By Don Lowe
During her high school years in the late1980s and early 1990s, Seneca, Missouri, lifelong resident Kim Friend is the first to admit she wasn’t an athletically gifted girl and didn’t participate in any Lady Indians team-oriented programs.
A lack of athleticism didn’t deter Kim from making the decision to run almost two decades later as a way of focusing on better health and helping her get in shape.
“I was never athletic in school,” Kim says. “I never did any sports. As a young adult, I did start working out moderately but never ran.
“After having our second child, I found myself letting life’s demands take over and had stopped working out altogether for a few years. One day, on a whim, I decided to go for a run. I ran a very short distance and could barely make it back.
”Although Kim might have been frustrated, there was no giving up. She says, “That (barely running a short distance) fueled a fire in me. I was determined to run. At that time, I had not set a distance I wanted to conquer.“Running was just something I could do without equipment, and it didn’t require a gym membership. I could just go run whenever it was convenient for my schedule. All I had to do was step out the door.
So, I ran early mornings before my family was out of bed. That’s what worked for me.
”The decision to run 15 years ago worked out quite well for Kim and she says, “I’ve been running since 2009. I started with 5Ks (3.1 miles) and10Ks (6.2 miles), then ran my first half marathon (13.1 miles) in 2012and my first marathon (26.2 miles) in 2013.
”When it comes to running, Kim says, “It requires discipline,commitment and consistency. If you have those things, you can dotomorrow or next week or next month what you can’t do today. Andthat is what makes it so rewarding.”
Kim understands that fitting runs into an already busy schedule and doing so consistently is tough. “The biggest challenge, I think, for most people is the time commitment, especially when training for long distances. It does require a lot of time.
“But you don’t have to run marathons to be a runner. I think people get caught up in other people’s stories and think to themselves, ‘I can’t do that.’ Do what you can do, and you’ll be amazed where it gets you. Make your own story.”
Regardless of each individual story, Kim recognizes what it takes to become an accomplished runner is the same for everyone and says, “The key to success is simply putting in the work and knowing you will have bad days and bad runs, but not letting that stop you.“I still have runs that are extremely hard. I also stay more consistent when I am signed up for a race, because I know if I don’t put in the work for the race, I won’t be ready to go on race day.
Running buddies are a huge encouragement as well. “I run about four days a week. The distance depends on what race I’m training for at the time.”
When it comes to her preference as far as lengths of various events that she has competed in over the years, Kim says, “The half marathon is my favorite distance to run. It’s a challenging distance for me, but not so much thatI can’t enjoy the entire run.
”The competitive side of this sport might provide incentive to perform at a high level, but there’s more to it than that for Kim. “Running is beneficial in so many ways (physical, mental and spiritual). “I don’t think everyone needs to run. But I do think everyone needs to find an exercise that works for them.
Running is not just a physical benefit for me. I almost never run without being reminded of how grateful I am for my health.
”It’s not about winning and losing for Kim, and she says, “Many times I pray while I’m running. SometimesI listen to a podcast. SometimesI run with a smile on my face and thank God for His blessings. I know that sounds cliché but it’s true. I’m blessed with health, and I don’t want to waste it.”
Kim Friend Fast Facts:
Age:52years old
Husband: Lance, married for 33 years.
Children: Daughters Brooklyn and Brittain, and Brooklyn’s husband, Alex.
Hometown:Seneca, Missouri
High School AlmaMater/YearGraduated:SenecaHigh School, 1991.
Professional Career:Cosmetologist inSeneca for 33 years.
Hobbies:Running.Also loves serving in her church. She and her husband attend James River Church and serve there together.
Race History:“All my races have been local. My first 5K was in Seneca, it was a race to raise money for cancer. My first half marathon and marathon were the Mother Road out of Joplin. I have run several Bass Pro halfs and fulls. I ran a full marathon in Cotter (Arkansas) called the White River Marathon.”Favorite Races: “I have run several halfs inBentonville (Arkansas),and that’s probably my favorite. It’s just a pretty place to run with great people.”Fastest Times:24:27(5K), 1:54 (half marathon)and 2:04 (full marathon)