Runner’s World+ Member: Drew Williams
Drew is a Runner’s World+ member. Join him and thousands of others chasing their goals with day-by-day training plans, expert advice from editors and coaches, and unlimited digital access. We regularly feature members online and in print!
For me, running came later in life. At 27, I was an obese pack-a-day smoker who hadn’t been to a gym since college. Running was an outlet to quit smoking by channeling my addictive energy to something healthy. I ran my first 5K that year in 29 minutes–most painful run of my life! The re-channeled energy helped me become smoke free and 80 lbs. lighter.
My inspiration to continue competitive growth in my master’s years stems from my personal experience at the 2013 Boston Marathon. I crossed the finish line a few minutes before the bombs went off and my fiancé (now wife) had just left Boylston Street from spectating all day in the same spot where the first bomb exploded. That moment made us both realize life was short. Being one of the fortunate runners who walked away from the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings is something I do not take for granted. I ran it again in 2014 to support and be Boston Strong!
Every experience I have in running strengthens my drive to continue at a high level and it has never been stronger. It continues to push me day after day, mile after mile. I’m currently a proud member of the Strictly Running Elite Racing Team and Columbia Running Club.
As a master’s level runner, I recognize age now plays a much bigger factor in my performance than it did in my 20s and even 30s. As a result, I can’t just run as many miles as possible as hard as I want. I have to run smarter. RW+ offers countless resources on ways to run smarter and supplement my running to stay competitive for as long as I can.
I always look ahead and put events on my calendar that will keep me focused and forward orientated. Running with a training team I respect and admire as we grind out workouts together motivates me the most and we don’t let each other down.
I am also a matched runner in the “I Run 4 Michael” program, running races for my run buddy Tyler, who cannot run, walk or speak due to a disability from birth. That makes running bigger than just about me. My wife also runs and our shared love of this sport keeps our relationship strong.
Early in my running, I primarily ran solo after work. Over time, work and family obligations shifted me to become a reluctant morning person, so I am out the door with my running group at 5:00 a.m. (or earlier!). Group training is essential to pull you up in those early morning hours. I also use my lunch hour to strength train in the gym, or maybe grab a few extra miles.
Over the years, I have found that my best routes are ones that I am able to run with my training team (the “Maniacs”) because they hold me accountable and I find that I am able to push myself harder (and longer) on a run. More importantly, I know that regardless of where we are running, they will be there for support or encouragement at those low points. I am a stronger runner because of who I run with. Not where I run. But I do live in a great town and neighborhood beside the University of South Carolina and there are countless great routes right outside my front door.
I am a numbers person when it comes to my running so I can’t leave for a run (or even a walk!) without my Garmin Fenix 3. I want every step obsessively documented before, during, and after a run. If I forget to hit a button when I start or stop on a segment of a run, I feel this need to explain myself over Strava as to why the numbers are off. And yet I know ultimately other people don’t care if my run distance or split is off.
Outside of my desire to remain a competitive master’s runner, I have really pushed myself to have more fun with running and take on adventures that encompass multiple passions in my life. For example, the Ville to Ville Craft Brew Relay combines my love of relay running, craft beer, and the mountains of North and South Carolina. I’m on an all-Masters team called the Carebeers. I compete yearly in the Soda City Beer Mile and am the Masters winner two years running! I also try to take on one new challenge yearly: In 2019 it was the Grandfurther Mountain 25k, and I will tackle the summit of the Mt Mitchell Challenge 40-miler in 2020. It is important to work at running for a greater cause. My involvement with the “I Run for Michael” group and running for my buddy Tyler, who has the biggest and kindest heart imaginable, lets me continue to lace up every day for something bigger than myself. #drewruns4tyler
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