By Guest Blogger: Juliane Kilcoyne

I have lived in Charlotte for over 11 years now, but I will always consider myself a Jersey Girl. Born and raised in Northern NJ – I’m not sure my inner Jersey Girl would approve of this present day Charlottean during marathon training.

The Hair – Let’s be honest, Jersey hair was BIG. It was curled, it was teased, it was covered in Aquanet. (no, I will not include a picture). Marathon hair is the opposite. It’s in a pony, a tight pony, usually covered by a hat, sometimes if I’m feeling fancy, there is a braid. After every run I wash it, then weigh the pros and cons of blowing it out. I’ll either be running or cross training the next day, so what’s the point right? It’s a vicious cycle and my poor hair pays the price.

The Nails – My Jersey Nails were hot pink, plastic and well maintained. While my fingernails are nondescript now, my toenails get a lot of attention these days. They fall off! During my 16 mile run in the rain this past Friday, I thought something had gotten caught in my sock. I realized after it was over, that not only were my toes swollen and blistered, but, I had in fact, started losing my nails. It’s totally nasty and a rite of passage for most marathoners. Sometimes I muster the courage to get a pedicure during training just because a soak and foot massage would be amazing. Then, I spend the entire time apologizing to the nail tech and stopping her from applying fake nails to my toes.

The Fashion – My old Jersey Girl loved her black leggings, scrunchies, leg warmers and oversized shirts. These days, my style consists of running tops, running shorts, running shoes, oh, and running socks. Yes, after my workouts I shower (don’t blow out my hair) and put on clean clothes – clean running clothes. I think, “what’s the point of getting dressed up for a couple hours, the kids will be home from school soon, which means it’s practically time to go to bed, so why waste a perfectly good outfit?” Oh the shame my inner Jersey Girl must feel seeing me in the same running clothes day after day!

While the Jersey Girl in me may not approve of my marathon fashion sense (or lack thereof) here’s what she and I both believe:

-There are children right now having chemotherapy. They would love to have hair – whether teased or in a ponytail.

-Little girls will lose their battle with cancer today and never be able to go to the nail salon to paint their nails a pretty pink.

-Children are wearing hospital gowns tonight, dreaming of the day they can put on their regular clothes (fashionable or not) and walk out the door.

Fashion seems like a small price to pay when you take a look at the reasons why we run. And, because of that, I know my inner Jersey Girl approves.