My Uncle Dennis replied to my email, asking him a bunch of questions about how he got into running and what it means to him. He's a soft-spoken guy with a slight southern accent and a true gentleman. Here are excerpts from his reply to me:
*Note: Katie and Beth (mentioned in this interview) are his daughters. Dennis and his wife Margie and their son Joe live in Canada.
"Hi Rigel,
I got to go to your blog last night. Thanks so much for all the nice things you said.
I'm so pleased that you have signed up for TWO 5Ks. I think you will enjoy the events and it really helps set a target to work for.
I'll be honoured to try to answer some of your questions below.
I guess the first running I did was to get ready for football in jr. high and high school. Then after college I let my weight get away from me. I started dieting and running 2 miles around the apartment complex. I have to watch my weight and running has always been a way to help that process.
Back in the late 70s early 80s I got into running enough to do some 5Ks 10ks and a 10 miler. Margie ran quite a lot then too. She and a girl friend would run 6 miles a day, chatting every step of the way.
Since then I ran mostly for general fitness and weight control until about 2004. My weight was an up and down issue as we went through different phases of life / jobs etc. When we lived in Maryland I joined Weight Watchers and picked up my running quite a bit. There is some beautiful farm land to run through. That's when I trained for my first marathon.
We have enjoyed many other sports, golf, tennis, hiking, skiing etc. but to me running is always a good supplement to overall weight control and fitness. It can be worked into almost any schedule, It's not expensive, it doesn't require anyone else or court times or tee times etc. It's there and you can do it. Incidentally you can also get some neat experiences running in different places when you travel. I've had the privilege of running in places like, Galveston, London, New York City, Huntington Beach Ca. Lake Louise and a bunch of small towns, parks and paths.
Staying motivated can be a problem as you go through the different phases of life etc. Running almost ALWAYS makes you feel better about your self AFTER you do it (and usually while your doing it). It's like a little self improvement project you can choose to do almost every day. Who doesn't feel good about self improvement projects?
Morning running seems to work best for me, I wish I could tell you that making myself get out of bed was easy. It's not. But, its funny, sometimes when you have to really talk your self into getting up there is some kind of special reward. A really good time for a distance, seeing some wildlife (deer, coyotes, porcupines) , or a special sunrise etc.
Setting goals like running a race, hitting a weight goal. doing x miles per week is helpful. Keeping a log and tracking shoe miles helps. It's amazing how looking back and saying, I ran 25 miles this week, or I'll have 400 miles on these shoes soon, If I run 3 today instead of 2 I'll have 20 for the week. It is a motivator.
There are lots of books and info on the web that help you develop. One thing I have said is that the first mile is the hardest. If all running was like the first mile nobody would run at all. As you get past that first mile you feel better and your are able to travel further, see more and get more benefits out of it.
You can also use different types of runs, easy ones, Speed workouts, Hill repeats , long runs, short runs, different routes, etc. - Mixing it up helps keep it from being the same old thing. You tell yourself you'll just do an easy run to get out of bed, but then you change it as you get started.
Running in weather can be a neat experience. You need to dress for it and be safety smart about running like when it's just snowed and the snow covers the icy patches etc. Actually the Mid 20sF is a great temperature to enjoy.
I have rarely run with someone. Some people like it, it's just hard for me to schedule. I'd do "Cherish the Fun" run that Beth and I did together, the time Katie and I ran Central park in NY and the duoathelon we did, running with friends on vacations etc. It's just not part of my regular routine.
Your blog mentioned how you pray and think about things when you run. It really is a good time to be alone with yourself. Sometimes I pretend I'm talking to my parents and updating them on how things are going. I don't think non runners understand that part of it.
I'd be happy to talk more if you have any questions or thoughts. Let me know, we'll set up a time and I'll call you. (we have a flat rate for all calls to the states)
I know you will do well in you 5 Ks. Keep it up. Being able to share this with you is another highlight."
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