For Veronica Laureano, running is a source of self-confidence and self-esteem.
“That’s my gas, my energy to do everything,” she said. “When I’m running, I feel different. I feel the power to do anything, to face anything.”
Running helped her meet new people when she moved from Mexico City, where she grew up, to Chicago. It’s given her the confidence to race as an elite runner in the Christie Clinic Illinois Half Marathon on Saturday.
Laureano began running her senior year in high school, when she joined the track team. She fell in love with it, but she gave it up after moving to Chicago with her husband. She didn’t know many people, was unfamiliar with places to run and had a language barrier as a Spanish speaker. She also had a child.
She said she felt something was missing without running in her life, so a year after her daughter was born, she began walking and then running again. She met other runners who invited her to community runs, and she began competing in races. Laureano became friends with a woman she often ran against in races, and the woman invited her to join Windrunners, an all-female racing team in Chicago.
Windrunners team members must qualify by running at a certain pace and commit to participating in workouts and community events. Laureano said she was hesitant at first, both because English is not her first language and because she wasn’t sure she could run fast with the other team members. But running with the team boosted her confidence. She said she wanted to run as an elite but wasn’t sure she was capable of it until she started running with the team.
“It’s encouragement to get better and feel like anything is possible,” Laureano said. “It’s amazing how the support we have for each other can motivate other women to run.”
Windrunners has a coach and training program. Laureano trains six days a week, including two days of speedwork and a strength class. She runs a variety of distances from the 5K to the marathon.
To prepare for the Illinois Half Marathon, Laureano has been running 35-40 miles per week. She’s one of four Windrunners team members who will be running the half-marathon. Laureano has run a personal best of 1:24:47 for the distance, but because she’s been dealing with some tightness in her leg after last fall’s Chicago Marathon, she hopes to run 1:27-1:28.
In addition to the race, Laureano and her family will explore the University of Illinois campus and the town, using the weekend as a college visit for her daughter, who has been accepted to the UI.
