Michael Heard – Experienced Runner
Michael Heard, Gospel Run coach and Team Trinity United Church of Christ co-captain, began running when he turned 40 years old. He was determined to take better care of his body, so he started his health journey by walking on the treadmill.
“A trainer told me that if I wanted to get in shape I needed to pick out a cardio exercise that I liked and do strength training. I chose to start running in 1995, and after running half marathons, 5Ks and 10Ks, I completed my first marathon in 2003. I trained hard for it!”
Coach Michael endured more than just marathon training to trump the 26.2 mile distance.
“When I first started running, I smoked cigarettes. I had been smoking almost 25 years. It took 8 years to kick the habit; during that time I was running 5k & 10K races and a half marathon. But once I decided to run a marathon, I knew I had to STOP smoking completely. I did and have not picked up a cigarette since that first day of marathon training.”
Running is now a vital part of Coach Michael’s everyday routine and has convinced him that he can do anything he puts his mind to.
“I went from a couch potato to an athlete. That’s right an athlete! In my second marathon, I qualified to run the Boston Marathon, which is the only race that you have to qualify in another marathon to run Boston. When I got there, they called all the runners athletes! There was no looking back after that marathon. I have gone on to run 18 marathons in 15 years.”
Coach Michael shares the same advice his trainer gave him to new runners and counsels them to stay encouraged.
“Find a cardio exercise that you like, whether it’s biking, running, swimming etc. and then incorporate strength training into your routine. You also need to watch what you eat. I have to come to learn that what you put in your mouth is either contributing to better health or causing health problems. To see the benefits of running or walking you have to do it at least 3 days a week. You are wasting your time if you do it once or twice a week, or every other week. It will take time to get into a routine but once you do, it will soon become part of your life and you will enjoy your new body. Exercise is a really good way to relieve stress. You will find that you have a better outlook on life.”
Look at Coach Michael running his first marathon and still smiling at mile 23!