Truckin' Runners Run Past the 800 Member Mark

Truckin' Runners was started in 2010. I don't think that we recorded the date. My editor at the time (Misty Bell Matthews) actually did the work and made Carolyn Magner Mason and I the administrators. Jon Narron became an administrator about 2 years ago. That date was not recorded either. “Runners' World” magazine had done an article about me in the December 2009 issue. The group was our attempt to continue that momentum.

In the beginning, I posted something everyday, so that the group did not go dormant. Our goal was to encourage drivers and others in the industry to exercise. Obesity is a huge problem in the trucking industry. Heart disease had claimed the lives of my father and one of my brothers. It has since claimed the life of my other brother, and thousands of truckers. Type 2 diabetes has the potential of becoming an epidemic among drivers. Exercise can be a wonder drug.

Our philosophy is that all exercise is good. The group is made up primarily of walkers and runners. We encourage and promote other face book groups including Trucker Trails and Ride and Roll Cycling on the Road. It is my belief these groups are symbiotic in nature. The group has remained positive. We celebrate the finish of an ultra marathon, running a BQ (Boston Qualifying) marathon with the same enthusiasm as a walker breaking the 20 minute mile barrier for the first time in decades. We encourage members to post both their achievements and their struggles.

Athletes thrive on consistency. Truckers struggle with scheduling. We realize that it is challenging for professional drivers to maintain a consistent exercise routine. Yet dozens of us have finished marathons. While we understand that maintaining a consistent exercise routine is not easy for trucker, we don't accept it. We fight it. WE KNOW THAT IT ISN'T EASY. WE KNOW THAT IT IS WORTH IT. We motivate each other.

Some things just happened. I never considered the logistical help that we provide each other. Someone can post that they will be spending the night near Des Moines. They will ask if there is a safe place to run. Invariably someone will know a place. More and more often someone will actually be there and they can run together. It is like we all have 800 virtual training partners. Occasionally we get a real one.

This fall we will “host” our 3^rd Annual Virtual 5k to benefit St. Christopher's Fund. It is time to start training. We hope that you will join us as a member, or the 5k, or both. The reason for our existence is to help each other. The St. Christopher's Fund exemplifies that.