Gail Flaa (Sioux Falls, SD)

Name:  Gail Flaa  

Age: 40  

Hometown:  Sioux Falls, South Dakota  

Family:  Craig (husband), daughters (Lillie-6 yrs and Gracie 3 yrs) 

Education:  B. S. in Elementary Education and Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction (both from the University of South Dakota) 

Occupation:  first grade teacher (full-time) and group fitness instructor (part-time) 

Discipline:  running  (I would also like to start some cycling in the future) 

Goals for 2008:  Compete again in both the Fargo and the Sioux Falls half-marathons and try to improve my times. I’d like to take part (at least a day) in the Tour deKota.  I also want to continue instructing group fitness classes (mostly cycling and strength), as I LOVE to motivate people and help them feel better about themselves!

Story:  It’s difficult to know where to start, but here goes:

I’ve always LOVED to exercise, but had NEVER “competed” until last April when I ran my VERY FIRST 5K.  Then in May I followed it up with a 10K and a half-marathon.

 I taught a wide variety of group fitness classes from 1987 until 2002, but during that time NEVER enjoyed running.  I totally thrived on the “group exercise experience” and enjoyed motivating people.  I was probably a bit “too social” in my 20’s and 30’s( If you know what I mean) to ever be disciplined enough to really train.

  In 2001 my husband and I had our first child, and my life completely changed!  I pretty much quit doing anything I had done prior to Lillie (our daughter).  I continued teaching school full-time, but everything else came to a “halt” (instructing group fitness classes, shopping, socializing, etc.).  Let’s just say that I had “Perfect Mom Syndrome”.  For the most part I was happy.  I really did love being a mom.  Two years later Craig and I were expecting again.  Everything seemed to be going as planned until the 34^th week.  We went in for a regular appointment, and our Dr. couldn’t find our baby girl’s heartbeat.  To make a long story short, Olivia (our precious baby) had died.  I hadn’t been feeling the best, but “chalked it up” to just being busy with work and being 34 weeks pregnant.  I went through a 36 hour delivery, and even though that was absolutely the most tragic event in my life, our dear, sweet Olivia (who was lucky enough to be born into the kingdom of Heaven) probably saved me from self-destruction!  Somewhere along the line I had “lost myself “ and had forgotten “where I’d come from”.  I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, and reminded Craig of that every chance I could.  It never was an option for us, and I had always known that.  I also wanted a bigger house and “nicer things”.  Let’s just say that I thought EVERYONE had it better than I did.  It’s taken me a long time to realize that Olivia had a purpose during her short “life”.  She saved her mother and helps her daily to live a purposeful life to the best of her abilities!  She made me realize that the “nice things” in life have absolutely have nothing to do with more square footage in a home, being a stay-at-home mom, or a newly remodeled kitchen, but has EVERYTHING to do with having a husband who loves and supports me, having healthy and happy children, healthy parents,  a good job that allows me my summers off with my children, and many wonderful friends!

     We were blessed with another beautiful daughter less than a year later (Gracie Olivia), and there isn’t a day that goes by without a thought of Olivia.  She was, is and always will be a VERY special part of our lives!  Lillie and Gracie know all about Olivia because she is a part of us all, and they need to know how she shaped our lives for the better.  When we’re camping in the summer, and the girls see a star in the sky, they always say that the star is Olivia because she wanted to go camping with us!

    You’re probably all wondering what this “sob story” has to do with my training….. am I right?  Well, I truly don’t think I’d ever have started running if it hadn’t been for Olivia.  Honestly, the only reason I started running in the first place was to lose 10 more pounds.  Having 3 babies in 4 years tends to “take a toll” on the body.  Then take into account the fact that I had been exercising a couple hours a day 6 to 7 days a week prior to having children, and then just quit “cold turkey” after the first child was born. All the emotional “ups and downs” of having Lillie, losing Olivia, and then having Gracie (all 3 were also high-risk pregnancies) also wore on me.  I had 50 pounds to lose, and had lost 40 of it by doing cardio workouts on my own and joining Weight Watchers.  I wanted to lose 10 more pounds, and found I couldn’t do it.  That’s when I began running (even though I’ve always hated it).  The weight came off, I felt good about myself again and I also began instructing group fitness classes again.

     I officially decided to run my first half-marathon last March on my 40^th birthday.  I had been “secretly” training for about six weeks.  I didn’t want to tell anyone just in case I didn’t follow through!  It was a Saturday afternoon, and it was pouring rain outside, so I would be doing my running on a treadmill at my gym.  My training schedule had me running 6 miles that day.  I really didn’t think I could do it.  I remember finishing my run (boring….gotta love those IPODs) and thinking….I’m doing it!  That night at my birthday celebration, I announced to my family and friends that I was going to run a half marathon.  They couldn’t believe it!  I don’t think anyone doubted that I could, but they were very surprised just because I was a “self-proclaimed running HATER”!  Now I LOVE to run!  I know that Olivia is with me every step of the way.  Sometime when the going gets tough, I just remind myself of the most difficult event in my life (delivering Olivia), and everything gets put into perspective!  I know she’s in Heaven cheering for me every step of the way!  She gives me the strength to persevere!