Chase It

By Jacqueline Astor

About the Book
This is not your typical motivational book. This book is not for professional athletes or people who never struggle to balance the pressures of work, family, and self-care. Pursuing a fitness goal isn’t as easy or glamorous as it’s often made to look. How can we wake up early to fit in a morning run when we have been up all night with the baby? How can we pick up a sport we loved in high school and not feel discouraged when our bodies have changed? Chase It is one woman’s guide to training, but it is also so much more than that; it’s her life story, advice, self-reflections, and faith journey as she uses her God-given talents to achieve her fitness goals.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dorrance Publishing Company
• Release date: Dec 14, 2023
• ISBN: 9798890275578

Book preview

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The contents of this work, including, but not limited to, the accuracy of events, people, and places depicted; opinions expressed; permission to use previously published materials included; and any advice given or actions advocated are solely the responsibility of the author, who assumes all liability for said work and indemnifies the publisher against any claims stemming from publication of the work.

All Rights Reserved

Copyright © 2023 by Jacqueline Astor

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted, downloaded, distributed, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, including photocopying and recording, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented without permission in writing from the publisher.

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ISBN: 979-8-89027-059-7

eISBN: 979-8-89027-557-8

Intro: A Sport’s Family

Throughout my childhood, I grew up participating in sports. We were a sports family. Our dinner conversations often centered around what season of sports we were involved in at the time. I also grew up a coach's kid and was an eager swimmer and runner. Competing in sports taught life values—like sportsmanship, the act of being a good sport, and teamwork. There’s no I in team as you learn, and the selflessness of working with others towards a common goal was instilled in me. My team was there to help me achieve my fitness goals and I was there to help them with theirs. Teammates were a major motivator for me; they were constantly pushing me to work harder. Through the adversity, we had one another; we lifted one another up. Through the nerves of competition, we had cheerleaders, and if someone messed up and didn’t show up for practice, we had someone to point it out. Participating in sports gave me a strong work ethic. Running and swimming have always passions of mine that I’ve wanted to continue into adulthood.

It may come as no surprise, that I developed the mantra, work hard, stay humble. This phrase was important in athletics growing up and remains a good rule of thumb to live by in general. What I’ve learned over the years is people do not like unsolicited advice, and that without even being aware of it, your confidence in who you are and being fulfilled, happy and loved can be seen as arrogant or as bragging. I’ve never been a fan of arrogance and I’ve worked hard to stay humble. It wasn’t until after my baptism, even as a manager of a billion-dollar company, that I thought of myself as an influencer. People looked up to me, and it was the first time I realized I have the power to inspire people. At the time, inspirators were celebrities, professional athletes, high profile, rich people. This is not your typical motivational book, because I’m not a professional athlete or a celebrity. I don’t own a big business and I’m not high profile. I’m an everyday person. This book is my story, my advice, my reflections and my faith journey as I use my God given talents to pursue my fitness goals.

As I mentioned, athletics were a major part of my life, and I became exposed to the sports world at a young age. My mom and dad coached high school cross-country and track and field, both the men’s and women’s teams. My dad was also a football referee and volunteered as our coach on many sports teams. My dad was so involved, that he created a traveling competitive baseball league for my brother in order to help develop him as an elite player. For this team, Dad recruited the best athletes from area baseball clubs. Dad was our biggest encourager.

My brother was an All-American collegiate athlete in baseball. He played at DMACC and then at Southern Arkansas University. If you ask me, he will always be the better athlete of the two of us and a more confident athlete. My brother’s picture is also on the wall at Iowa City West High for being 1st Team All State his senior year. I watched him play a lot of baseball games over the years and have many experiences watching him overcome adversity. He tore his meniscus his senior year, ending his baseball career, while being recruited by the St. Louis Cardinals. Many people don’t know he wouldn’t get out of bed all summer that year.

Mom said, he’s depressed.

From my perspective, he could’ve still played! He can work hard, and still do it I thought to myself.

I would’ve helped him train in whatever way I could.

She said it would be a long road, and that other athletes he competed with growing up weren’t happy in the minor leagues.

I often thought about how his personality may have changed had he made it to the major leagues. Why did this happen? I wasn’t about to let him mooch off my parents forever in the basement though, it was after 11 am that day.

So, I took a moment to self-reflect and opened up mom’s computer and said,

Then he is getting a job, I told my mother.

We fixed that resume and cover letter for him. My brother ended up coaching baseball for many years at DMACC. Then, became the head interim coach at DMACC before becoming an assistant baseball coach at Iowa Central.

My athletic career began as a swimmer for the Iowa City Eels. I was 9 years old, and I continued to compete through high school up until my junior year. I was a school record holder in the 400 free relay at Iowa City West High school. I swam through my junior year of high school. I competed in some large-scale events like Iowa All-Stars and Zones meets. I qualified and ran at Drake, which is a big Iowa track meet. I was a three-time Iowa State Qualifier. I qualified for state in Track and Field. My senior year of high school, I chose to run cross-country. I was also a three-sport athlete at Loras College. I ran cross-country and track and field three years, and I swam two years. I know, I won Regionals as a team my junior year of high school. Post-college, I have run at least six half-marathons, a half Iron-Man and a marathon. I’ve probably competed in at least 50 road races mostly 5ks and a handful of sprint triathlons.

Looking back on everything, it’s not as important to me the number of times I was All-Region in college. I don’t remember what year we were All Conference or the number of years for that matter. While in the moment those were probably big goals for me and celebratory moments, my idea today of success is much different. Today the trophies, the titles, the medals and ribbons have tarnished in a way; they’ve become less impactful. I still am proud of those achievements. I look at the basket of medals with pride. I smile or even cry as I remember races and reminisce of good times with teammates. Those awards will never take away the invaluable lessons I learned while competing. Having measurable goals is important in achieving any athletic pursuit. It keeps you focused and motivated. Even though someday I might have a goal to do 50 marathons, it’s not what’s the most meaningful, it’s not why I compete.

It’s funny because as much as I want to list all of my accolades and awards, what stands out to me the most are the memories. I remember the experiences. I had some really neat experiences competing in athletics: like participating in a swim camp at Auburn University. I think about being able to compete on The University of Notre Dame’s campus or practicing at The National Swimming Hall of Fame, all of the traveling to different states to compete. Sharing a massive chocolate tower cake with my swim team after a meet at dinner, because I thought we should have dessert.

When I talk to my son about why he should compete, and participate in traveling competitive teams, I keep this same mindset. I tell him about all of the awesome things I was able to do because I was an athlete and because I did club sports. I keep it fun. I tell him that I want to show him that if you keep working hard, you will receive results. You will accomplish your goals.

Another memory I have of cross-country is pulling up to my regional meet in college and there’s a foot of snow on the course that the meet holder had to plow. I remember getting ready to start my race, and I’m probably a quarter to a half mile in and I see my Husky