Andy Farina Was Twice Told He’d Likely Never Run Again…

Andy Farina doesn’t like to be told that he can’t do something that he enjoys doing. 

At birth, doctors wondered if he’d be able to walk. Several years down the road, after a back injury there he was told he’d never be able to run again.

Yeah, about that…

Andy Farina Keeps Putting One Foot in Front of the Other

Andy is now in the homestretch of his training for his first 100 miler, so clearly he isn’t one to accept the limitations that others have placed on him.

Starting the Running Man Club

Before Andy got back into running seriously after his back injury, he started running the bleachers at the University of Florida football stadium with a buddy.

As the group has grown, they started calling themselves the Running Man Club (named after a movie, the ladies are totally welcome as well!) and they’ve grown over the past 11 years. RMC participants have gone on to complete ultra marathons, triathlons, obstacle course races, and all manner of other shorter race distances, but the main focus is just having fun and getting healthier.

Post Running Man Club Workout

An Uphill Battle as a Runner

When Andy was born, his legs were deformed and he spent his early years in and out of casts and braces for the first 5+ years of his life.

While the doctors questioned whether he’d be able to walk “normally”, let alone run, he overcame.

As an 18 year old, Andy was playing football and ended up with an injury to his back. The injury healed, but he lived in near constant pain for years or so until doctors told him (once again) that he’d be unable to run any more.

He listened to the doctors, but refused to give up on the idea that he’d be unable to run again.

Eventually, Andy decided to go out and try to run a mile and see what happened. He made it, but he was hurting for the next week. A week later, once the pain subsided, he did it again.

Then he added another mile.

And another mile. 

And another and another… with no plans of stopping anytime soon!

Andy Farina & Family

Mental Toughness

Andy views mental toughness as one of the most important components to the success of any runner.

I’ve talked several times about my lack of mental toughness at times, so I had to ask Andy for tips to improve my mental game going forward.

• Slow Your Breathing
• Assess the Situation, Start Positive Self-Talk
• Have and Use Mantras

There’s no “easy” way to develop mental toughness. It’s a process that develops over time, just like building your endurance as a runner.

I’m going to keep on working on building my mental grit, and hopefully these tips will help me see some progress.

If you’d like to connect with Andy, you can find him on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. And if you’re ever in Gainesville on a Monday evening and want to run in THE Swamp, the RMC door is always open!

He was told to stop running. Now @andyfarina is preparing for his 1st 100 mile #ultra! #runchat #ultrachat Click To Tweet

As Always, I’d Love to Know What Stood Out to You From this Episode! Let Me Know Your Takeaway in the Comments Below!

Want to Support the Continued Growth & Production of the Show?

Check out the support page for ideas and suggestions of ways you can help me grow the show. And remember, not all support involves money. Some of the best ways you can show your support are 100% free.

Subscribe to the Show

Never miss another episode of the Diz Runs With podcast by subscribing to the show, and for my fellow Apple fans out there, it’s never been easier now that the podcast app is native on the new operating system. iPhone/iPod/iPad users click here. Android users click here. SoundCloud users click here.

Please Give Me Some Feedback!

Take the 6 question listener survey to help me shape the future of this podcast.

Register for a Free Race Training Plan

Every month, I’m giving away a FREE training plan for the race of your choice. For details/information, and to sign up, just click here.

Join The Tribe!

There’s always room for more members of the tribe! Both the Facebook group and the email group provide opportunities that can’t be found anywhere else. The Facebook group is still small, but it is a great way to connect with fellow runners and foster community amongst like minded individuals. The email group is THE way to stay up to date about future guests on the show, as well as getting some other freebies and offers that aren’t available to anyone else. If you’ve got questions about either/both, just let me know!