Tera Moody
Encyclopedia
Tera Moody is an American
athlete
, who competes in the marathon
and other long distance
running
events. Moody represented the United States at the 2009 World Championships
in the marathon
.
In high school, Moody was a two-time Illinois
champion in the mile for St. Charles East High School
, near Chicago
. She went on to compete for the Colorado Buffaloes
in both Cross Country
and Track. She won the Big 12 title in the 10,000 meters as a freshman and ran on Colorado
's NCAA
champion cross-country team as a sophomore in 2000.
After graduating from Colorado, Moody took a break from training seriously and became a personal trainer
and real estate agent. She participated in the 2005 Chicago Marathon
with a goal to break three hours. After finishing in 2:50:04, she again ran the marathon in 2006, improving by four minutes. In 2007, she qualified the U.S. Olympic Marathon trials by finishing in 2:46:40.
Moody's breakthrough came at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon trials in Boston
, where despite being seeded 152nd, she finished fifth with a time of 2:33:54. This was a twelve minute improvement of her personal best. Moody was one second behind fourth-place finisher Zoila Gomez.
In 2009, Moody participated in a variety of races, finishing fourth at the 25 km U.S. championships in Grand Rapids, Michigan
. She also finished second at Chicago's Shamrock Shuffle, seventeenth at the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler
, and fourteenth at the Boulder Boulder.
At the 2009 World Championships in the marathon, Moody was a part of the United States
marathon team. She finished 28th in a time of 2:36:39, and was the third American. Moody also ran the 2009 Chicago Marathon, which she finished with a then personal best of 2:32:59, for 9th place.
Moody has had insomnia
since sixth grade. In 2005 she was diagnosed with sleep apnea
, and has tried many different treatments, including visiting the Mayo Clinic
, sleeping pills
, a mouth guard, and a device to regulate her breathing. She now takes melatonin
, a natural supplement. Despite running more than a hundred miles a week, she still rarely sleeps more than a couple hours a night.
Throughout her career, Moody has also dealt with depression
, anemia
, asthma
, and anorexia nervosa
. In her first semester of college, she dropped from 128 to 96 pounds.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
athlete
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, who competes in the marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
and other long distance
Long-distance track event
Long-distance track event races require runners to balance their energy. These types of races are predominantly aerobic in nature and at the highest level, exceptional levels of aerobic endurance is required more than anything else...
running
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
events. Moody represented the United States at the 2009 World Championships
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
in the marathon
2009 World Championships in Athletics – Women's Marathon
The Women's Marathon event at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics took place on August 23, 2009 in the streets of Berlin, Germany. The race started at 11:15h local time.-Medalists:-Abbreviations:...
.
In high school, Moody was a two-time Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
champion in the mile for St. Charles East High School
St. Charles East High School
Saint Charles East High School is a public four-year high school located in St. Charles, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Community Unit School District 303 which also includes Saint Charles North High School....
, near Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. She went on to compete for the Colorado Buffaloes
Colorado Buffaloes
The University of Colorado Boulder sponsors 16 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's team are called the Buffaloes or Golden Buffaloes . "Lady Buffs" referred to the women's teams beginning in the 1970s, but was officially dropped in 1993...
in both Cross Country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
and Track. She won the Big 12 title in the 10,000 meters as a freshman and ran on Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
's NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
champion cross-country team as a sophomore in 2000.
After graduating from Colorado, Moody took a break from training seriously and became a personal trainer
Personal trainer
A personal trainer is a fitness professional involved in exercise prescription and instruction. They motivate clients by setting goals and providing feedback and accountability to clients. Trainers also measure their client's strengths and weaknesses with fitness assessments...
and real estate agent. She participated in the 2005 Chicago Marathon
Chicago Marathon
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is a major marathon held yearly in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Alongside the Boston, New York, London and Berlin Marathons, it is one of the five World Marathon Majors. Thus, it is also an IAAF Gold Label race...
with a goal to break three hours. After finishing in 2:50:04, she again ran the marathon in 2006, improving by four minutes. In 2007, she qualified the U.S. Olympic Marathon trials by finishing in 2:46:40.
Moody's breakthrough came at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon trials in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, where despite being seeded 152nd, she finished fifth with a time of 2:33:54. This was a twelve minute improvement of her personal best. Moody was one second behind fourth-place finisher Zoila Gomez.
In 2009, Moody participated in a variety of races, finishing fourth at the 25 km U.S. championships in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
. She also finished second at Chicago's Shamrock Shuffle, seventeenth at the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler
Cherry Blossom 10-Mile Run
The Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run is an annual 10-mile road race in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1973 originally as a precursor training run for elite runners planning to compete in the Boston Marathon, the race has evolved over the years into a local race for runners of all abilities...
, and fourteenth at the Boulder Boulder.
At the 2009 World Championships in the marathon, Moody was a part of the United States
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
marathon team. She finished 28th in a time of 2:36:39, and was the third American. Moody also ran the 2009 Chicago Marathon, which she finished with a then personal best of 2:32:59, for 9th place.
Moody has had insomnia
Insomnia
Insomnia is most often defined by an individual's report of sleeping difficulties. While the term is sometimes used in sleep literature to describe a disorder demonstrated by polysomnographic evidence of disturbed sleep, insomnia is often defined as a positive response to either of two questions:...
since sixth grade. In 2005 she was diagnosed with sleep apnea
Sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by abnormal pauses in breathing or instances of abnormally low breathing, during sleep. Each pause in breathing, called an apnea, can last from a few seconds to minutes, and may occur 5 to 30 times or more an hour. Similarly, each abnormally low...
, and has tried many different treatments, including visiting the Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients . Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of...
, sleeping pills
Sleeping pills
Sleeping pills may refer to:*Hypnotic, a drug used to induce sleep*Sleeping Pills , an American film by Michael Lauter...
, a mouth guard, and a device to regulate her breathing. She now takes melatonin
Melatonin
Melatonin , also known chemically as N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, is a naturally occurring compound found in animals, plants, and microbes...
, a natural supplement. Despite running more than a hundred miles a week, she still rarely sleeps more than a couple hours a night.
Throughout her career, Moody has also dealt with depression
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
, anemia
Anemia
Anemia is a decrease in number of red blood cells or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. However, it can include decreased oxygen-binding ability of each hemoglobin molecule due to deformity or lack in numerical development as in some other types of hemoglobin...
, asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
, and anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by refusal to maintain a healthy body weight and an obsessive fear of gaining weight. Although commonly called "anorexia", that term on its own denotes any symptomatic loss of appetite and is not strictly accurate...
. In her first semester of college, she dropped from 128 to 96 pounds.
Achievements
| Representing the | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | World Championships 2009 World Championships in Athletics The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate.... |
Berlin, Germany | 28th | Marathon 2009 World Championships in Athletics – Women's Marathon The Women's Marathon event at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics took place on August 23, 2009 in the streets of Berlin, Germany. The race started at 11:15h local time.-Medalists:-Abbreviations:... |