Why I Run: Sheri Piers

Running is a way of life for marathoner, wife, mother and nurse practitioner Sheri Piers. At age 40, the Maine native was the first American to cross the finish line at the 2012 Boston Marathon with a blazing time of 2:41.

“Running is stress relief for me. It’s a place I can go alone or with a group of friends to clear my head. Sometimes all it takes is a 15-minute run to set the tone for the day.”

“I live on a golf course in Falmouth, and, when the weather is nice, I run on the cart paths early in the morning. Kristin Barry, my running partner, makes any run more fun. We train well together and talk about everything.”

“In my gym bag, I store Trident Peppermint gum (blue is my running club’s color) and my lucky race socks. They have so many holes in them that I have to put them on very carefully. Those socks are washed separately from the rest of the laundry, plus stored in their own special bag.”

“I transitioned to marathons because the pain and suffering of a short race is just too intense for me. I know it sounds crazy, but I get more nervous before a 5k than I do before a marathon.”

“I always have pancakes before a race—whether I go to a restaurant, order them from room service or make them at home. While I run, I chew gum. I have this system down where I take out my gum, eat my gel and pop my gum back in without losing a step.”

“My favorite piece of gear is a Nike watch that’s been discontinued. I’ve stockpiled a couple and guard them closely. My kids know they cannot borrow them!”