BUTLER TWP — 100 pounds and counting.

Jennifer Bole used to run to stay in shape. Then she ran to get in shape.

“I’ve lost 100 pounds in less than three years,” the 2000 Butler graduate said. “I weighed 235 when I gave birth to my youngest daughter.”

That daughter will turn three in March. Bole weighs 135 pounds right now and will likely drop a few more.

She’s running with a purpose now — the Pittsburgh Marathon.

“I ran a lot in high school, just on my own, not for a team or anything,” Bole said. “I went pretty fast, but it was usually a mile at a time, three at the most.”

A single mother, Bole has a 7-year-old daughter along with her 2-year-old. She works full-time and runs 40 to 50 miles a week. She does up to 10 or 12 miles a day, five days a week.

“After I had my second baby, I let myself go,” she admitted. “I got back to running to try to shed a few pounds.”

And she hasn’t stopped.

Bole is a member of the Butler YMCA and decided to enter the facility’s Turkey Trot 5K in 2010. She finished fourth in her age group.

That effort encouraged her to raise the bar. Bole competed in the Pittsburgh Half-Marathon last spring, an event she completed in an hour and 45 minutes.

“My goal was to complete the race in two hours,” Bole said.

Bole participated in the Run For Shelter 5K in August and finished second overall among the 40 to 50 females running that race. She did the Scoot and Toot 5K at Alameda Park and finished first among the 25 to 30 female runners there.

She ran the Buffalo Creek Half-Marathon in October and lowered her time to 1:39. At the Turkey Trot 5K earlier this month, Bole finished second overall among 120 female runners, losing by 40 seconds to a 17-year-old.

“I received a training program, from Jay Larimore, who’s run a few marathons,” Bole said. “He’s a fellow Butler graduate who I’ve communicated with on Facebook.”

Larimore is a 1994 Butler graduate who knew Bole’s older sisters in high school. He’s been running marathons for seven years and will join Bole in running the Pittsburgh Marathon May 5.

“There is definitely natural talent involved with what she’s doing,” Larimore said. “She hasn’t been at it for all that long. To run at the pace she’s been at is pretty impressive.”

Larimore said he’s merely been giving Bole advice on training technique for a marathon.

“Mainly, I’ve told her to pace herself, not try to kill it all in one day,” he said. “I told her to listen to her body. If you’re tired, don’t be afraid to rest.”

In the meantime, Bole has a new goal in mind: Qualify for the Boston Marathon.

“You have to run a qualifier in 3:35 or less and Pittsburgh serves as one of the qualifiers for Boston,” Bole said. “I’d love to get there. It’s my dream, I won’t quit until I do.”

She likely won’t quit anyway.

“If the weather’s bad, I’ll run seven miles on the treadmill at the Y,” Bole said. “This has become a healthy lifestyle for me.

“Anyone can do what I’m doing. Start off slow and just keep improving. Stay motivated and dedicated. Running is all in the head, really.”

When it comes to ability, Bole may be slightly ahead of the game.

“She’s better than the average runner,” Larimore said. “That, combined with her motivation, enabled her to do what she’s done.”