One can spend hours telling me all of the things that I need to do and why I need to get them done, but if you really want to get my attention, tell me about something that I CAN’T do.
My friend Bryon made that mistake at a party in mid-October when he sized up my 280-pound frame and playfully suggested that he could “probably” beat me in a 5K now. He quickly tried to backpedal, citing his bum knee, but the switch in my brain was already starting to flip and there was nothing that either of us could do to stop it.
To Bryon’s credit, he was absolutely correct. While I live an active lifestyle and spend many of my days working outside in the landscaping field, months of overeating had finally caught up to me. Simple activities like climbing stairs, tying my shoes, or even just standing up felt tiring. I knew I could still function and even partially compete as a “fat-thlete,” but in the back of my mind I also knew that I’ve never let myself go this far before.
Something needed to change, but I needed a spark, and Bryon unwittingly provided it.
One of the first things I did was put myself on a 36-hour fast in an attempt to trigger autophagy, which is defined as “the body’s cellular recycling process that cleans out damaged components and regenerates them into new ones.” In Greek autophagy means “self-eating” and perhaps I am oversimplifying this, but the idea is that once your body runs out of food stores, it begins to target itself, starting with the damaged proteins.
Is this a junk science that I discovered by scrolling Facebook Reels? Perhaps. Should I have consulted a doctor beforehand? Probably. The first 24 hours were tough. All I could think about was food. The hardest part was making a large pasta meal for my family, and then packing up my portion for the fridge. I got through the day by staying focused on the hour, and sometimes even the minute, that I was in.
When I woke the next day to take on the final six hours of the fast, I quite literally sprang out of bed. My back pain was gone, as was my general soreness from “being old.” Most peculiar of all, I didn’t feel hungry. I went to my job site and whistled through my work until lunch time. When I finally broke my fast, it took just a small meal to feel full. The game was on.
I soon settled into an intermittent fasting routine, and with my eating under control, I was able to focus on running once again. My workouts have mostly been intervals of running and walking, often accompanied by my wife and kids. These were painful at first, but block by block, I’ve built up my endurance and have picked up speed. Structured exercise is once again a regular part of my life, and it’s something I look forward to.
After several weeks, I’m feeling much lighter on my feet and finally decided to break out the scale. To my surprise, I was down 23 pounds. Feeling a wave of confidence rush over me, I then did the most sane and logical thing I could think of: Register for a Turkey Trot.
I’m still not in great running shape, but I’m improving every day and still have just over two weeks to hone myself even further. If all goes according to plan, I’ll be under 250 pounds by Thanksgiving and the proud finisher of a 5K.
It’s good to feel motivated again. Thanks, Bryon, and maybe I’ll see you at the starting line.
1 STEP BACK, 3 STEPS FORWARD
More than 200 runners gathered in Chambersburg for one reason: To celebrate girl power.
The Go Girls Go 5K was chock full of local talent, with Local.News1 runners sweeping the top spots. Fayetteville’s Noah Jacobs won the race in 19:37, while Chambersburg’s Sarah Boward finished as top female in 20:30. Seven other area runners landed in the Top 10: Chambersburg’s James Kinton (3rd in 20:34), Lincoln Simmons (4th in 21:59), Peter Gotwald (5th in 22:16), Logan Bert (7th in 22:31), and Adalynn Simmons (8th in 23:23), Fayetteville’s Oliver Soper (6th in 22:25), and Scotland’s Lakelynn Kemp (9th in 23:41).
Ryan Rasco, of Hagerstown, put on a brilliant performance at the Marshall Half Marathon in Huntington, W.Va. Rasco posted a time of 1:12:29 to take fourth overall in the field of 1,102 runners. Chambersburg’s Laurie Dymond also crossed state lines to compete, recording a 3:19:29 at the New York City Marathon.
Harrisburg Marathon Weekend got the attention of a handful of runners from the Local.News1 coverage area. Alfred Smith led the way in the marathon with a time of 3:53:32, while fellow Chambersburg runner Ashley Tkacic posted a 3:55:39 to take third in the 40-44 AG. The Harrisburg Half Marathon included a finish in 2:30:03 from Fayetteville’s Threslyn Ward.
In Maryland, Ocean City Marathon Weekend featured a number of standout performances from local runners. Jonathan Kisas, of Smithsburg, completed the marathon in 3:29:48 to win the 40-44 AG, while Hagerstown’s Garrett Ammons (3:57:56) and Hannah Allan (4:07:43) also posted notable finishes. The OC Half Marathon included solid runs from Hagerstown’s Zach Tussing (1:44:39), Felicity Wertman (1:59:07), Kaylin Kloos (2:10:17), and Hannah King (2:20:49).
Green Ridge State Forest in Little Orleans, Md. served as the backdrop for the Fire on the Mountain 25K/50K. The 25K race was highlighted by an eighth-place finish in 2:37:01 from Smithsburg’s Sean Allen, with Greencastle’s Todd Yoder (2:54:10) and Hagerstown’s Dave Grimm (3:38:30) also crossing the finish line. Bradley Lumberg, of Hagerstown, finished the 50K in 8:21:15.
Two other long-distance races drew local competition: The Vew 25K in Hyner and the Stone Mill 50 Mile in Montgomery Village, Md. The Hyner race saw Chambersburg’s Daniel Foster clock a 3:42:30 to take third in the 20-29 AG, while the 50 Mile event included finishes from Fairfield’s Kyle Schoen (13:30:22) and Chambersburg’s Colin Fry (13:30:29).
A number of others were active in races across the region and beyond, including Waynesboro’s Jim Painter (24:27 at Harrisburg Hot Cider Hustle 5K), Madeline Johnson (1:12:44 at Hilton Head Quarter Marathon), Jeffrey Januchowski (54:59 at Louisville Half 10K), Ron Benedict (2:21:51 at Gobbler Half Marathon), and Corinna Deeter (2:39:50 at 5-Mile Beach at Wildwood Crest Half Marathon), Fayetteville’s Frank Sim (1:26:09 at Gobbler 10K), Chambersburg’s Mark Ward (24:12 at Storm Warriors Boardwalk 5K), David Gleba (38:11 at Ocean City 8K), Noelle Wertz (1:11:33 at Fall Backyard Burn Trail Run 5 Mile), and Heather Brindle (1:03:06 at Tapping of the Great Pumpkin 10K), and Hagerstown’s JR Bowers (27:12 at Historic Drawbridge 5K), Meaghan Mahoney (34:57 at Schaeffer 5K Trail Run), and Carlos Huaman (1:55:08 at Fall Backyard Burn Trail Run 10 Mile; 2:31:13 at Schaeffer Half Marathon Trail Run), and Fairfield’s Jennifer Bruder (1:28:37 at Fungi 5 Miler).
And finally, a shoutout to Chambersburg’s Paul Sick, who ventured out to California for the Santa Barbara Half Marathon. Sick completed the race in 2:01:03.
And now, a look ahead:
JFK 50 Mile: Saturday, Nov. 22, 6:30 a.m., in Boonsboro, Md. America’s oldest ultramarathon is in its 63rd running. Learn more on the race at jfk50mile.org.
Greencastle Turkey Trot 5K: Thursday, Nov. 27, 8:30 a.m., in Greencastle. Expect to see some blazing times from this popular event, put on by the Greencastle Flyers. Check out the race on greencastleflyers.org.
Shippensburg Turkey Trot 5K: Thursday, Nov. 27, 9 a.m., in Shippensburg. This long-running race benefits the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail and Shippensburg Produce Outreach. Register for the event on timberhilltiming.com.
Also: Give Thanks for Lebanon 5K/10K (Saturday, in Lebanon); Gobbler 5K/10K (Saturday, in Akron); Harvest Hare Triathlon (Saturday, in Broomall); Zombie Fun Run 5K (Saturday, in Mountville); Girls on the Run 5K (Sunday, in Lancaster); Last Trail Standing 5K/8M/25K/50K (Sunday, in Pittsburgh); Rugged Indy 4M/8M/3H (Sunday, in Spring City); Dover 10 Miler (Sunday, in Dover); Run the Glen Glow Run 5K (Friday, Nov. 21, in Lebanon); Gobbler 5K/10K/13.1M (Saturday, Nov. 22, in Hughesville); Dash for the Stache 5K (Saturday, Nov. 22, in Enola); Gobbler 5K/10K (Saturday, Nov. 22, in Manheim); Philadelphia Marathon Weekend (Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 22-23, in Philadelphia); Girls on the Run 5K (Sunday, Nov. 23, in Harrisburg); Carlisle Family YMCA Turkey Trot 5K (Thursday, Nov. 27, in Carlisle); East Berlin 5K Turkey Trot (Thursday, Nov. 27, in East Berlin); Flippin Fun 5K Turkey Run (Thursday, Nov. 27, in Reading); Great Turkey Chase 5K (Thursday, Nov. 27, in Elizabethtown); Millersville Turkey Trot 5K (Thursday, Nov. 27, in Millersville); Newport Turkey Trot 5K/10K (Thursday, Nov. 27, in Newport); Pie Gobbler 5K/10K/Half Marathon (Thursday, Nov. 27, in Harrisburg); Run for the Diamonds 9 Mile (Thursday, Nov. 27, in Berwick); SMT Turkey Trot 5K (Thursday, Nov. 27, in New Cumberland); Sticks and Biscuits 5K (Thursday, Nov. 27, in Palmyra); Thanksgiving Day Community 5K Turkey Trot (Thursday, Nov. 27, in New Oxford); Thundering Pickle Turkey Trot 5K (Thursday, Nov. 27, in Dillsburg); Westover Turkey Trot 5K (Thursday, Nov. 27, in Mechanicsburg); York YMCA 5K Turkey Trot (Thursday, Nov. 27, in York); HCC Turkey Trot 5K (Thursday, Nov. 27, in Hagerstown, Md.); Sheppard Pratt Frederick Turkey Trot 5K (Thursday, Nov. 27, in Frederick, Md.).
