RUMFORD —  Summer motorists here have likely seen Constance Venskus taking a morning walk along Route 2.

She’s been walking with a purpose — training for her ninth Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk on Sept. 22. Venskus, who turns 72 on Sept. 19, will walk 26.2 miles to raise money for research and patient care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. The walk follows the same route as the Boston Marathon.

Since 2011, she’s raised $7,377 and has earned the distinction of “pacesetter” for raising at least $1,500 in a year for the walk.

“I’m so happy to have been part of this fight against cancer with such amazing results,” she said. “I have had two good friends who have been diagnosed with cancer and who have been undergoing radiation treatments this summer.”

She said training helps her build up to longer mileage. An added challenge this year occurred June 24 when she broke her wrist during a training walk, and required surgery four days later.

“But I was able to recover enough after a few days and continue with my training,” she said.

Her regimen has included 4-mile walks on Mondays and Wednesdays; cross-training on Tuesdays and Thursdays to work other muscles, including using a rowing machine or a stationary bike (after breaking her wrist); long walk days on Fridays and Saturdays, starting with 4 or 5 miles in the early weeks and, by eight weeks in, 20 miles followed by 9 the next day.

“I guess you could call Sunday a recovery day when I walk anywhere from 15 to 40 minutes depending on the week in the program,” Venskus said. She said the past couple of weeks are for tapering down before the actual marathon, including two or three rest days right before the walk.

To help with Venskus’ fundraising for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, go to https://tinyurl.com/y6xexylr.

bfarrin@sunmediagroup.net

 

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