Jane Webb isn’t one of those people who started running when
she was a kid, but she loves the benefits since she restarted her running
career about four years ago.
She’s all about being active and doing things that are good
for you, but long-distance running never
really captured her attention and she’s found that she can receive the same
payoff by covering much shorter distances.
Jane is a lifelong Chattanoogan who attended Missionary
Ridge Elementary before going to Brainerd Junior High and Brainerd High, where
she graduated in 1970.
One of her most significant memories came while she was at
Brainerd. She and a friend were captured
by a local television station driving down North Moore Road with a Confederate flag
flying out the window.
All was well
until her father saw it on the evening news, but she escaped further trouble
when she said that all she was doing was showing her school spirit since
the Brainerd nickname was the Rebels back in those days.
Jane wasn’t really a trouble maker growing up, but you can tell that she's quick to partake in devious behavior when the opportunity presents
itself.
She may be one of the most fun-loving people around and she
creates a happy atmosphere, no matter where she is and what she's doing.
She’s been active in the Chattanooga Track Club for the past
four years, but it wasn’t like that when she was a young girl.
Sports just were not her thing growing up, but she did say
that she had been a flag girl in the Brainerd marching band in the late
60s. She says that she used to be shy
and quiet, which is really hard to believe, but she loves being around people
and she thrives on doing her best to make them happy.
She works for Blue Cross as an Executive Administrative
Assistant and has been employed there for the last 18 years, having started
there in customer service.
She and her husband Dan have been happily married for the
last six years and they have five grown children between them. Her daughter Christina is the one who got her
started running back in the mid 90s.
“We started entering all of these 5Ks back in 1994, but my
knees started hurting and I gave it up,” she said while sitting in the lobby of
the downtown YMCA Tuesday afternoon following a long day at work.
“That little running experience lasted about a year, but in
2010, I decided to enter the Blue Cross Miracle Mile on Market Street. I figured it would be easier than a 5K and I
worked for Blue Cross, so that made my decision easier.
“That’s where I met Sherilyn Johnson. She asked if I was a track club member and
that’s when I decided to join. It wasn’t
long before she got me to a board meeting and the next thing I know, I was on a
committee. Then I was on the track club
board,” she laughed at the memory.
“Sherilyn was the track club president when I joined and I
think I’m easily hypnotized. I need to
take a class in how to say no, but the track club lifestyle is in my blood and
I’ve made so many great friends as a result,” she said with a serious tone.
Jane apparently doesn’t know what moderation is, so when she
got back involved as a runner four years ago, she quickly did too much too
soon.
“I ran too much and got too competitive. I’m in the same age group with Lynda Webber
and Susan Gallo, so I was always battling for third place. These days, I just want to run for the pure
enjoyment where I can cross the finish line in a race and be happy,” she
admitted.
Jane has done most of her running alone in recent years, but
earlier this week, she took part in a group run and had one of the best
experiences she’s ever had.
“I’ve always been the lone wolf because I didn’t want to
hold people back. I didn’t want to be
the last one finishing, but Monday’s run was so much fun,” she added.
While Jane admits that she has no intention of ever running
a marathon, she did enter a half-marathon in Savannah back in 2012 that almost
did her in.
“I went out too fast and I hit that wall people had been
telling me about. Those last two or
three miles were miserable as I walked a lot, but I forced myself to run the
last block. I finished that run with one
of those fake smiles on my face because I knew they’d be taking pictures at the
finish line. It was my own fault that I
had such a tough time as I wasn’t properly trained,” she remembered that
painful experience.
So what’s next for this bundle of energy?
“Missionary Ridge is just around the corner. Dan and I live about a mile from Bragg
Reservation, so I’m looking forward to that race. I volunteer at a lot of races, so I’m not
planning too far in advance. Maybe I’ll
do another half one of these days, but it’s not on my radar right now,” she
nodded.
The track club had an informal picnic on Raccoon Mountain
last Sunday and Jane was right in her element as she was the grill master for
hot dogs and hamburgers. She loved being
in that role and says that she’s the grill queen at home.
“It was like a family gathering on Sunday as I had such a
ball. I think I could be an event
planner as I love organizing parties and helping to get people together. I just want to be the mother hen where I can
take care of everyone, but it’s been a fun, fun ride so far and it’s a long way
from over. I can’t wait to see what’s
next,” she said with a smile.
Jane and Dan are active members at First
Presbyterian and that’s where they met.
“I met Dan in Sunday School as he was the teacher. It was a super active class of singles and we
were really good friends before we started dating. We had talked a lot for the first four years,
but he went on a mission trip to Kenya and that’s when we really missed each
other.
“I think he had to travel 8,000 miles for the light bulb to
finally go on, but we got married in 2008 and have been very happy ever
since. He’s been one of the best things
to happen in my life and we have a great time together,” she explained.
In addition to reading and photography and getting involved
in landscaping projects around their yard, Jane is also involved in a ministry
at Moccasin Bend called “The Next Door.”
It’s a one-hour commitment each week where she’s paired with another
female resident who’s had a tough road and just needs a friend.
“Just being a friend is the number one goal, but these
women need someone who won’t judge them for their past behavior. It was kind of awkward at first as they found
out a little bit about me and I found out a bit about them.
“I don’t think they wanted to associate with a 60-something
Christian woman because they were scared I’d preach to them, but they found out
I’m not like that at all. It’s been a
wonderful experience,” Jane added.
As you can tell, life is pretty good for Jane and Dan these
days.
Involvement in the Chattanooga Track Club is but a brief
part of her activity, but what a great time she’s having. And if you’re ever having a bad day and need
your spirit lifted, Jane is the person to see.
She’s a happy person and wants you to be happy as well.
And life in this crazy world doesn’t get much better than
that.
(This is the 23rd in a series of features on
runners in Chattanooga. If you know of
someone who might make a good story, email John Hunt at
nomarathonmoose@comcast.net)