IBX Broad Street Run: Running towards hope

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Training for the Independence Blue Cross Broad Street Run is more than just about medals, it's about finding inner peace.

Kristen Jones is proof that every step down Broad Street is a step out of darkness.

When the thoughts got heavy, Jones said she turned to running to make her world a little lighter.

"It clears my head and it makes processing difficult emotions," she said.

Some of those difficult emotions were triggered by a hormonal imbalance, she says doctors diagnosed her with a couple of years ago.

"I've gained a considerable amount of weight and a lot of that is due to hormonal imbalances," she said. "Depression is definitely one of them."

She found success in running three to five times a week.

Jones has joined her employer's running team, The Independence Blue Cross Blue Streaks.

She says being part of that 135-member group was a chance to outrun her thoughts, and eventually run towards hope.