Runner Spotlight - Craig Ottinger

I am 48 years old, overweight and I AM a runner.  I set goals for myself and enjoy the journey that comes with making them happen. 

I used to weigh 270 pounds.  I was standing at a 5K finish line one day in 2017, watching people come across the finish line and receiving their medal.  That is always a great place to be at a race because you can feel the sense of accomplishment vibing from the runners.  In the crowd of thousands one guy stood out to me.  He was approximately 5'5" and he probably weighed over 300 pounds.  He was wearing a red and black shirt, black shorts and black running shoes.  Sweat was pouring off this man and he looked exhausted.  In my head, I was thinking, "How did that guy do this?"  To me a 5K run was unimaginable and then from my right I heard a lady say "Look at that fat f**k.  Can you believe he ran a 5K?"  I was floored that a person I knew would say something that terrible.  After I gather my jaw off the concrete roadway.  I looked and said to her (and to myself), "Exactly! Look at him.  He just did a freaking 5K and I am just standing here get fatter and unhealthier by the minute."  I was truly inspired by this complete stranger, and I decided right then that I was going to run a 5K, no walking.

I downloaded the Active.com Couch to 5K app and started doing everything it told me to do.  I can still remember all the milestones and first times during that training schedule. The first time I ran for 3 minutes non-stop blew my mind.  There was a week where I would have to run 20 minutes non-stop and as that day approached, I was freaking out but I did it, and most importantly, I didn't die.  Around that time, a friend from the Boston Athletic Association asked me if I wanted to run the B.A.A 5K for my first 5K since I would be there to watch the marathon and I jumped at that opportunity.  Originally, I had picked a Donut Run as my first 5K because I will do most anything for donuts, but the B.A.A. 5K was a bigger deal to me.  Luckily, I was able to run with a big group of friends that day and most of them knew my goal was to run the whole distance, no walking.  We all ran to the 1 Mile marker and the group decided to walk for a bit.  One of the friends was trying to get my attention so I would stop and walk with them and right about then I overheard another friend in the group say to her, "Let him run."  It was a Field of Dreams moment for me in a weird kind of way.  There were two people on the course holding up signs that said " Go, Craig, Go” thanks to the president of Hightech Signs (my boss).  I cried and it helped me so much.  When I got to the finish line, I saw my friend who was responsible for me being in that 5K.  He is a very good runner and I was able to tell him that I had accomplished my goal.  "I ran the whole thing!" between heavy breaths and trying not to cry.  That felt amazing to say those words out loud and to him.  I then walked through the post-finish corral and experienced all of that for the first time.  My heart rate was through the roof.  The top of my head was pounding.  I couldn't catch my breath.  Everything hurt and they handed my first participant medal, I turned the corner and they gave me water and snacks.  I say my boss and we sat in the grass there in Boston Common while I caught my breath and ate my snacks and thought back about that guy who inspired me to run my first 5K.  It was a beautiful day and I felt alive in that moment.  I was not hooked on running at this point.

When I got back to work on Tuesday, my boss told me that if I run the B.A.A. 10K he would pay for my airfare to Boston.  My immediate and very heartfelt response to that was, "Are you crazy?  I barely had enough time to train for a 5K.  I work too many hours in this building to train for a 10K."  He said, "Ok, and the offer stands."  That very night I went to the YMCA to run on a treadmill for the first time.  I was curious what that was like.  I ran 4 miles on that treadmill like it was an easy walk on a Sunday morning.  When I finished my legs were a lot wiggly. I had to sit down and started to think about what my boss had said about the 10K.  For some reason running 4 miles made 6.2 seem like a goal I could reach.  I was curious if there was a 5K-10K training app, so I pulled out my phone and there was a banner notification on my phone that said I had completely my Couch to 5K training and would I like to download the 5K to 10K training module.  I clicked on it to see how much it would cost, because if it was $2.99, the answer would have been an easy "NO!", but it was free.  I clicked download and called my boss and let him know there would be a purchase for a plane ticket to Boston on my card tomorrow.

My first day back to work after the B.A.A. 10K, I was telling my boss all about the run and again he said, "If you run the B.A.A. Half-Marathon in October, I will pay for your airfare."  I accepted the challenge with no hesitation.  About a week before my first half, I was reading through their website and there was one sentence buried in their copy that mentioned practicing hills.  The anxiety set in.  I live in Indiana.  The only hills here are overpasses.  I went into that race super nervous.  One of my best friends and her boyfriend came out from Portland. She was cheering us on and he was running.  It was a decent weather day when the race started but that fall apart about half way through my run.  I struggled, on this run.  The hills were real and technically I wasn't ready for a half.  I ran about 60% of the whole race.  I was wearing a cotton shirt and lost my nipple protection around mile 7 and by mile 9 I was in pain.  I ran the last 4 miles holding my left pec just to stop the friction between my wet cotton shirt and the movement of my chest.  I learned at mile 12 that it was less painful to run than walk and just as I exited the zoo, I saw my friends.  Jonathan, who had finished the race 90 minutes before me, ran with me for about 200 yards, and told me what to expect between where I was and the finish.   "You only have about half a mile to go.  The finish line is in that stadium over there and it is downhill the rest of the way." and that gave me exactly what I needed at that moment.  I was in my head, and negative, and in pain.  I wanted to just stop and walk, but I didn't.  When I arrived at the entrance of the stadium, I was very glad that I was wearing sunglasses and that it was raining.  I started to tear up.  I could see the actual finish line.  I was on the track running around the oval and about to finish a half-marathon.  The ugly cry happened, in the rain, behind the sunglasses.  I picked up my medal, got some food, found my friends and we celebrated.  We were wet, freezing and I was in so much pain.  I thought about the guy at that first 5K and said thank you.  I was hooked on running. 

Since then, I have run almost 100 events.  I have had torn tendons, chronic tendonitis, at least 3 MRI scans, and was in a boot off and on for almost a year.  Quarantine gave me the rest I needed and didn't know I needed.  I have learned what it means to listen to my body and rest when you need it. Over the last year I have trained for two marathons.  Houston was going to be my first and 7 weeks before the race I went into a boot for 6 weeks, so Boston Marathon became my goal.  How cool would it be to have your first 5k, 10k, Half and Full Marathons happen in freaking Boston.  Covid ended that 4 weeks before the event.  I was hoping for NYC and again Covid ended that for us all.  I started to give up on that idea, then that changed.  Two weeks ago, I ran my first 30K, the Downtown Doubler 30K.  18.6 Miles, I had never run that far in one go.  I had just run a half marathon 5 days earlier, and this is how it worked in my head..."I just ran two 10Ks plus a little bit, I can add another 10K to that."  So, I set out on a Saturday with the trunk of my car loaded with snacks, water, protein shakes, Gu packs, extra clothes and shoes and decided to do an out and back 10K three times.  I didn't really know what I would need but I was ready for anything and this would allow my car to be my aid station, since I was alone.  It took me 4 hours and 21 minutes, but I got it and I felt like I was on top of the world.  I know I can make it through a marathon now and I will start my official marathon training again in a few weeks.  There will most likely not be a marathon happening when I finish the training, but I don't care.  Me, Garmin, Gu, Airpods and a few peanut butter and jelly sandwiches will set up on the Fort Wayne trail system and I will run four 10.55KM loops because I am a runner.

Favorite distance:  Right now, my favorite distance is a Half Marathon. 

Do you have any running/walking advice you'd like to offer?  Just because you are not the runner type, have a runner physique, or run like a gazelle doesn't mean you can't run any distance you want.  Learn how to train, rest and eat.  While you are training, research and test all different kinds of running products (shorts, shirts, gels, foods, hats, shoes, trails, distances, etc.) to find what you like.  When you are tired, rest.  Stretch every day.  If you need it find a chiropractor, physical therapist, massage therapist, and coach and make sure they are all runners.  Learn how to recognize when you are getting negative during and run and what to do to correct that while you are running.  Running is a journey of self-discovery inside a community of people that are a welcoming and supportive family. 

Why do you like running River City Races events?  The Downtown Doubler is the first River City Races event I have run.  I was invited and that gave me the opportunity to set a goal of not only running my first 30K, but also all 4 of the events.  This event has allowed me to support a great person and friend in our running community and I will do it again.

Anything else you'd like to share?  When you want to be lazy, and putting on your running kit feels like it will destroy you... get out on the road and run.  It doesn't matter how far or hard, easy days are allowed.

Runner Spotlight - Robert Metz

I was a very late arrival to running.  In fact I always hated it.  I made several failed attempts to jog for exercise in my 20's and early 30's.  I did accomplish a one and done couch to marathon when I was 37, limping across  the finish line with my wife. To this day, that remains my favorite race ever because we crossed together.  It wasn't until a friend nagged me into running the Mini in my early 40's that I fell in love with running.  I thought that race would be a one and done too, but after I finished it, I was hooked.  Now my weeks were filled with training plans and anticipating lining up at the next start line.  In the last 12 years, I've run over 80 races.

Certainly, most of us have similar reasons for putting ourselves out on the course and suffering through tough training days.  Challenging yourself, friendly competition, that indescribable feeling of pushing through the painful part of the race and not quitting, getting that elusive PR.  During races, I've often questioned myself as to why I am out on this course torturing myself and why does it matter.  Then I cross the finish line and see my wife's smiling face and that triumphant feeling makes the pain go away.

I also love the camaraderie we find in the running community.  Not just your running buddies that are there for you on cold January days at 5 am.  But also the complete stranger who encourages you during the race when you're flagging.  And the people you recognize lining up in the corral race after race wishing you good luck.  I have been very fortunate to have some great mentors that I have met along my running journey.  It's striking to me how generous these great runners have been to me with their time, encouragement and wisdom. 

So it's never too late to start calling yourself a Runner.

Runner Spotlight - Heather Caudill

My name is Heather Caudill and I became a runner in January 2011. I had always been active and loved exercising, especially cardio! I was growing tired of my fitness regimen. I was a mom to three daughters all under the age of 5 at the time. They were 4, 2 and 1. I was a stay at home mom and DESPERATELY needed a healthy outlet for stress.

Living in the Highlands, it seemed like everyone ran. I only ran as a means for conditioning for other sports. I didn’t like it but I never really gave it a chance either. Knowing people who ran, I learned about the Triple Crown. I love a good goal so I told my husband I was going to start running. His response was “But you don’t like to run.” I said, “I know, but the people I see running seem to enjoy it. They wouldn’t do it if they hated it.” Towards the end of January 2011, I gave myself a birthday (Jan 28) gift. I signed up for the Triple Crown AND the miniMarathon.

I seriously don’t think I’d ever run over a mile in my life! I told ya I love a good goal!!

I immediately started training having not a single clue what I was doing. I pulled out the only tennis shoes I had in my closet and they were years old. Again, totale newbie here! I gathered advice from friends, read articles and started out slow. I also began running with the KDF group on the weekends. After my first 5 miler, my knees were ON FIRE! I thought I’d never walk right, let alone run again. A nice gentleman asked me several questions and told me I needed to go see Jeff Wells at Fleet Feet Sports. The very next day, I went to Fleet Feet. I met Jeff and his staff. Rachel fitted me for my first real pair of running shoes. I got Mizuno Wave Riders, inserts and socks. (This is where my love affair with $15 socks began!) Jeff showed me how to love my muscles and invited me to training runs.

I healed up just enough the week of Anthem 5k. I went on to finish the series. I was running regularly with Fleet Feet and learning so much and meeting great folks! I completed the 13.1 that April and never felt so alive. Running was my favorite and still is today. I went on to work at Fleet Feet part time for 3 years while raising my young daughters. This gave me an incredible opportunity to really dive into the sport and soak up all the knowledge. In the past 9 years, I’ve completed countless races...several half marathons, 2 marathons, and a ten-hour endurance run where I completed 41 miles. My favorite racing distance is the 10k. I’m not a sprinter and this distance allows me to give some speed in combination with some distance.

I completed my third marathon in May, virtually! I was supposed to do the Flying Pig in Ohio but Covid, grrr! A great friend of mine made a route in Louisville. He ran 19 miles of it with me. I also had a handful of others that ran parts of the race with me too! I had family and friends that came out to cheer me on throughout the route. My husband and daughters drove around in the van for 4 plus hours giving me encouragement, water and oranges as needed. It was a challenge to complete but a “race” I definitely won’t forget!! 

My favorite thing about River City Races events is that it’s like a family reunion (the good kind!). I see all sorts of friendly faces and people with their partners, kids, etc. My oldest daughter, now 13, is a runner and we’ve done MANY RC races together. I have precious memories of her racing as young as 6 in the Grand Prix series.

Running changes everything and it surely did for me. No matter where you are in your fitness journey, you can be a runner. It’s not about pace, it’s about showing up, time and time again. You get injured or get in a funk? No problem! Listen to your body and running will be right there when you’re ready. Hope to see you all at the next River City race when it’s safe!!

Runner Spotlight - Rose Scovel

I was that kid who went out of her way to try not to participate in field day or gym class (unless we were swimming). I wasn't ever chosen for playground games and usually hung out with a few others or read during recess. Sure, I took gymnastics lessons, dance, and was even on a t-ball team for a season, but they weren't my strong suit. And by the time I was a teen marching band was my physical activity. In college it was just getting to/from class. By the time I was in my first year of marriage I was cleaning my house and baking on weekends while my husband worked. While I had always been large, I was putting on weight. And at age 32 I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. I knew something needed to change. I started walking 20 min a day on a treadmill we had bought when a regional chain store was bought out. I also changed how I ate. After a few months a friend challenged me to walk a 3-mile Halloween race. I was very hesitant, but did it and fell in love. Later that fall another friend challenged me to a half marathon. I had no idea a love affair was about to begin. I love half marathons. They're still my favorite distance and the one I run the most.

Over time walking became slow running. I added biking to participate in the ADA TourdeCure. Then I was challenged to a sprint triathlon. Sure! Why not? Nothing came easy and I had so much to learn. I was working so hard just to finish at the very back of the pack. I was struggling to manage my blood sugar because the medication wasn't right for someone at my level of activity. Over time I started working with a sport dietitian. I got my fueling under control (mostly) and had fewer DNFs (yeah I still do sometimes). After 10 years I was able to get off diabetes medicines and manage only with diet and exercise. My blood sugar isn't "normal" but is in the pre-diabetes range and where it was medicated several years ago. In 2014 I decided to start working with a coach. For real. And not just any coach...the coach to the fast people. This meant I was constantly training "with" the really fast people in Indy. I am still almost always at the bottom of the team race results despite tremendous progress. But training with them makes me a better runner.

I also decided somewhere along the line that I wanted to be an Ironman. It took three years of training, but in 2018 at Ironman Louisville I became one. It is the hardest and most rewarding thing I have ever done. I'm currently training for Ironman Wisconsin. And even with racing on hold I continue to train, and train hard, because when racing is ready for me I want to be ready to race.

Rose is a Masters Athena triathlete living and training in Indianapolis. When not playing runner/triathlete she is a community planner. She has finished 79 half marathons and 11 full marathons. Her half marathon personal best is 2:14:31 and her marathon personal best is 5:16:29. She runs with Personal Best Training with Coach Matt Ebersole and swims with Speed Factory Racing with Coach Sean Edwards. Her husband David is a cyclist and yogi who is a professional geologist when not training, cooking, or taking care of their home.

Runner Spotlight - Karen Brady

Something that I have discovered within the running community is that people come to running for different reasons at different points in their lives.  I was not a runner in high school.  Nor did I compete in college (in fact, I was a non-traditional student...went to college later in life, worked full-time, went to school part-time, graduated at the top of my class with two degrees).  And while I did participate in sports as a kid, I wasn’t the “sporty” child in my family (that honor would have gone to my sister, Karla).  I tried basketball for a couple of years, but I was definitely vertically challenged when it came to that sport.  And I might have often forgotten to dribble the ball if (and it was rare) it was passed to me.  I played softball mostly, and was an all-star catcher.  It was one sport that I was really good at...but the whole hitting and running the bases part was my least favorite thing.  I was content just to squat down behind home plate and catch the fast-pitch balls the batters missed...and occasionally dodge an aluminum bat that was thrown out of excitement of scoring a hit.  When softball stopped being a fun sport for me, I gave karate a try.  And I loved the martial arts.  No running required.

That being said, I had some knowledge of people going for runs and running races while I was growing up.  My grandpa took up running in his 50s and continued to run up until he had to stop, around the age of 90.  Whether we were visiting him in Minnesota, or he was visiting us in New York, he never would miss his daily run.  He’s raced various distances, including the Berlin Marathon back when German and Berlin were still divided.  So, it only seemed appropriate that when he had to stop running...I picked it up.

I remember a lot of my friends being into running and posting about it on early social media channels.  I insisted that I never could be a runner because my knees were bad after a bad car accident while I was in Ireland in 2003.  But, one day, while walking around the tiny track at the Floyd County YMCA, I just got bored and told my roommate, Cathy, that I was going to “try” running.  She said that if I could run 3 miles in 30 minutes, I could sign up for a 5K race.  I managed it (barely) and ended up signing up to run a 5K in Cherokee Park in April 2011.  I had NEVER run outside at this point.  All of my runs were done at the gym, either on the small track or on the treadmill.  So, my first outdoor race and first 5K I went in with one goal...to finish without walking.

I managed just that and I was hooked.  I ran close to a 10 minute mile...and probably died a lot on those crazy Cherokee Park hills.  But I loved it.  And from there on, I made it a point to run outside more than inside, if possible.  I became hooked on 5K races, finding one to run pretty much every weekend and even starting to place in my age group. My times were steadily improving...so a friend of mine suggested I take on a half marathon.  I knew from all the running books I had read that this would require some sort of training plan, so I found an app that guided me through basic mileage building up to a half marathon.  I ran my first half marathon, the Chicago Half Marathon, on September 11, 2011.  It took me a couple more years to decide to finally take on my first marathon.  I chose the 2013 Chicago Marathon.  I had a great day...and even snagged a Boston Qualifying time with a buffer of over 7 minutes.  

I discovered that I loved the marathon distance and started running them as often as I could in as many different places as I could.  I was a Marathon Maniac by January 2014.  But, if you know me, you all know that my Boston Marathon in 2015 didn’t go as planned.  Three days before leaving for Boston, after months of physical therapy for hip pain, I was finally diagnosed with a hip labrum tear.  My doctor said that I couldn’t make the injury worse by going to Boston...so I did.  It was the most painful, longest, hardest race I have ever run...and it took me awhile to acknowledge what a feat it was to get from that start line to the finish line on zero training.

The come back from that was long and tedious and it showed me just how important running was in my life.  A few more setbacks happened, but my comeback was one that taught me to never take any run for granted.  With the help of amazing medical professionals, some very patient physical therapists, and some great running coaches, I have had a much smoother, and less injury-prone return to running.

This year, my big race was going to be my fourth star in the Abbott World Majors – the Berlin Marathon.  As of right now, that race has been postponed/cancelled...and no information has been passed on by the race at this time about what will be offered to the runners who were registered.  With the uncertainty of this race season, I’ve been simply focusing on building my base and having fun while on the run.

That being said, I am going to be heading back to Boston in 2021 for what will hopefully be a much better experience on that course!

Favorite distance?  I adore the marathon, but after trying to run 8 marathons in one year, I've painfully learned that one or two a year is my sweet spot.  So, I've learned to also love the half-marathon, because I can race those all out or just kick back and enjoy as a fun run.  There's also such a wide variety of half marathons available, even locally, so they're a lot easier for me to do on a regular basis.

Running advice?  Listen to your body, don't punish it.  Running can be serious, but never lose the fun, free aspect of it.  If you're pushing yourself beyond your limits just because you feel that's what you have to do, maybe you should slow down just a bit and reassess your relationship with the sport.  Running should be freeing, not a prison.  You should love the run, not dread it.  

Why River City Race events?  Because there's such a wide variety of races, and since they're local to me, I get to see a bunch of my friends who are a part of the great local running community!

Anything else you'd like to share?  We are currently living in strange times, where training and racing together is not an option.  With a majority of spring races canceled and the fall ones in question...motivation may be at a bit of a low.  Not to mention, with everything being thrown at us in the media, anxiety and stress may be at an all-time high.  And a lot of us are so accustomed to running with others, that now taking on solo long runs could seem daunting. Remember to not let your running become a point of stress.  Now is not the time to hit PR times, but to pull back on intensity (and perhaps distance), and focus more on keeping the body and mind healthy (let’s face it, if we don’t need to see a doctor or go to the hospital, the better off we are regardless). Save those PRs for those future (non-virtual) races, but keep pushing yourself to be better in the sport, whatever that may look like for you at this moment.  Running isn’t cancelled...we all just have to adjust some goals for the time being.