The last time I saw my electrician, John, he had just come off a fast, but aching performance at the Turkey Trot.
At 47 years old with back surgery on the horizon, John knew that the window for his triathlon dream — a full Ironman Triathlon to be exact — was closing fast. Even installing my light fixtures, I could see, was taking a physical toll on John.
But it’s amazing how much can change in a year: For John, and my furnace heater, which went out in the cold dead of the night last week.
I should have called John first for my furnace, because the furnace guy diagnosed the problem as a fried circuit board and suddenly I had a looming $500 labor bill waiting for me once the part shipped.
So after a weekend of shivering, I called on John to clean up the mess. At first he was stumped, just like the previous technician, but after a few moments of tinkering John was in a different room entirely cracking open a closed-off thermostat cover. He tightened a few loose ends, and just like that, the furnace was running again. It was satisfying to watch a master of his craft solve a complex problem.
But if I’m being honest, that wasn’t the most impressive thing I saw from John. That’s because he now looks like a race contender.
As it turns out, John’s back surgery never happened. He instead found a dietitian, identified and addressed a food allergy, and in turn drastically reduced the inflammation in his back.
John took it from there, making other changes like giving up sugar, and has built himself up into something he can be proud of. He is still undecided on his triathlon plans, but knows that his dreams are now within the realm of possibility.
It just shows how one fundamental lifestyle change — in John’s case a dietary shift — can lead to a life-changing breakthrough.
And when you’re the best version of yourself, like I believe John to currently be, you can do other amazing things, like saving Christmas for a freezing family.
Thank you, John, and I can’t wait to see what race you do next.
1 STEP BACK, 3 STEPS FORWARD
If you want to stay active on the racing circuit over the winter months, you almost have to be willing to put a few miles on your car.
The YMCA Santa Run 5K in Frederick, Md., was the closest race Franklin County runners could find in recent weeks. The trip was worthwhile for a handful of area competitors, including Fayetteville’s Devin Rosencrance (28:32), Smithsburg’s Jennifer Gates (30:56), Jadon Gates (32:17), and Riley Gates (34:15), and Chambersburg’s Ryan Martin (34:59).
Wing Lam Cheung, of Fayetteville, ran races on back-to-back weeks. She first traveled to Washington, D.C., to complete the Jingle 5K in 23:40 before shipping out to Harrisburg to run the Santa Shuffle 5K in 24:09.
The popular Celtic Solstice 5-Miler in Baltimore, Md., drew more than 2,600 competitors, including a couple of runners from the Local.News area. Fayetteville’s Patrick Gavet completed the race in 41:50, while Chambersburg’s Sara Grove crossed the finish line in 52:43.
Distance was no issue — not for their cars or their legs — for a group of locals that made the trip to Leesport for the Naked Nick 25K/50K trail races. Chambersburg’s Matthew Smith finished the 50K in 6:18:28, while finishers from the 25K included Chambersburg’s Lucas Kerr (3:40:17) and Fayetteville’s Jeremy Honzell (6:29:01).
Finally, more than 600 miles away in South Carolina, a pair of locals took on the Kiawah Island Half Marathon. Dodie Moats broke the two-hour barrier with a 1:53:34, while Greencastle’s Jeremy Golden crossed the finish line in 2:24:53.
And now, a look ahead:
Holiday 5K/10K: Saturday, 8:30 a.m., in Manheim. Lancaster Junction Trail will serve as the backdrop for this race, put on by US Road Running. Look for the race on runsignup.com.
John Rudy 5 Miler: Saturday, Dec. 30, 9 a.m., in York. The York Road Runners Club Winter Series resumes with this race, its fourth of nine events. Learn more at yorkroadrunners.com.
The Last Mile: Saturday, Dec. 30, 10 a.m., in Duncannon. Finish your 2023 strong with this challenging five-mile race. Find the event on runsignup.com.
Also: Lehigh Valley New Year’s Chaser Half Marathon (Monday, Jan. 1, in Coplay); New Year Run Challenge (Monday, Jan. 1, in Mechanicsburg).
