A Plattsmouth woman learned at age 50 she can run. She also wrote a book about lessons learned along life's path.

Ruth Wassinger is plenty busy. She is president of the Plattsmouth City Council, the mother of two and as of this spring, a grandmother. Her husband Richard is the Cass County treasurer.

Ruth's career in financial planning and insurance spans more than 22 years and she recently published a book, "Fit After 50". "To inspire others, certainly women ages 50 or over, that it's never too late to start an exercise program and be successful at it."

How successful has Ruth has been? There’s a display case in her home filled with running trophies all won after she turned 50.

It began when Ruth was 50 and walking with her husband. "I said Richard, my heart rate is not increasing, I'm going to take off and run." Ruth surprised herself and ran three quarters of a mile that day and she's been running ever since.

Included in her accomplishments are seven marathons. "I never knew my legs could run.” Her kids considered mom to be a non-athlete. In her first competitive race, she won her division. When her kids saw the trophy, they thought it was their dad's. "My husband said look at the trophy a little bit closer and of course it was the ponytail."

Ruth qualified for the Boston Marathon this year, but last December heard shocking news from her doctor. She had breast cancer. Chemo started in January. "And my last one was April 18th. Mentally, the only way that I knew how to deal with chemo was to pretend that I was running a marathon."

Ruth finished the chemo marathon and is now cancer-free. She entered her first race since the treatment last week and won her division. Ruth plans to run in the Boston Marathon next April.