the duo does the du(athlon)!

by Alison Qualter Berna

When I met Allison 9 years ago in a baby music class with our twins, I knew she had something special, something that I wanted to attach myself to, a friendship that I wanted to foster and cultivate. She was smart and beautiful, kind and outgoing, all at the same time. What impressed me the most was how she looked at and cared for her twin baby boys.

alison qualter berna and allison schlanger take a duathlon selfie 

In 9 years, nothing has wavered from that first impression. Allison continues to be one of the best moms I know, raising three equally smart and beautiful, kind and outgoing young boys. As a business partner, she is a force to work with - the ideas that come out of her head are creative and endless, and I sometimes take for granted how lucky I am to work with someone who simply just “gets it done.”

In the long list of things that impress me about Allison, this past weekend stands out as one of my favorites.

Last spring, Allison signed us up for a duathlon in Central Park, a 2 mile run, 12 mile bike ride, 2 mile run race. This was something that I knew intimidated her, and yet she pressed the registration button knowing that she would have to find the time to train. Setting a goal is one of the best ways to motivate us all, and Allison set her goal with me in mind. We would do this challenge together.

This past Sunday, we completed the duathlon and not only rocked it, we had so much fun doing it!

alison and allison crossing the finish line

As we crossed the finish line and our 6 kids ran up to us, I remember feeling proud of myself, but even more for my closest friend. She overcame her nerves and her fear of the unknown, and she prioritized herself in a month when work and school are incredibly time consuming. 

the berna and schlanger kids greet their moms

As she hugged her 3 gorgeous boys, I saw that she was role modeling for them in a way she may not even realize. They were so happy for their mom, and I was too.

They saw her make the time to train and exercise this month, they saw her overcome her anxiety, facing this unknown, and they saw her cross that finish line with a giant smile of accomplishment. 

Later that day we were already looking up other duathlon races, and I can’t wait to take on the next one with her!