Meet Ambassador Heidi Pifer
My name is Heidi Pifer and I live in Plainfield! I started running in college, but suffered a water skiing accident and had to stop while training for The Mini Marathon in 2014. I started running again after my first son was born in 2018 and have run quite a few 5K's since! I’m a sucker for good run/walk causes whether it’s for American Red Heart, Thanksgiving ones for families, or a great T-shirt like the Bubble Run.
I love the Town of Plainfield and as a nurse practitioner for the Hendricks Wellness Centers, I get the amazing privilege to serve each branch of Plainfield of Public Safety. I love my job and taking care of people who primarily care for everyone else but themselves. One of the things I’m passionate about is exercise and the opportunity to publicly support each branch while practicing what I preach seems like a dream come true!
I come from a family of athletes- my cousin (basically sister) is an Ironman, my brother is a tri-athlete, and I really liked to study nursing. So when I became and adult and had my first degree, I wanted to try my hand at running for weight loss and did my first 5k. They (my family) were so proud even though my first race was their warm up. After my accident, I always wanted to get back to it but was afraid to get hurt again and was intimidated by other runners. In between my pregnancies, I needed a way to clear my head mentally at work during some breaks and also after work but with everything closed the trails were my saving grace. They provided time to think clearly, stay mentally fit, and helped me to stay positive during the pandemic with my oldest. So many stroller runs 😂, but it spurred a great habit of exercising for 1/2 of my break at work and that made my day so much better overall mentally. I love the break that running gives me physically and the relief it gives me mentally.
I am pretty sure a lot of the town gets tired of my “exercise snack” mentality but it’s my favorite aspect of exercise that I gained from the Lifestyle Medicine Conference that I was able to attend. Most people feel they are too busy to do a 45 min-1 hour workout (a full meal if you will). But everyone can do 10 minutes here… 10 minutes there… (snacks). Everyone loves snacks! I love to inspire people to start where they are and just add a little. We don’t need to start with the meeting every goal day one or we won’t complete it or get burnt out fast. We need to start by building our goal. One snack at a time!
My favorite run is Hummel park. I like the back loop and the smaller hills that make me feel accomplished! For trails I love Eagle Creek.
BYB Marathon is a way for us to give back to the community that spends their careers serving us. Whether it’s dispatch, fire, or police each branch give 100% of themselves to keep us and our community the wonderful place it is to live, play, and grow. I think the BYB Marathon is also a great way to teach our kids how even a small act (my four year old will be walking with my husband) can make a huge impact if we work together as a community for a common goal. I cannot think of a better cause to wake up early, gain some endorphins, and show these amazing people how valued they are by their community! And the t-shirt. The t-shirts are awesome, and as stated before, some races are worth the t-shirt :)
