Sharon Waltman Story

Just Another Runner’s Perspective September 2024 By Gale Fischer

Addiction or Necessity

“Once you’re exercising regularly the hardest thing is to stop it.”

—-Erin Gray

6/4/2024: Jane’s body was consumed with exhaustion but the smile that decorated her face was all that mattered. Jane Rolfe and I had shared five miles in the early morning darkness every Thursday morning for over a decade starting in 2000. Our weekly runs helped prep both of us to several marathon finishes. Now at the age of eighty-two, Jane’s running days are in the rearview mirror. Her weary body gives her grief daily from a year-long battle with cancer a few years ago, a bad hip, and a damaged back. Although this has been Jane’s life for the last twelve years she has refused to give up her exercise routine. Walking, snow-shoeing, swimming, and workouts on the elliptical have kept her active in her golden years. Jane moved from Battle Creek to the east side of the state a decade ago with our friendship and her inspiration providing the motivation for me to make the two-hour drive a few times a year to visit with her. Our day-long visits typically include a walk and today was no different. Jane had not been able to walk longer distances since our last visit but today there was no stopping her. By the time we arrived back at my car, we had covered three miles. Her aching back and hip may have been sending her ongoing signals of pain but you would have never seen any sign of this. Jane was provided an instant mood boost with our three-mile stroll.

For some, physical activity might become an addiction that is difficult to go without. This illustration is easily seen in the world of runners. The human will and refusal to relinquish to the physical pain is a common theme for the last six miles of a marathon. Sometimes this determination exists even earlier than the twenty-mile mark as athletes fight through muscle soreness and overall fatigue to push to the finish line. 

Although this persistence is on display in a high volume on the course of a marathon, it is not exclusive to just runners. I can vividly recall an interaction that I had with my father-in-law,  Garry, twenty years ago.  At the time Garry had been retired from farming for a few years. He was dealing with the effects of diabetes including neuropathy in his legs and amputations of some of his toes. Garry and my mother-in-law Judy had just moved from Iowa to Battle Creek to be closer to us. We were unloading the moving van and although Garry should have been letting the rest of us handle the grunt work he refused to sit and watch. We urged him to stop but it was not in his DNA to sit still. I felt some frustration at his refusal to take it easy but I also understand his display of resistance in taking a seat on the metaphorical bench.

Constant movement is the key to maintaining physical health. The increase in blood flow can maintain and improve heart and lung performance and in turn, decrease blood pressure, providing benefits for all the body’s organs. The human skeletal system is rewarded by physical activity as well, with an increase in bone density and mass tied to exercise. A reduction of obesity, higher levels of energy, and overall brain capacity are also bi-products of implementing a routine of movement. 

With all that being active can do to enhance our physical well-being, perhaps the biggest payoff is the mental component. Running and all forms of exercise can reduce stress, hold anxiety at bay, and fight off depression, making it the most natural antidote to what ails the human spirit. From what I have witnessed in being around others in the running community and what I have experienced personally, running has the potential to boost one’s confidence which can spill into all areas of life. Heading out the door at any given moment and covering five, ten, fifteen miles, and more on foot can provide a sense of accomplishment that is difficult to replicate anywhere else.

As positive as running can be, too much of a good thing can sometimes be detrimental. Many get sucked into the mental and emotional part of the sport and as a result, may run too often, run too frequently at a high intensity, or run too long. Sore muscles may lead to long-term injuries. The daily grind and fatigue of pounding out the miles without proper rest and recovery will likely suppress one’s immune system. One may be lucky enough to avoid these undesired circumstances for a period of time when throwing caution to the wind with a workout routine, but eventually, it will likely come to a head. Like anything in life, the best results come with proper balance. This balance looks different for each individual and for many trial and error may be required to find one’s sweet spot for equilibrium with fitness. 

There are times when runners may need to take time away from the sport to let the body heal from injury. For many, this doesn’t mean an extended period of time sitting on the couch. Some runners will usually find another form of physical activity to fill the void. On one level the sport of running might be what we crave many crave but oftentimes another layer exists for those who participate in our sport, and cardio exercise becomes a part of this addiction. This might not be a part of the equation initially but as running becomes a routine that is hard to go without so does the habit of daily moving. Injury or other circumstances may take running away from some, but a replacement activity will often be sought to satisfy one’s craving to keep moving. 

There are many who live a sedentary lifestyle which leaves one to wonder if having a body in motion is necessary. I suppose that if the goal is to maintain overall physical health then exercise would be a necessity. A daily routine including movement is needed to keep the body healthy but the mental contentment and clarity is a the root cause of the craving . You don’t have to be a runner or an athlete to despise sitting still. Moderation is probably the best way to think about being active. The addiction that is sometimes associated with those who exercise in large doses daily comes from the mental component. This balance is key. Some are guilty of overdoing it, myself included but at the end of the day, I’d rather be in the heavy end of the exercise spectrum than sitting on the couch all day every day.

Until next time, this has been just another runner’s perspective.

Addiction or Necessity

Just Another Runner’s Perspective September 2024 Written By Gale Fischer

Addiction or Necessity

“Once you’re exercising regularly the hardest thing is to stop it.”

—-Erin Gray

6/4/2024: Jane’s body was consumed with exhaustion but the smile that decorated her face was all that mattered. Jane Rolfe and I had shared five miles in the early morning darkness every Thursday morning for over a decade starting in 2000. Our weekly runs helped prep both of us to several marathon finishes. Now at the age of eighty-two, Jane’s running days are in the rearview mirror. Her weary body gives her grief daily from a year-long battle with cancer a few years ago, a bad hip, and a damaged back. Although this has been Jane’s life for the last twelve years she has refused to give up her exercise routine. Walking, snow-shoeing, swimming, and workouts on the elliptical have kept her active in her golden years. Jane moved from Battle Creek to the east side of the state a decade ago with our friendship and her inspiration providing the motivation for me to make the two-hour drive a few times a year to visit with her. Our day-long visits typically include a walk and today was no different. Jane had not been able to walk longer distances since our last visit but today there was no stopping her. By the time we arrived back at my car, we had covered three miles. Her aching back and hip may have been sending her ongoing signals of pain but you would have never seen any sign of this. Jane was provided an instant mood boost with our three-mile stroll.

For some, physical activity might become an addiction that is difficult to go without. This illustration is easily seen in the world of runners. The human will and refusal to relinquish to the physical pain is a common theme for the last six miles of a marathon. Sometimes this determination exists even earlier than the twenty-mile mark as athletes fight through muscle soreness and overall fatigue to push to the finish line. 

Although this persistence is on display in a high volume on the course of a marathon, it is not exclusive to just runners. I can vividly recall an interaction that I had with my father-in-law,  Garry, twenty years ago.  At the time Garry had been retired from farming for a few years. He was dealing with the effects of diabetes including neuropathy in his legs and amputations of some of his toes. Garry and my mother-in-law Judy had just moved from Iowa to Battle Creek to be closer to us. We were unloading the moving van and although Garry should have been letting the rest of us handle the grunt work he refused to sit and watch. We urged him to stop but it was not in his DNA to sit still. I felt some frustration at his refusal to take it easy but I also understand his display of resistance in taking a seat on the metaphorical bench.

Constant movement is the key to maintaining physical health. The increase in blood flow can maintain and improve heart and lung performance and in turn, decrease blood pressure, providing benefits for all the body’s organs. The human skeletal system is rewarded by physical activity as well, with an increase in bone density and mass tied to exercise. A reduction of obesity, higher levels of energy, and overall brain capacity are also bi-products of implementing a routine of movement. 

With all that being active can do to enhance our physical well-being, perhaps the biggest payoff is the mental component. Running and all forms of exercise can reduce stress, hold anxiety at bay, and fight off depression, making it the most natural antidote to what ails the human spirit. From what I have witnessed in being around others in the running community and what I have experienced personally, running has the potential to boost one’s confidence which can spill into all areas of life. Heading out the door at any given moment and covering five, ten, fifteen miles, and more on foot can provide a sense of accomplishment that is difficult to replicate anywhere else.

As positive as running can be, too much of a good thing can sometimes be detrimental. Many get sucked into the mental and emotional part of the sport and as a result, may run too often, run too frequently at a high intensity, or run too long. Sore muscles may lead to long-term injuries. The daily grind and fatigue of pounding out the miles without proper rest and recovery will likely suppress one’s immune system. One may be lucky enough to avoid these undesired circumstances for a period of time when throwing caution to the wind with a workout routine, but eventually, it will likely come to a head. Like anything in life, the best results come with proper balance. This balance looks different for each individual and for many trial and error may be required to find one’s sweet spot for equilibrium with fitness. 

There are times when runners may need to take time away from the sport to let the body heal from injury. For many, this doesn’t mean an extended period of time sitting on the couch. Some runners will usually find another form of physical activity to fill the void. On one level the sport of running might be what we crave many crave but oftentimes another layer exists for those who participate in our sport, and cardio exercise becomes a part of this addiction. This might not be a part of the equation initially but as running becomes a routine that is hard to go without so does the habit of daily moving. Injury or other circumstances may take running away from some, but a replacement activity will often be sought to satisfy one’s craving to keep moving. 

There are many who live a sedentary lifestyle which leaves one to wonder if having a body in motion is necessary. I suppose that if the goal is to maintain overall physical health then exercise would be a necessity. A daily routine including movement is needed to keep the body healthy but the mental contentment and clarity is a the root cause of the craving . You don’t have to be a runner or an athlete to despise sitting still. Moderation is probably the best way to think about being active. The addiction that is sometimes associated with those who exercise in large doses daily comes from the mental component. This balance is key. Some are guilty of overdoing it, myself included but at the end of the day, I’d rather be in the heavy end of the exercise spectrum than sitting on the couch all day every day.

Until next time, this has been just another runner’s perspective.

Abby and Connor Griffith Story

Just Another Runner’s Story September 2024 Written by Gale Fischer

Running: A Shared Passion Among Twins

“Siblings are a volume of childhood memories; a nostalgia that cannot be easily deleted.”

—-Vincent Okay Nwachukwu

Running is sometimes a theme among family members. Watching a sibling implement a running routine into their lives may prompt other members of the family to begin their own running journey. Often times it starts with a parent who embraces our sport although the coin can be flipped. There are those adults who decide to give running a try after supporting a son or daughter cross-country runner. A younger brother or sister may develop a hunger for the sport after hours spent spectating at an older sibling’s cross-country meets. It is common for brothers and sisters to establish a bond through running. Sometimes this connection may hit another level when it involves twins. Abby and Connor Griffith recently completed their senior year at Marshall High School as members of the track team, sharing their last year as children living in the same household with double success on the oval.

Being on the same team as seniors may have provided the Griffith twins with fond memories that they will carry with them for years to come, but Abby and Connor’s first experience as teammates came early on in life in another sport. Connor discusses his first recollection of playing sports. “My first memory of sports was playing AYSO soccer. This was a league in Olivet for young kids. My dad was our coach so that was cool.” Connor played soccer with his twin sister for AYSO for a few years before moving on to a separate sport. “I started Rocket Football in fifth grade. The only part I liked about football was that I got to run.  My older brother Noah was a runner and my dad had always been a runner, running in high school and collegiately at Michigan State and continuing running on his own after this. I grew up in a running family and this is what I wanted to do.” It didn’t take long for running to become something that Connor developed a passion for. 

Abby’s journey with running took a different course than Connor’s. Abby reflects on her story as an athlete. “I continued playing soccer through seventh grade and also tried cross-country in middle school. Everyone in my family was a runner so I decided I should try. I really didn’t like it at the time and decided one season was enough. Ultimately I focused on basketball which has always been my favorite sport.” Abby started playing basketball in second grade. She continued on the hardwood through middle school and high school. She also returned to soccer in her sophomore year but had a setback when she tore her ACL and meniscus during the season. “Because of the injury I sustained while playing soccer,  I wasn’t able to play any sports my sophomore year.”

Abby was a part of the basketball team all through high school but would have to show her team spirit from the sidelines her sophomore year. “I made the JV team during my freshman year of high school. I was confident in my ability that year. Unfortunately, I was injured my sophomore year but was still at practices and games to support my team. It was frustrating having to sit and watch. Physically I felt that I could have played but mentally it was draining not being able to.” Abby was hoping for a breakout year her junior year after recovering from her injury but the season was not what she had hoped for. “My junior year I was on the varsity team but this was even more of a struggle. I felt like I wasn’t playing to my potential. My confidence became depleted. After finishing basketball in my junior year I thought about running track but decided to focus on getting ready for my senior basketball season. I worked hard on my skills and in the weight room during the off-season and came back with much more confidence. I’m proud of the work that I put in.”  The hard work that Abby had put in during the off-season would pay off and she enjoyed the experience of her last year on the hardwood. She and her teammates formed a strong bond and developed chemistry. 

Connor devoted his time as a high school athlete to being a runner, spending each fall season with his cross-country teammates and on the track during the spring. “My final year of cross-country was my most memorable year and I was able to qualify for the state meet. I finished tenth at regionals individually and our team also qualified for the state meet.” Connor’s times as a junior were impressive but he wanted to go faster. “My five-kilometer times seemed to get  stuck in the seventeen-minute range as a junior but I was able to make the jump to consistently run in the sixteens my final year.” Connor is proud of what he accomplished his senior year as a cross-country runner and will always have fond memories of this but his individual success is not what defines his cross-country career. “The ending of my high school cross-country career was great but the journey is what I appreciate the most. I remember the early Sunday morning runs with my teammates after a hard Saturday meet. Pushing through some tough workouts with others built some great memories. Early morning practices were my favorite. Knowing that I was putting in the work before everyone else was out of bed gave me a sense of accomplishment.”

The influence that Connor’s cross-country teammates and coaches provided for him was a huge source of inspiration for him but his accomplishments and passion for running started at home. “My dad doesn’t talk about his running days much but he has always been a guiding force. It’s helpful to have a parent who understands what it is like to be a runner. I never try to sugarcoat running. It sucks and it hurts but there is nothing that gives me more fulfillment.” 

Cross-country has provided Connor with memories and accomplishments that will last a lifetime but his biggest success as an athlete came on the track. “I enjoyed all four years of track, but my senior year was the best. It was the highlight of my career as a student-athlete. Winning the state meet relay race as a member of our four by eight hundred team with my buddies was so cool. Our relay team also qualified for the New Balance Outdoor Nationals held in Philadelphia. It was a special experience. Going to Philadelphia with my teammates and competing was the best weekend of my life. It was amazing running against some of the best high school runners in the country.” The first-place finish at the state meet was the pinnacle of Connor’s senior season and his entire track career but his last year of track was filled with highlights. “Our relay team ran our best time of the season with a time of seven minutes and forty seconds. The guys on our team worked hard and this mentality fueled our confidence and desire to keep working hard. I know that I wouldn’t have done as well and put in as much effort as I had if it were not for my teammates. Having a teammate like Jack Bidwell who is one of the best in the state has pushed all of us. I was the lone senior on the four by eight hundred team and I kind of took on the role of being the leader. We all pushed each other for our workouts.” 

Abby’s focus as an athlete throughout high school may have been basketball but after finishing her final season she felt that she needed to fill a void. “After my final basketball game as a senior I didn’t want to be done with high school sports so I decided to go out for track.” Abby had no previous experience as a high school runner but this didn’t prevent her from competing at a high level. “I went into my only track season with the intention to try to run as well as I could but not get down on myself if I wasn’t successful. I started seeing improvement right away. My focus was the eight-hundred-meter open run. Sometimes I ran the four hundred meter open and the four by one hundred relay. My best time for the eight hundred for the season was two minutes and twenty-eight seconds. I was voted the most improved for our team. I was one second off from qualifying for the state meet.” 

Abby was pleasantly surprised by how well she did in her first and only track season. After finishing the season she decided to pursue running at the next level. “My brother Noah has run for Ferris State for the last few years. Because of this, I decided to contact their track coach. The coach was impressed with my times and has allowed me to join the team. I will be running both track and cross-country at Ferris State.” 

Abby has enjoyed the experience of being a teammate with her brother. “Connor and I are twins and friends. Although we both kind of had our own little groups of friends to hang out with on the track team it was nice to have him there to support. Now I’m excited to go to Ferris and spend more time with Noah.” 

Although Abby has only been a runner for less than a year, she has caught the bug. “ I see myself as a runner long term. The biggest component of running for me is the mental push that it requires and the motivation it gives me. My goal is to one day run a marathon.” She has learned from her experience and offers words of wisdom to others. “My best words of advice for others is to cheer on and support others because it helps to feed your passion. Also, have faith in yourself. I believe that everything happens for a reason and even if you are not where you want to be you are where you need to be. Be patient and things will change.”

Connor to has learned a great deal from the sport of running. It has helped to shape his philosophy in athletics and in life. “Perish in the attempt to accomplish something possible even if failure is certain. Set your dreams high and make goals to get there. Even if no one else believes in you as long as you believe in yourself you can do anything.” 

Athletics can provide the perfect mix of experiences for individuals to bond and inspire one another. Sports can provide positive opportunities and sharing sports with others can enhance these opportunities. A connection made with peers through sports is something to be grateful for. Having this connection with a twin is a blessing.

Everyone has a story.  Stay tuned next month for another runner’s story.

Steve Fergusen Story

Just Another Runner’s Story August 2024 Written by Gale Fischer

Redemption

“The most authentic thing about us is our capacity to create, to overcome, to endure, to transform, to love, and to be greater than our suffering.”

—-Ben Okri

The benefits that running can offer its participants are well documented. Those who implement a running routine reduce their risk of suffering from heart disease, diabetes, and other physical ailments. As valuable as one’s physical well-being is, the mental and emotional rewards of running are often equally if not more important. Our sport can sometimes serve as a bridge in guiding one from a dark chapter in life to the light at the end of the tunnel. For this month’s featured runner, Steve Ferguson, running served as one of the supports that pulled him from a deep pit of emotional distress. 

Steve realized early in life that being physically active was a passion for him. “My first experience with sports was in fourth grade when I started playing baseball. I loved baseball and thought that it would be something I would do forever.” Steve enjoyed playing baseball for five years but his time on the diamond would be cut short. “When I was a freshman in high school I threw my arm out. This was the end of my baseball career.” 

Fortunately, another sport helped to fill the void for Steve. “I started wrestling in seventh grade. As a freshman at Harper Creek High School, I competed on the junior varsity team. I wrestled on the varsity team in my final three years of high school. I competed in the lowest weight class all four years at ninety-eight pounds.”

His body may have failed him as a baseball player but wrestling was something he would excel in. “I held a national record for the number of wins for a three-year period of time with one hundred and eight wins. Over that period of time, I had less than ten losses. I qualified for state all three years but never was a state champion. I always struggled at this level. I would lose to individuals at the state meet that I beat during the regular season.” Winning at the state meet became a mental hurdle for Steve. “I was close to winning in the semi-finals my senior year losing 3-2. It was a heartbreaking loss for me.”

Steve spent his childhood being active. His wrestling coach helped to reinforce the importance of this concept. “I have always been active and still maintain this lifestyle at the age of sixty-nine. My high school wrestling coach, Coach Studer instilled this in me early on.”

Steve and his first wife, Martha, married in 1976, three years after he graduated from Harper Creek High School but the union wouldn’t last long. “We divorced two years later. The divorce was hard for me mentally. I felt like a failure. I was starting to put on weight.” The failed marriage took a toll on Steve emotionally. He needed something to help him get his feet back under him. “I started running and completed in my first ten-kilometer race. I realized that this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Pushing my physical and mental limits through running was something that I enjoyed.” Steve tried cross-country during his junior year of high school as a way to stay in shape for wrestling but absolutely hated running. Now he had fallen in love with the sport.

A few years into his running journey Steve decided to try a marathon. “In 1980 I ran my first marathon in Detroit. It was a way to challenge myself. The last six miles were a nightmare. I hit the wall at mile twenty. I talked myself into running from telephone pole to telephone pole through to the finish line. I finished in three hours and thirteen minutes. It is still my best time at this distance. Despite the physical pain, I felt a high emotionally.”

Completing his first marathon was a milestone for Steve but this wasn’t the highlight of 1980 for him. “ I married my second wife Maureen in 1980. She was also a runner and we would run together. We stuck to the five-kilometer and ten-kilometer distance.” Steve and Maureen’s family would have an addition a few years after they married. “We were blessed with Carly our daughter in 1982. I continued to run and would run a five-kilometer or a ten-kilometer race now and then.”

Steve had survived a divorce and was now a happily married man with a beautiful daughter. His life seemed on track but he was on the road to disaster. “After I graduated from high school I started experimenting with drugs. I also became hooked on alcohol. I had always been shy but when I was using drugs or drinking I felt like I belonged. I learned how to pace myself with my drug and alcohol use so as not to impact my running but in 1983 things began to spiral."

Steve felt as though he had his running and his family life under control. The drugs helped him to come out of his shell and he was managing this lifestyle while still enjoying running, working, and maintaining his life as a husband and father. It seemed as though he was managing his life without any issues but he was fooling himself. “The addiction grew stronger and it got to the point that my running became limited because of the drug use. I quit racing but would continue to run once or twice a week. Running was also an addiction but drug use made it more difficult.”

As his drug use began to pick up Steve would invest a great deal of effort in hiding his addiction. “I used cocaine and meth and would hide this from Maureen with the alcohol. My theory was that Maureen would think my behavior was caused by alcohol and not drugs. I also started coaching wrestling at St. Phil in 1989. I was still using drugs and tried to limit it so that it wouldn’t be noticeable around the kids. I coached there through 1993.”

Steve’s life was spinning out of control and he was locked in a vicious cycle not knowing how to change. The guilt that he felt as a husband, father, and wrestling coach was unbearable. He was in an emotionally fragile state of mind. “During this period of time, I hated myself but I couldn’t stop the drug and alcohol consumption. I was disappointed in myself. Each time I used I promised myself that this would be the last time.” 

He was in deep and hiding his addiction was not a long-term fix. Fortunately, his secret would be unlocked before the drugs caused unrepairable damage. “In late 1992 I took a large sum of money out of our bank account to fund my drug addiction. Maureen got a call from the bank about this transaction and she confronted me. She suspected before then that something was up and now her suspicions were confirmed.” Having Maureen know his secret may have been devastating for Steve but it was exactly what he needed to have happen. “She gave me an ultimatum to stop or she and Carly would leave. I joined the NA’s (Narcotics Anonymous) twelve-step program. It was the best thing that I ever did in my life. I was able to stay clean.”

Steve was able to stay away from drugs and alcohol but things would get worse before they would get better. “The first year was the hardest. There were times that I wanted to use so badly. It consumed my thoughts. I would intentionally drive by a drug house but fortunately, find the strength to drive on by. I prayed for just one day to not think about drugs. Suicide crossed my mind.” Although he wasn’t out of the woods, Steven finally navigated over a major hump in his recovery. “One night I was driving to Kalamazoo for an NA meeting. At the time I remember seeing a huge cross along the side of the highway but when I drive by the cross today it is not so big. It was a sign. This was eight months out. The thought of drugs didn’t dominate my thoughts any longer.”

Although recovery for an addict is ongoing, Steve eventually reached a point in which he seemed to finally have some control over his life. “I was going to NA meetings a few times a week. These saved my life. I went to these meetings for fifteen years. I have not gone since consistently but have gone now and then to take people who need help. The twelfth step of this program is meditation. Meditation turned into my therapy. My mentor was also a key to my recovery. His message about staying clean helped me and has helped other addicts tremendously. I have also mentored others.” 

Drugs had taken Steve away from running for a period of time but he would eventually find his sport again. Steve couldn’t have changed his life without the twelve steps of NA but he needed more than this to set him free. “When I started the NA meetings I also needed something else to fill the void. I turned to running again. The drug use had torn down my body. It took me nearly four years but I was able to get back to marathon form. I ran my second marathon in 2000 at the age of forty-five. I finished in three hours and nineteen minutes and was able to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I have run seven marathons in total.”

Things were going well for Steve. First and foremost he had overcome an addiction to drugs and alcohol that had taken control of his life. He had created a positive change for himself and with this had become a positive influence for others. His running was going well and he had even qualified for and run in the Boston Marathon. His marriage and family life had been saved.  Life would throw him another curve ball but with everything that he had experienced, Steve was prepared to face and conquer any challenge that would come his way. “In 2001 I started experiencing pain in my left hip. It would get worse but I was still able to manage it well enough to run. The pain got so bad that I had to quit running in 2003. I finally went to a doctor and was diagnosed with arthritis. It was bone on bone. In 2007 I had the Birmingham hip replacement which I thought would allow me to run again. I tried running after the recovery from surgery but it just didn’t feel right.” 

Over the years running had blessed Steve in many ways. It had served as a coping mechanism to guide him through the lowest points in his life. Steve would no doubt miss running but he wasn’t about to sit on the couch for the remainder of his life. “I still had the mentality of being active so I turned to cycling. This became my new running. It didn’t bother my hip. I cycle as much on the roads as I can and also set my bike up on a trainer to ride inside when conditions outside don’t allow for this.

It seemed fate would continue to test Steve but he has remained steadfast to his tenacity to remain physically fit. “In 2014 I crashed my bike and broke my prosthetic hip, my hand, and scapula on my right side. I had a second hip replacement and was back riding two months later. I had a back fusion in 2017 and in 2019 had my left hip replaced but I continue to ride my bike and also do some walking and hiking as well..”

Steve’s zest for life is a true source of inspiration. “My theory is to keep moving. I enjoy being active and don’t know how to stop. My advice for others is to learn from your experiences. For years I thought that I wasn’t a valuable person but NA has taught me that we all have good qualities. We are placed here to have experiences and to learn from them.”

Steve has walked through the lowest of valleys in his life. Much of his pain has been self-inflicted but his resilience and patience to change his life is one of inspiration and optimism. Running and physical activity have been a part of the recovery process for Steve but he couldn’t have done it without the help of NA and the support of friends and family. He is proof that no matter how helpless your life may seem, change can be made. At one time what seemed like a life of hopelessness has turned into a life of contentment, happiness, and positive influence for others. I personally have been graced with Steve’s positive influence.

Everyone has a story.  Stay tuned next month for another runner’s story.

Richard Grady Story

Just Another Runner’s Story December 2023 Written by Gale Fischer

Never a Day Off

“Life is so full that you just take it one day at a time.”

—Sheryl Crow

Many in the running community are driven by goals. Goals can be measured by distance or pace. Some may be centered around race PRs or races completed. Others may be short-term while goals that require months, years, or decades to complete are what some runners may strive for. Whatever your goal, patience, persistence, and dedication are usually required. Battle Creek runner Richard Grady set his sights on a unique goal more than fourteen years ago. He has not created a timeline for achieving this goal. He might accomplish his goal tomorrow or it might be another fourteen years. To keep his goal alive requires a commitment every single day. There are no days off. Richard’s mission has been something that has kept him running as a middle-aged adult but as a child his future as a runner was doubtful. Many may know  Richard as the goofy guy who runs in shorts even through Michigan’s bone-chilling winter months while sporting toe shoes on his feet. His running story goes well beyond this perception and is one of distinctive inspiration.

When Richard was six years old he endured a traumatic accident. “I was crossing the street in front of my house. I saw a car coming so I turned back toward the sidewalk.”  The car didn’t stop, hitting Richard and running over him. He suffered a compound-complex fracture of the right tibia and fibula. The bones of his right calf spun in place but his ankle stayed put. “I spent several months in the hospital. The scar tissue in my leg is still noticeable from both the initial accident  as well as the series of skin grafts that were completed to save my leg.”

Initially, the surgeons were not sure if his leg could be saved.  “For one of the procedures scheduled a few days after my accident, I was wheeled into the OR. There were two sets of instruments for the surgeons to use: one to continue the work to save my leg and the other if my leg would need to be amputated.”

Ultimately the surgeons were able to save Richard’s leg. “When the cast was finally removed I began PT. I had to learn how to walk again. The early prognosis was that for the rest of my life, I would need a cane or a crutch. As I began to progress with PT my medical team realized that I would not need a cane to walk but I would always walk with a limp. Any chance of ever running was a lost cause.”  Richard would go on to prove his medical team wrong.

Like many adult runners, running wasn’t Richard’s first sport of choice. “I played soccer in middle school, switching to cross country in high school. Soccer was the sport I enjoyed playing as a kid. I was on the soccer team as a freshman but I didn’t earn much playing time.”  

Richard’s experience in his freshman year left him questioning his future as a soccer player. “We had a terrible team and were often punished by having to run. I remember thinking I was getting punished for losing a game that I really had no part in. I had a friend who was running cross country and after talking to him I realized I could participate in every competition as a cross country runner, unlike what was happening in soccer.”

Richard signed on for track in the spring of his freshman year, running the mile and two mile. He came back from summer vacation and joined the cross-country team as a sophomore. He recalls some fond memories as a high school runner. “My junior year I remember one moment in particular. During a race on our home course, I rounded the last corner. There was a competitor ahead of me and my coaches kept screaming that I needed to catch this boy. He heard my coaches encouraging me to catch him so he picked up his pace and I gave up. After this, I decided that I needed to build a kick into my racing strategy.” 

Richard was never an elite high school runner but this didn’t bother him. “I was always a consistent eighth or ninth runner on my team so I usually raced on the JV team. Even though I wasn’t a star,I always enjoyed it.”  His experiences as a high school runner left a lasting impression on him, creating not just a hobby but a lifestyle.

Richard and his family packed their bags in 2004 moving from Omaha to Battle Creek. Richard joined a gym to stay in shape. “My family moved to Battle Creek in 2004 and I immediately joined the YMCA. They had child care so I thought that dropping off my son Kevin, who was ten months old, at a gym with childcare would be a great way for me to exercise. I joined the YMCA to work out with no intention of running long distances. I jumped on the treadmill at first thinking it would be easy but it wasn’t. Eventually, my go-to cardio activity became the treadmill.” 

Richard’s wife would plant a seed for him pushing him to increase his training and race distances. “My short runs on the treadmill were enough to keep me running but soon I would make the jump to longer distances. My wife and her sisters had started talking about running the 2006 Disney Half-Marathon, a race that was a part of the Disney Race series which at that time consisted of a weekend with a half marathon on Saturday and a marathon on Sunday.”  While training for the Disney Half, Richard ran his first half marathon, Labor Day weekend of 2005, the Runner’s Edge Trail Half, and then ran the Disney Half in January of 2006. 

With two half-marathon finishes, Richard was comfortable with the distance and had not considered a full marathon. His interest in the next logical step as a runner would soon come during his stay at Disney. “ After running the half we were sitting in a restaurant on the marathon course. I remember seeing the runners go by and thinking that running a marathon was something I could do and wanted to do.”

Running long distances was a challenge for Richard but also rewarding. He began to understand that running could be an easily accessible activity. “I began to realize that running could be a simple, inexpensive sport. You can make it as cheap as you desire. You can run whenever you want. At the most basic level, all that you need is a pair of shoes, socks, shorts, and a shirt.”  

After returning home from Disney, Richard committed to the training required for the marathon distance. “I ran my first marathon less than a year after running the Disney Half, the Equestrian Challenge Trail Marathon. I read a couple of John Bingham and Hal Higdon books which gave me some ideas for training for a marathon. I experimented with nutrition. I worked up to a long training run of twenty miles and finished my first marathon in a time of three hours and forty-five minutes. I felt good physically. I knew that I wanted to run another marathon but really didn’t have plans of when.” 

Richard’s interest in running longer distances was growing. Within his running network, he began hearing about other runners enjoying their sport every day, building a daily running streak lasting weeks, months, and years. He had run a few half-marathons and a full marathon but realized that he was still lacking consistency in his training. “I looked at my running logs and discovered that my training routine lacked discipline. I decided to test a running streak by running every day for two weeks. My journey with my running streak began August 20, 2008. After two weeks I decided to keep going to see if I could run every day for two months. Two months came and I decided to keep going for a year. Now more than 5,000 days later, (over 14 years) I am still going.”  

Richard began his running streak as a way to make his sport a steady routine but it would eventually turn into the focus of his running journey. Within his local running community, there are few runners locked in to the same goal as Richard but he has found support and motivation through social media. “I belong to a Facebook group of streaking runners. There is an ongoing competition among us. There is always an up-to-date list of how many consecutive days each of us has. Currently, I sit at  209 on this list for the most consecutive days. To keep my streak going I have to run at least one interrupted mile a day. My goal is to just keep going as long as I can.”

Like anything in life to excel at something or accomplish a task sacrifices are made in other areas of life. Richard understands that you can’t always have the best of both worlds. “There is a trade-off. Running every day with no recovery days has taken away some speed but I do feel that with my mileage I can go out and run a half-marathon or marathon anytime I want. It might not be an easy task but my training base would allow me to complete the longer distances”

For a seasoned runner going out and running a few miles requires little effort or commitment. To do this every day, however, might present some challenges. There have been occasions when Richard’s streak was at risk of coming to an end. “I have had to deal with some things that have made keeping the streak going difficult. I have run through plantar fasciitis. I have had to run through two elbow surgeries, within three months and the recovery required for each. When I was scheduled for my elbow surgeries I was a bit worried the streak would come to a halt. I ran after the stroke of midnight the day of each surgery and then I ran later in the evening the day following each surgery”  Richard spent a few weeks after each surgery having to run with a sling.

To run every day for more than fourteen years has required hard work, discipline, and patience for Richard on a personal level, but he is not in it alone. “My son thinks this streak is cool. My wife indulges me. I wouldn’t be able to do this without her support and willingness to let me run on Christmas Day or each day if we were on vacation. It is a sacrifice for her on these days.”

In the midst of his running streak, Richard has been blessed with experiences that are common among other runners. He has finished twenty marathons to date. Of these twenty marathon venues, there is one in particular that is his favorite. “I am a University of Illinois graduate. In 2009 the University was home to the inaugural Illinois Marathon which finished in the football stadium. Because this was where I went to school I decided I wanted to run it. I liked the course and I was able to see some college friends. I decided that I would like to run this race every year. So far I have run it ten times.” Due to COVID the Illinois Marathon has not been run since 2019. Richard is anxious for organizers to bring it back and would love to run it as many consecutive years as he can, another streak that he embraces. 

A running craze that gained popularity among many in the running community just after the turn of the century was barefoot running. The ideology behind this is that running without shoes allows for a more natural stride and gate. Shoe manufacturers began producing a minimalist shoe that protected the foot from pebbles and sharp objects while also mimicking barefoot running. For nearly a decade many runners embraced running barefoot or with a minimalist shoe but eventually, the popularity wore off. Richard is one of the few who has continued with this trend. “Several years ago I read the book Born the Run which promoted the benefits of running barefoot. After this book came out there was a big hype for running with minimalist shoes.”  Richard joined the hype shortly after reading the book but quickly realized he would have to ease into it. “I decided that I would need to ease into them gradually before running exclusively in the minimalist shoes. It took a few months to transition to minimalists full time and now it's the only shoe I run in.”

When looking back at overcoming a traumatic accident as a child with the possibility of never being able to run to the lifestyle that running has now created for him as a middle-aged adult Richard understands how running is a metaphor for life. His words of advice are a perfect illustration of this. “It is important to remember that what works for me as a runner may not work for you and what works for you may not work for me. You need to figure out what part of running you want and figure out what you need to do to get there.” 

Richard’s running story provides us with a great example of how life is often unpredictable. His parents were told by doctors when he was a young boy that he would forever need the assistance of a cane to walk and that he would never be able to run. Doctors are blessed with a wealth of knowledge but even with their extraordinary wisdom, it is impossible to predict an outcome with 100% accuracy. No one can place themselves inside the soul of another to see what one is truly capable of. Richard’s run streak in a way resembles the attitude he possessed as a six-year-old. There are times when it is best to put on the blinders and not look behind or ahead but simply live in the moment. I would suspect that this attitude is part of what keeps Richard going. One day at a time and one run at a time.

Everyone has a story.  Stay tuned next month for another runner’s story.