LOOK GOOD, FEEL GOOD
by
F E AT U R E
Annie Tobey Sports Backers
photos courtesy of
(unless otherwise noted)
I
– now it’s splattered with stickers. I used to stay out late on Fridays – now I get to bed early to prepare for Saturday morning group runs. I used to be content with just enough exercise – now I’m hyped about distances. I blame the Richmond Sports Backers for setting me on the road to obsession. Their YMCA 10k Training Team was my threshold drug, opening up the gates to all sorts of aberrant behaviors. I met a whole new group of people, and the chance to run became a social event enhanced by an infusion of adrenaline. These friends introduced me to new
4 6 We s t E n d ’s B e s t
USED TO HAVE AN IMMACULATE BUMPER
running opportunities. I’d feared the tedium of long runs, but discovered that training with others plus the sheer zen of running made time stand still. I felt stronger, healthier, and more energetic. During the recent Richmond marathon, I began chatting with a fellow runner about this very topic. As we made our way down River Road, Gray Gurkin explained how running had helped him grow up. “What got me into running,” he elaborated later, “was a typical reason. I was 40 and those midlife worries were filling my head. Maybe running could help me hang on to my youth.”