Runner’s World+ Member: Tim Thomas

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From Runner's World

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Tim 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!


Running has given me an avenue for cultivating and expressing joy. It has taught me to keep going through rough patches with the hope of finding better times ahead. It has given me some wonderful friends that I’m forever grateful for and blessed to have. It has taught me to persevere and to live with hope.

I’m hungry for learning more and reading about the experiences of other people. I just can’t get enough. RW+ helps feed that hunger.

I run for joy. I run to connect with people. I run to connect with God. I run to challenge myself—to see what my body can do.

I run mostly through the beautiful countryside of Carroll Country, but sometimes around the Mall and the waterfront in DC. In Carroll County, I really like the Old New Windsor Road, because for a hilly county, it is relatively flat and takes me past some antebellum homes and classic Carroll County farms, without having to deal with many cars. I also like the dirt roads that pass through the woods beside the stream on Roops Mill that lead into Old New Windsor. I usually run in the morning, sometimes well before the sun rises, so that I can beat the heat or get the workout done before going into work.

I really love my “Brave Like Gabe” t-shirt. It reminds me to persevere and to be joyful in what I can do rather than focus on what I can’t do. Life is short. The ability to run and live life are a gift. Plus it is a very soft brushed cotton.

I’ve managed to run a couple marathons, now I want to see if I can stretch out further. 50k? 50 miles? Further? I never thought I’d be able to do a marathon again (I blew up my foot on a practice land mine in the Marines), but I was wrong about that. I wonder what else might be possible.


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