall happiness. Best wishes to you, and thanks for sharing your story!
Jill…. I only followed you on instagram and fb, never found the blog…
I feel horrible, (I’m your cousin, a RUNNER too) but also excited that in the dreary 2020 winter I found your blog!!
When my kids are at their dads I load in miles.
Tonight on the trail I told a friend my cousin had a running blog.
(I ran 20.5 miles, everyone else stopped at 10)… I have the crazy running gene.
More later, but expect to see random comments from your cousin, Runner, mom, science teacher, .. and so much more 💕💕💕
I would love to get comments from you on here! I’m terrible at promoting my blog and I’m also terrible at posting on it these days. Years ago I was super prolific, but then as my kiddo got bigger and work got busier, I felt like I had no spare time to post. But I also can’t bring myself to give it up entirely either. So I’m just limping along with my old-school early 2000’s style of blogging! 🙂