14 Team Urban Initiatives runners have been training hard since this past Spring for the 2016 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. We are excited to introduce you all the members of Team UI and learn a little about why they signed up to run 26.2 for thousands of UI kids across Chicago.
Who are you? Where are you from?
Gene Barrett. My hometown is Indianapolis, Indiana but I have also lived in the following cities: Omaha, Nebraska (2 years), Minneapolis, Minnesota (2 years), Bloomington, Indiana (4 years for undergrad @ Indiana University), Erie, Pennsylvania (1 year), Nairobi, Kenya (6 months), and Chicago, Illinois (2 years)
What is your favorite tune to listen to while running?
Daylight by Matt and Kim has consistently been on my running playlist for about a decade now.
How did you get involved with Urban Initiatives?
I was invited to an Urban Initiatives event by Jason Batliner as he is a member of the Associate Board. The event was a Friday afternoon scrimmage for 4 Work to Play schools and I was very impressed with the Urban Initiative staff’s organization and leadership. Since then I decided to join the Associate Board and have participated in many events with Urban Initiatives!
What has motivated you to run a marathon in general and what has motivated you to run for Urban Initiatives?
I was an athlete growing up and continue to enjoy running for recreation and exercise. The Chicago Marathon has been a bucket list item for me as a Chicago resident and the opportunity to run with the Urban Initiatives team and raise money for the organization has motivated me to sign up for the 2016 race.
What are some training challenges you’ve faced so far?
The summer tends to be a very busy season for me with vacations, Holidays, and other activities going on during the weekend. My biggest challenge has been blocking off the time to get out on the long runs. One way I’ve helped to make this easier is running half marathons with a few friends. By doing this I’ve broken down the training into different sections and have friends to share the journey / competition with!