NRCers of the Month Jay and Suzanne Wolff make life more fun! Whenever they’re around, you can count on them for some well-played wise cracks to get the conversation off and running. During their time in NRC, they have achieved many PRs and made lots of close friendships throughout the years. Whether they are keeping it real talking about the “joys” of running, encouraging you to keep at your goals, or offering you some of Jay’s homegrown tomatoes or homemade yogurt, you’ll instantly feel like you’re part of the family!
Native New Yorkers turned Nolensvillians, they were glad to leave the blizzards behind, although they’re still hanging on to a hint of a northern accent. Jay was born in Port Jervis, NY near the Tri-State area (where New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania’s state lines meet) and grew up close by, just off the Delaware River. Suzanne was born in Brooklyn, NY. She moved with her family at the age of three to a town just 20 minutes up river from Jay, but amazingly their paths ne’er did cross, until after college.
Growing up, Jay had “no interest in being clobbered on the football field” and opted to earn his letter jacket on the track team competing in triple jump, long jump, and sometimes (to his chagrin) the ½ mile race. Back then he always came in dead last, unlike his trophy snagging races of late.
Suzanne did her running around trying to fend for herself as one of 9 kids! Surprisingly, one of her favorite family traditions was how her Dad handed out Christmas presents – one at a time – and how that person got to open their gift while everyone watched. As a child, the waiting wasn’t easy and, she laughs, that her Mom would always say, “It took me months to buy all of these presents, so it is NOT going to be over in just a few minutes!” But, it’s a tradition that lives on in their family ‘til this day.
In college, Jay majored in Electron Microscopy (I dare you to say that 7 times fast), which led him to experience Nashville for the first time, earning a position with the VA hospital from 1979-1981. Later, he and Suzanne would take a month-long “sabbatical” in Nashville, sewing the seeds for their eventual move. But, I’m getting ahead of myself.
It was at The Villa Roma, an Italian-themed resort where Jay and Suzanne finally met. When Suzanne spied Jay crossing the lobby in the sales office it was love at first sight. The already-engaged Suzanne remembers stopping in her tracks, and saying to herself, “I’m going to marry that man.” So, with a broken heart in her wake, Suzanne and her friends began sitting with Jay’s crew at lunch and they bonded over laughs and lasagna. They have been married for 34 years and have two incredible kids, Josh (31) and Chelsea (26), and a Morkie (Maltese and Yorkie mix) named Lacey.
Jay admits he’s not the romantic type, but what he lacks in flowers and candy, he makes up for in the kitchen! Suzanne tells tales of Jay waking up early every day to cook her a warm breakfast AND make her lunch for work when the kids were young. He even has an apron that jokingly declares him “Suzanne’s Kitchen B***h”. Hilarious! He still enjoys cooking for the love of his life today.
Having suffered back-to-back Nor’easters in 2004, Suzanne had hit her winter limit and drew a line in the snow. She was moving south, whether Jay and the kids came or not! One year later, they moved to Nolensville where Piggly Wiggly, Fred’s Pharmacy and Sonic were the only things obscuring the scenic views.
Their running story begins in 2008, when Suzanne was diagnosed with breast cancer and 
suffered a complication with the mastectomy surgery. As a result, she couldn’t move her right arm, which made it impossibly awkward to walk for exercise anymore. She focused on physical therapy and the long recovery from chemo and surgery. It took two years before she could move her arm enough to feel comfortable going out to walk or run. By then, Suzanne was itching to get back in shape.
It just so happens that NRC President and First Lady, Scott and Kelli Alexander, live a few houses down from them. Suzanne saw Scott running around their cul de sac and was inspired. Soon after, she saw the Nolensville Dispatch article on the first NRC C25K Program and convinced Jay to sign-up, too!
From that time on, they have been a big part of NRC! Both of them look back on NRC’s C25K as a great experience. Suzanne remembers the encouragement from her coach, Joe Singer, who led the 1:1 interval group and she still walks with friends she met there including, Donna Ellis and Melanie Staudt. Jay had fun training in the 4:1 group, and discovered he had developed a knack for running that had eluded him in his school days. Motivated to keep at it, they continued coming to NRC after the program, and completed the Carmel Half Marathon in 2015!
Suzanne picks her races by who’s running them, and enjoys the social time most. A race that is near and dear to her heart is the Purity Dairy Dash. It was the first race she did after the C25K program and she was surrounded by close friends; Melanie Staudt, Elizabeth Redmon, Donna Ellis and Vicki Travis. There was no high five line, but they got ice cream, and when they mistook a runner for Scott Alexander – they got him to pose with them for “a Scott-sighting” photo (see photo – he’s the guy in the red shirt)!
Now Suzanne doesn’t run much because of plantar fasciitis issues; rather, she walks with the NRC walking crew. She loves the friends she’s made in this group and points out that they do not take it slow. In fact, she even admits it took awhile for her to catch up to fellow-NRC walker Mary Beth Moore!
Jay might have stopped at the 13.1-mile mark, but as it has been known to happen in NRC, he got caught up with a training group and just didn’t stop. After running long miles on Saturdays with NRCer Kim Abdullah who was training for a full, he figured he might as well keep going and signed up for the Little Rock Marathon.
Jay’s epically entertaining race report, entitled “Snippets and songs in my head from the 2018 Little Rock Marathon”, pairs up his takes on all the best and worst parts of the insanity of running a marathon with classic songs and lyrics like “Let it Be” by the Beatles, “Iron Man” by Black Sabbath, “Who’ll Stop the Rain” by CCR, “Running on Empty” by Jackson Browne, and of course, “Eye of the Tiger”! He ends his report with kind words to NRC, “I respect and appreciate all the support and friendship you provided me and everyone else in the club. Don’t ever stop doing what you’re doing. You are all amazing and together have created something truly special.”
What’s next on their list? While Suzanne says she’s not a goal-setter, she has signed up for the Carmel Half in 2019. Jay has signed up for the full and is working to get a time under 5 hours.
So, if you’re looking to smile your way through training, definitely catch Suzanne or Jay on their next walk or run and let them know we’re glad they share their miles with NRC!
SUZANNE – Speed Round:
Hobbies: Reading (all genres), jigsaw puzzles and adult coloring books
Favorite Holiday Song: Ave Maria – when sung correctly
Splurge: Trip to explore Europe, especially Italy and the city of her maiden name, Annunziata
Must-Have Gear: Injeni socks that have toes to block blisters
JAY – Speed Round:
Hobbies: Gardening, Yogurt-making
Favorite Holiday Movie: A Christmas Story
Splurge: Land to have a big farm and be a gentleman farmer
Must-Have Gear: I like running because you don’t need much. Glide, maybe.