Ally's GOTR Campaign
$2,730.00 raised
$2,000.00 goal
Latest Updates
August mantra: it's a marathon not a sprint
I have been a hydrating queen since July 4th - just ask my nephew who lived with me this summer... "You sure do have a lot of water bottles." Yes, yes I do. But what I failed to track was my caloric intake. As the long runs got longer (16 miles anyone?), I wasn't eating enough to compensate. So, once again, my body revolted and knocked me down for several days. Now I'm carrying my water bottle and an Uncrustable with me at all times. I haven't had this much PB&J since I was in elementary school. And let's be honest - it was marshmallow fluff back then because jelly didn't have enough sugar for my 7 year old self. I still love marshmallows... yum... But I digress. Shout outs to Ali and Michelle who nursed me back to health, stocking my pantry full of carbs and protein! I racked up 84 miles in August. Short of my unofficial goal but fully in line with what my body could do. I played a bit of golf, tennis and pickleball between the runs so I'm feeling balanced and energized as I round the corner for the final month of training. 39 days to go! MOST IMPORTANTLY, I hit my fundraising goal!!!!! So many girls are going to benefit thanks to my awesome friends and colleagues. And so, I too will keep going, logging those miles. Because it's a marathon not a sprint...
Added on Wednesday, August 30, 2023 at 04:18 PM
July started with a bang (and an ER visit)
July was hot. And humid. And basically horrible conditions for someone not used to long-distance running. July 1st was my longest run in many years (8 mi), on the heels of week filled with smokey air, 91% humidity and soaring temps. While I finished the run feeling okay, I quickly went downhill. By midnight, I had 2 bags of IV fluids in my system, and I was strategizing how to make sure that never happened again. Thankfully, GOTRC provides an amazing nutrition coach, and I'm back on track. I finished the month with over 91 miles run, countless energy chews consumed and a sampling of almost every electrolyte drink on the market. With 67 days until the race, I'm well over halfway through my training. And more importantly, over 60% through my fundraising goals thanks to my AMAZING DONORS keeping me out there every day. YOU GUYS ROCK!
Added on Tuesday, August 1, 2023 at 08:50 PM
July $5 GOTRC Raffle Time!!!
During the month of July, you can buy raffle tickets for a bunch of different cool prizes (like a lululemon yoga bundle or a year of free shoes from Fleet Feet!) and all of the money I raise goes toward my goal of raising $1750 for the GOTRC mission. Swipe through to see some of the prize packages! To purchase tickets, click here (be sure to enter my name at checkout so that it goes toward my fundraising goal): https://secure.givelively.org/event/girls-on-the-run-chicago-inc/girls-on-the-run-chicago-summer-raffle-2023
Added on Thursday, July 6, 2023 at 10:42 PM
Oh Canada... June ends in a cloud of smoke
My training started in earnest in June when I joined Chicago Endurance Sports to provide structure and "social" group runs - or as social as you can be while propelling yourself for miles and miles. I doubled my overall mileage - logging more than 51 miles during a month that include a week-long business trip and a week of seriously dangerous air pollution in Chicago, coming down from the Canadian wild fires. Here we goooo!
Added on Thursday, July 6, 2023 at 10:39 PM
And so it begins... the month of May...
Getting started back into a running routine was hard. I managed to log 25 miles of "pre-training" while upping my pickleball and golf games - so many things to do when Chicago has beautiful weather.
Added on Tuesday, June 27, 2023 at 01:02 AM
A MESSAGE FROM Ally's GOTR Campaign

Extra incentive - a donation of $50 or more also gets you a song (or personal message, podcast episode, whatever audio you choose) on my race-day playlist!

So far: Sabotage (Beasite Boys), Eye of the Tiger (Survivor), Unstoppable (Sia), Beautiful People (Chris Brown)


Hello friends, family, colleagues and overall wonderful people! I’m running the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in October as a charity athlete- a SoleMate! - for Girls on the Run-Chicago.


Girls on the Run-Chicago (https://www.gotrchicago.org) is a non-profit after-school program with a mission to inspire 3rd-8th grade girls to be joyful, healthy, and confident. Their innovative program combines physical activity, in the form of running, with life skills lessons that build positive physical and social-emotional health in participants.


I am so proud to have a direct impact on ensuring that GOTRC can continue to provide girls with a safe and inclusive space to connect, learn, and build the skills they need to navigate the world around them, at a time when they need it most. Help me help them!


Thank you for your support!

Photos & Videos
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  • Alice Meyer made a $150.00 donation

    way to go Ally! you got this!

    $150.00
  • Instagram Donation Anonymous made a $50.00 donation
    $50.00
  • Anthony Beirne made a $100.00 donation

    keep moving

    $100.00
  • Bob Parr made a $50.00 donation

    great cause! glad to see you are still so involved with them.

    $50.00
  • Matthew Murphy made a $50.00 donation
    $50.00
  • Brigit Kentor made a $30.00 donation

    good luck Allyson!!

    $30.00
  • Sima Jani made a $50.00 donation

    Such a great cause!!!

    $50.00
  • Stephen Bartel made a $50.00 donation
    $50.00
  • Karen Forrester made a $25.00 donation

    Go Ally!

    $25.00
  • Jeff Bailey made a $75.00 donation
    $75.00
  • Deborah Emmons made a $25.00 donation

    I’m so glad to give what I can on the charity. You go Ally.

    $25.00
  • Patricia Haack made a $25.00 donation

    so glad you are doing this. I wish you a great run.

    $25.00
  • Carla McCormick made a $125.00 donation

    Ally - What a great program to support young women! Good luck on the run!! Carla

    $125.00
  • Quazi Khaled made a $25.00 donation

    great cause. happy to support.

    $25.00
  • Archana Rana made a $50.00 donation

    go Allyson, go girl!

    $50.00
  • Anonymous made a $125.00 donation

    have a great run!!!!

    $125.00
  • Amanda McAllister made a $50.00 donation

    cheering you on!!!

    $50.00
  • Teddy Olsen made a $50.00 donation

    World Cup song by shakira ‘waka waka’ please. You go girl, you got this!

    $50.00
  • Linda Joseph made a $25.00 donation

    Go Ally!

    $25.00
  • Kimberly Lunn made a $50.00 donation

    great event! good luck!

    $50.00
  • Carrie Kuberski made a $50.00 donation

    Go Ally!!!! you’ve got this and so awesome that you’re doing it for charity:)

    $50.00
  • Kristin Pillsbury made a $100.00 donation

    you got this! so impressive! go girl.

    $100.00
  • Tim Gottgetreu made a $25.00 donation

    What a great charity and happy to support!

    $25.00
  • Michelle Michaels made a $50.00 donation

    You go girl!

    $50.00
  • Jennifer Schultz made a $200.00 donation

    run ally run!

    $200.00
  • Leila Shin made a $200.00 donation
    $200.00
  • Summer Raffle Vincent Batiato made a $20.00 donation
    $20.00
  • Jade made a $125.00 donation
    $125.00
  • Christie Olsen made a $50.00 donation

    You go girl!! Can’t wait to come cheer you on. My song is beautiful people by Chris Brown please 💖

    $50.00
  • Summer Raffle made a $50.00 donation
    $50.00
  • Gregory R Skonberg made a $125.00 donation

    This is tough stuff…… You’re doing an amazing thing for an awesome cause and i’m sooo proud of anyone that does something insane like this. All I can say is that you rock, stay tough (the 20-miler is gonna suck, but is gonna give you a TON of confidence after you nail it) and DO NOT change a thing in your prep, not a single thing. Celebrate huge, you will do this!!!

    $125.00
  • Summer Raffle Hande Ergen made a $75.00 donation
    $75.00
  • Summer Raffle Tamara Roust made a $25.00 donation
    $25.00
  • Summer Raffle Christina Fernandes-D'Souza made a $50.00 donation
    $50.00
  • Hari Thyagaraj made a $50.00 donation

    great initiative. I am sure you will rock the marathon!!

    $50.00
  • Jay Alston made a $125.00 donation
    $125.00
  • Sarah Taylor made a $30.00 donation
    $30.00
  • Kriss Brodie made a $50.00 donation

    see you out there!!

    $50.00
  • Tamara Roust made a $50.00 donation

    I cannot wait to select the song for your playlist.... (cue evil laugh here).

    $50.00
  • Paul Rho made a $100.00 donation

    Yes!! Go crush it!! :-)

    $100.00
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