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Hernando Today

A Run For The Fund

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By TIMOTHY P. HOWSARE

Published: May 25, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - One of my favorite movies, "Stripes," stars Bill Murray as a down-on-his-luck, wanna-be photographer who loses his cab-driving job and girlfriend in the same day.

To get his life straightened out, Murray's character, John Winger, decides to join the United States Army.

Near the beginning of the movie is a scene in which Winger and the other recruits, in the bunkhouse on the first night of boot camp, tell each other a little about themselves as the company sergeant keeps order.

Starring in the movie with Murray is the late John Candy, who plays the rotund Dewey "Ox" Oxberger.
Oxberger starts out by saying "You might have noticed that I have a slight weight problem" as his new pals sarcastically feign disbelief by responding "No-o-o-o-o."

With 215 pounds on a 5-foot-7-inch frame — and a small-boned frame at that — I didn't need a doctor to tell me "Tim, you need to lose weight."

But my doctor did tell me emphatically, "Tim, you need to lose weight."

At 215, about the only clothes that felt comfortable were extra-large sweats. My thighs rubbed together when I walked and I had trouble getting my huge gut behind the table in restaurant booths. Not to mention the risks of heart disease and diabetes.

That was a little more than a year ago. Since then, I've gotten on a exercise program and have lost 35 pounds. I used to squeeze into pants with a 42-inch waist. I now squeeze into several pairs of new pants with 36-inch waistlines.

I hope to lose 30 more pounds, even if it takes another year.

I like to eat, so I can't say I eat less. I just eat better.

What works for me is exercise, and lots of it.

Along with working out at my health club, Candlelite Fitness in Brooksville, I like to get outdoors and walk and run.

I have run in three 5Ks in the past year as an extra incentive to keep with my program. The first 5K was the Run to Remember at the YMCA on Sept. 11; the second was the Run with the Sheriff in November; and most recently was the Spring Lake 5K and Two-mile Fun Run/Walk this past Saturday at the Arc Nature Coast.

Since 1972, the Arc has provided services and activities for adults with developmental disabilities. Many of these activities, like the equestrian program, are provided on the Arc's 30-acre campus of naturally wooded land off Neff Lake Road.

All proceeds from the run — $2,750 after expenses — will assist individuals who otherwise might not be able to participate in the Arc's programs because of lack of funds.

So I felt I was running for a good cause. My $25-entry fee went to the scholarship fund, and I got to test my mettle on the Spring Lake course, which covered some of the hilliest territory in Hernando County. I registered online. Thirty minutes later, I received an e-mail from Nancy Stubbs, Arc development director, thanking me for signing up for the 5K and asking if I planned to write a story about the race.

It sounded like a good idea to me.

Stubbs, calling herself "the gal behind the scenes," said she got up at 4 a.m. on race day to work the registration tent.

The race began shortly after 8 a.m. The weather was clear and a bit humid. The first three-quarters-of-a-mile were on the Arc's equestrian trails. The challenge there was not to trip on any of the tree roots crossing the trail, but the Arc staff had thoughtfully painted the roots with bright yellow paint to make them highly visible.

Next was a brief jaunt on a gravel road that led to Lake Neff Road — and the hills.

As I was huffing and puffing up the first hill, I saw a female head pop up over its crest with a long, blond pony tail swinging from side to side.

She was running back the other way, just minutes from finishing the race.

I thought to myself "I'm only 10 minutes into the race and already someone is almost to the finish line."

But when I saw staff photographer Bob East III moments later and told him what I saw, he said she was doing the 2-mile fun run and had just turned around.

Thank God. I wasn't as slow as I thought. Getting past up the first hill was the biggest challenge for me. After that, I just kept a steady pace and finished with a time of 38 minutes and 15 seconds. That's about twice as long as it took the first-place finisher, but all I wanted to do was run without stopping.

About 125 runners and walkers participated in the event, and Arc executive director Mary W. Barry said, "Individuals with development disabilities will ultimately be the winners, as they will benefit from the proceeds of the event."

Community news editor Timothy P. Howsare can be reached at 352-544-5284 or thowsare@hernandotoday.com.

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