Lynn Spittle Memorial 5K run/walk- May 12, 2012

I was just at a planning meeting for the Lynn Spittle Memorial 5K this afternoon.  It's hard to believe that it will be our third running of this very special race.  I thought I'd devote some of this space to tell you a little about Lynn Spittle and why this race is so special for so many.

I ran my first half marathon on September 13, 2009.  Looking around the crowd of runners, I didn't see anyone I knew until my eyes happened to land on Lynn.  I couldn't tell you how many times he ran this race, but I can tell you he had many successes with this race in the past as well as many other races.  He was much faster than I was and while I was only on my third year as a teacher, he was looking at retiring as an elementary teacher by the end of the school year.  We started the race together, but he was gone before I even got the chance to wish him luck.  The next time I saw him, it was Monday morning in the hallway at school.

That next Saturday, Lynn died suddenly in his sleep.  It was a shock to everyone, and I was heartbroken.  I remember looking at my wife later that morning debating on whether or not I should go for a run that day.  Eventually, I realized that Lynn would have been disappointed if I didn't run, so I compromised that I would change my route and not run past his house- I don't know why I did that.

Lynn was what many in the running community would call a "streaker"... no, he didn't run naked- though he usually ran without a shirt.  He ran every day, averaging 4-6 miles per run, for over 20 years.  No days off, no rest days, no injury days, no sick days, no too cold days, nothing would stop him from running.  He ran inside his living room if necessary, but he never missed a run.  The best part is that he kept a detailed journal of every run.

A year before before, when I started running, I started to run in the mornings before school.  Through the darkness, I would see a faint red light blinking in the distance.  As it got closer, I would realize that it was bouncing up and down.  Before long, I discovered it was actually a man running- then I realized it was Lynn- this became a regular occurrence.  Lynn and I would exchange the type of pleasantries that runners exchange when crossing paths, then when we would meet in the hallway in the school later that morning and talk about our runs.

Sometime before his death, he had copied an article for me about a guy who ran the Badwater Marathon in Death Valley, CA.  It was the first time I had ever heard about ultra-marathoners.  Later that week on a particularly wet morning run, I told him I was training for the Badwater Marathon as we passed- we both had a good laugh, which is hard to do when you're running.

A few months after his death, another colleague and close friend of Lynn's had an idea, and that birthed the first annual Lynn Spittle Memorial 5k.  It was the perfect tribute to a beloved teacher, husband, father, grandfather, friend, and avid runner.  He was committed to encouraging others to live healthy and active lives, and the only thing I wish we would have done differently would be to have done this 5k while he was still alive (the title would have been different).

So, that year, a rag-tag group of, mostly non-running, teachers, staff, and administrators in a very small school district in a very small town organized a 5k in his memory.  The route started and finished at the community pool of which Lynn was an avid supporter, and ran past his house- covering some of the ground that Lynn ran regularly.

We were hoping for 50-100 people.  We had over 200.  Not bad for a group of mostly non-runners.  Today's meeting consisted of mostly runners.  Not that the non-runners stopped helping, it's just that many of them have become runners since the first race.  Lynn would have been so thrilled to see so many of his colleagues and friends taking up his sport and trying to live healthy, active lifestyles.

Don't worry if you don't run.  This is not just a 5k run, but a run/walk.

With this race, we are remembering our friend by promoting his passion.  So, whatever ability level you are, come join us!  Saturday, May 12.

Tomorrow- I will post a couch to 5k plan that I have developed for others that has worked.  You have over 3 months to make this happen.  Details of the race are coming soon, along with a registration form.  Put it on your calendars now.   Make the commitment, accomplish your goals- you are not alone.