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| MVCC President Randall VanWagoner running in the 2015 Ted Moore Run/Walk. |
Why I Run
I’ve always considered myself an athlete, but I never ran
without a ball.
I played a wide variety of sports growing up, but when I
went to my one and only day of middle school track practice, I stopped after
the first half mile and left to wait for my mom to pick me up. I didn't see the
fun in running. Without some kind of ball, I didn't have a “why” to run, so I
didn’t.
My running world changed in 2007 when my family and I
relocated to the Mohawk Valley. I was encouraged to run in MVCC’s annual Ted
Moore Memorial 5K Run/Walk, so I asked my oldest daughter, who was still in
elementary school at the time, to run with me. We survived it, and better yet,
we had a fun time running together. As we learned about the Boilermaker Road
Race, our entire family began running in the 5K each year for that event. We all
enjoyed running down Court Street to the finish line with the crowds cheering
along both sides of the street. It was like getting the full Boilermaker experience,
but only running one-third the distance.
In 2010, Steve Zogby gave me the encouragement to run the Boilermaker
15K. He said, “C’mon, you should do it! All you have to do is make sure you can
run six miles and the crowd will carry you the rest of the way.” I since have said
those very words to multiple people, trying to pay it forward because I’m so
glad I took Steve’s advice. I ran the 15K that year, and thought I had checked
it off my bucket list. I kept running the Ted Moore and Boilermaker 5K races
with my family each year, thinking that was enough for me.
But over time my “why” became abundantly clear.
We have a Wellness Council at Mohawk Valley Community
College, and I attended a workshop on well-being that covered research by the
Gallup organization. I made a commitment to improve my physical well-being and
set a goal of running the Boilermaker 15K again in 2016. As springtime came, I
found myself enjoying the reflective time to run and quiet my mind. I became
more centered and focused at work and more present in my interactions with
others. I also became more aware of my diet and began eating a little better,
which led to lowering my weight, which led to feeling better each day.
My “why” I run became to feel better and be better.
I ran the Ted Moore 5K last spring at my best time ever. We
had more than 200 people participate, and had our largest fundraising effort
ever for the Ted Moore Memorial Scholarship. It was a great day for the MVCC
community. Late last summer, my oldest daughter and I ran in the Crim Festival
of Races 10-mile race in Flint, Mich., where I grew up. We were part of a
Boilermaker Road Race group that traveled there in a show of solidarity with
the City of Flint and its water crisis. The only two road races that sent
people were the Boilermaker and the Boston Marathon — a pretty powerful
statement.
My “why” I run gained a couple more points: to support great
causes and to connect to the best of being human.
I started running every time I traveled somewhere new. I
mapped out routes through parts of cities I might not otherwise see. I ran my
first-ever Race to the Canal 5K along the Erie Canal.
My “why” I run now includes to see interesting sights and
places.
On Boilermaker Sunday 2016, my family and I once again
worked our morning routine like clockwork with all the friends, rides, pick-ups,
drop-offs, and meet-ups. My wife and youngest daughter ran the 5K, as ever, and
our oldest daughter and her friend ran the 15K, as did I. The local adage is
true — if we could bottle the sense of community pride that’s evident on
Boilermaker Sunday, the other 364 days around here would be incredible. Running
down Culver Avenue, the Memorial Parkway, Champlin Avenue, and Whitesboro Street
with so many friendly faces is uplifting. The views from Valley View are
phenomenal and the feeling of running down a crowded Court Street through the
finish line is exhilarating.
My “why” I run now is attached to something bigger than
myself. It’s about being part of this community and touching a unique
collective experience that can’t be replicated.
I would love to go back and tell my seventh-grade self “why”
people should run. I’m forever grateful to this community for helping me
discover my own “why”. This year, as the Ted Moore Run/Walk celebrates its 20th
anniversary and the Boilermaker celebrates its 40th, I hope even more people
discover their “why” and turn out in record numbers.
If you have any questions or comments, you can contact me directly at presblog@mvcc.edu.
