Running Toward Regulation, Healing, and Purpose: Liz Thornburg’s Bayshore Journey

For Liz Thornburg, running has never just been about racing.

It started when she was growing up “in the middle of nowhere,” running cross country through middle school and high school. Even then, it felt like more than a sport. Running became a release, something steady she could return to no matter what was happening in life.

Now, years later, that relationship with running has only deepened.

This spring, Liz is running the Bayshore Half Marathon with Team Still I Run, using every mile to help break down stigma around mental health and remind others that it’s okay to ask for help.

Finding Answers Later in Life

Liz was diagnosed with autism and ADHD when she was 28 years old. Looking back, she now understands why running always felt so necessary to her.

As someone who describes herself as having a little “neuro-spiciness,” she realized movement was helping regulate her nervous system long before she had the language for it.

“Someone pointed out to me that running regulates my nervous system,” she shared. “It helps me not feel anxious or on edge all the time. It helps me feel grounded.”

Running also helps her manage the ADHD side of things, especially in daily life and work.

“If I run before work, I’m way more regulated and focused,” she said.

That connection between movement and mental well-being is deeply personal for Liz, but it also extends into her career.

Seeing the Impact Through Her Work

Liz works as a behavior analyst with children on the autism spectrum, and she sees firsthand how movement can completely change a child’s ability to regulate emotions and behaviors.

She remembers working with one little boy who spent most of his day confined to a room because of aggressive behaviors. To Liz, it was obvious he needed an outlet.

“He had so much energy,” she said. “I kept telling them to trust him and let him run a little bit.”

Over time, things started to shift.

“A few months later, he went from being highly aggressive to being non-aggressive and so much happier because he had access to running.”

Eventually, he was able to move into a treatment room with other children instead of being isolated all day.

Experiences like that continue to reinforce what Liz already knows in her own life: movement matters.

She laughs that parents sometimes think she’s crazy when she suggests walks or physical activity as part of emotional regulation, but she’s watched it make a real difference again and again.

In fact, she would love to one day conduct research focused specifically on running, autism spectrum disorders, and behavioral regulation.

Learning to Be Patient With the Process

The road back to racing hasn’t been simple.

Two years ago, Liz was training for the Grand Rapids Marathon when she suffered a concussion just one month before race day. She wasn’t able to run the race, and recovery took longer than she expected.

Since then, she’s slowly been building herself back up.

“It’s taken longer than I would like,” she said. “But that’s okay because we all go at our own paces.”

That mindset feels especially fitting within the Still I Run community, where progress is never defined by pace, finish times, or perfection.

For Liz, simply continuing to come back to running has been part of the victory.

This year’s Bayshore Half Marathon will be her second half marathon, but she is approaching it differently than she may have in the past.

“My training has been lacking a little bit,” she admitted. “So I’m not running for time. I’m running for a purpose.”

Celebrating What Her Body Can Do

Part of that purpose comes from everything her body has already overcome.

When Liz was just 3 years old, she was accidentally run over by a lawn mower, an accident that completely sliced her Achilles tendon. She still remembers the physical therapy that followed and continues to live with limited mobility in her left foot.

That history makes running feel even more meaningful.

“I’m excited for it to be a celebration of what our bodies can do,” she said.

Every training run, every mile, and every finish line carries a little extra weight because of everything it took to get there.

Running for Something Bigger

Mental health has affected Liz’s family for generations, which is one reason running with Team Still I Run feels so important to her.

She wants people to know mental health struggles should never be hidden in shame.

“It’s okay to have mental health issues,” she said. “It’s okay to struggle with your mental health. It’s okay to get help.”

That message is what she hopes people see when she lines up at Bayshore this spring.

Not someone chasing a personal record.

Not someone trying to prove anything.

Just someone continuing to show up, continuing to move forward, and continuing to use running as a lifelong tool for healing, regulation, and connection.

Because for Liz, running has always been bigger than the race itself.