Co-Founder &
Race Selection Director
Charlotte Simmons-Foster
I am Charlotte Simmons-Foster. I am a committed runner and contributor to the running and
fitness community. Being from a
diabetic family, my goal is to not become insulin dependent. When my father (1919-1999) was first diagnosed with diabetes, I was
trained to give him his insulin shots. I
remember vividly training on an orange. When
I left for college, my mother took over until my Dad got up the nerves to inject
himself with insulin. Shortly
thereafter, my mother was giving herself insulin shots.
I can remember opening the refrigerator and seeing bottles of insulin at
my parent’s house. Taking insulin shots is simply a way of life in my family.
My goal is to run away from diabetes as long and as hard as I can.
Because I have a double whammy, both parents insulin dependent, my
doctors continue to tell me that I cannot run away from genetics, but I am
determined to try.
Before becoming a runner, I was an avid bike rider.
I attended The High School of Charleston, in Charleston, SC where I was
introduced to running. When the school announced it would be starting a track team I
tried out. After training all
summer, when school resumed, future track hopefuls where told that there would
not be a track team due to lack of funding.
At Winthrop University I elected to be on the dance team instead of
joining the track team.
Upon graduating from college I accepted a position in
Atlanta, GA where I started riding my bike again. I learned very quickly that Atlanta, GA was not a bike
friendly town. At least not where I
lived. My roommate was an avid
runner and every now and then I would go out with her for a run.
Slowly, I started to enjoy running.
I really liked how I felt after an easy run. Early in my career I was having problems at work and started
running more and more just to clear my head.
Before I knew it, I was participating in local road races and developing
a love for running.
My employer relocated me to Dallas, TX.
I did not stay in Dallas long and did not really do much running there.
I was later relocated to Harrisburg, PA where I meet a group of
co-workers that ran during lunch. They
saw me running alone and invited me to join them.
We would meet everyday and run during our lunch hour.
I loved it and saved a lot of money by not going out to lunch.
We would participate in local races as well as travel to the Virginia and
DC area to participate in races. I
was amazed by the number of new runners that where inspired by us and joined us.
Nothing brings me more joy than to help someone derive a training plan
that fits their goals and schedule and to be at the finish line of their first
race to tell them “congratulations on a job well done”.
I had many memorable running experiences during this time
and meet a lot of wonderful people. Despite
the fact that Harrisburg gave me my only experience of running in snow, I could
not brave the winters so I relocated back to Atlanta, GA where I presently
reside.
Upon moving back to Atlanta, I was determined to join a
predominately African-American running club. I
want African-American kids to see people like them out running and having fun.
I want them to see that African-Americans are committed runners and they can become
committed to fitness and taking care of themselves as well.
Most of my “running” life, when I ran with groups I was usually the
only African-American runner. I told a
co-worker I wanted to join a predominately African-American running club and she told me
that she volunteered at the Sickle Cell foundation in Atlanta Georgia.
She said there was a running group that volunteered to put on a road race
for the foundation annually. She
gave me Iilonga’s phone number and Iilonga invited me to come out and run with
South Fulton Running Partners (www.sfrp.org).
From my initial visit with the Partners, I knew I had found my running
family. SFRP is a recreational, not
for profit running organization founded in 1979.
SFRP is the oldest African-American running club in United States and the originator
of the Sickle Cell Road Race. I
have been a member for 7 years and have been elected to serve as General
Coordinator for 2005.
I don’t have the exact count of races I have run, but I
have more than 47 race tee shirts.
I
have already made 1 king size quilt out of my race tee shirts and have quite a
few more race tee shirts. I plan to make a travel quilt with the tee shirts I
have left.
I wanted to do something different with running before the
new millennium so I set my goal to run a marathon. My first marathon was the Atlanta Marathon in November 1999.
I remember Iilonga (SFRP) not giving up on me during my training and Bob
(SFRP) meeting me at the half-way point and running with me to the finish line
where Iilonga was waiting for me to say “congratulations on a job well
done”. That’s my SFRP running
family. This was an experience I
will never forget and to Iilonga and Bob I will always be grateful.
After my first marathon I vowed never to run another
marathon. I am not a morning person
and you have to get up early to get in the distance. But after running several half marathons, I wanted a change and
went back to running marathons. The
half-marathon distance always leaves me wanting more. I
have come to love distance running and really do enjoy the excitement and
fellowship of marathon weekends. I now
have twelve marathons on my knees.
12. Callaway Gardens Marathon 2008 (Pine Mountain,
GA)
11. ING Georgia Marathon 2007 (Atlanta, GA)
10. Cleveland Marathon 2007 (Cleveland, OH
-
NBMA 2ND Year Event)
9. New Jersey Marathon 2006 (Long Branch, NJ - NBMA 3RD
Year Event)
8. Marine Corps Marathon 2005 (Washington, DC)
7. Lewis and Clark Marathon 2005 (St. Charles, MO -
NBMA Inaugural Event)
6. Knoxville Marathon 2005 (Knoxville, TN USA)
5. London Marathon 2005 (London, England United
Kingdom)
4. Chicago Marathon 2004 (Chicago, IL USA)
3. Dallas Trails Marathon 2003 (Dallas, TX USA)
2. Frank Maier Marathon 2002 (Juneau, AK)
1. Atlanta Marathon 1999 (Atlanta, GA)
When I meet Tony Reed at a BDPA conference in 2001 I was
impressed when he told me he had already run 40+ marathons and his goal was to
run 50 marathons before age 50. So
impressed, I told him to keep in touch with me so that I could run his 50th
marathon with him. Not only
did I run it with him, two other members of my SFRP family, Al Sr. and Laura
joined in the celebration. Tony is the
first African-American marathoner I know that completed 50 marathons before age fifty.
This was indeed a cause for celebration.
One of the most important things I have learned in running
is that there is a very thin line between passion and obsession.
Trust me, I have met them all and it gets scary sometimes.
I try very hard to stay on the passion side of running.
Taking it easy during the holidays yet keeping up my running year round. A
balanced life, spending time with my husband, family and friends, avoiding
diabetes and keeping it all in perspective are my ultimate fitness goals. I have
participated in several duathlons, long distance bike rids and I am training to
participate in my first triathlon this summer.
Hometown:
Charleston, SC
Current
Residence: Atlanta, GA
Running
Club Name, If Any: South Fulton Running Partners
Profession:
IT
Running
Background
