Off and Running!

Pun intended.  In early November I shared with you my excitement about an up coming race that we are going to hold in 2015.

Needless to say, we are a go and have a great committee that is involved in outlining all details and promote the race and events that surround the week.  There is still a lot of work left and more of the details will follow after the first of the year.

Some of the details that are nailed down:

• It will be a 5K & 10K race
• It will be held on Friday June 26th
• It will be a Twilight Run (race will start for both at 8:00pm)
• Time keeper established (more on this after the 1st of the year)
• Finish Line at Art Wright Stadium

There are still things I am excited to talk about...but just not there yet:

• 5K Course Map
• 10K Course Map
• Race Logo & Shirts
• I'm heading up the Volunteers...can't wait to start bragging about this even more
• Countless other items!

I will have links and hopefully more photos within the next couple of weeks.  Until then we have a direction, but are still finding our way.  Not much different than these guys:

But we are so close.  I also plan on putting together a training guide.  I won't be able to physically run in this one, but I sure as heck can get ready for it!

Keep working hard and stay strong.

Coach Bill

2014 Running Season Recap

Done with 2014.  I set some pretty lofty goals for myself, at least that is how it felt at the time, and nearly obtained all of them.  Blast that sub 20 min 5K!  Next year I tell you!

I wrapped up my season on Thanksgiving morning, a very cold Thanksgiving morning I might add. It was a modest and hilly 4 mile run in downtown Akron Ohio.  There was only minimal training or preparation for this race after the Hot Chocolate Run, but I felt ready.  My goal was around 7:00 per mile.  I am shooting for that mark for next year when I run my 2 or 3 half's for 2015.  Wanted to know how I would feel after 4 miles at that pace.  Well, I didn't get there but I did break the 29 minute mark for the 4 miles (28:48 - 7:12 pace).  I was amazed by some of the times considering the conditions being so cold, snowy and slippery (saw one guy go down and he didn't get back up). There are a lot of good runners out there.  I want to be one when I grow up.

But it was a lot of fun and while running on Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday) you have time to reflect on what you are thankful for.  I am truly bless with my health, my family, my friends and countless other blessings the Lord has provided.  I thank him daily.

Final Totals:

3 5K Races:  Best time:  21:29.1 (included one trail run) PR
1 15K Race: Time: 1:09:13 PR
2 Half Marathons: Best Time: 1:38:32 PR
1 4 Miler - mentioned above

I couldn't be happier with these times and the effort put into preparing.  Again, I know I am not alone when I'm training or racing.  Thank you to my wife that put up with all the time training and for the support and mostly for joining me in a couple of these.  This is the 1st year we've done this and I'm looking forward to years to come.  Thank you to my running group from church for helping me through personal objectives and goals.  They meant a lot to me and I think the 1st year was a success. Thanks to God for giving me the courage to do this and to put these people in my life.  His shove has shown me I'm capable of so much more.

Over the next several weeks and months I will be posting about the Wadsworth Matchstick 5K/10K that will be held in June 2015.  This is a totally new adventure but God has open doors and hearts in making this happen.  For all that I'm grateful for that has happened over these last 12 months, I am that much more excited to see what he has in store for the next 12 months.

Keep working hard, because as my daughter tells me, "The harder you work, the better you get."

God bless,

Coach Bill

Are you ready?!

Its here!

AND HERE!!

OH BOY!  I cannot wait!  Who is with me on this one?

Maybe it will just be you and the other person in the mirror.  Push play.  Push hard.  You'll notice the difference!

You can do it and I'll help you get there!

Coach Bill

How are you going to tackle 2015?

I've got some great suggestions!

This holiday season, give yourself the gift of fitness or send your friends and family something they'll love all year long—the leaner, healthier body they'll get from these great Beachbody^® values!

You can get up to 85% off on serveral Beachbody Programs! 

Holiday Specials 


Take advantage of the Piyo discounted Challenge Pack and the PiYo Kickstart challenge pack.  They only last until the end of November.  

Don't forget...

I really do love this!

Keep working hard & Happy Thanksgiving!  4 Miler in the morning, who's with me?!

Coach Bill

Getting better!

It was dark, snowy and cold.  But it was the most fun I've had this year in a run.  My wife and I did the Hot Chocolate Run in Columbus again this year, and we had a blast!  Again, we did this last year and I was under the weather and Ryann was running her first 5K.  Are results weren't much to shake a stick at back then.  Amazing the difference a year makes.

We took the kids again and stayed with our friends in Columbus for the evening.

The kids had a blast eating chocolate candy, chocolate marshmallows, tootsie rolls, chips and jumping in the bounce house (they were fine...trust me).  Not sure why I can't get the "HEY!  Look at dad real quick before somebody walks in front!"  After 4 tries this is the best that I could do.

This year, like the Akron Marathon, we were blessed to have a lot of our friends from church come down and meet us there.  It just makes the entire experience more enjoyable when you add that friendly competition to the event.  But also to cheer on everybody that is running too.

Long story short, we did pretty well this year with our times.  No extravagant goals, other than to beat last year for both Ryann and I.

Ryann - 5K:  31:25
Me - 15K: 1:09:13 (7:26/mile pace)

This is my fastest pace for races over a 5K distance.  I was pretty happy, but I was hurting.  The weather has been harsh and training became a challenge.  Still recovering from this one.

*NOT tights...Compression pants

Only one more race left for the 2014 season.  A 4 mile run in Akron Thanksgiving morning, then start training for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Marathon!  Should be a lot of fun and again, it will be with a great group from our church too.  I'm blessed to be married to such a wonderful and supportive woman and friends who are wonderful followers of Christ.  

*I had to flip my hat inside out so I could be found in the crowd.  

Can't wait until next year.  Ryann hinted that she might try the 15K next year!  I'm holding her to it.  She has come such a long way and I'm so proud of her.

New goals for 2015 to come.  First goal...3 Half Marathons in 2015...1 Full?  Well, that's TBD.

Keep working hard and God Bless.

Coach Bill

I can't wait any longer

I have been reluctant to talk about this because I didn't know if things would actually fall into place. I have had 'grandiose' ideas in the past that either I didn't follow through on or things just kind of fell through the cracks.

"WELL...what is it?!" (that's my little girl)

Not this time.  Back in April I started a running club in our church.  We'd meet up at local towpath or trail and run together while training for a race, or getting in our weekly miles.  Needless to say one of my friends from the church and I kept talking about putting a race together for our church within the community.

Lets KICK this thing off! (that's my boy)

I'm excited to say, it is happening!  June 13th, 2015 we are going to be having a race in Wadsworth Ohio!  We've got the support of the community, the church and local officials are all on board.  I truly believe that God has his finger prints all over this.  We have been talking about this and praying about this for some time.

We have been waiting for this confirmation and this moment now for several weeks and since Ohio is pretty flat and there aren't many mountains, shucks, this is all I have to shout from!   It is impossible for me not to be excited right now.  I will continue to post updates and include more information.  God is moving in our community and I can't wait to see what is next!

Please continue to pray for us and wish us luck!

Coach Bill

Now is the time

Its been just over a year since I've been a BeachBody Coach.  I've loved every aspect of it and love telling about my transformation, but I mostly like hearing about others.  I have shared my story, Rachel & Steve shared their story and my friend Sharon...she shared a pretty awesome story too.

All these people have continued their success and have decided that they are not going back any time soon.  I'm going to do something I typically don't do very often and that's brag for a few.  

My first objective when I started BeachBody was to lost weight.  I wasn't happy with the way I felt. I knew I was able to do more.  My wife and I first started with INSANITY and that is when my appreciation toward these work out videos started.  It was a 60 day program that I did twice.  My problem was I had poor eating habits, that didn't change much.  Sound familiar?  I brushed it off thought nothing of it.  Once I got more involved with the program and navigated the website I started reading and hearing more about this "Shakeology" product.  Each video had its own little commercial.  Me...fast forward.  I'm not interested.

A year had gone by since doing INSANITY, training for my first Half Marathon and not losing more weight.  I didn't know it at the time but I came across an old friend who has been a BeachBody coach for a couple of years and a personal trainer, one Dan Bahry.  Found his blog and we reconnected after several years.  Talking to him, sharing our stories of where we've been and where we've come from was inspirational.  Next thing I know, I'm all in.  Step one, what's the Shakeology all about?  Dan let me try some.

I don't do commercials, but one thing is certain, after doing Shakeology for a full year for breakfast I am now a HUGE fan!  Those final pounds I wanted to shed, gone.  The vitamins I was missing, I'm now I'm getting every day.  That energy let down in the middle of the day, also gone.  The Semi-annual allergy attacks in the Spring and Fall, long gone!  I am sold!

Next step, continue the programs.  Since my accident in May of 2013 I've had to be very cautious about the impact.  I continued to run, I cut down on the distance and time as I am still trying to get back to normal.  As the weather got worse, I didn't want to go out and risk adding to my injury.  Enter INSANITY: THE ASYLUM!  30 Days, athletic training and second most intense work out I've ever done.  Then out came T25.  My love affair with my trainer, Shaun T, continued.  25 minutes per day, 10 weeks, modifier, did I mention 25 minutes?  This carried me through the winter months into spring.  I continued with the Shakeology program and I felt like I didn't miss a beat all winter long.

I wouldn't be talking about these if I didn't trust that they work and if I hadn't tried them myself.

God has truly blessed me by surrounding me with so many great people that keep me motivated like my wife, Dan and my friends.  The tools to accomplish my goals and yours are there too.  I know. I've done it...I've seen it...I'm not done either.  

I encourage you to check out my coaching site.  If you want to even just give Shakeology a trial run, there is a trial pack with no commitment.  All these programs are there.  All these motivators are there too.    

We all have something in common.  We all clicked on this website for the first time.  Those of us that stuck around have not only changed our lives, but the lives of others that we love and love us.  Make that next commitment to yourself, be an example, and know you're not doing this alone.  I have a 15K I'm training for in November and a 4 miler on Thanksgiving morning.  After that...THIS!

Who's with me?!  I'm doing it.  Come on...DIG DEEP!  Lets go!

Coach Bill