Rhody Run finisher feels like winner just for racing

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Port Townsend's Miranda Maxwell finished third overall in the women's 12K race of this year's Rhody Run, but the single mother of two kids considers it a victory that she even made it to the starting line.

Not only has Maxwell been kept busy raising her daughters, aged 3 and 2 years old, but she also hadn't raced in an event for 13 years prior to the May 20 Rhody Run

“During that time, I survived heart surgery, after it was found I had two holes in my heart,” said Maxwell, whose back-to-back pregnancies in 2015 and 2016 were both high-risk C-sections. “And last year, my two young daughters and I were homeless for three months, due largely to the housing crisis and lack of affordability in the area.”

One of Maxwell's motivations to take on the challenge of the Rhody Run was because she believed she might inspire others facing their own struggles with life.

“I wanted to thank all the local Port Townsend people that smile or wave as I run with my daughters in their double jogging stroller each week,” Maxwell said, “and as a way to represent all the local organizations that have helped me and my children. We have no family here, so the people of Port Townsend are like family to me.”

 

HISTORY OF TRAINING

Prior to her heart issues, Maxwell had a history as an endurance athlete dating back to her preteen years.

“Running was my main sport,” said Maxwell, who ran track in high school in New York, and both track and cross-country in Florida and Colorado. “I was part of Olympic-level training with the U.S. road cycling and rowing teams. Endurance sports have been the main fabric of my life, and played an integral part in helping me through a lot of life's adversities.”

Maxwell relied largely on the muscle memory she'd honed to get her back on track after so many years away.

“The only training I had leading up to the Rhody Run was about a month of sporadic walks and runs with my two daughters in their jogging stroller,” Maxwell said. “As a single parent to very young children and no other family in the area, the only way I can get any sort of running in is if I push my kids in their stroller.”

Maxwell admitted this detracted from her proper running form.

“Since I hadn't done any formal competition in 13 years, the Rhody Run was a real challenge from a psychology standpoint as well,” Maxwell said.

 

ALWAYS ON ALERT

Finding ways to calm her nerves proved even more difficult given her careful medical regiment since the onset of her heart problems in 2006.

“These past two years alone, I've had three echocardiograms, several trips to the ER and even a couple of 911 calls, due to irregular heart rhythms and associated side effects,” Maxwell said. “If I ever feel out of sorts or physically unwell, I convey this to my medical providers and take as many steps as I can to avoid unnecessary risks.”

Maxwell lamented that this has limited her from pushing herself as hard as she would otherwise, but she advised anyone looking to follow in her footsteps to be just as careful with their own health.

“I've had commercial airlines turn around mid-flight because I've had heart rhythm disturbances,” Maxwell said. “I've been on world-class hikes and had to turn around, miles into the hike, because my heart issues start flaring up. But at the end of the day, I try to stay as active and healthy as possible. I feel incredibly grateful I can even run at all, let alone compete in an event like the Rhody Run.”

Maxwell thanked her former cardiologist and heart surgeon, Dr. John Rhodes, for helping her balance her congenital heart conditions with her ongoing athletic aspirations.

 

GIVING AND RECEIVING INSPIRATION

“I'm just a person who's struggling to get through life, like so many others in this world,” Maxwell said, “but with the right mindset of determination, perseverance and faith in God, people can accomplish great things.”

The simple gestures of greeting and kindness Maxwell has received while running in Port Townsend have done so much to lift her spirits.

“People have no idea that, since the birth of my youngest daughter, I've had more than 10 MRIs, nearly as many ultrasounds, and sometimes weekly trips to Seattle, to medical specialists at the University of Washington and Swedish Hospital since late 2016,” Maxwell said. “The day after the Rhody Run, I actually had to leave for Seattle at 5 a.m. to go to the UW medical center. So, while the other competitors were resting and recuperating, I was dealing with hours of medical tests on limited recovery time.”

Not only do those friendly hellos bolster Maxwell's mood, but community groups such as Dove House, the Calvary Community Church, OlyCAP, the Presbyterian Church of Port Townsend, the Kiwanis and many more have lent Maxwell and her children aid that she deemed invaluable.

“Even as a small town, we have the Jefferson Healthcare Hospital, that can meet a lot of medical needs locally,” Maxwell said. “Some smaller towns don't have this sort of resource, so I'm glad I was able to participate in the 40th Anniversary of an event for which Jefferson Healthcare serves as the primary sponsor.”