"During my 20s and early 30s, I realized how running made me feel better about myself and helped develop my self-confidence. I signed up for a multitude of races ranging from 5ks to marathons. With the completion of each race and the training that went along with it, I felt stronger physically and mentally. Especially after finishing my first marathon – the Marine Corps – I felt like I could do anything!
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“I think that most people think that I exercise everyday for the results. To try to have a six-pack, to try and gain muscle tone, to try to look ripped and look lean. But let me tell you something that that can’t be farther from the truth…with what we get thrown at us each and everyday with life, with what knocks us down with work, with what knocks us down with commuting to work, with what knocks us down with our kids, with what knocks us with all the activities are kids are in, with what else knocks us down with all the other stressors in life that in fact we are faced every single day and the time we live everything is constantly on the go…I exercise every single day so that I’m less stressed. I exercise every single day so I feel more confident. I exercise every single day so that I have more energy throughout the day and I’m not crashing in the middle of the morning or crashing in the middle of the afternoon or feel completely exhausted, strung out, and stressed out every single day. I exercise so I could be the best father and the best husband and the best version of myself by living a healthy, fulfilling life.” "My mom always encouraged my brothers and I to play sports. My dad played soccer at UNC and my mom played field hockey, lacrosse and was a high diver at WCU. Athletics is in our blood. It was always our choice if we wanted to participate or not, but it brought my parents (especially my mom) so much joy to watch us play. The lessons I learned from athletics are countless. I learned how to be a good teammate, to deal with coaches I didn’t agree with, to take care of my body, to bounce back after an injury, to be a leader, to be a cheerleader, to be a coach and it gave me the opportunity to visit new places and meet new people. Athletics also taught me how to set goals and follow through. In high school I set a goal to play field hockey in college on an athletic scholarship and I did just that at James Madison University. I have my mother to thank for exposing me to field hockey and fanning the flame of passion that was ignited in me." "I run to hang to out with my Dad. At least that’s how it started. "My love of swimming is as emotional as it is intellectual. My father, who was a great swimmer, taught me to swim when I was very young. We swam together in every conceivable body of water for years, so swimming is inextricably bound to my relationship with my father, who was an engineer and a deeply curious person." Via New York Times article, Pool of Thought
"I love running because it is my time to connect with myself, my friends and to think. I don’t run with music most of the time (unless it is Rachel Patton’s “Fight Song”) because I like to be free of distraction and be able to hear my body running. Running has also brought me some of my closest friends both here in the QCA and in the greater running community. “At first, I ran for my daughter, and I loved it. But after a while, I started running by myself as well… "Running has changed my life in so many ways I can hardly list them all. I have more energy. I have made dozens of new friends, run races with my wife and my five oldest children as well as my brother, started a local running group, inspired others to run and lose weight, gotten a job connected to running and a number of writing opportunities." "It was something I had to do. It was how I wanted to remember her. “Running is a part of our lives. And it hopefully will be for a few more years. In Ireland there is a saying: those who pray together stay together. Well we say, those who run together stay together.” |
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