Family and faith are what keep mom of 3 running

BOULDER, Colorado — For most women, the ideal time to start a professional athletic career wouldn't be after having three children.

But choosing between the sport she loves and the possibility of starting a family was an easy choice for Bountiful native and BYU All-American runner Nan Kennard.

"I didn't really think about getting into professional running," said Kennard, 29. "I was more interested in being a full-time mom. I didn't think I could do both."

It would take some time, and lots of juggling, but those initial doubts couldn't have been more wrong.

Kennard grew up playing basketball. But when she tried out for the Bountiful High basketball team, she was cut.

"I thought, 'I've got to do some kind of sport. What can I do?'" Kennard said. "My uncle (Hugh Evans), who is an assistant (running) coach at UVU right now, gave me the idea to be a distance runner."

She went out for track her junior year and realized rather quickly that she had a lot of natural ability.

A coach suggested she continue running into the fall by running with the Braves' cross country team. She set a state record in the 800 meters her senior year, and went on to run for BYU from 1999-2003. She earned All-American honors in the 3,000-meter Steeplechase and cross country.

She married Aaron Kennard in 2002 and two years later they had their first child, Abe, now 7. Two years later, she gave birth to Breanne, now five.

Pregnancy and nursing, as it turned out, were the perfect ways to rest her body.

"I couldn't run when I was pregnant," she said. "I got really sick. I didn't have any calories to spare."

She said despite her success in the sport, the decision to give up running wasn't something that caused her any angst.

"I had a lot of talent," she said. "Running came really easily to me. … But I thought I'd rather be a mom."

It was after Breanne's birth that she started running again, but this time it was just for enjoyment. She was running an hour or two each day and it didn't take her long to realize, the sport wasn't finished with her.

"I realized if I can keep working at this, I have the potential to get to a really high level," she said. "And then a lot of blessings, a lot of stars aligned."

First, the family moved to Boulder, Colorado, for her husband's career in real estate. She said piece after piece of the puzzle began to fit into place.