On your mark, get set, GO! Isn't it interesting how those word spoken together seem to get your adrenalin rushing and want to make you burst off and do something? I don't know about you, but this past winter has been a doozy. Yet, it was the first in many that seemed to resemble those I had remembered from my youth so many years ago. It is amazing after the winter, how long it seemed to get to warmer weather.

I have, for the most part, led a very average life when it comes to athletics and working out. It seemed to always be something I did not enjoy. When I attempted to try it, I was always so impatient I could not hang in long enough to get to the point where it was worth doing.

Fast forward to today, this past weekend, I just finished my 10th half marathon and have been avidly running for the past five years. Sad, but true; I wish I had discovered this form of recreation long ago.

You see, I was in my mid- to late-40s and had just lost a very close friend to a heart attack. He was in his early 60s and we were very close. However, he was always a little overweight and did not do a lot of exercise. When he died, I decided to take a good long look in the mirror and my 35 or so extra pounds I was looking at were looking back at me and laughing.

A good friend, Greg, had been running for a number of years and had attempted to get me with the program, but it never seemed to stick. Another friend, Mike, a high school and college football player, was looking for a buddy to help him train for a triathlon. When Mike asked if I would like to run, I told him I am not a runner. Running, to me, was something I saw people doing and always had commented that I never saw a runner smiling. They would cross in front of my car as I was munching on a doughnut and sipping a soft drink. When they ran past, I was smiling as I stuffed the other half of the custard-filled goodness into my mouth, and I would look at the runner with that certain grimace on their face and sweat rolling down their brow.

Mike then asked if I wanted to swim with him. Well, I am also not a swimmer. I had, in fact, tried to take some classes a few years ago, and was told I was a sinker. My form and attempts were fine; I just don't move through the water. I am fine to jump in the lake and paddle around, but I'm not able to move in the direction I want to go at a speed that will get me there before nightfall.

Finally, Mike asked about biking. Well, I said, I love to bike, and so we set off to begin a great journey. You see, for me, I needed to start with an activity I did not hate. One I would stick to. I also had a partner in Mike to force me to stick with it. You see, if I was to be left to my own, I would be able to find many reasons to hit the snooze and get more sleep. Speaking of sleep, I needed to find a time that wouldn't impede my schedule. Well, we found that early morning worked, and so we began. We biked only a few miles at first, but within a short time we had worked up to riding 15-20 miles in the morning and were getting faster and faster. We rode twice a week for the rest of that summer and fall, but as the colder weather closed in and my frostbitten fingers were clinching the handlebars, we needed to do something else.

This was an interesting transition since I had really disliked running so much in the past. BUT, since I felt my cardio conditioning was at a lifetime high, and since my legs had been pushing pedals for five months, I quietly awoke one morning and thought I would give it a try. I located my treadmill under about eight years of old empty boxes and other things. I moved it to where I would be able to plug it in and tried to remember how it worked. Well, I found a gentle pace that seemed to work, and I started to run. In what seemed like a surreal experience, I found I was very comfortable and before I know it I was watching the readout on the treadmill say three miles! OMG! I actually ran three miles! This was a first, and I found I was not even all that tired. Yes, it was slow, but it was THREE MILES!

The rest is history. I have dropped 35 or so pounds, I've completed many 5k runs and 10 or so half marathons. Last year, I completed my first full marathon. I have running buddies like Amy, Jennelle, John, Mike, Greg, Sharon, Shannon, Kristen, and many more along the way who have all become good friends and have uncovered the social aspect of the sport. I find this has been a surprising aspect that I was not aware.

So the moral of the story is not to be a marathon runner, but to find some way to enjoy the outdoors that make you feel better about yourself. I hope you all enjoy this fantastic community and take full advantage of all the great things we can do right here in our backyard... like running! 'Til then...gotta run!

You can reach Bob Stafford at rstafford@macc.org.