I am passionate about fly-fishing but my friend and the former director of the Mancos Library District, Patsy Kelley Smith, is passionate about running. Read her story and send me yours! Let’s share our stories.
In Patsy’s words… “I began running about 12 years ago. I was inspired by my son who was running cross country and track in high school at the time. I enjoyed running in “fun runs” with him, although he was quite a bit faster! As time went on, I began to run farther, and entered longer races (10Ks and 1/2 marathons). Running, which began as a way for me to keep in shape, turned into a passion. I thrived on the joy of running in my beautiful surroundings and the excitement of the races.
In the fall of 2012, Ben Hahn moved to Mancos and started the “Run Mancos Club”. He brought a lot of excitement for running and being healthy, and I was inspired by his enthusiasm and knowledge. Early in 2013, I decided to set a goal of running a marathon, 26.2 miles, with Ben as my coach. I registered for the Colorado Marathon which was held in Ft. Collins, CO on May 5th. I began 4 months of training in January under Ben’s guidance. I ran in single digit temperatures, show, ice, and chilling wind for the first few months. I steadily built up my fitness, endurance, and speed. My marathon training journey included running in various locations including different parts of Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Florida.
I learned many things during this preparation time about the training, fitness, nutrition, and how the human body responds to them. Running the marathon was an awesome experience, shared with like-minded individuals along the Poudre River canyon. My training was the journey; the marathon was the icing on the cake!”
