It was Linda Ambard’s goal to run a marathon in all 50 states before her husband, U.S. Air Force Maj. Philip Ambard, returned from deployment in Afghanistan next January. But Maj. Ambard was killed in April.Linda Ambard now runs to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project. “I need to do that to honor the men and women that are still over there,” she said. The project not only benefits those still deployed but also the men and women returning to the U.S. who are in need of what Ambard referred to as “a whole slew of things,” including rehabilitation, mental or financial assistance. “A lot of people coming home are not the same,” she said. “The project supports soldiers as they make that transition back into normalcy.”Ambard ran her first marathon at age 15 and plans to run the San Francisco Marathon July 31 for her 50th birthday. Those are just two of the 50 marathons she has run in the years between. She said the race won’t count toward her goal because she has already competed in a California marathon.Since her husband’s death, Ambard has run marathons in Burlington, Vt., and Minneapolis, Minn., which marked her 54th marathon. Because she has participated in the 26.2-mile race in some states more than once, she has 12 marathons left to reach her goal, which she would now like to complete by next summer.She said the first two marathons after her husband’s death were difficult because she lost weight and could barely stand. But Ambard said running will help her begin to heal. “It makes me feel closer to him,” she said. “It gives me the ability to move on with a sense of purpose and direction. I run to honor his memory.”Ambard said her husband always encouraged her to reach her goal, but it was in the back of his mind that he might not return from the war. They planned to visit Venice, Italy, together in October, and he wanted her to compete in the Venice marathon even if he wasn’t able to be there. “This was supposed to be our first trip without the kids,” she said. “He would want me to finish.” Ambard has five children, four of them in the military.Fall will be a busy time of year for Ambard. She was invited to participate in the U.S. Air Force marathon in September. Ambard’s daughter Emily will attend with her and run the half marathon. The Marine Corps extended an invitation for her to run in their October marathon, which her son Josh will also run.Ambard said running helps her look to the future. She plans to run the Great Wall of China. “It’s part of the healing process; to go somewhere we didn’t go together,” she said, reminiscing about traveling with her husband.When not running marathons, Ambard keeps busy as a physical education teacher at Stetson Elementary School, as a Landsharks Running Club coach and with the YMCA.She runs the marathons during Falcon School District 49 holiday breaks and long weekends.Although running is Ambard’s passion, her body is asking her to slow down. She was diagnosed with Addison’s disease 13 years ago. She said the disorder occurs when the adrenal glands do not produce enough hormones. After the diagnosis, she was told by doctors not to push her body too hard. “I had to figure out how to make my life work for me,” Ambard said.She then reevaluated her goals. “When my goal shifted, it was more about the journey than about the winning,” Ambard said.Ambard said she cannot predict how she will perform from one race to the next. Because of the disease, she needs to take medication every four miles when running, carry an injection kit and check her blood sugar level because it can get dangerously low. Ambard said she listens to what her body tells her and keeps a slower pace. The adrenal issues affect her body for 48 hours after running, and Ambard said the hardest part of her goal is that her body never gets the rest it should. “I don’t ever plan to have a fast race,” she said.The Flying Monkey Marathon in Tennessee and the North Olympic Discovery Trail Marathon in Washington are Ambard’s favorite marathons. She is a member of the Marathon Maniacs club, which has about 2,000 members in the United States, and the 50 States Marathon Club.”If I can run, I can get through the day,” Ambard said.
