How Running Changed Me

 https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a44735742/how-running-changed-me-john-chino/

Age: 65
Hometown: Costa Mesa, California
Occupation: Insurance broker
Time Running: 40 years
Reason for Running: I started running to avoid happy hour—it’s true!—but it became so much more to me than that.

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I played lacrosse in high school and college, so I ran as part of my training for the game. But in 1983, I started running after work to stay in shape and as a balance to the stress of starting a new career. To be totally honest, as an insurance broker in Chicago, there were too many opportunities to drink! Lunch, happy hour, and then we went out after dinner. So running afforded me the opportunity to say “I can’t drink at lunch because I’m running after work,” which also meant I’d miss the happy hour!

In the beginning I had no real idea as to how to run, but I did read. I loved the books by George Sheehan and I read Runner’s World cover to cover! Runner’s World was one of my major sources for training plans back in the day. There were no apps in 1983, and I still don’t use training apps, although I love Strava. Eventually, I found races and then running clubs for a more collaborative experience.

Racing changed everything because it focused my running into competition and I then became engaged in improvement. I ran my first race in 1983 just a few months into my training. It was called the Fell 10K, and it was held in Winnetka, Illinois. My 10Ks eventually lead to marathons.

Running was a great way to meet people and to find more running groups, but the bug bit hard after my fifth marathon. I was living in Los Angeles in the 80s and became involved with a premier track club, and ran as part of the LA Celebrity Team in the Los Angeles Marathon in 1990. That allowed me to meet more runners and triathletes.