After injuring my hip at the Peachtree Road Race in July, I pondered hanging up my running shoes for good, but Teri Hatcher might just be sending me an inspirational message. Teri, who turns 54 in December, is running her second marathon, the TCS New York City Marathon, on November 4th.
The actress ran her first NYC Marathon in 2014, with an impressive time of 5:06:42. She ran after she was contacted by Sean Penn’s J/P Haitian Relief Organization to help them fundraise. At the time, she told Women’s Running that once she was able to run without music, “I started to understand the meditative high that can come with running. It really does put you in touch with your mind, your breathing and your body.”
Back in 2014 Teri ran solo, but this time she’s making it a mother/daughter bonding experience, running alongside her 20-year-old daughter Emerson Tenney. This time Teri and Emerson are raising funds for Save the Children. Teri told People why she is teaming up with her daughter this time around, revealing:
“We have a really close great relationship, but I think that she would say, and I agree with this, that this is different than just going on a trip or spending time together. Something about the ups and downs of training for such a physical feat as a marathon — that sort of vulnerability, the adversity that you have to get through and pushing through walls together — and having that experience as a team; it’s just a bonding thing that you can’t really replace or have from any other experience. And I think we both wanted that together.”
Emerson shared that her main motivation for running the 26.2 mile course isn’t the physical achievement.
“I want to run the NYC marathon because I want to run it with my mom. I’m grateful that as I get older, we can share so many experiences together, and I’m lucky that my mom is such a badass that she’s able to inspire me and push me to try things outside of my comfort zone. At the end of the day, I think we inspire each other and that’s what the marathon is all about for me — celebrating mother-daughter relationships and the strength those relationships can give us to overcome obstacles.”
The two are training for the race under the guidance of TrainingMate founder (and gorgeous man) Luke Milton, who has them doing short to mid-length runs during the week interspersed with strength training and one longer run per week. Of course, they’re also maintaining a healthy diet. Teri confessed that both she and Emerson don’t really love running, but they do love the endorphin rush and the sense of accomplishment you feel when you’re done. I feel you, Teri.
I started running in my late 30s and have done a few races for charity – and I really admire Teri strapping on her sneakers for a good cause. By the way, if you want to run the NYC Marathon and do something good for others, there are still charity spots available via the race website. Trust me, if you can do it, I highly encourage it. You may be sore, but you can feel good knowing you helped someone in need.
Photos: WENN, Getty
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pLHLnpmirJOdxm%2BvzqZmbnFgbn5ye9OeqaKXmJbBpLTEq5aiq4%2Bnwq%2B6yKeemKCVp6y0scKopZ2XnZa%2FosDHqKWYmaSUgnWr06GgrJeknrqmq9aiq6GXmJq%2FoLDArp6hrJWnfA%3D%3D