I love running. Ever since my first three miles in (of all
places) Piedmont Park in Atlanta, Georgia it’s been my passion. I ran my 130,000th lifetime mile with
my good friend Al Barker last Groundhog’s Day.
I ran my 200th marathon last December in Honolulu (it was
also a wedding anniversary trip—our 35th, by the way—for my wife
Cindy and I). I ran my 50th
ultra two years ago at Comrades, way the hell over in South Africa. Next month I’ll run my 35th
consecutive Peachtree Road Race. So yes,
you could say I have a passion for running.
I enjoy directing races as well. In the 1990’s I helped establish the Run for
Alex 5K in Peachtree City, Georgia (now called the Huddleston Hustle). In 2002 I directed the inaugural Peachtree
City 50K, now an annual event on the second Sunday in November. A 25K option was added in 2007. The first Darkside 8-Hour Run was held in
2003, also now an annual event. I direct
the Darkside Running Club’s Free Marathon Series (New Year’s Day, Memorial Day
and Labor Day) as well as an occasional bonus marathon on Thanksgiving Day and/or
Christmas (yes, Christmas). This year
was the first Running Dead Ultra run through the beautiful country roads of
Senoia, Georgia…where many of the scenes in the television series The Walking Dead are filmed (downtown
Senoia is ‘Woodbury’ on the show!). If
you’re a fan of the show you would recognize many of the sights along the
course.
I’ve been actively involved in numerous
running clubs through the years. I joined the Atlanta Track Club shortly
after I moved to Atlanta in 1979, and ran for the Men’s Competitive Team
between 1994 and 2003 when I still had a hint of speed. I’m a current member of GUTS (although I’m
not the most formidable trail runner in the world), the Gulf Winds Track Club,
the United States Running Streak Association, the 100 Marathon Club and the 50
States Marathon Club.
I,
along with Al Barker and four other running pals formed the Darkside Running Club in December of
2001. The club offers a unique lifetime
(mine, because when I’m gone that’s
all she wrote) membership with some really nice benefits, such as a quarterly
club newsletter (one of the best in the country; quite possibly the best), an annual sponsored race that
essentially ‘refunds’ your lifetime dues; a Darkside patch; a host of
club-sponsored races (some free, some not but still very affordable); and a
connection to an amazing network of runners from all over the world who
collectively know and/or have personally experienced virtually everything in
the world of running. Our membership
includes fast runners, slow runners, ultra runners, race directors, running
club Presidents, running magazine editors, world-famous runners (join us to
find out who!), race volunteers, writers and running organization officials. All of the money generated from club dues and
club races with entry fees are turned right back over to the club members, via
the annual sponsored race, the free marathons and various giveaways throughout
the year. I doubt you’ll find another
club like it (but feel free to try). Please
check out our club website at www.darksiderunningclub.com.
I
also like to write. I’ve contributed
articles through the years to numerous running magazines (Running South, the Running Journal, Running Times, Ultrarunning)
and have written a monthly article for The
Georgia Runner (my column is called Running
through My Mind) for the last five years.
I also have written and/or compiled over 3,500 pages of the Darkside
Running Club newsletter, absolutely
true…Tales from the Darkside over the past 11+ years.
But what I enjoy writing most of all are
books. I’ve self-published five
books since 2007 and had the good fortune of a major sports publisher, Meyer
and Meyer (who also publishes Jeff Galloway’s books) purchase the rights to my
third book, A Few Degrees from Hell,
a compilation of stories from the 2003 Badwater Ultramarathon, arguably the
hottest of all the 135-mile runs through Death Valley in the dead of
summer. I wanted to start this blog to
promote my books because each one of them was written with one primary
objective in mind: To provide a glimpse into the mind, body and soul of a
runner. That, in turn will serve to
inspire and motivate others to run; to inspire and motivate current runners to strive
for more; and to promote a lifestyle that includes running. I also enjoy promoting runners whom inspire
and motivate me. Last but not least, it is my way of sharing
the passion I have for the greatest sport on the planet.
Great start Scott....Blogging is an excellent way to connect to other like minded people....well, running with like minded people is better than blogging, but we can't run 24/7! Or could we?
ReplyDeleteKeep writing...I will keep reading.
sarah
So. Ahem. You seem to have forgotten something. The blog says you run and write. Since you run every day, aren't you going to write every day?
ReplyDeleteAmy Yanni
Scott - I love it and I'm glad you have started a blog. I'm adding you to my favorites of other runner's and walker's blogs that I follow. I'm glad you are still out there running, writing and now blogging. I'll be here reading and following your adventures. Mellody Hughes
ReplyDelete