From the Detroit Free Press
Kristen Jordan Shamus
Published August 22, 2015

Something motivates each of us to pound the pavement week after week, training through even the hottest summer days, through rain and aches and pains, to prepare for the Detroit Free Press/Talmer Bank Marathon and other events.

Undoubtedly what gets us off the couch falls into one of these categories: a drive to be healthier and stronger, to achieve a goal, to raise money for an important cause, or to honor someone special.

Names: Jason and Megan Warzecha
Ages: 35 and 32, respectively
Hometown: Detroit

Jason and Megan Warzecha of Detroit train together for the Detroit Free Press/Talmer Bank International Half Marathon with a run along the Detroit River. (Photo: Jason Warzecha)

Jason Warzecha still has a hard time considering himself a runner — even though he has competed in four half marathons and is in training for a fifth.

But his wife, Megan, says his denials are disproved by his laundry heap.

“I tell him his pile of smelly running clothes would say otherwise,” she said, laughing. “We’ve run every race together except one.”

They pace together, though Megan sometimes kicks in at the end of an event with a little more speed, Jason said.

For him, running with a partner matters. Jason has Type 1 diabetes, and Megan can sometimes pick up on signs his sugar is off before he does.

“That’s why it’s been great doing this with Megan and having somebody that knows me,” said Jason, who is the director of operations at the Detroit Opera House. “It’s one of those things where you might not recognize how you’re feeling because of the activity that you’re doing. But having a partner, having Megan with me, has helped me to pick up on those sensations a little bit more.”

He carries sports beans and gel blocks for mid-run fuel to keep his sugar levels stable.

Since he’s been running, Jason says his health has improved. His sugar levels are more controlled, and he hasn’t had a diabetic emergency in more than two years.

“He has overcome a lot of obstacles in order to run, but he has gained so much from it,” said Megan, an elementary school music teacher. And she has, too. Among the gifts has been finding camaraderie in the Detroit running community.

“These are people I feel like I’m part of a family with, and so does Jason,” Megan said. “You have to find your community. The second you realize you’ve got people supporting you, and people you can commiserate and celebrate with who understand you, you can get past a lot of stuff that sucks. That’s what’s so cool.

“People have good heart in Detroit.”

Megan’s words of advice: “Know what your motivation is, and take it one step at a time. Remind yourself that you’re doing it because some part of you loves it. Whatever it is that’s motivating you … there should be love there.”

Jason’s words of advice: “Start out slow. When I started, I was only doing a mile, mile and a half. Then, a month later, I was up to 3 miles. Then a couple weeks later, 5 and 6. No one is going to expect you to run a half or a full marathon the first time you get out there. … It’s just taking those steps and having a support team — whether it’s your family, whether it’s a friend, a training coach, or a support group like Breakthrough T1D. You can’t be afraid to just ask for help. It’s amazing what you can do when that support team is there with you.”

One more thing: Jason and Megan are fund-raising for Breakthrough T1D, a national research organization working to find a cure for Type 1 diabetes.

“When you love someone, you want to do everything possible to help them,” Megan wrote in an e-mail. “I can’t cure diabetes, but I can fund-raise for Breakthrough T1D…. I can continue to help fund their ground-breaking research and put my faith in their doctors.”

To learn more, donate to the cause or join Team JRDF in the U.S. Half Marathon or 5K, click here!