Eddie Robbins Overhauled His Health And The Results Surprised Him
Today’s guest is someone that I’ve been following on Twitter for a while now and his tweets were evidence that I had to invite him on the show.
He recently traveled to Alaska to run a race which brings him one step closer to running in all 50 states.
I am looking forward to going a few easy miles with Eddie Robbins and hear all about his running adventures across the United States.
Sick And Tired Of Being Sick And Tired
Eddie Robbins has been overweight all of his adult life with his peak being over 300 pounds.
Twelve years ago at the age of 54, Eddie came to the realization that he was sick and tired of being sick and tired.
His first step towards a lifestyle change was to begin making healthier food choices along with going on daily walks.
Early on, Eddie set a goal to walk 25 miles per week.
As he began to shed weight, he added in occasional spurts of running on his walks.
Those short distances began to increase and before Eddie knew it he had run an entire mile without stopping.
Eddie’s daughter took notice that he was starting to run and asked him to join her at a local 5k.
Eddie didn’t know anything about a 5k, but he agreed and that first race had him hooked on the sport.
And Then He Was A Runner
Eddie doesn’t recall when he identified himself as a runner, but there was no denying that he was in fact a runner.
Over the years Eddie has lost over 100 pounds and has maintained his weight loss.
Running has allowed him to become a healthier and fitter version of himself that he always knew was there.
Eddie loves to travel so it didn’t take long before his two passions came together.
In 2010 while on vacation in New England, he ran a 5k in Portland, Maine at the last minute.
Eddie enjoyed the experience so much that he decided to try to find a race to run whenever he traveled.
That is how he eventually decided to make it a goal to run a race in all 50 states.
Traveling Runner
Eddie is nearing the end of his goal, with 47 states already completed.
The most recent state he ran in was Alaska, with plans next month to also check off Wyoming and Montana.
Hawaii will be his last state to run in and celebrate the completion of his goal which he hopes to do in 2023.
Eddie enjoys being able to set the parameters around his goals and make up his own rules.
His only “rule” is that he must be running in an official race and it can be any distance.
Eddie has experienced many races and while all unique, he has some favorites.
His favorites stood out for various reasons including scenery, organization, and meaningful to name a few.
Even the races that were less than ideal are all part of the experince.
The Worst Best Race
Boston 2018 was a race that will go down in the history books.
Eddie was one of the hearty runners that crossed the finish line in the weather that forced many runners to stop.
He was a charity runner for the Dana Farber organization.
The organization was personal because his sister passed away from cancer.
His body didn’t cooperate completely during the race causing him to walk more than half the race.
He never considered quitting and kept moving forward eventually crossing the finish line.
That moment in time was one where he was both elated and miserable all at once.
Find Something You Enjoy
Eddie continues to run for a variety of reasons.
Above all else, he finds running fun.
If he didn’t enjoy running he would never have stuck with it.
His advice for everyone is to find something you enjoy that is physical.
Not everyone can run, but there is something out there for everyone.
After experiencing many years of his life overweight, he continues to run to stay healthy and fit.
Those two reasons alone are enough to keep him running for as long as he can.
Yet there are so many more reasons he does what he does, including the people he has met over the years.
Mentioned In This Episode:
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
- Run To Remember
- San Francisco Marathon
- Pocatello Marathon
- Covered Bridges Half Marathon
Stay connected with Eddie Robbins by checking out his Blog and following him on Instagram and/or Twitter.
Eddie Robbins was overweight for the majority of his life. At the age of 54 he turned his life around in a drastic way and is now close to running a race in all 50 states! Click To Tweet
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