By: Dale Sandley
I am a runner.
I started running in 2006 when I was 50-years-old on a treadmill when my wife and I joined a fitness center. I had a physical job in an iron foundry, so I wasn’t overweight, but wanted to get in better shape. In 2010 when I was 54, a friend talked me into running a 5k with him. This race was the first time I had ever ran outside. I finished fourth in my age group. I found out that I have a strong competitive spirit! I stepped up my training. I ran nine more races that year, 2-mile and 5Ks, and placed in seven of them. Since then I have been consistently placing in races, and kept increasing the distance of races. I ran my first half in 2012, and finished in 1:38:11. I got my half marathon time down to 1:32:40 in 2013 and ran my first full marathon that year also, running it in 3:27:19, qualifying for the Boston Marathon with 12 minutes to spare. I have now run seven marathons total and have qualified for Boston in all of them.
Running the Boston Marathon is an incredible experience! I live in Wisconsin and 2015 was my first time running or visiting there. Boston really makes the athletes feel like celebrities. Wearing my Boston Marathon jacket over the course of race weekend is such an honor. To be amongst the best runners from all over the world, all wearing the same jackets around town, is the best feeling.
This past spring I had two tears in my retina, requiring laser surgery, and could not run for 70 days. That left me with only nine weeks to rebuild my base, train for my marathon, and taper. Due to the fact that I knew my lack of training would make this marathon extra challenging, I decided to try HOTSHOT. I used one before the race and one at 13 miles, and although I really had to push myself due to lack of training time, I had no cramps, and finished with another Boston Qualifier time. I will definitely be using HOTSHOT in all of my training and racing, because it has shown me that it really works!
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