I never fancied myself a runner. I was always the cyclist and gym rat. The more weight the merrier. It was not until the fall of 2014 that I decided to try running. I signed up for my first half marathon. I carefully researched training plans and mapped out my schedule until race day. After running 8 miles by myself I decided running solo was for the birds.
I researched running groups in the Houston area and found In Flight. After my first long run with In Flight, I was glad I joined the group. The coaches were super nice and helpful. It was great having folks to run with each Saturday morning. It is an easy going group and I enjoy that.
Coach Michael genuinely cares for each member and works hard to ensure success at each race. I have been a member of In Flight on and off since my first half marathon. I am thrilled to be a member and see myself enjoying running for years to come!
I have not always been a runner. Actually, I was a couch potato before I laced up the running shoes. But my wife Bella was a runner and would always ask me to run with her, which I did a few times. Then one day she asked me to train with her for a 5-mile run, called the Baytown Heatwave. To get ready for the race and the distance I headed to Memorial Park to run dressed in my Nike Jordan cross trainers, basketball shorts, and a cotton T-shirt in late June and almost died!
On race day I did much better than expected and after running alongside my wife for 3 miles I picked it up and surprisingly finished. At the end of the run, I was rewarded with barbecue and beer and started to realize how much camaraderie there was in the running community.
My wife decided to join In Flight to start training for the Houston Marathon. I called Coach Michael and he assured me I could at least train up for the upcoming San Antonio Rock n Roll Marathon. From the first long run with In Flight Running, I was hooked! The coaching staff was amazing and the group was so welcoming and friendly. I would have never thought I’d be a long-distance runner but I have now run multiple marathons and halfs over the past few years and now help support the entire In Flight Running team as a coach. Running has truly helped me change my life in a big way!
In 2008, I joined In Flight in an effort to get back into running and regain endurance after my son was born. I had run three marathons and several half marathons before that but had never had a coach or been part of a running group. When I signed up to train with In Flight Running, I was really nervous about Saturday morning long runs. Would I be fast enough to keep up with others in the group or would I fall behind and struggle back into "home base" alone, after everyone left for the day? Or worse, what if I got lost or injured and was left alone out there?
It did not take long to realize that I had nothing to fear. There are runners of all skill levels, so there has always been someone to run with. The other runners are very supportive and training with people of about the same pace throughout the season has been very motivational. Further, Coach Michael and his staff always keep safety first, both in terms of accounting for every runner during and after each group run and in terms of being available to quickly assist with any type of running injury - from plantar fasciitis to a trip-and-fall during a run (yes, that happened to me, but Coach Michael and his coaching team were right there to help me).
I have trained every season since then with In Flight Running and look forward to our Saturday morning long runs. Coach Michael has given me a lot of advice that has helped me improve my running over the years. The In Flight Running training program has prepared me for every race I have entered since that first Saturday in 2008 and continues to give me confidence that I am ready for the next race.