by Trainer Scott Carlson
I get asked what got me started running again after about 25 years off. Well, in addition to a walking campaign we had at work which slowly progressed to some jogging, I realized that I needed to make a lifestyle change since I had a family history of degenerative heart disease. My grandfather died of a heart attack in his 50’s. My father had triple-bypass heart surgery at age 53 and poor circulation in his legs. He had a blood clot in his heart at age 62 with further complications resulting in a leg amputation and kidney failure and passed away a year later.
Although I was fairly active I was about 30 pounds overweight, on medication for high cholesterol and decided I needed to make some lifestyle changes of I could be following down the path of heart disease which run in my family may not get the opportunity to play with any grandkids. That is what got really me running and, along with regular exercise, it is so much easier to follow a proper diet.
When I first resumed running, I could only make it about 1/4 miles before needing to rest and walk. Nine months later, I run my first half-marathon at age 55 and honestly felt better than I can ever remember.
I have since ran 6 full marathons and have been off of my cholesterol medication for about 4 years now and feel great. It is never too late to make some lifestyle changes.
The following spring, I ran the Fargo half-marathon on 2011 and I was hooked. Also attached is a picture form a 10K race two years after I resumed running. The other picture is at mile 16 of my first full marathon in 2012, still feeling pretty good at that stage of the race (although it got much tougher at mile 20 and I was no longer feeling that chipper).
One of my running goals is to recruit other new runners to this wonderful sport and enjoy the welcoming arms, friendships and fun I have experience in the FSR group.