Chip Gainescompleted his first marathon — but it wasn’t a pain-free experience.
In a post on theMagnolia blog, the formerFixer Upperstar detailed his “tough” experience running the first Silo District Marathon, a race he started with wife Joanna in 2018.
“Last year, I took on thefull marathonand after running those 26.2 miles, I was numb and literally had nothing left in me,” Gaines writes. “As I crossed the finish line, I was so out of gas that I could barely move, much less see the incredible things happening all around me.”
“I don’t think I had ever done something that grueling, that physically tough (and I mean TOUGH) my entire life,” he continues.
Magnolia
The idea for the Waco event came about a few years back when Gaines ran into a woman named Gabriele (Gabe), who was running in Central Park with her partner Justin, while visiting New York City for hisCapital Gainesbook tour.
He explains that he attempted to strike up a conversation with the couple, asking them “how long it would take for an out-of-shape guy like me to train for a marathon.” The couple were happy to chat and Gabe told Chip he could be a qualified runner in about 4 months.
Eventually, Gaines learned that Gabe also has a rare cancer called cystic carcinoma and had started a foundation calledBrave Like Gabewith a mission to support rare cancer research and “empower cancer survivors through physical activity.”
Meeting her “felt like a call to action.” So he went back home to Waco and started planning for the Silo District Marathon, now in its second year.
“We host this race because I believe when we do hard things together, we can accomplish the impossible!” Gaines writes in his new blog post. “Whether it’s to push our bodies further than we ever have before, or raise a boatload of money to help find a cure for this thief called cancer.”
This year, Gaines says a combined 6,000 people ran in the marathon, half-marathon and 5k races, and they raised over $300,000 for both a local cancer treatment center and the Brave Like Gabe foundation.
Chip Gaines running in the marathon.Joanna Gaines/Instagram
Signups for the third annualSilo District Marathonon April 26, 2020, are now open. “I’m asking you to come alongside me and take on this challenge,” Gaines writes. “Set your goal today and sign up for next year’s race! We’ve got something good going here, and if it’s up to Gabe… If it’s up to me… we’re just getting started!”
source: people.com
