In 2013, Eric was bored of running by himself when he came across Fleet Feet’s community “Dusk Runs.” A few miles and a couple of glasses of kool aid later, he had been convinced to train with the group. As his runs got longer on “Cold Feet” Sundays, he started to believe that he could complete a half marathon with the support and guidance of his new found training group. It was that winter, at the age of 53, that Eric became a distance runner.
Fast forward 11 years, Eric, once the newbie, is now a vital part of the Fleet Feet coaching team. Not only does he coach both our Distance and Trail programs, but he keeps up his cross training with our FFXT and Triathlon groups.
“What I like the most about training with Fleet Feet is the camaraderie of the group. There’s nothing better than watching the athletes you’ve trained reach their goals, and being a part of their learning and improvement.”
Eric has run too many races to list, including the great accomplishment of qualifying and running the Boston Marathon. He enjoys passing on the valuable training he learned from Fleet Feet to others.
“The most important thing I learned from my own coaches is to not underestimate the power of REST. If you trust in your training and not go out there and overdo it all the time, you can hit your goals.”
To say that running is a part of Eric’s life would be a huge understatement. It is in his nature to help people, both professionally and personally. After a chance trip to the Elks Lodge after a Fleet Feet Wednesday workout, Eric became a member and found a new passion, race organizer.
In 2018, Eric and his running buddies hosted the first ever Running with the Elks, with all proceeds going to the Syracuse Honor Flight. Their mission: “To honor America’s veterans by transporting them to Washington, DC to visit the national memorials dedicated to their service and sacrifice.” Now in its 5th year, the Elks Run has raised $26,000 for Honor Flight, helping dozens of veterans make their pilgrimage.
“I got to go on the last mission as an assistant bus captain. We were surrounded by the veterans and memorials and saw many happy faces. They reflect with each other, and become friends with people they don’t even know. We’ve seen veterans that normally don’t want to talk about their experience in war go home and share their stories with their families.”
Please join Fleet Feet and Coach Eric in his efforts to support veterans and the Honor Flight mission on September 20th. Running with the Elks is not like any other race. Instead of an early weekend morning, it’s a Friday evening followed by an epic after party. Come run 3.1 fast and flat miles, then celebrate with food, refreshments, raffle baskets and live music. We hope to see you there!
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