Countdown to Boston: 19 days – Kurkowski ready for challenge of her first-ever marathon

Name: Jacqueline Kurkowski
Age: 32
Hometown: Peabody
Occupation: Nanny
Q.How many marathons have you run before? If none, why run this year?
A.This Boston Marathon will be my first marathon ever. I am running this year because I am now seven years free of liver disease!
Q.What are your thoughts going into the marathon?
A.I am excited and nervous, since it is the first time and I have wanted to do it for a long time!
Q.What was training like this winter?
A.It was really difficult, since the snow made it impossible to get outside sometimes. I primarily did cardio indoors when the snow made it hard to run outdoors, and I also did weights for strength training. The training this winter may be the biggest challenge I?ve faced since I?ve started running.
Q.Do you have a target finish time? What?s been your best time?
A.My goal is to finish in six hours, since I?ve previously finished a half-marathon in three hours.
Q.Are you running for a charity? If so, which one, and what does that mean to you?
A.I am running with the American Liver Foundation Run for Research Team, a charity that means a great deal to me. Being a survivor of liver disease, I have always been on the patient side of things, and this year I am running for another person as well as myself.
Q.What is your best/favorite running memory?
A.Not a specific memory, but the best part of every race for me is having my family waiting at the end for me, as they?ve done at every race I?ve run.
Q.How long have you been running?
A. I starting running last April. I did my first 5k in August, and completed my first half marathon in September.
Q.What is something you’d like non-runners to understand?
A.It is not an easy thing to do, but once you put your mind to it, it is possible! To run Boston means everything to me!
Q.Why did you choose to start running? What about it appealed to you?
A.I started running because I have always been active, but used to swim. After being matched with a runner though the patient/runner match program that is part of the American Liver Foundation, I decided this year would be the year I started doing races and would try the marathon.Q.Do you have any special memories of the Boston Marathon?
A.My greatest memories are watching it on television and telling myself that one day I would do it, and finally at 32 I will be running it! I?m proud to be running with a charity that is so personal to me, and proud to run Boston and to take part in history. I can’t wait to run past the crowd. It?s truly an honor to be picked to be part of the team.
As told to Katie Morrison