Sunday was a tough day to be running, as high winds swept through the Santa Barbara County South Coast.
But Stephanie Cleere pressed on in her quest of finishing the SCSB Breathe Free marathon through town.
She did the run — titled by the intials of her name and home town— to bring awareness to the lung disease COPD, and to complete a virtual USA Women’s Marathon.
The run, slated in Palm Desert, was switched to a virtual event because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cleere, whose mother passed away from COPD in April, started and finished the run on her street. At the finish, she ran through a toilet paper finish line, and was greeted by neighbors and friends. Her time was 4 hours and 5 minutes.
“The wind was a serious factor, nearly blowing me over a couple of times,” she said Monday. “My lungs were strong and my legs were too, but my calves and feet did start to cramp up a bit — more potassium needed next time.
“I had to walk a bit after mile 21 and scooped my friend at 22. She was a great help to me, and motivated me to do what I needed to do, even if we did walk a bit. The end was a little harder than I thought it would be with the hill on Las Positas. I had a good pace throughout.”
Cleere, a sommelier and the wine director/manager at the restaurant Convivo at the Santa Barbara Inn, received support along a course she mapped out on the app MapMyRun.
“I had a team of about 15 people, situated along the way,” she said. “They are my friends, my trainer Alex (Ramirez), colleagues and even a couple that come to Convivo. I have to give them so much credit for showing up and for the amazing support. They are a great team. One of my friends even rode his motorcycle along side of me and cheered me on.”
Cleere said she’s already thinking about her next challenge and planning stages for “#SCSB Breathe Free.”
— Noozhawk sports editor Barry Punzal can be reached at bpunzal@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk Sports on Twitter: @NoozhawkSports. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.