X

In a perfect world, Brandi Parker would be hitting the home stretch of training for her dream race.

But reality is the coronavirus pandemic has turned worlds upside down in a matter of weeks.

Parker’s included.

The speech language pathologist from Kingfisher achieved a major goal last September when she ran a qualifying time for this year’s Boston Marathon.

One of six World Major Marathons, the Boston Marathon was set to be run April 20.

“I would just be beginning my taper until the marathon,” Parker said, “meaning I would gradually be decreasing my weekly mileage until the race.”

Instead, Parker’s finding it tough to find the motivation to put her feet on the pavement.

That’s because there is no race in three weeks.

The Boston Marathon was postponed earlier this month and won’t be contested until Sept. 14.

“I was honestly devastated,” said Parker, who had already put in 11 weeks of training when the postponement was announced.

“I was in the peak of running higher mileage.”

But she’s had to put that training on hold until late May when she will, again, put her body through four months of rigors to run the best 26.2 miles possible.

Parker said some runners will opt to continue training and run a solo or virtual marathon on the originally-scheduled date.

Not her.

“First and foremost, marathon training, and the marathon itself, is very taxing on the body,” she said. “I don’t see any reason to continue to put my body through that when, in a sense, I will have nothing to show for it.”

Second, she said, while she doesn’t dislike the training part of prepping for a race, it’s the payoff of the race itself that fuels her.

“I’m definitely known as a ‘race addict,’” she admits.

“I feel, at this time, it will benefit me more to pull back on the intensity of training mileage, while continuing to maintain fitness and speed.”

The postponement of the race opened up another set of issues for which Parker has to find solutions.

“I felt a lot of anxiety with all the changes and decisions coming my way,” she said. “I knew I was going to have to hange travel plans, change y training schedule, change y work schedule, among everal other small things that had already planned around he marathon.”

Parker used a third-party service to book her flights and hotel room for later this month.

Trying to get those reservations refunded has been a challenge.

“I have been unable to reach the company through which my travel was booked. hey are refusing to take calls rom anyone not traveling n the next seven days,” she aid. “It’s frustrating to say he least.”

Just before the pandemic ews began to hit its peak, arker attempted to put her rustrations aside and run the kie Half Marathon in midarch in Muskogee.

“This was probably the least mentally prepared I’ve ver been for a race,” Parker aid. “I was experiencing so uch anxiety and unknowns with future outcomes.”

The weather didn’t help. n top of the cool temperaures, there were thundertorms in the area.

“I was not feeling positive bout the outcome,” she said.

In her hotel room the night before, Parker, as always, said pre-race prayer.

“I just completely gave it to Him because I had no energy left to put towards it,” Parker said.

Going into the race, Parker had a plan.

When the gun sounded, he completely scrapped it.

“I ran hard and fast when could and slower when I eeded to,” she said. “I just wanted to get it over as quickly as possible.”

Although she no longer had a set plan, Parker did have goal. If she ran under 1 hour, 7 minutes, she’d have a qualfying time to be accepted into he New York City Marathon.

“With my pacing being o up and down in the race, I wasn’t exactly sure how close I would be to that time goal until I was about three miles from the finish,” Parker said.

“I just gave it all I had at that point.”

She crossed the finish line n 1:35.48.

She won the women’s division, set a huge personal ecord and qualified for NYC .

“I can’t remember ever being brought to the ground n tears the way I was at that inish line,” she said. “So any emotions flooded me.

I honestly couldn’t believe it.”

The race junkie was once again reminded why she laces up her shoes.

“We race to push ourselves to our limits, mentally and physically, in hopes of exceedng our own expectations,” he said. “Races can bring out ur best and worst, but you will always come out stronger with either outcome.”

Parker tries to keep all that n mind as she goes through her current tribulations.

One is the timing of the oston Marathon.

The date puts it just four weeks in front of the Chicago Marathon, yet another World Major Marathon for which Parker had qualified.

“I was looking forward to the Chicago Marathon because it’s a flat and fast course,” Parker said. “However, it is EXTREMELY difficult to run two marathons that close together. There isn’t enough recovery time between for me to expect to do as well as I had hoped in Chicago.”

If possible, Parker still plans to run both races “and just pray for the best.”

The problems brought on by the pandemic don’t just affect Parker’s hobby, but her livelihood.

Parker works for multiple schools on a contract basis, meaning she’s not an employee. While teachers will still be paid during the school shutdown, Parker doesn’t necessarily fall under that category.

While some schools are doing their best to work with her, “I have basically lost half my income,” she said.

“This is financially devastating for me,” Parker said. “While I’ve been through many struggles in life, this is definitely one of the most difficult times I’ve endured.”

Running has often been her therapy, but even that hasn’t been a cure of late.

“While I can still go out and run, I’ve struggled to do it,” Parker admitted.

She knows she’s not alone.

People are being laid off, businesses are struggling and entire industries face uncertain futures both locally and nationwide.

“I don’t believe my problems are worse than anyone else’s,” she said. “We just only know what we are experiencing for ourselves.”

While dealing with the weight of problems both personally and professionally, Parker is still able to see the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel.

She’s healthy.

She has her family.

They’re healthy.

There are prospects for temporary employment to help her fill her lost income gap.

And, even when it’s tough, she still has her running. She’s less than two months away from once again being able to prepare for the Boston Marathon.

“That is more than most,” she said. “I just pray that God’s plan is fulfilled and that we all come out of this better than we were before.”