Name: William Brent
Age: 42
Hometown: Walnutport, Pennsylvania
Occupation: Production Manager
Time Running: 13 Years
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An aha moment definitely triggered my running journey. I have three children now, but, in 2012, I had two. I went to the skating rink with them, and was out of breath and in agonising pain. It dawned on me that I didn\u2019t have the body that I wanted, and I didn\u2019t want to be with my kids from the sidelines.<\/p>\n
I was the only income provider and joining a gym was out of the question, so I would just take a quick jog at work. I just started with a mile<\/a> and getting better from there. I didn\u2019t follow a plan. It was more about getting out and just doing it.<\/p>\n I stayed motivated by adding a little bit each time, and it was just a matter of, \u201cCan I get to two miles? Can I get to three miles?\u201d<\/p>\n At first, I didn\u2019t track my runs. I would bounce from app to app, depending on what was free or what was shiny. The one that started my interval training was Zombies Run, where you would run away from zombies, and then you could slow down a little bit, and then you\u2019d run to a helicopter and slow down a little bit.<\/p>\n I signed up for my first race because we were doing at work and it sounded fun\u2014it was a Halloween-themed 5K. When I signed up for my second and third race, and it was something I was paying to do, I started to identify as a runner.<\/p>\n I began to feel better about myself when I started hitting and maintaining my weight loss<\/a> goals. Looking back, I realise I began to feel more connected to my family and not upset with myself. The number on the scale matched how I wanted to exist. From my heaviest to my lightest, I lost about 50 pounds, although I have gained some back.<\/p>\n My relationship with running has been serious at times and, sometimes, it has been in the background. There was a year or two when I did a 5K or 10K every weekend. While it\u2019s fun, exciting, and arguably healthy, too much running has detracted from other parts of my life. Now, I incorporate those events strategically so I can have a family-centred life. I bring my kids with me when I run races in different states, and so it\u2019s a way for us to bond.<\/p>\n Running has progressed into something I use as a healthy outlet instead of going to a bar or watching Netflix for hours. It\u2019s become something I can rely on. It\u2019s something that\u2019s always there, and it’s generally always accessible. I typically just carry shoes and shorts with me, and I\u2019ll run at lunch at work, or on the weekend when there\u2019s a quiet moment.<\/p>\n Bill\u2019s tips to start running and lose weight1. Try intervals<\/p>\n When I think back about what helped the most with my weight loss and my running journey, intervals<\/a> were key. At the time, I didn\u2019t think of them as intervals, I just used apps that gamified the run, telling you to run fast then run slow, back and forth. Eventually, I realized I was running intervals.<\/p>\n 2. Remember, you don\u2019t have to be fast<\/p>\n I run with dozens of people and we all keep one another\u2019s pace. It\u2019s not about a per mile time. It\u2019s really about just connecting with the ground with your feet. You don\u2019t have to be fast, you just have to start. 3. Also remember, running is good for you
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