We often find inspiration in the most surprising places and people. For State College native Liz Roberts, it came in the form of running.
I’ve known Liz since high school when she was Liz Houtz. She was a majorette; I was a cheerleader. I remember her infectious smile and that she was truly one of those girls who was nice to everyone. I lost touch with her after high school but with the advent of social media have been able to reconnect with her and many others from our high school class.
I had not seen Liz for a few years but noted that she started posting pictures of herself on Facebook at marathons. Not just one marathon. Not just two or three or 10. Liz Roberts, Class of 1978, mother, business professional and novice runner, set a goal for herself. She wants to run a marathon in all 50 states.
This past Saturday, she finished No. 37 by running a marathon in Seattle. She can now check the state of Washington off the list. If all goes as planned, she will finish No. 50 in Richmond, Va., next November.
A self-described “band geek” in high school, Liz explains that “I was probably the least athletic person that you would ever meet.” The person who claims she was “always the last one to get picked in gym class” has run 37 marathons and is still going.
She told me in a recent phone call that she finds inspiration in travel and meeting new people. I find inspiration in Liz Roberts.
After high school and a brief start at Penn State, she completed training in the travel industry and enjoyed many years working in a field that fueled her passion for travel. She ended up in California as owner-manager of a restaurant but eventually landed in her current position in corporate insurance. Liz started walking for exercise when she was in her mid-40s.
“After walking for so long, I started to get bored. I read up on it and started the walk-run training program and set a goal to run my first marathon.” When she told a friend that she signed up for her first marathon on Catalina Island, she got a blank stare. That marathon, noted for its difficult terrain and difficult trails, remains one of the more challenging races that Liz has run. “It was tough, but I lived,” she said. That race sparked what would become her life purpose, at least for the time being.
After running five marathons in five different states, she made the decision to take on the 50 in 50 states challenge.
With her daughter finishing a Ph.D. at and relocating to Oklahoma, Liz made the decision to move to Texas where the cost of living and “central location” afforded her easier access to travel. Running, she says, gives her love for travel a purpose. “It is really not about running. I’m not fast and I will never win. It is about setting the goal and accomplishing the goal. The places I go, the travel and the people that I get to meet make it even more special.”
A member of the Dallas Running Club, Liz is also an official Marathon Maniac. After running three races in a 90-day time span, marathoners are eligible to join a club called Marathon Maniacs. The group has more than 14,000 members. Liz says she wears a Marathon Maniacs shirt to most races and through that connection can immediately find friends. The running community, however, is noted to be one that welcomes and supports each other.
“Each run seems to open up a new purpose,” she said. She shared the story about running one marathon which promised to be a pretty easy challenge – quiet, not many elevation changes and a smaller group. She met a gentleman who seemed to be struggling early on. She learned he was running his first race. “I don’t think I’m going to make this,” he said. His knees were bothering him and he was losing his focus. Liz ended up pacing the race with him and helping him get through. At the finish line, there was a crowd of young people waiting for her co-racer. It turned out he was a professor and a large group of his students were at the finish to cheer him on. After crossing the finish line, he gave Liz a big hug and said “You are my angel.”
It is interactions like those that keep her running.
“I have learned so much and met so many people,” she said. “From experiencing the beauty of the mountains of Utah to running on an Indian reservation in Nevada, I have seen and learned so many things.” She shared that “the best piece of advice that I received was from a man I met in San Antonio. He started running at age 56. When I met him, he was 72 and had 1,800 marathons under his belt. He reminded me to make sure to look beyond the trees to see the forest – to take in the whole experience.”
Among her favorite races was the State College marathon, where her parents, who are still local, were her support team and met her to cheer her on at every station. They, too, have caught the travel bug. They and daughter Kelsey accompanied her to Hawaii and her family will be there in June when she runs in Alaska.
Like several others (including, reportedly, one of her daughter’s professors), I asked Liz about the rumored runner’s addiction. Is that what is driving her?
“I don’t think so,” she said. “Running is almost secondary. For me it’s about setting a goal, and the accomplishment and sense of completion of meeting that goal. Who knows what will come next?”
For Liz Roberts, the journey — 37 and counting — is the experience.
