How often do we hear: “I couldn’t do that!” “Doesn’t that ruin your knees?” “I don’t have the time!” “Isn’t it boring?”
Let me start by saying that I am not young, nor am I old. I am 50. I started running in 2015, and it was not fun, as I recall. Being out of shape, there was a constant, unfounded worry that a heart attack was on the way if I did this “running thing.” There certainly was no joy in it then; however, I stayed the course, running approximately two runs a week on a treadmill and averaging about two to three miles per run. I definitely wasn’t going to run outside where people would see me. No, indeed. But let’s just give it a shot and keep it slow and steady… you never know.
Running Community:
My wife and running partner, Jen, decided she would run a 5K for Dana Farber in honor of her late father, who passed away a few years earlier. In a warm up race for her Dana Farber run, Jen did admirably well and medaled in her division. After witnessing Jen’s great work and seeing people cheer one another on at the event, I was hooked. Jen’s brother John and I decided to enter the Wolf Hollow 5K to support Jen and maybe try to be a part of something cool. We discovered, as anyone reading this knows, the running community is something special. Cowbells, clapping, high fives, and bib cheers are all part of race day… for a 5K, a marathon, and beyond.
“We discovered, as anyone reading this knows, the running community is something special.”
Greg and Jen proudly wearing their Run Dana Farber singlets.
Distance & Speed:
When you are new to running, no matter the age, everything is trial and error. Testing the waters for PRs in speed or distance are usually the hallmarks of a determined and analytical personality. I cannot shed this from my core; however, occasionally, I enjoy a run while just being in the moment. I am jealous of those who don’t even use a running watch and do not care about their mileage or speed. Ultimately, I gravitated towards long distance running, which is something I both improved at and enjoyed. Don’t get me wrong, I still want to go fast, but it can be less important at longer distances to be successful. My current goal is to make race cut off times and go as far as I can in regulation. I’m fairly certain that I will never be in the fastest grouping within a race, but given a few more years, I believe there is a chance to be in the top half when running long distance races. Time will tell if determination stays with me in my 50’s. I certainly hope it does because that is what I hang onto when it gets lonely out there.
Jen and Greg out for a neighborhood run.
Favorite Race:
I read the article about what Gary Allen started up in Millinocket in the December 2016 issue of Down East Magazine and couldn’t stop thinking about it for months. Jen and I were very intrigued and had to sign up for the race the following year.
There were many “school of hard knocks” moments training for the Millinocket Marathon. Some of them are very entertaining looking back, and many included training too much, too little, and ill advised equipment usage. For example, my first Millinocket, I wore the following:
Running shoes one and a half sizes too small
Three pairs of socks (two of them being wool)
Carbon fiber insoles (because I should definitely get those)
Two compression knee sleeves
Two I.T. band straps
Two compression arm sleeves
Ice fishing thermal underwear bottoms (two pairs)
Same thing for my top!
Three pairs of gloves (all at the same time)
Baseball cap
Water bottle (nope, forgot that)
Payoff view of Katahdin after running up the Golden Road hill in Millinocket.
The race was terrific, and I did complete my first marathon at something north of six hours, but that wasn’t the point. I finished. More importantly, Jen and I really realized the importance of the running community and its ability to help others.
Jen and Greg (and one of his favorite hats) at the Robert Burns 10K in Westbrook, Maine.
Mission:
Today, Jen and I dedicate our running to support Dana Farber’s mission to fight cancer. We’ve learned to combine our love of travel and running over the years. Our dedicated race for 2020 was going to be the Bay of Fundy Ultra, but the pandemic had something to say about that plan. What do you do in a pandemic but create your own race! We decided to run the Eastern Trail from Portsmouth, New Hampshire to Portland, Maine, and enjoyed every minute of it while raising over $1,800 for Dana Farber.
Port to Port Ultra, inspired by the HWYRT Independent Independence Day Ultra.
2021 will be another year with Dana Farber, and our dedicated race will be the Last Man Standing Ultra. LMS directs a great event, and it was one of the very few races that was not canceled last year. My first 50K happened there for me last year, and it was so nice seeing all the other Crows and amazing athletes.
I’m always in awe of what runners bring to the table. Local runners like Gary Allen and Lori Mitchener, along with world class runners like Scott Jurek and Fiona Oakes, are who I admire. There are so many more inspirational people in our running community to look up to. I certainly do not consider myself to be one of them, but all the same, this is my story.
Please tell us yours!
About the Author
Greg spends his time in Maine and New Hampshire and plans to retire in Maine someday with his wife, Jen, where they’ll both continue to enjoy the state’s amazing running community. He is the proud father of two grown sons, Harry and Max, and when he’s not running, he also likes to read, golf, and take his boat out to explore. After a few years of running, when he decided races needed to be more meaningful for him, he began running for Dana Farber, raising money in the fight against cancer.
