“Hey Bill, are you going to run in the race?” The year was 1997 (and I was 42). The words came from David Garrard, a friend of mine who was heading up the race--part encouragement, part challenge. The race was the SMBC Parking Lot Party 5k, and it was to be in three weeks. Running wasn’t my “thing”. My wife was the runner in the family, but I preferred to do my running chasing a ball—pretty much any kind of ball. Just running, I thought, had to be boring! “I could do it…if I wanted to”, I replied. After more “persuasion” that day, I reluctantly agreed to running it.
So the very next day I put on my Etonics and went down to the Waggener High School track, full of confidence that I could run “just 3 miles”—but I had a rude awakening. I was totally winded after only half of the quarter-mile track! This wasn’t going to be as easy as I thought, but I was determined to do it!
To make a long story short, I did get through that first 5k (with lots of encouragement), and then I was hooked! If I could make it through three miles, I wondered, could I go farther? Turns out the answer was yes! Less than a year later I was running my first half marathon! And twenty five years later I’ve now completed 341 races of all kinds (yes, I keep a spreadsheet with all the stats!)—5k’s to marathons, road races to trail races, running races to duathlons and triathlons. Even all-night endurance runs. It’s been quite a journey.
My favorite things about running are how I feel afterwards and the people I have met along the way! Every run isn’t spectacular, and some are much harder than others. But how I feel afterwards makes it all worthwhile. I eat better (and sometimes get to eat more!), sleep better, and overall feel better. I take no medications and my vital signs are all perfect. So worth it! And I’ve met the most interesting and incredible people (and life-long friends) within the running community!
What’s my favorite distance/type now? Hard to answer. Probably 15k for a road race. Long enough for a challenge, but not too long! But I’ve come to really love trail running too--of all distances. And I really enjoy running in my travels. I’ve had the pleasure of running in races around the world—including the Dominican Republic, France, Israel, and Iceland. And they have all been amazing!
For the newer runners (or couch potatoes), some things I’ve learned along the way: Just do it! Sounds like a commercial, but often the hardest thing is to take that first step past the front door. I’ve found the runs/races I have regretted are the ones I didn’t do, not the ones I did! And if you get to a place where you feel like you have plateaued or it is hard to get motivated, try mixing it up. Change the distance, try intervals, register for a fun/challenging or destination race (I LOVE the Disney races!), consider duathlons or triathlons, or take it “off-road”. And consider finding someone to do it with you for accountability and companionship. It’s much harder to say no when someone is depending on you! And much more fun to share the joys/accomplishments with a running mate. And I’ve found it is so rewarding to get involved with running programs for children. I have enjoyed coaching cross country for many years and love running with them and seeing them progress. (But it gets harder and harder to keep up with them every year!)
Now it’s come full circle. That Parking Lot Party 5k that started my running journey 25 years ago has evolved into the St. Matthews Independence Day 5k, and I’m now coordinating it! I didn’t even hesitate to involve River City Races in the race management. I really enjoy running in their races—excellent coordination, communication, and overall experience. And it’s a pleasure to work with Camille and crew putting one on too!
So come on out and join us on July 4th—whether it’s your first or you’re a seasoned veteran, it’s going to be a fun race! (And, who knows, it might even be a big part of your own running journey!)