On Tuesday evening, I was devastated to learn that Janet Pickney, a regular in the Sunday 7:15 am runs with Tucker Running Club, had passed away after being severely injured during her morning run. Janet had started her day with some exercise shortly after sunrise and before the temperature had gotten too warm. Unfortunately a terrible chain of events unfolded, probably within just a few seconds. And it really didn't have anything to do with running: it could have happened to any of us with the misfortune of being in that place at that exact moment, walking a dog, pushing a stroller, waiting for a bus. Runner's World has posted a story about Janet that I encourage you to read (link).
I've run with Janet on dozens of occasions. She was a regular participant in the 7:15 am Sunday morning runs with the Tucker Running Club. In the month of July alone, I found five photos (taken by others) in which I was with Janet.
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| This was a subset of the large contingent of Tucker Runners taken 30 - 45 minutes before the start of the Peachtree Road Race, on the morning of July 4. Janet had run the Peachtree Road Race many times: just this evening, I read an account from one of Janet's friends remembering when she ran the 1986 Peachtree Road Race. |
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| On July 9, Bonnie and I joined the Sunday morning run with Janet and 13 others, at 7:15 am. After I had warmed up in the first mile, I remember with some chagrin that I passed Janet near Northlake Mall, thinking that I was going to run a slightly faster pace. Unfortunately I had not yet recovered from a cold. Somewhere in the fourth mile when I ran out of energy, Janet caught up with me going up the long hill on Midvale Road. She asked if I was OK and ran with me for a moment, until I took a walk break and I told her to go on. |
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| We had a great turnout of the Tucker Running Club at the Decatur-DeKalb 4-miler on Saturday July 15. Janet was front and center on that warm morning! After I finished the race, I went to cheer on some of the other runners along Clairmont Road, and got there just in time to see Janet. I don't remember exactly what I said, it was probably something like "Go Janet! Just 100 feet to the finish!" but I do remember that she looked up and smiled at me when she heard her name called. |
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| Janet won an age group award at the 4-miler! She was so tickled to win an award. I'm glad that I was invited to join this photo with a few of her closer friends in the Tucker Running Club. |
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| My last run with Janet, Sunday morning 7:15, July 16. Unfortunately I don't remember a conversation with Janet that day, I was more focused on having a good recovery run, and sweating off a few pounds over the course of 9 miles total. |
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| This is from Janet's last run with Tucker Running Club, on Sunday July 23. I had run 12 miles on Saturday, and decided to rest (meaning I slept in) instead of running on Sunday, so I'm not in this photo. A couple of the women in this photo, Becky and Teresa, have recounted how much they enjoyed sharing that day's run with Janet. |
What I regret the most is that I didn't get to know Janet better. I knew her only through the single dimension of running. And while running was an important and enjoyable activity for Janet, I wish that I had learned about other parts of her life: her family, her work as a teacher, her volunteer work in the community, her earlier life and childhood. Janet was always gentle, kind, friendly, upbeat, and generous. And sadly, I did not realize how extraordinary of a person she was until she was unexpectedly taken from us.
My resolution is to be more like Janet, to be more consistently gentle, kind, friendly, upbeat, and generous. That doesn't always come easily to me, but in difficult moments, I hope that I can summon my memory of Janet and strive to be more like her.
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| One of Janet's good friends has recently set out some water on Wednesday evenings, for any of the dogs that occasionally join their people on the Wednesday evening runs, when I'm more of a regular participant. Last night, her friend added a small sign in memory of Janet. |
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