Revisiting Maybe the Most Powerful Episode of the Show with Gene (Best Of)

Today I’m one of the most powerful episodes in the show’s history with a man named Gene, who has overcome much bigger challenges than 26.2 miles.

In his own words, Gene came into running later in life, and he definitely enjoys it.

Like many folks that have been on the show, Gene’s favorite distance to race is 13.1. One of his goals is to always be half marathon fit, which is a good place to be.

Gene’s Path to Running

Before Gene started running, his health wasn’t in a good place.

He was drinking a bottle of liquor a day. He was smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. And he was overweight.

And the reason? He was ready to make another improvement in his life.

18 months after he stopped drinking, and he’s been sober since 2008, he gave up smoking. 18 months later, he was done with the cigarettes.

18 months after that, he felt like it was time to improve his health.

So he started to exercise. Push ups. Sit ups. And walking. 

Everyday, Gene was doing something with the goal of being healthier. 

And before long, Gene began to notice the changes.

He stuck with it, and eventually he started to run a little bit.

As his fitness improved, he went a little more. And a little more. And he basically hasn’t stopped since.

Incremental Progress is Still Progress

Gene impressed me with his dedication to the process. To the fact that incremental progress is still progress, and each day getting a little better is the goal.

Kind of like his journey of sobriety. 

Every day. Step by step. Inch by inch. 

So often these days, we get frustrated that we aren’t progressing fast enough.

And in doing so, we lose sight of the fact that we are still making progress.

Today’s Episode is Sponsored by Health IQ

Half Ironman?

Gene recently completed his first triathlon, and he really enjoyed it.

Enough so that he’s thinking about the idea of potentially doing a half ironman in the future.

Gene’s biggest hold up is the fact that his knees don’t like the biking, but he’s definitely open to doing some more tris in the future.

A Link Between Sobriety and Running?

The last bit of the show, we talked about Gene’s journey through sobriety and the relationship between being a runner and being sober.

When I talked to Charlie Engle, also an alcoholic in recovery, he talked about the impression that some people have that he simply traded one addiction for another. In his case, alcohol for running.

I asked Gene if he ever gets asked a similar question, and he couldn’t think of anything in particular but he understands the thought behind the question.

I also asked Gene if/how his journey of sobriety has helped him with his journey into running. 

His answer? Wow. I’m not even going to spoil it here, but if you listen you will not be disappointed.

Sobriety is not complicated, but it's also not easy all the time. ~@dr24hours Click To Tweet

If you’d like to connect with Gene, you can reach out to him via his website or say hi to him on Twitter.

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 Radio 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!

Legalese:

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. This simply means that if you decide to make a purchase using one of the links, I get paid a small commission at no extra expense to you.