I am 48 years old, overweight and I AM a runner. I set goals for myself and enjoy the journey that comes with making them happen.
I used to weigh 270 pounds. I was standing at a 5K finish line one day in 2017, watching people come across the finish line and receiving their medal. That is always a great place to be at a race because you can feel the sense of accomplishment vibing from the runners. In the crowd of thousands one guy stood out to me. He was approximately 5'5" and he probably weighed over 300 pounds. He was wearing a red and black shirt, black shorts and black running shoes. Sweat was pouring off this man and he looked exhausted. In my head, I was thinking, "How did that guy do this?" To me a 5K run was unimaginable and then from my right I heard a lady say "Look at that fat f**k. Can you believe he ran a 5K?" I was floored that a person I knew would say something that terrible. After I gather my jaw off the concrete roadway. I looked and said to her (and to myself), "Exactly! Look at him. He just did a freaking 5K and I am just standing here get fatter and unhealthier by the minute." I was truly inspired by this complete stranger, and I decided right then that I was going to run a 5K, no walking.
I downloaded the Active.com Couch to 5K app and started doing everything it told me to do. I can still remember all the milestones and first times during that training schedule. The first time I ran for 3 minutes non-stop blew my mind. There was a week where I would have to run 20 minutes non-stop and as that day approached, I was freaking out but I did it, and most importantly, I didn't die. Around that time, a friend from the Boston Athletic Association asked me if I wanted to run the B.A.A 5K for my first 5K since I would be there to watch the marathon and I jumped at that opportunity. Originally, I had picked a Donut Run as my first 5K because I will do most anything for donuts, but the B.A.A. 5K was a bigger deal to me. Luckily, I was able to run with a big group of friends that day and most of them knew my goal was to run the whole distance, no walking. We all ran to the 1 Mile marker and the group decided to walk for a bit. One of the friends was trying to get my attention so I would stop and walk with them and right about then I overheard another friend in the group say to her, "Let him run." It was a Field of Dreams moment for me in a weird kind of way. There were two people on the course holding up signs that said " Go, Craig, Go” thanks to the president of Hightech Signs (my boss). I cried and it helped me so much. When I got to the finish line, I saw my friend who was responsible for me being in that 5K. He is a very good runner and I was able to tell him that I had accomplished my goal. "I ran the whole thing!" between heavy breaths and trying not to cry. That felt amazing to say those words out loud and to him. I then walked through the post-finish corral and experienced all of that for the first time. My heart rate was through the roof. The top of my head was pounding. I couldn't catch my breath. Everything hurt and they handed my first participant medal, I turned the corner and they gave me water and snacks. I say my boss and we sat in the grass there in Boston Common while I caught my breath and ate my snacks and thought back about that guy who inspired me to run my first 5K. It was a beautiful day and I felt alive in that moment. I was not hooked on running at this point.
When I got back to work on Tuesday, my boss told me that if I run the B.A.A. 10K he would pay for my airfare to Boston. My immediate and very heartfelt response to that was, "Are you crazy? I barely had enough time to train for a 5K. I work too many hours in this building to train for a 10K." He said, "Ok, and the offer stands." That very night I went to the YMCA to run on a treadmill for the first time. I was curious what that was like. I ran 4 miles on that treadmill like it was an easy walk on a Sunday morning. When I finished my legs were a lot wiggly. I had to sit down and started to think about what my boss had said about the 10K. For some reason running 4 miles made 6.2 seem like a goal I could reach. I was curious if there was a 5K-10K training app, so I pulled out my phone and there was a banner notification on my phone that said I had completely my Couch to 5K training and would I like to download the 5K to 10K training module. I clicked on it to see how much it would cost, because if it was $2.99, the answer would have been an easy "NO!", but it was free. I clicked download and called my boss and let him know there would be a purchase for a plane ticket to Boston on my card tomorrow.
My first day back to work after the B.A.A. 10K, I was telling my boss all about the run and again he said, "If you run the B.A.A. Half-Marathon in October, I will pay for your airfare." I accepted the challenge with no hesitation. About a week before my first half, I was reading through their website and there was one sentence buried in their copy that mentioned practicing hills. The anxiety set in. I live in Indiana. The only hills here are overpasses. I went into that race super nervous. One of my best friends and her boyfriend came out from Portland. She was cheering us on and he was running. It was a decent weather day when the race started but that fall apart about half way through my run. I struggled, on this run. The hills were real and technically I wasn't ready for a half. I ran about 60% of the whole race. I was wearing a cotton shirt and lost my nipple protection around mile 7 and by mile 9 I was in pain. I ran the last 4 miles holding my left pec just to stop the friction between my wet cotton shirt and the movement of my chest. I learned at mile 12 that it was less painful to run than walk and just as I exited the zoo, I saw my friends. Jonathan, who had finished the race 90 minutes before me, ran with me for about 200 yards, and told me what to expect between where I was and the finish. "You only have about half a mile to go. The finish line is in that stadium over there and it is downhill the rest of the way." and that gave me exactly what I needed at that moment. I was in my head, and negative, and in pain. I wanted to just stop and walk, but I didn't. When I arrived at the entrance of the stadium, I was very glad that I was wearing sunglasses and that it was raining. I started to tear up. I could see the actual finish line. I was on the track running around the oval and about to finish a half-marathon. The ugly cry happened, in the rain, behind the sunglasses. I picked up my medal, got some food, found my friends and we celebrated. We were wet, freezing and I was in so much pain. I thought about the guy at that first 5K and said thank you. I was hooked on running.
Since then, I have run almost 100 events. I have had torn tendons, chronic tendonitis, at least 3 MRI scans, and was in a boot off and on for almost a year. Quarantine gave me the rest I needed and didn't know I needed. I have learned what it means to listen to my body and rest when you need it. Over the last year I have trained for two marathons. Houston was going to be my first and 7 weeks before the race I went into a boot for 6 weeks, so Boston Marathon became my goal. How cool would it be to have your first 5k, 10k, Half and Full Marathons happen in freaking Boston. Covid ended that 4 weeks before the event. I was hoping for NYC and again Covid ended that for us all. I started to give up on that idea, then that changed. Two weeks ago, I ran my first 30K, the Downtown Doubler 30K. 18.6 Miles, I had never run that far in one go. I had just run a half marathon 5 days earlier, and this is how it worked in my head..."I just ran two 10Ks plus a little bit, I can add another 10K to that." So, I set out on a Saturday with the trunk of my car loaded with snacks, water, protein shakes, Gu packs, extra clothes and shoes and decided to do an out and back 10K three times. I didn't really know what I would need but I was ready for anything and this would allow my car to be my aid station, since I was alone. It took me 4 hours and 21 minutes, but I got it and I felt like I was on top of the world. I know I can make it through a marathon now and I will start my official marathon training again in a few weeks. There will most likely not be a marathon happening when I finish the training, but I don't care. Me, Garmin, Gu, Airpods and a few peanut butter and jelly sandwiches will set up on the Fort Wayne trail system and I will run four 10.55KM loops because I am a runner.
Favorite distance: Right now, my favorite distance is a Half Marathon.
Do you have any running/walking advice you'd like to offer? Just because you are not the runner type, have a runner physique, or run like a gazelle doesn't mean you can't run any distance you want. Learn how to train, rest and eat. While you are training, research and test all different kinds of running products (shorts, shirts, gels, foods, hats, shoes, trails, distances, etc.) to find what you like. When you are tired, rest. Stretch every day. If you need it find a chiropractor, physical therapist, massage therapist, and coach and make sure they are all runners. Learn how to recognize when you are getting negative during and run and what to do to correct that while you are running. Running is a journey of self-discovery inside a community of people that are a welcoming and supportive family.
Why do you like running River City Races events? The Downtown Doubler is the first River City Races event I have run. I was invited and that gave me the opportunity to set a goal of not only running my first 30K, but also all 4 of the events. This event has allowed me to support a great person and friend in our running community and I will do it again.
Anything else you'd like to share? When you want to be lazy, and putting on your running kit feels like it will destroy you... get out on the road and run. It doesn't matter how far or hard, easy days are allowed.