Member-only story
Running to the Back
By the time my brother was in his mid-fifties the best description of him was “a portly gentleman.” Like most people these days he had a sedentary job and a sedentary lifestyle. He was a skilled regional table-tennis champion and regarded that as serious exercise. Until the day he went up the short flight of stairs in his home and discovered he was out of breath.
Within a week he signed up with a local running club. A year later, he ran his first marathon. This year he’s aiming for 12:12, which is twelve marathons in twelve months. His health is greatly improved and his self-confidence has never been higher. He will turn 60 in a far happier and healthier condition than when he was twenty years younger.
My son was a timid child, afraid of failure and deeply lacking in self-confidence. During High School he decided to get a grip on his life and volunteered for various clubs including Chess, Mock Trial, and Cross-Country. He started accompanying me to the gym and we took up Krav Maga together. Today he’s a confident and thoughtful young man, an ultra-runner in superb physical condition, and cooks all his own meals from healthy ingredients. He is a mentor for others when requested, and is eager for new challenges.
For both of these family members, exercise opened up a new world.
