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Maybe I should start with my first running experience.� I was 6 and in the first grade at Marion Elementary.� My father was the coach and math teacher at the school.� Being new to the school, I decided to walk to see him one morning.� Two 8th grade thugs saw me, and said, "heh, there is coach"s son, let's get him." So my running career began, aptly titled "Running Scared.." What I didn't tell my father was why his little boy was so out of breath, hardly able to swallow the dry vanilla wavers he would offer as I entered the old brick gym.� You might say I learned to sprint early.�� That entire year, I ran hard the distance to and from the first grade wing to his office, even though they never chased me again.� Better safe than sorry!
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Flash forward, to my senior year at Barbe High School.� For some reason, a friend of mine started a running club during PE and I joined since I couldn't catch a softball. By the end of the year, we were running 4 miles a day, five days a week.� During this time, I had my first high(never used drugs), a natural runner"s high. Ran only a few times after graduating, and then switched to swimming for the next few years.� Then went to work as a teacher and worked a couple of jobs to pay for the children, no running.�� Finally, went to work at the central office, and gained 40 lbs.�
The hottest summer, 1999, started walking my dog, Charlie.� After a month or so, Charlie Phillips(no relationship to my dog), told me I was getting fit, but said I needed to start running to lose the remaining baby fat. I told him, no way, I was too old, would hurt my knees.�� He smiled and said that I wasn?t too old, and that running would not hurt my knees.� So I ran, at night, where no one could see the fat guy, in a short road across the street from my house.� At first, a tenth of a mile, then two, then finally after a month, two miles!� I nearly passed out, but was hooked.
Started running two a days, I don?t know why, read it in an article by Galloway.� That?s when I met, Chris , local triathlete and a running partner, whom had just moved into the neighborhood.� He smiled and asked if I was training for a marathon, I said no, a 5K.�� This must have been hard to believe.�� The rest is history, I lost the 40 lbs, and for the most part have kept it off.�
Began running with long time local runner, Otto (big tall guy, smiles a lot).� Otto introduced me to the 10 mile run, gave me a book to read and believed that I could become a real runner.� He was so motivational, I even joined the Lake Area Runners.� I was as proud of my card as my driver?s license.
Became so obsessed(a key word), that I went to a triathlon to see what runners were there.� All the good runners, it seemed were triathletes, so I started doing triathlons to be a better runner.� Honest!�� |
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Otto moved away for a year to work on his doctorate.� It was October and no running partner.� Then I convinced another friend, Mike to run the "Otto route" with me.� About the second time, he announced that he was doing a marathon.� I thought he was crazy but decided to train with him.� Next thing I know, it is January, and we are running the Houston Marathon.� The end was so emotional, I sobbed like a baby!� It must have been quite entertaining to the young people handing out medals. |
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