Lives: Currently lives in Kansas City, but grew up in Georgia and Tennessee.
Works: Former high school principal, currently a corporate chaplain.
Interests: Outside of running, I enjoy golf (I get my money’s worth!), reading, and movies.
How Long have you been running?
I’ve only been running for a little less than 4 years.
When and what was your first race?
My first race was the “KC Thanksgiving Day 5K Run” in 2011.
What is your favorite race?
Picking a favorite is tough… But the one I’m looking forward to running again the most is the “Hospital Hill 13.1” the firstSaturday in June. I love it, and I hate it. It’s a beautiful, but also very difficult and hilly course, and typically very hot. I consider it my “nemesis.”
What are your goals? Goal races? Any bucket list running goals?
Overarching goal is to slowly, steadily get faster.
My next race is the “Heartland 39.3” which is three HMs over 5 weeks. I hope to be around 1:45-1:50 for the first (current PR is 1:56:27), the other two will be more for fun.
I did my first FM last fall in 4:27, I will probably do another this fall, shooting to break 4 hours.
Long-term, I’d love to run some marathons in some different cities, and would really love to do some running in other countries. Only recently, I’ve let myself believe I could possibly BQ before I’m 50.
During a recent “coach chat,” I was encouraged to think it could be possible before 45, but right now I’m happy with baby steps as long as I’m moving forward.
What were your biggest struggles before joining RunnersConnect? Example, what part of training did you struggle with the most?
My biggest hurdle was even thinking I could run.
I was staring at 40, 100 pounds overweight, dealing with depression and anger, and just an all-around unhappy dude. And I was that guy who said I could never be a runner.
Once I got past that hurdle and actually started, I operated for a while on weak intestinal fortitude and bad information that kept me from pushing myself harder. I lost a lot of weight, but really never pushed anything much beyond where I was when I started the journey.
I was still that “fat guy” inside I guess.
What did your training look like prior to working with us? Why do you think it wasn’t working? Were you writing your own plan, using a book, etc.
I started out on the classic “Couch to 5K” plan which was great, but I had no one pushing me or keeping me accountable, so I took 3x as long to finish. After that, I used a “hodge-podge” of plans I found online from places like Cool Runnings, Hal Higdon, and even Ask.com.
What prompted you to start looking for a better solution? Was there something that sparked the need to try something new/different?
I’m not throwing rocks at Hal Higdon, but he seemed to give me too much grace…“Walk if you want to walk… Don’t worry about the pace…” I was using his plan to train for my first HM when I found a plan written by Jeff Gaudette on my Runkeeper app.
It was exactly what I was wanting – training specific to your goal pace, the right level of difficulty, and accountability. Jeff was even quick to answer a few email questions, even though it was a “free” plan. He never even pushed RC, but after the race I wanted to go to the next level and joined RunnersConnect.
How has your training changed since you started working with RunnersConnect?
I could be too long talking about all that has changed…
- I love the variety of workouts, the adaptability of the training, the network of new friends and their daily encouragement.
- The biggest personal change has been mental. Through the RC training, I have developed to the point that I never think I “can’t” do a workout, it’s always more a matter of heart. For me, that’s awesome, because I have always fought with an “inner bully” who wants to make me think I can’t.
- RunnersConnect has given my multiple chances for me to say, “Watch me!”
- Volume of weekly running has doubled over the past year – I can remember telling a friend of mine that I could never do 20-30 miles a week like he was doing. Now, I’m doing that inside of a weekend sometimes! The inner bully is a punk!
What has been the biggest surprise or most interesting revelation about either the training or your own abilities that you’ve had in the last few months?
After my first FM last fall, I felt an almost immediate boost to my normal pace – I felt faster! I think a lot of that was mental as well, last year was all about covering the distance whatever the pace, but I’ve started to really believe I can get faster.
I would have never even uttered the phrase “Boston qualify” last year. I used to think people were being a little cocky when they talked about having to slow themselves down, but now I’m experiencing that regularly as well.
It’s a pretty cool feeling!
Did you have any doubts or fears before joining RunnersConnect?
At first, I figured I’d “give it a try,” but I’d even shared with Jeff that I wasn’t sure this was for me because “I’m not a REAL runner.” He assured me there were runners of all stages in the community, which I have found to be true.
But there is also a sense of mutual encouragement that crosses all that. Each new workout always intimidated me the first time around, but once I did each one, my confidence went to the sky. I became a believer in myself.
What is your favorite part of RunnersConect now?
I really like reading up on other runners’ struggles and victories. I am a student of life lessons, and find a lot through my own struggles to get better, as well as hearing about others who are accomplishing great things through running.
I love the way the training can adapt to “real life,” and how there’s really no end to where you can take yourself if you stay smart, disciplined, and motivated.
What recent results have you been able to attain since joining (PRs, staying healthy, new outlook, etc.)?
Since joining RC, I have run four more HMs with a current PR of 1:56:27 (my first HM was just under 2:10). I finished my first FM last fall. The races are awesome, but the biggest award I believe is having gone from “I’m not a real runner” to “I’m a runner with miles to go.”
What a great story Dennis! We are rooting for you!
