David Freeze

By David Freeze

The Last Annual Heart of the South (HOTS) is a 340-mile unsupported journey run in which participants had 10 days to finish. Participants parked cars at the finish and were transported to the start that began early on the morning of June 18.

The course started in West Memphis, Arkansas, crossed the Mississippi river traveling through downtown Memphis to Lee Highway (U.S. 64), east across rural Tennessee, through Selmer, to Corinth, Mississippi, into Alabama along the Natchez Trace (a 37-mile desert with no services) into Florence, Alabama, then onto Huntsville, Alabama, and finally finishing at Castle Rock, Georgia, atop the Sand Mountain. Participants had to travel a minimum of 34 miles a day with Elvis in his blue-suede shoes chasing them, eliminating those who didn’t make the daily minimum distance.

Chris Blumenthal, a longtime Food Lion fresh demand manager, said, “I entered the race because I wanted to challenge myself amid the mystic of a multi-day journey run, beyond anything I had ever done. I trained for almost 10 months while figuring out gear and preparing for the endurance challenge. Ultraraces in 2020 included 50Ks, a 12-hour run, 40-milers, and the YETI 50-mile challenge. COVID-19 canceled my April and May events. I created my own training with one day trekking from Salisbury to High Point (40 miles) and another 50 miler around Rowan County.”

Participants checked in twice daily as race officials monitored progress and followed social distancing and mask requirements. Some stores along the way closed early causing limited food availability. Dropouts were transported back to the start in the meat wagon.

Blumenthal, 52, said, “We were responsible for everything. Eating, resting, finding water or any other need. This race strips you down to your lowest primal instincts. I found myself either emotionally devastated or laughing hysterically at nonsense. For 10 days, my goal was survival and making it another day. Nothing else mattered more. Battling torrential downpours, mountains, traffic and heat were part of the roller coaster highs and lows.”

The best part of the race was developing relationships with fellow combatants. Blumenthal stayed with a group of six veterans making 50 miles on the first day. Days 2 and 3 brought less when his ankle doubled in size and battled thoughts about dropping out several times. He had to stay ahead of Elvis to avoid being pulled from the course.

Things improved when Blumenthal met another rookie, Tiffany Kravec, an Army captain from Ft. Wayne, Indiana, with vast ultra-running experience. She helped address Blumenthal’s ankle pain and became his battle buddy for the next 250 miles.

Long segments with little or no services, fully booked motels and plenty of rain hampered progress. The duo travelled 56 miles to find a fully booked motel and continued another 20 miles to reach the next one.

The lowest point emotionally came on day 5, with an episode of gout in a toe. Blumenthal said, “After hobbling six miles, my spirits lifted as I came to a doctor’s office. They gave me two shots, told me to stay hydrated and sent me on my way. Leaving that doctor’s office, I knew that no matter what, I was finishing the race.”

Participant Kim McCoy was hit by a car and eventually had her leg amputated. Blumenthal added, “Kim is a tremendously positive person and is rehabbing in NYC. She has a Gofundme page. She’ll have a long recovery but plans on coming back to finish the course, I am sure with plenty of support.”

Small things were celebrated such as leaving busy highways, crossing state lines, finding open convenience stores, and being able to shower, sleep and wash clothes in a hotel. Blumenthal said, “We rested in post office buildings for the A/C and power, filled water from church spigots, saw baby skunks, a bald eagle and more armadillo road kill than we could count. We endured highways with little to no shoulder and drivers that refused to move over. Road angels provided us with ice cold towels, water and food when needed most.”

As the duo started the final 50-mile push up Sand Mountain to the Rock, the motto became “Don’t stop…Won’t Stop.” Blumenthal remembered, “Tired and half-asleep, we made it to the Rock at 1 a.m. on June 28, finishing in a time of 9 days 18 hours. Thoroughly exhausted, I kissed the Rock, sat on the finishers throne next to the campfire and told stories of our adventure.”

Of the 65 people that started, 48 finished. The winner, Bev Abbs, finished in 4 days, 23 hours. Thirty-three people finished in the last two days, and 18 finished on the last day, demonstrating just how hard this course was.

Blumenthal concluded, “Looking back on the race, I had three goals: to finish, smile and have fun. I accomplished all three.”

After resting his ankle for a couple more weeks, Blumenthal hopes to begin running again and wants to race again in September. Unfortunately, COVID-19 may affect fall races with postponement or cancellation. Just like racers everywhere, I will just wait and see what’s next.”

Look for the latest on upcoming events at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org

By David Freeze

Noah Julian is the reigning Rowan Country high school runner of the year. This fall, as a senior, he welcomes his brother, freshman Eli, to the South Rowan team. Noah knows that Eli can really run and is catching up in stature.

Noah, 6 feet and 140 pounds, said, “Eli and I are usually very competitive in pretty much everything, including backyard basketball, video games or just being right when asked a question. I have started to pull away in races more than when we were younger so I am not worried about him as much. It’s exciting to be on the same team this year with high expectations throughout. My motivation comes from beating a county rival or conference competitor/teams and just getting my times lower to get a college scholarship.”

Younger brother Eli, at 5 ft. 4 inches and 100 pounds, said, “I am a very competitive runner, and excited to be able to run with Noah this year. But most of my motivation will come from the competition on the other teams. Noah’s times will be lower than mine this year so I will just be trying keep him in my sights.”

Both boys’ training currently consists of building distance miles and strength exercises. They will start more speed training as the fall season gets closer. Other interests include swimming, video games, watching TV and staying on top of current events.

Individual and team goals are on their minds. Noah wants a similar year as 2019 when he won the county and conference and placed high in regional and state competition. Noah wants to beat 16 minutes and Eli wants to beat 17 on a 5K course. Eli wants to chase Noah into the conference, regional and state meets.

Noah said, “I’m very excited about our team now, with three seniors, two sophomores and four freshmen, one being Eli. We just need everybody to stay healthy.”

South’s boys are coached by Scott Julian, Noah and Eli’s dad. Their mom, Rebekah, heads the girls’ team. Both parents know their stuff. Noah said, “Being coached by my parents has its pros and cons. The pros are that I am very close to the coaches and they sometimes will ask my opinion on workouts. They also stay after me about working hard and not slacking off when it comes to my strength work. The main con is they push me more if I have a bad workout or race when we get home away from the team. They expect a lot from me as a team leader and their oldest son who they want to see succeed. I love them both a lot though, aware they know what is best for me and they have made me the runner I am today.”

Eli added, “Being coached by my parents is pretty much normal for me. They coached me through middle school cross country because China Grove does not have a cross country team. They would give me the workouts, and then I would go do them on my own. It isn’t much different now because they still expect just as much out of me as they did before.”

Both boys have big running goals, with Noah more specific since he’s about to embark on choosing colleges. He said, “My goal after high school is to get a 4-year degree at a college where I can get a scholarship for running and a degree in aeronautical engineering or cyber security. I have looked into colleges like the Naval Academy, Clemson, USF, Lehigh, Virginia Tech, N.C. State and UNCC. I want to see how my cross country season plays out and then analyze my college pathway options closer, especially after losing my junior track season to the virus.”

Eli said, “I definitely hope to get a running scholarship to a school that interests me in some way. I don’t yet know what field I want, but I’ll know by my senior year.”

While those decisions are in the future, one thing that they do daily is run and run well. Both are great kids and part of Rowan’s premier running family. I suspect that they will end up pushing each other hard to even better results. It will be fun, just as high school cross country always is.

Currently, Salisbury’s Greenway 5K has rescheduled for Aug. 15. Check www.salisburyrowanrunners.org for the most current calendar and information.YOU MIGHT LIKE

By David Freeze

Finding a “wow” moment is pretty simple, self-explanatory and always memorable.

Somehow during my life, I have become addicted to those events and more appreciative of them.  Often, they are very small things, yet sometimes huge and involved. But I count each “wow” moment as a huge blessing.

As a long time athlete, I am very tired of virtual anything but especially running events. One of my clients told me the other day that she had just received notice that the October Marine Corps Marathon in Washington had gone virtual, meaning that no actual race would be run. The participants who had already paid a huge fee for entry were told to run the distance anywhere and anytime and they would get a medal and shirt. About the same time, the New York City Marathon was canceled, not made virtual but done for the year. The Boston Marathon had already gone virtual after a postponement from the original starting date in April. Only New York gave the option to transfer entry into any of the next three year’s events coming up. Maybe then, something memorable will happen.

Having been around this running game and life in general for a long time, I am tired of another word: “experts.” During the virus, there have been so many experts with wild claims all across the board, leaving me unsure of what to believe and just what it takes to be considered “expert.” I’ve not seen a one who even suggests that those most susceptible to the virus should think about getting in better physical shape. Doing so starts with just the first day of exercise and a better diet, boosting more enjoyable times for the remaining days we have on earth.

While this boost could take various forms, why not work to increase cardiovascular health, claimed by most “experts” as the best weapon besides youth for quickly surviving the virus.

I often laugh with other older runners, the grizzled veterans, about what we’ve learned along the way in our life’s journey, the only one we’ll get. I’m writing this on Friday morning for Sunday’s Post and several events prompted my subject matter. Sunrises and sunsets are often “wow” moments and from one beautiful spot on my farm, there have been some spectacular ones this last week.

One runner that I often see before the sunrise said today, “At least we’ve had plenty of beautiful sunrises lately!” To which I replied, “And sunsets too!”

Sunsets really mean that another day of our lives is about to end, and I always question whether I made it a good one, a day that counted for something.

Another runner expressed some indecision about whether to run the Shiloh Mission 5K that was held Saturday or to work. Having had more than my share of “wow” moments, I explained what I meant by the term. Sometimes just getting the opportunity takes effort, such as Salisbury policeman Isaac Miller who ran his first 5K after losing nearly 50 pounds following a heart attack.

He’ll never forget that day and his own “wow” moment.

Lasting “wow” moments have included spectacular fireworks seen from a boat at Disney World, a thrilling nighttime meteor show seen from the backyard of a friend, and a few of the races I’ve won or even participated in, yet there’s been nothing better than the birth of my first granddaughter.

Make things happen or be there when they do! Just go out and actively participate instead of waiting on the next round of gloom and doom from the news.

I’ve found myself cynical about the virus. I can only encourage an effort at better health. And a request to seek your own “wow” moments. With so many events and normal practices on hold or not happening at all, I’m searching for more of them myself.

That bike ride in Hawaii and the completion of my 50th state seems so long ago, having just ended in March.

I’m going somewhere again soon if for no other reason to meet good, down to earth Americans and therefore complete more “wow” moments.

I’m ready!

Look for upcoming events at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org .     

By David Freeze

Usually spring and early summer in Rowan County are filled with weekend running events. Faith is always busy during the week leading to the Fourth of July with the town’s long running festival.

While most of the festival was cancelled, the Shiloh Missions 5K broke a four-month dry period for local road racing on Saturday with pleasantly cool conditions and the always challenging but rewarding course. 

Craige Farmer, 53, of Salisbury, ran his fastest 5K yet as the overall winner at 18 minutes and 19 seconds. Meredith Bonner, 16, of Rockwell, ran a sizzling time of 21 minutes and seven seconds to pace the women. Bonner has taken three minutes off her time from last year’s Rowan County High School Cross Country Meet. 

Race director Luann Fesperman was ecstatic with the support from the town of Faith as 64 runners crossed the finish line of the two loop course.

“I was happy to have so many from the running community come out and support our Mission 5K with all proceeds going to our mission teams at Shiloh Reformed Church of Faith,” Fesperman said. “I had many of the runners say that they were so glad just to have a race to attend. We couldn’t do this without the town of Faith and the police department.”

Fesperman heads up the church’s high school and adult mission teams.

Dual race starts, one for men and another for women, were used to separate the crowd, and plenty of room was available for social distancing. Though runners said they simply enjoyed being back in their environment.

Steve Staley, of Charlotte, said after over 1,400 races total, Saturday’s was one of his top five.

“What a fun morning I had in the small town of Faith, N.C. Make no mistake about it, my address may be in Charlotte, but my heart and soul were in Faith this morning,” Staley said. “These hard-working, true Americans shined a light on me today. I was amazed at the number of American flags I saw while leaving your great town.  Lots to be proud of there.”

Top sponsors included Salcoa Contracting, Inc., Teresa Courtney, F&M Bank and McCombs and Company. The Salisbury Rowan Runners timed the event. Complete results can be found at salisburyrowanrunners.org.

By David Freeze

Last week’s column about my struggle with dehydration during heat and humidity generated considerable response. This issue can derail nearly everything we do including overall health. The very worst dehydration issues for regular exercisers are increased by heat and humidity. So, what can we do to keep exercise going from May through early September? 

With summer in full effect, I have noticed my runs have begun to feel different. What should be an easy pace now sometimes feels like running in mud and working harder to get nowhere fast. The warmer the weather, the harder your body has to work to keep cool. Your heart rate will be higher and breathing more difficult. The reason why is your body is directing blood to the skin to cool you off through sweating. That means there’s less blood available to transport oxygen to your muscles. What would usually be an easy-paced run often feels more like a max all-out effort.

Just this last week had two extremes for summer running. We had more of the previous week’s heat and humidity, and we have a couple of strangely cool days with rain. My own running results followed the temperature, but with higher temps the humidity becomes the culprit too. 

Here are a few things we can do, garnered from 40 years of experience, to make outside exercise a little bit more comfortable during the next few months. Most of us have had enough of being inside already. 

Morning temperatures are usually the coolest during the summer. It also will give you a break from the strongest hours of sunlight. The humidity can sometimes be high in the morning, but at least you won’t see the blazing sun. And you may even get the treat of a gorgeous sunrise. You want to be sure to avoid the middle part of the day, which will be the hottest. Some science supports that strong sunshine cuts time to exhaustion by half. 

Wear as little clothing as legally possible. If you are the sports bra only or shirtless kind of person, do that. Stick to light-colored, loose, wicking materials. Now is not the time for wearing all black or cotton. No matter what fabric you are wearing, Body Glide works for preventing chafing.

 Some runners use sunscreen even for early runs or late runs since the summer days are brighter early. Just be sure it’s sweat proof, avoiding the pain of sunscreen and sweat in their eyes. A hat or visor will not only protect your skin from the sun, but it will also help to keep your face shaded while making a rainy run more fun. Soaking the hat or visor in cold water before heading out the door can help to lower body temps to feel cooler.

We should start off slower than during the cool days. You’ll want to gradually increase your heart rate rather than starting out too fast. Same thing for the end of the run. Consider a gradual slow-down that includes some time for a moderate walk. It will help regulate your heart rate and cool your body a bit. With most of my individual running clients, we include a relaxing and contemplative walk at the end of the workout. 

A short revisit to hydration includes a couple things I should have added last week. Hydration is one of my favorite subjects with lots of theories on how much water we need. My all-time favorite is a simple one; half the body weight daily in ounces. For a person who weighs 150 pounds, they need a minimum of 75 ounces of water daily, not counting how much you add for exercise. Drink up until thirst disappears afterward. Start your exercise hydrated, because another rule of thumb says you will never catch up while working out. 

The American College of Sports Medicine says any high intensity sporting event with a temperature above 82 degrees should be canceled so it’s OK to back off a little. 

Your outside exercise results will change as a function of how hot and humid it is, your degree of effort, and how you’re dressed. But highest among all of these remains hydration. Get it right and summer exercise can be done!

Get updated information on upcoming events including Saturday’s Shiloh Missions 5K in Faith at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org.

By David Freeze

A real-life hydration issue explained

  There is always something good about living in an area where we can experience all four seasons. I used to joke that each month was my favorite month and that’s not far from the truth. One thing that I remember from past summer months is the morning run that ends with sloshy shoes, a coupling of warmer than average overnight temperatures and high humidity. There is sweating throughout and plenty of it, resulting in wet socks and shoes.

   Just this past Friday, I had the occasion to participate in the Red Hot Mamas’ relay fundraiser in Salisbury. A 7pm run over 6.14 miles just after a rain shower matched high humidity and 84 degree temperature. While the pace wasn’t particularly stressful, the conditions made for heavy and lingering sweating post-run. Sweating occurs to help cool the body’s engine and proper hydration starts the process.

   Back at home, I didn’t think much about hydration and didn’t especially prepare for an early morning run near home on Saturday morning. I did drink water but in retrospect, not nearly enough. What followed was the scariest moment I have had recently on a run.

    Most runners and walkers know their body weight and check it daily. What most don’t do is monitor how hydration affects that weight. On just a few occasions over almost 90,000 running miles have I experienced any real concern about my own health. Saturday morning was one of those, mirroring a similar day about 20 years ago.

    Always a fan of running very early, I pushed out the door about 5:20am still way ahead of sunrise. Speaking of pushing, I do that nearly every day, wanting my body to run as fast as possible usually. I celebrate seconds per mile saved and get excited for an average pace or mile ran faster than usual.

    I started out at a fast clip for a grizzled veteran body, a term that signifies getting older. At a mile, I was OK but at mile 2, I was getting into trouble. No longer could I run quickly, and my form and breathing were both off. With no bounce in my step, I began to slow more and realized that I was dizzy, alarmingly so. I stopped in the road just past mile 3, so addled that I thought I was going to pass out right there. With great effort, I hobbled/walked on to mile 4 and decided to walk home from there. Still dizzy, I couldn’t even walk fast but did make it home successfully. Almost immediately, I weighed and found myself down more than seven pounds.

     I felt bad just generally all over and realized quickly that the culprits were hydration and my own lack of recognition. With a couple of events later that morning, I struggled to get myself together. I started drinking water on the way to a good breakfast with my daughter at Hendrick’s in Salisbury. I still felt sluggish and kept drinking and eating throughout the afternoon.

     It was around noon when I finally had the need to pee, but the color was brown, a huge red flag. Novant registered dietician Michelle Henrickson always tells my beginning runners classes to keep that pee clear for proper hydration, particularly before/after any workout. Figure that the minimum amount to drink daily is half your body weight in ounces. In other words, a 150 pound person needs to drink a minimum of 75 ounces and about 25-30 more for each hour of exercise.

    By Sunday morning, I regained my proper weight. Just ahead of another warm and humid run. I weighed just before and immediately after, dropping 3 new pounds. The process started again.

     Realizing how quickly poor hydration affects the human body is an important, and in this case, a dramatic lesson. The average adult body is at least 55% water. In my case, on Saturday morning, I lost about 6% of my body weight, all in precious water and was in trouble briefly.

      Bottom line, know how improper hydration affects the body. Some that stand out are the shrinking of the brain causing reduced function, poor blood flow, less energy and general overall listlessness. Nothing’s better than water but some other fluids are good too. Keep the color of your urine clear or light yellow, and you’ll be OK. I will too!

     Proper hydration is a factor for those who don’t exercise too. How often have you heard of a person needing the hospital after severe dehydration? Too many times, we are prone to forget this one simple thing that makes life better. Keep that water bottle or glass busy! You will be better for it.  

By David Freeze

Two of my best female running friends in Salisbury have decided to try something with new with their long-distance relay group, The Red Hot Mamas. I have known Meredith Abramson and Delaine Fowler for many years and found them both to be simply amazing in so many ways. Both are excellent runners and triathletes and have put their exceptional organizational skills to work on a big project.

Abramson put together an all-women’s team of 12 to first compete in the 210-mile Blue Ridge Relay in 2010. She said, “Over the last decade, we have grown from a group of 12 Salisbury and Rowan County runners to dozens of runners that now can be found along the I-85 corridor from Charlotte to Burlington and then on up to New York, Bloomington, Indiana and Cleveland, Ohio. When our group ran the virtual COVID-19 Miler as our first true fundraising event, we had 49 runners join in and wound up raising nearly $1,000 as a team beyond our race registrations.”

Fowler joined the group a few years after its inception. She added, “The COVID-19 miler raised money for personal protective equipment in the Charlotte area. This excitement and engagement got our minds going as to what we might be able to do locally to help people in need. We long for that feeling of connection in these disconnected times.”

The group, now even including a few men who are not red hot, decided to try a fundraiser here at home for Rowan Helping Ministries. Abramson said, “It may seem silly, but we share the same initials (RHM), so it seemed serendipitous. There are so many great organizations in town, and we know there are and will be many more people needing RHM to serve their needs as we slowly crawl out of the pandemic. Every little bit helps, and we hope all the money we can raise is a true representation of the Red Hot Mama way, ‘Being good, seeing good, and doing good in our community and beyond’.”

The Red Hot Mamas designed this relay to combine some of the favorite parts of events they have done in the past. Fowler said, “We love running as a team and running farther together than we can as a single person. We also love races that have set relay points where we can gather and support and cheer for each other. Obviously, we won’t have a large gathering for this particular relay, but having the same course helps logistics and allow us to do drive-by cheering.”

Due to the pandemic, only two people will run at a time, but we will ultimately have 48 runners who run for one hour in pairs for a total of 24 hours. Fowler said, “If all goes really well, we can build on it in the future to include multiple teams at a time when we’re no longer concerned about gathering limits.”

Currently, The Red Hot Mamas are seeking sponsorships with 100% of all funds raised going to Rowan Helping Ministries. There are five- and six-mile courses for relay participants.

Fowler said, “Every hour we will air hug, air high-five and send the next set of runners on their way. We hope if anyone sees us out and about, they will cheer us on.”

At press time, we still hope to have the Bare Bones 5K in some form on June 6. Gov. Cooper threw the Salisbury Rowan Runners and City of Salisbury for a loop with lower-than-expected Phase 2 limitations, but discussions are still ongoing. Look for more information as it develops on Bare Bones, one of Salisbury’s oldest races, and other future events at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org .

By David Freeze

By the end of May, we are usually winding down a successful series of spring races and other events. Spring 2020 may end up with no races, but we are doing our best to still have at least one of them. The 19^th Annual Bare Bones 5K is one of Salisbury’s oldest races and we’re working with Salisbury city officials to find a way to meet the upcoming requirements amid Phase 2, now projected hopefully to begin on May 23.

The city can’t OK the permit until North Carolina is actually in Phase 2. The original race date of May 23 won’t work due to the current uncertainly of when Phase 2 will begin, but we hope that one of the next few Saturdays will work. Salisbury was designated a national Runner Friendly Community due to a lot of criteria involving cooperation with city government. We are certainly getting that cooperation again and we will keep everyone posted as the situation develops.

Bare Bones is an interesting race that started 19 years ago when the title sponsor dropped out just two days before the race while suggesting that the event be canceled. With less ways to spread the word of a cancellation than are available now, the Salisbury Rowan Runners decided to take it on, treat the whole event as a thank you to the running community and keep the registration prices very reasonable. Over the years, we’ve recycled trophies and even unused T-shirts, but the 2020 event will have great awards and a slightly different logo on a brand new commemorative T-shirt. Proceeds go to Relay for Life and Rowan Helping Ministries.

Two other races scheduled for June have new updates. The very popular Main Street Challenge 5K, originally planned for Friday evening, June 5, in China Grove, has been postponed until Friday evening, Aug. 21. The Shiloh Missions 5K, held as part of the Faith Fourth of July is still scheduled for June 27. I spoke with race director Luann Fesperman on Thursday and she assured me that they have every intention to have the race on that date.

Over the last two weeks, I have exchanged various communications with the Road Runners Club of America about a return to racing amid the coronavirus. RRCA is the parent organization of more than 1,200 running clubs nationwide. They have suggested certain parts of the process that could be changed or altered to make social distancing work over 3.1 miles. While road racing is not a contact sport, the first races back will likely be required to follow at least certain guidelines for the safety of the volunteers and participants. During my competitive racing period of more than 800 running events over various distances, only once did I have more than a light brush of physical contact with a runner. A tight turn and a couple of bumps amid the start and then it was over. No other part of a race is as congested as the start.

Some of the suggestions for more social distancing that are likely to be used in the early return to racing include a larger starting area and the possibility of multiple starts. We can do these to meet the approved number for a gathering.

The second biggest gathering is usually the awards ceremony following the race. If the number likely to attend is above the gathering limit, we’ll hand each finisher a bag with refreshments and give them directions on how they can pick up any earned awards. Likely in that case, winners will need to visit Ralph Baker Shoes beginning on the following Monday.

Finally, Bare Bones has a virtual 5K choice. Virtual means that the runner doesn’t run the actual race but can complete the 3.1-mile distance at any time of their choosing within a week of the official race day. Those participants get a reduced price and a shirt but aren’t eligible for awards.

You’ve read the latest and you can find more as it develops at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org . Or you can call 704-310-6741. It seems that runners are ready to compete again, and interest is high so far in the three upcoming races. Hope to see you there.

By David Freeze

Most of us know Matthew Weaver as an extremely talented piano player and singer. Over the last decade or so, I have enjoyed his music. I couldn’t help him with that but for the last few years, we’ve began to talk running.

Matthew said, “Growing up in the country, I have enjoyed the outdoors my whole life. My parents and sister, Mary Jean Hobart, and I always took walks together as a family day or night. Sunday was always a walking day after church, and we hiked a lot in the mountains. Exercising has always been a part of my family’s life, and my father and I played baseball for years. Even mom used to get up to bat. (Go Yankees!) There was no sitting around in my house growing up. We had no television, so we were always outdoors doing some activity.”

At Appalachian State, Matthew spent a lot of time in the outdoors hiking, trout fishing and swimming in the waterfalls, and joined his friends for two mile walks and runs around the campus. Everyone in Boone seemed to be outdoors.

Busy with his performing and traveling, I knew that Matthew had faced some challenges with his calorie intake. He said, “I’ve been up and down over the years with weight, and my problem is not sweets. My issue is eating everything on my plate and then some. While traveling and performing around 200 times a year, I had developed some bad habits. Diets don’t work. I found I should eat what I want, but in proper portions and not depriving myself which leads to binge eating. You can’t perform on a full stomach but proper fueling prior to a concert works best. I just can’t load up on the calories after a concert at 11 p.m. to compensate for what wasn’t eaten hours before. My weaknesses are Pringles and blackberry cobbler. I can eat them, but not every day and only in proper portions. Rewarding yourself once a month is good with maybe a second helping occasionally.”

Back to exercise, and how Matthew makes it work. He said, “I feel better mentally and physically when I exercise. I download old-time comedy, detective, and Western radio shows, good preaching, music, and Car Talk for listening. I’m exercising my mind, body, and feeding my soul as I walk and run. Often I am walking and running at 11 at night. I’ve lost around 40 pounds since late fall, and down almost three sizes.”

Matthew plays five shows at a time in one day at the Biltmore Estate. He gets 15 minutes off between shows, so he goes walking to get some exercise between sets. Matthew has completed over 3,500 miles since July 2017. This April, he’s already over 140 miles.

Going forward, Matthew knows that he needs to stay on track. He said, “I have to be more conscious of my health. Diabetes is badly genetic on my father’s side and I feel helpless as I watch my dad struggle with this issue which is causing heart failure and disease. But dad always has a smile on his face and keeps going. I love my momma and daddy, and he’s still my fishing buddy.”

Matthew added, “I want to lose 30 more, and encourage others to turn off your TV and go outside and walk. You don’t need expensive clothes to exercise and get in shape. I do recommend a pair of good shoes from Ralph Baker’s and your feet, joints, and body will thank you.”

I know Matthew is hooked on all the benefits of exercise and expect more success. He said, “A day without exercising is like a day with no Bible reading, prayer, or playing music and singing. It’s a regular part of my life. I get grumpy if I miss more than a day.”

I’ve seen and heard of so much more exercise than normal during the lockdown. There’s a lot of pent up energy. Hopefully, statewide rules will relax in time for the local races to resume soon. The Bare Bones 5K on May 23 is still on the schedule. Check www.salisburyrowanrunners.org for any updates.

By David Freeze

A sense of purpose and how you can help

   Normally the local runners club would be focused on races and other active events this time of year. Between March and May, we had at least a dozen events scheduled. Local charities benefit financially, and our club members love planning and organizing the events.

   My most recent Gotta’ Run columns in the Salisbury Post received supportive comments for the positive spin on the good side of the virus. Here is another in that series, describing a real and positive need in the community and an opportunity for many of you.

   I received word that Rowan Helping Ministries needed volunteers to help serve many of their upcoming meals. The first need was for Saturday, April 4^th. The Salisbury Rowan Runners took that date and looked for more. The usual civic groups and churches had decided to back away currently from a very enjoyable and rewarding contribution to RHM’s wonderful work. At the time, about 60% of the meals were without volunteers to prepare and serve. In the past, SRR has worked the meals in a much less worrisome time, before anybody even thought of catching a terrible virus. It was hard to find a slot to help due to the tremendous community support.

   SRR had committed to serving all Saturday lunchtime meals in April and its now mushroomed to three times a week. In a normal spring, we would have a group working races nearly every Saturday, so it wasn’t a big leap timewise to do this although the need and task involved were different. I asked for volunteers and got them quickly. A few more had questions about how we would meet the social distancing requirements.

   I joined Adalie Harrison, Linda Sufficool and Luann Fesperman that first Saturday morning to serve 90 members of our community. Pizza from Little Caesar’s, an amazing fruit salad from Father and Son Produce and the incredible brownies of Amanda Lewis made the meal. All three of these suppliers went way beyond normal in giving us special pricing and pinpoint timing. Debbie Suggs Catering helped with yesterday’s meal.

    Harrison, age 18, was the first to volunteer. One of the best athletes of any age in Rowan County, she said, “I like to help others, especially those that don’t have as much. Serving was a way to show strength over the virus.” Sufficool, a retired teacher from RCCC, quickly volunteered with,“It would be my honor and privilege to serve there again.” Fesperman, owner of the Trophy House and a former Rowan County athlete of the year, jumped onboard and then donated to the meal costs.

        RHM Executive Director and SRR member Kyna Grubb said, “Rowan Helping Ministries is founded on community collaboration and volunteer service.  In addition to our dedicated staff, we require a corps of volunteers to sustain our feeding programs.  We have streamlined our services and added many new protocols to ensure physical distance and a safe environment for people to help people.”

      New serving procedures at RHM allow for a streamlined process to safely ensure the correct social distancing while the meal was prepared and given to the clients. Meal trays were made ahead, about 10 at a time. Those using the trays ate in the cafeteria, two to a table. Styrofoam to-go trays were also prepared ahead for clients who didn’t want to enter the facility. Those who do enter the building are temperature checked.  

   It took us about an hour to prepare the fruit salad with some of the season’s first watermelons, cantaloupes, bananas, grapes and strawberries, a process full of conversation and fun for all. Another hour to serve the meal and about 20 minutes to clean up completed the work. Proper safety practices were as promised and thankful clients, while farther away, were still appreciative.

    Linda took prayer requests from the clients and we’ve shared those requests for follow-up. Since then, we’ve served five times and have committed to three more times this coming week. Volunteerism to serve the meals has not improved.

   While it may appear that the RHM clients and members of our community were the recipients of a fine meal, the real gift was received by those SRR members who gave their time and talents to care for others. The need is huge, and you and your group can help. If willing, contact Betsy Warner, RHM volunteer manager, at 704-637-6838, ext. 112.