ASHLAND, Ky. – You want dedication?
How about 20 miles in the freezing cold and snow? That was Amy Compston’s path on Monday when an all-day snowstorm, combined with sub-freezing temperatures, made for some tough sledding.
But it didn’t stop this elite marathon runner and the face behind the Amy For Africa mission. The 20 miles was the next run up on the training schedule and Amy doesn’t hardly ever alter it.
“You never know what you’re going to be facing with the weather,” she said. “It may be cold in Boston, who knows? Look at how they’re winter has been.”
Amy admitted she fell down – but only once – and was tempted to finish in the gym at the halfway point. “But after I got to 15 miles, it became a challenge to finish the 20. My eyelashes had ice on them when I was finished. It was freezing.”
She came home with an icy face but 20 more miles finished on the training schedule. Her next marathon will be Boston in April but she and her marathon running husband Chris are working toward the West Virginia Trilogy in October. They will run 30 miles, 50 miles and 13 miles on three consecutive days in the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia.
Besides her running, Compston is also dedicated to the AFA mission’s cause. AFA has partnered with Samaritan’s Feet and will be putting 26,000 pairs of shoes on children in Moyo, Uganda on May 18-June 2. Eleven AFA team members will be making the trip.
AFA’s next speaking engagement will be Sunday night at 6:30 at Oakland Avenue Baptist Church in Catlettsburg. They will also be on WVHU 800-AM’s Tom Roten Morning Show on Friday at 8 a.m.
Amy Compston after her 20-mile run in the snow.