If you know me well, then you know that I am a very happy and energetic guy. I have a passion for life that allows me to make the most of my days and fill them with work and play. However, if I am being totally honest, there have been a few times in my life that I have suffered from depression. Most notably these times have come out of frustration due to injury.
As a professional athlete injuries are a part of life. We are constantly pushing the limits of our training and always straddling the fine line between being adequately prepared and overworked. This last winter I crossed that line and found myself dealing with a severe left knee injury. It is in my nature to panic in these situations, and this time was no different.
I am fortunate to have a great support team around me in my immediate family and sports psychologist, but truly the person I lean on most heavily is my coach, Sam Lapray. I met Sam in the fall of 2001 and since then have been fortunate enough to call him not only a coach, but a mentor and a best friend. This past winter, as my knee injury lingered and the cloud of depression settled in, Sam could sense that I was struggling. As he has done so many times before, he sat me down and together we formed a plan.
Though the injury would take time to heal and there was little we could do about that, we decided to make the most of the situation and utilize my new found free time. With the 2014 season on hold indefinitely, we decided to do something that we had been dreaming about for a long time, bring an idea and a product to the public.
We had developed the product through years of training and racing on the professional track and field circuit, but the proper execution of bringing this product to market would take months. We worked diligently on perfecting our formula, figuring out logistics, and creating a marketing plan. Coach Sam and I recognized our own limitations and hired two amazing employees to assist us in our efforts. (Meet our Team) The sum of all of our hard work is Run Gum.
Run Gum is the evolution of the supplement and energy markets. It was designed with the elite athlete in mind, but created for anyone on the go. It is a product and a brand that we are incredibly proud to introduce to you all.
I am now able to look back on the summer of 2014 and recognize that with the support and companionship of some really great people, it became the best summer of my life. My knee is once again healthy, I am well rested, and with the help of Run Gum, I feel that the sky is the limit for my professional running aspirations.
