25; Edward R Murrow Award-Winning Journalist & Morning Show Radio Host, KWAM News Radio
Photo by Brooke Simpson
I LOVE RUNNING: Running is my medicine. As a news guy, I’m consumed with a daily news cycle that is mostly negative. I’ve found the heavier the news of the day is, the longer distances I run. Everyone needs an escape; mine is pounding the pavement.
BUCKET LIST: One day I am going to run the Athens Marathon, the original 26.2 course that started over 2,500 years ago.
UP NEXT: I’m training for Boston Qualify (BQ), which means I’ve got to run a sub-three-hour marathon. I love this city, so I’d love to go to BQ on a familiar course.
FAVE FITNESS ACCOMPLISHMENT: It was mile 14 when I felt a searing pain surge through my calves. I only had 12.2 miles left to go. Anyone who’s participated in St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend knows the course winds through the hospital’s campus. You see the sweet faces of the toughest kids in the country, little patients fighting childhood cancers and pediatric diseases. I instantly forgot about my aching legs. My journey was easy, unlike theirs.
HOMETOWN: Memphis
FAVORITE JAMS: Any track from Post Malone’s “Beerbongs & Bentleys” album.
RECENT RACES: American River Run, Half Marathon, third overall; St. Jude Marathon; Big River Crossing Half Marathon; Annual Chick-fil-A 5K Labor Day, third overall; Youth Villages 5K, first overall; Buffalo Run 5K at Shelby Farms, first overall; Humane Society Fast & Furriest 5K
MOST MEMORABLE FITNESS EVENT: What was supposed to be an easy 10-mile race turned into an episode of ‘Survivor’ through Shelby Farms. I was leading the pack of runners, which was great until I got lost. Every runner knows this feeling; it’s gut-wrenching. A sprint turns into a stumble, frantically looking for a mile marker.
I wasn’t the only wanderer, though. I bumped into a group of lost runners in the dense forest. One female runner was crying, and another was on the phone with MPD. It would be 45 minutes before we reconnected with civilization. I started the race alone and finished it with new friends. Though I came in last place, I kind of think I won.
BEST EATS: Sixty South Salmon from Coastal Fish Company with a glass of Charcoal Lemonade from Raw Girls.
DREAM DINNER COMPANY: God. I’d ask him why he made burgers and fries taste so good and vegetables taste like vegetables.
GO-TO GEAR: Brooks Ghost running shoes, a Nike Run Club Apple Watch, and a pair of black shorts.
INSPIRATION TO BE FIT: Landing date #2. Too shallow? You don’t have to be a medical researcher to know that an active lifestyle improves quality of life. From improving heart health to strengthening your whole musculoskeletal system and even boosting your mood, that is my motivation to lace up and run daily.
PET PEEVE: Runners who talk your ear off during runs and EarPod batteries that drain too fast.
