I hate running. But, I admit, its changed my life.
In 2004, I tipped the scale at 285 pounds and I knew I could hit the 300 mark soon if I continued with the sedentary way of life I was living. So I did something I hated: I ran.
Bruno (second from left) in his early, fatter, reporting days.
First, I ran around the block (at night, of course, so no one could see me). I didn’t make it all the way around the block but went as far as I could before walking the rest of the way.
But soon, one way around the block turned into two and three. As the months went by, my routes became longer.
I started signing up for 5 kilometer runs in the Seacoast of New Hampshire where I lived. I was working at a newspaper there before arriving at the Salem News in November 2005. I signed up for road races at the encouragement of my friend and colleague, Darryl Cauchon, who accompanied me.
I signed up for as many 5K (3.1 mile) races as I could before moving on to 5-mile races and then a 10K race, which is 6.2 miles. On Labor Day 2005, I ran a 20K (12.4 miles) at the popular New Haven Road Race, near my hometown.
During that time, and along with eating healthy, the weight dropped off. I was approximately 50 pounds lighter a year and a half later.
Bruno in Labor Day 2008.
I never thought running a marathon was in me. I barely made it through the New Haven race so I figured there was no way 26.2 miles was possible.
Running fell by the wayside after arriving in Salem in the fall of 2005. I found excuses not to do it and it soon got out of my routine.
But when co-Boston Bound blogger and colleague Chris Cassidy touted the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program in 2007 to train for the Boston Marathon, I signed up.
I ran my first Boston Marathon last April and have been training for my second Boston Marathon since the start of this year.
My goal is to finish with a better time than my 2008 time (5 hours, 45 minutes) and also loose some more weight. Both will be hard tasks. The weight doesn’t come off as easily as it did before. I weigh 225 last time I checked. I hope to be much less come April.
