Colorado runner shares motivation behind wanting to reach finish line at Boulderthon

Boulderthon is a marathon series in the Boulder area. 7,000 runners are signed up for the race, and each of them has a unique reason to want to make it to the finish line.

"I ran 12-miles last weekend," said Amy Goeckel, a runner and tech worker in Denver.

Goeckel is following a training plan. She's going to run her second half marathon at Boulderthon.

"I'm really looking forward to getting her done a lot faster this year," Goeckel explained.

Running 13.1-miles is something she physically couldn't have done a few years ago.

"I am recovering from a 16-year battle with bulimia," Goeckel said.

The battle required Goeckel to dig deep and access a deep well of inner strength.

"I was in a very bad head space for a long time," she said.

It's a journey she shares on her podcast, Eating Disorder Diaries.

"Too many people suffer in silence," she commented.

Goeckel started the podcast in March. She interviews experts and has frank conversations with her friends and family. She's reached people all over the world.

"My hope is that by my talking about it, it will break the stigma and help others grow," Goeckel explained.

She sees parallels between her recovery and training for the half.

"When you show up for yourself day-over-day and when you achieve something that you never thought you'd be able to, whether it's one week in recovery or one more mile, you get stronger," she told CBS News Colorado.

LINK: Race Day Information for Boulderthon

Boulderthon runs on Sunday, October 8, 2023 at 7:30 a.m. The start/finish line is on the Pearl Street Mall in downtown Boulder.