My running days started somewhat by chance. After running for basketball conditioning in high school and seeing it as somewhat of a punishment, I had sworn it off as something I wanted no part of.
Sometime around 2004 I started delivering our old 1947 Sternberg International stage truck to the Louisville Triple Crown events. I saw all the folks running and having a great time, so I thought why not me too. I thought if I could get to the point of running three miles without stopping that would be about all I wanted. Shortly thereafter I joined the training group at Fleet Feet that Camille and Jim Estes (original owners of Fleet Feet) had put together and quickly was hooked.
I was accepted or at least lied my way into the NQRFPTR group (Not Quite Ready For Prime Time Runners) and started training with them on the weekends. My first race was the 2005 Run for The Berries 5K at Huber's then a few more 5K's that summer then in the fall I ran the Louisville Half Marathon down at the Water Tower.
Funny how my plans to be content at running three miles turned into a half marathon then to the Polar Bear Series to the Triple Crown and three full marathons in 2006 starting with the Derby Festival, then the Road Runner Marathon in Akron and finishing the year off with the St. Jude Marathon in Memphis with my training partner Graham Honaker to our best ever finishing time of 3:54 or something close to that.
Over the years I would never be considered fast but did end up running a bunch of halves' and eleven full marathons before knee surgery made it painful to keep running which was a huge blow to my psyche and my fitness. Many thanks to Camille and the entire NQRFPTR group for the initial motivation and then my running partners over the years Terry Hardwick, Pietro Davit, Russ Maney, Danny Chester (well before he became Superman) and especially Greg Jett for keeping me motivated.
After thinking my fitness goals were all out of reach when not being able to run comfortably anymore, I found the road bike and my Clydesdale AC Cycling brothers and Steve Luckett's Blairwood spin classes to motivate me daily to keep training. I can truly say that when you think you are too injured or too old to run there is always another avenue to continue your passion for competition.
Now I ride for Fellowship, Fitness and to raise funds for cancer research through our Clydesdale initiative for Bike to Beat Cancer. If I have any advice to give its this, run as long as you physically can and still enjoy it but find alternate activities and cross train to keep your legs as fresh as possible for as long as possible. I'll finish with this quote,
"Most Of Us Train Not To Be The Best At Our Sport But Because We Believe Our Best Self Is Still Out There Somewhere"