GILROY
– Julie Rowley loves animals and she loves running.
Earlier this year, while at the local Petco store, the
sixth-grade teacher at Gilroy’s Ascension Solorsano Middle School
came up with a great way to combine both her passions. The
30-year-old decided to raise money for the San Martin Animal
Shelter by running in the San Francisco Marathon on Aug. 1.
GILROY – Julie Rowley loves animals and she loves running.
Earlier this year, while at the local Petco store, the sixth-grade teacher at Gilroy’s Ascension Solorsano Middle School came up with a great way to combine both her passions. The 30-year-old decided to raise money for the San Martin Animal Shelter by running in the San Francisco Marathon on Aug. 1.
“I had actually visited one of the (pet) adoption fairs at Petco,” she said. “I wanted to do something for the community to help animals that don’t have a voice of their own.”
Rowley’s original goal was to raise $1,000 for the shelter by participating in the strenuous 26.2-mile course through San Francisco.
But as word got out, donations ranging from $5 to $500 raised that sum to its current level of $2,500.
And then …
“Six weeks ago, I found out I was pregnant,” Rowley said with a chuckle.
Rowley teaches intervention reading to kids with reading skills below grade level. She always tells her students never to give up on their dreams.
That’s why she decided that, even though she’s now expecting a bundle of joy, she would not give up her goal of a fund-raising run.
But she decided to make a modification. Instead of a hard-pounding marathon, Rowley plans to run the shorter “Wharf to Wharf 10K” to be held this Sunday between Santa Cruz and Capitola.
After a pre-natal exam by the doctor, Rowley decided the 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) run would not jeopardize the baby.
“I didn’t want to risk anything,” she said. “It was a little bit of a setback (for the San Francisco Marathon), but it was a joyous situation. I figure I wanted to honor the donations and honor the reasons that made me decide to run the 10 K.”
The world of long-distance running is nothing new to Rowley. She has done the Santa Cruz Half Marathon, the San Diego and Napa marathons, as well as the Los Angeles Marathon twice.
During the Napa Marathon last year, she raised $2,800 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
“I’ve been running religiously for the last four years,” she said. “I love running. It’s freeing. It’s peaceful. It’s a chance to muddle through your thoughts and ground yourself – and you get a great workout.”
Rowley usually runs about six days a week, but as soon as she found out she was pregnant, she cut that down to five days a week.
“My time is a lot slower now,” she said. “My run is really more of a slow jog.”
While hitting the miles, she listens to her body, especially her heart rate. She has read up on women who run while pregnant – some even completing marathons – and with her fit condition, she sees no real danger to her or the baby’s safety.
But to keep a watchful eye over her, she will run alongside her mother-in-law Judi Rowley in this weekend’s 10K.
Her husband Greg Rowley has also backed her decision to take part in the Wharf to Wharf.
“Greg’s very supportive. He’s very supportive of all the runs I’ve done,” Rowley said. She grinned. “My husband tells me I push a lot – I’m pigheaded about things. … I try to keep at it.”
Rowley’s sixth-grade students also have supported her dedication to running to raise funds for the animal shelter.
“Last (school) year when I told them that I was doing a run, they were very excited,” she said. “They think it’s pretty neat.”
Animals, teaching, running – and now a bundle of joy on the way. Rowley is passionate about all of them.
And one day when baby Rowley is grown enough to go to school, the child can boast to playmates of once running with mommy in the Wharf to Wharf 10K.
To donate for Rowley’s run, make checks payable to: Friends of San Martin Animal Shelter and send C/O Julie Rowley, 1035 Malo Court, Gilroy, CA 95020, 465-2921, Web site: www.fosmas.org.
