My running career started back in the third grade at Parkwood Elementary School in 1976. I went on to run at River Valley middle school. Our class was the first class to attend all three years first, since it was a new building. A highlight during my time at River Valley was setting a school record each year in the 800, 1200 and the mile my 8th grade year at 5:14. I ran at Jeffersonville High School becoming a letter winner and running 16:41 for the 5k in cross country and a 9:54 two mile time during track. I only started to really train during my senior year and into my college years, running in the off months from cross country and track.
I attended Indiana State University as a walk on and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Criminology and minoring in Psychology. I ran all 4 years from 1986-1990 running track events from the mile to the steeplechase and 10k. I became a letterman my second year. I mostly ran the 5k in track which was my favorite event. It required speed along with strength. I don’t think I really ran as fast as I could over my college years related to my training. I don’t think I grasp how to train until my later years, meaning well into my 40’s and actually during marathon training, which I will explain later. I ran my fastest 5k indoors at a meet at the IU facility. I ran a 15:18 during my senior year but did not run any faster. My mile PR was done in a workout during my senior year in track (mile hard, 5 miles at sub 6-minute pace, mile hard). I posted a 4:29 my first mile in that workout. I ran the 10K once and the steeplechase a few times.
Once I graduated from ISU, I was employed with the New Albany Police Department in 1991. I have been with them for over 29 years. I am currently at our highest merited rank of Captain overseeing a patrol shift. I was in an executive command staff as Major overseeing payroll and budgets, commander over our Criminal Investigation division, SWAT team member, bike patrol coordinator, general instructor and a field training officer. During my time as a patrol officer, I developed a reputation that the bad guys would not get away from me. There were many challenges on this front but only a few had succeeded. As runners, take into consideration that I was carrying an extra 20 lbs. of equipment, they usually had a head start and I was not wearing running shoes or warmed up. I would go from a resting heart rate of 50 to chasing someone with a heart rate I am sure of exceeding 100.
Between the years of 2004 to 2016, I was a Floyd County Commissioner and President 6 of those 12 years overseeing planning and zoning of Floyd County. My professional career has led me to run for Floyd County Sheriff, which will be in 2022. I look forward to continuing to serve my community that I have raised a family.
All this has led me to finally pursuing the opportunity to run a marathon. I ran my first marathon in 2015 at the Chicago Marathon in hopes of breaking 3 hours. I feel short running 3:26, walking and jogging the last 5 miles. I was not prepared and did not respect the marathon distance enough. So, I wanted to try again but more importantly I wanted to quality for the Boston Marathon. I ran in the Louisville Marathon in 2017 running a qualifying time for a 49-year-old in 3:06:49. During that year at age 49, I ran in the Anthem 5k running 16:28(2.93) short course so probably a 17:15-17:25, which is my master’s PR. During that year I ran Fast Freddie’s 5 miler in 28:57 and Lanesville 8 miler in 51:05. During 2016 at age 48 I ran a master’s mile PR of 5:00.05, Derby Festival half marathon PR of 1:23:02. Training for a marathon made me stronger to run faster in other races, logging more miles and strength workouts.
So, it began, training for one of the most iconic marathons in history, the Boston Marathon in October 2017. This time around, I started by building my miles up the first three months. Then 4 months of three workouts a week including a long run on the weekends and marathon pace workouts. During this 27 weeks of training for one race, I ran the most miles since college in a week 62 at the peak point in my training, most miles in a month and my longest training run of 22 miles, which I ran by myself. I arrived in Boston in April 2018 prepared but I was not expecting the weather. It was 41 degrees, 30 mph head wind and rain. The windchill was below freezing. However, I was not going to change my goals. I did not put in all the hard training plus cost to just jog it. My goal was to break 3 hours and that is what I set out to do. I went through the half-way in 1:28 and some change and feeling alright. I stayed on pace and made it through the Newton hills. Those hills and heart break were no joke. I was still on pace up to 22 and then the wheels started to come off. The last mile I was seeing spots and lightheaded. I finished in 3:06:05 with a new PR. Not the goal of breaking 3 but more important is the fact that I had the courage and will power to finish. It is a race that I will never forget and will use to tell stories.
In 2020 during a COVID pandemic crisis most races have been cancelled and gone to virtual. Something we all had to get use to or adapt. I decided, without structure training plan, to run the virtual Marathon Core Marathon tri-fecta at the request of my sister-in-law and nephew. This included a 31-mile run, 10k and a marathon. You had a little over a month to complete but I did them in 3 three weeks. Up first was the 31-mile run. I had two friends help me through 18 and then I was on my own. I completed all 31 miles in 4:29:49, moving time around 8:15 pace. Once I passed the 26-mile point in this run, I realized that I was going to become an ultra-marathoner. At 28-mile mark though, my knee popped out and I had to pop it back in place. I finished but this was the first time it popped out while running that I could remember. I went on to finish the 10k the following week and then the marathon the next week in 3:26:37. The knee felt weak and so no running since. A torn meniscus surgery completed on Feb. 1, 2021 and recovery begins.
The biggest advice I would give other runners is this, have fun. Have fun no matter what level you are. Enjoy the process of being fit and know it will not happen overnight. It’s truly a marathon and not a sprint.
I enjoy running the River City rRces because they are close to home. There is no feeling like showing up and preparing to compete with area runners. Each morning of the races, the excitement is in the air and to toe the line to compete is exhilarating. As I get older, the goals change, but God has blessed me to keep running and do so at a competitive level with other runners my age.
Thank you for allowing me to share my journey.
Check out Steve's campaign video here, it's truly inspiring!