Fernando Rosa Story

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

A Parallel to Life

“Running is the greatest metaphor for life because you get out of it what you put into it.”

—-Oprah Winfrey

On the surface running is an activity that can provide a whole host of physical health benefits. Running can reduce obesity, decrease the risk of ailments such as heart disease and diabetes, and lessen the likelihood of arthritis. As important as the health payoff is, running provides opportunities each day for learning. The lessons taught from running are there for the taking every mile. Wisdom about how to deal with adversity or success and how to learn from mistakes or good choices are all important but the most significant thing that anyone can take from running are the lessons learned about themselves that can only be taught through pushing beyond perceived limitations. The teachings learned on the run illustrate how running truly is a metaphor for life. This month’s featured runner, Fernando Rosa is grateful for all that running bestows but what he appreciates most is how running has provided him with guidance on how to live his life. 

Fernando did not take to running until later on as an adult but even before he began this journey he was never one to sit still. “I was always active as a kid.” Fernando was born and spent his first few years in his native land overseas but eventually, he took an interest in one of our nation’s most popular sports. “ I was born in Portugal. In 1985 when I was six years old our family moved to Danbury, Connecticut. My mom had family in Danbury so we decided to move there. I played varsity football all four years of high school, lining up as an offensive guard, linebacker, and nose tackle.”

Football seemed to suit Fernando as a teenager. Although his skills were utilized as a lineman he was as fast as any of his teammates. Some of the other kids on his football team ran track during the off-season and they encouraged Fernando to give it a try. “I ran indoor track in high school to stay in shape for football. I was a sprinter on the team. My 4 by 200 team made it to the indoor state meet in Connecticut, which qualified us to run at the New England Regionals. For the regionals, we ran on an indoor wooden track on the campus of Harvard.”

Fernando enjoyed his experience running as a sprinter on the track team but after high school had no desire to try longer distances or to continue running for that matter. He needed something to stay active, however. “After graduating from high school I needed to fill a void. I began playing rugby while attending Western Connecticut State University. In all my years playing high-impact sports I was able to avoid any major injuries. My worst injury came when I dislocated my elbow playing rugby. Of course, I had many bumps and bruises.”

As passionate as Fernando is about running now, this same mentality fueled his fire as a rugby player in the late 1990s and early 2000s. At the same time, a young woman who had grown up in Battle Creek was now working and living in Connecticut. She had become a rugby fan and she and Fernando would meet at a party after a rugby game. It was love at first sight and both had an immediate feeling that they had met their future spouse. Jen and Fernando started dating and both had an inkling that although there was not yet an engagement or marriage it was definitely a long-term and most likely a lifelong relationship. They had conversations about a change in zip code and a historical event would push them in this direction. “We lived forty-five minutes outside of NYC when 911 changed the world. The cost of living was sky-high where we lived. Jen was born and raised in Battle Creek so with everything going on we decided to move to Michigan.” 

They would settle in and then take the next step in their relationship. “ We were engaged in 2203 and married in 2005. We went back to Connecticut for the wedding.” Both Jen and Fernando agreed to establish their marriage, set down roots, and reach financial stability before starting a family. They enjoyed their time as a young married couple for the next five years. Fernando began to establish his career but also spent much of his free time playing rugby. Jen enjoyed their life watching rugby and spending time with Fernando’s teammates and their families. 

Finally, it was time to start a family and to give up rugby. “I had always said that I would give up rugby after I had a child and the time came for me to hang up my cleats. Jen and I were blessed with Roderick on 9/11/11. I was thirty-two years old  and Jen was thirty-four.” Jen and Fernando had accepted the decision to give up rugby but Fernando still needed something to keep him grounded. “My brother signed up for the Hartford Marathon in 2011. I decided that I was going to surprise him, train for the marathon, and show up and run with him.” Fernando trained alone and didn’t really know what to do. His years of playing rugby had left him at a high fitness level and he figured he could show up and cruise for twenty-six miles. His longest training run was eight miles.

Fernando ran great for the first fifteen miles but the wheels would fall off early. “I felt fantastic through the halfway mark. I took a gel at mile thirteen and it got stuck in my throat.” The lack of training and the incident with the gel left Fernando in a fight. The last eleven miles were rough but he made it. Just as Jen had done in his years playing rugby, she was there in Hartford to support Fernando. Roderick was also there as a baby in his first experience supporting his dad in his running.

His first time at the marathon distance was not ideal. I suppose this is common for many runners. Despite the experience, the former sprinter knew that he wanted to continue as a long-distance runner. “The experience didn’t sour me from running. I had trained on my own, but soon would be introduced to other runners adding a new element to my sport. The next year after running my first marathon I met Jason Elwell, a local runner. He became my first training partner.”

Fernando didn’t necessarily need multiple marathons but he did throw his hat into the game a handful of times over the next seven years following his experience in Hartford. “I have run five marathons to date. I have also run the Kal Haven Ultra (34 miles) two times. My last marathon was in NYC in 2018. I’d like to do all the majors eventually.” Although it's been a few years since his last marathon finish, Fernando still plans on getting back into it. “I am planning on doing a marathon in Bath, New York with my brother this fall. I would love to run a sub-four-hour marathon. My best marathon time is 4:10.”  

Although Fernando hasn’t had many goals and races to train for the last few years, he has kept up with running. He credits other runners with helping him to stay motivated. “I have not done as many races since my last marathon. What has kept me running is the fellowship with other runners. Meeting and running with others through Cereal City Athletics and BCOD has helped motivate me to run. Other runners have great values and make healthy choices. I like this. Most of my running now is with others.” 

Running with his main group of running friends, BCOD, led Fernando to tackle a major endurance challenge last summer. “While running with my running group a year ago, Brian Schneider had brought up the idea of participating in an event known as Heart Of The South (HOTS). This is a 351-mile multi-day event involving running, walking, or crawling. He had already signed up. He asked everyone in our running group that day who would like to join him.” The idea of covering 351 miles on foot is quite a challenge but there are a few elements to HOTS that raise the bar. It is a completely self-supported event. Supplies including extra clothes must be carried with each individual. The other challenge is that the route is not disclosed to athletes until they arrive at the start. There is really no way to plan or prepare for route directions and elevation.

The challenge of this event immediately intrigued Fernando. He went home and talked to Jen about his interest. As always Jen was supportive. She could immediately sense that this was something he needed. “When Fernando first approached me I told him I thought he was crazy and I told him so. Although he said he was only considering signing up I knew that he would do it and I had no doubt that he would finish.”

Fernando mulled it over for a few weeks before throwing his hat in the ring. Soon the preparations would begin. “The training for this event involved Saturday morning, Saturday evening, Sunday morning and Sunday evening runs. We had a few forty-mile training sessions as well. Brian and I did one training run through the night.” 

Fernando’s training for this grueling challenge was a bit more calculated than his training for his first marathon. The miles put in are more than one would log for marathon preparations but in reality, there is only so much you can do to physically get ready for 351 miles. The mileage provides the base but the mental component provides the push. “Brian and I arrived at the starting line prepared mentally and physically. I’m not sure that there was anything else that we could have done. I went in for the experience and adventure but it took on a life of its own. It became spiritual and emotional. It was a great time for reflection. With the hours spent running and walking, there was nothing but time to reflect.”

Fernando sent out live video feeds through Facebook multiple times a day throughout their journey. Brian and Fernando quickly drew a following from friends, family, and those who didn’t even know them. Many looked forward to these video feeds. It provided a way for him and Brian to get through each and every mile while also inspiring others. “The physical challenge of this event was an opportunity to learn some things about myself that I had not known. There were so many people who helped on the way. There were road angels who we would see on the course who cheered for us and the people following us virtually back home. It was a sign of true humanity.”

Fernando knew that HOTS would be perhaps the biggest physical challenge he had ever faced but I have to believe that he couldn’t have known the scope of it until he got into the thick of it. “It was hard and uncomfortable but I knew the only thing that would stop me from completing it was an injury. As crazy as it sounds there was joy in the struggle and pain. My first down moment came on day two but I rebounded.” Brian and Fernando had prepared but many decisions were still made on the fly. “Brian and I would sleep in hotel rooms, on the side of the road, on benches, and on picnic tables. We learned early that it was best to move at night to escape the heat of the day.” The heat was difficult to deal with physically but there were miles of heavy rains that added to the level of misery. The two of them completed the entire journey side by side finishing in nine days and eight hours, coming in under the ten-day cut-off. 

Brian and Fernando were good friends before HOTS but as you can imagine the time spent together for this event created a lifelong friendship and a bond that cannot be any stronger. “I developed a great friendship with Brian. There were hours and hours of training together from January to June. We got to know each other well with our conversations. We were connected and really had to lean on each other to finish. I can’t imagine having to complete this on my own. He was able to help me stay positive in times when things were bleak physically.” 

HOTS was one event that Jen and Roderick could not be at to support Fernando in person. The logistics just didn’t allow this to happen but they were there with him on another level. Jen feels blessed to be able to support Fernando in all of his running endeavors. “I am very proud of what Fernando has accomplished. His focus and commitment to something that is challenging but also a passion for him is a great example for Roderick. Running is an outlet for Fernando and this is a positive for our family. It has really been the push for us to be an active family.” The future is hard to predict. One would assume that running will be part of Roderick’s life for years to come but he is young and his future interests are still unknown. So far though he has run multiple 5K races with Fernando and recently completed his first year of cross country.

Running really is a metaphor for life and a great platform for reflection and lessons learned. These parallels to life have helped to keep running fresh for Fernando. “I have learned through running and through HOTS that, like in life, the struggle is real. I’ve learned that all of us are capable of doing hard things. Running can become a journey of life. You can dictate how it goes. There are so many correlations between life and running. The friendships and bonds that I have made through running are something that I cherish the most from our sport.” On the surface running may be the simplest of sports but if one digs deep it can be the catalyst to enhance one’s life beyond what might be expected.

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