Associated Press -- Joe and Dena McDonald ran 3 miles in under 39 minutes for the first time in their history yesterday afternoon.
The community of "people who have walked or run 5K" has grown in recent years. According to peoplewhorun.org, 3.37 billion people have run/walked the distance within the last 12 months, including most Kenyan school children. America, more sedentary as a nation, numbers 9,821,792 (unadjusted for October deaths). The average 3-mile time for Americans is 37:15.
But mere numbers don't tell the McDonalds' full story.
Late in June, Joe was driving home from work and noticed that something felt "a little strained" in his lower back. The fact that his job requires him to sit nearly motionless for 8 hours a day didn't help. Eventually, he had to reduce from four intramural sports to one in order to manage the pain, with the help of physical therapy. For nearly six months, he covered less than a quarter mile per day, mostly walking to and from his car. The idea of walking 3 miles in a single day was "unthinkable, at least, I chose not to think about it."
At the same time, Dena faced her own challenges. Working three days a week, including one from home, and managing the daily grind of a stay-at-home non-mother had left almost no energy for exercise.
Then fate came calling.
The couple was invited as honorary participants of Team Troy, the semi-legendary fund raising machine of the Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis. Within hours Joe calculated that the December 1 5K run was six weeks away -- enough time for 30 training runs. If the first date was entirely walked, and then on each following day an extra 1:20 was spent running, then by the time of the race the running time would be 40 minutes.
When day 3 included desparate gasps for air, the mission seemed an impossible dream. But almost magically, experimenting with breathing and running technique, the journey became easier. Breathy conversation began to emerge where labored panting had been before.
On Saturday, day 10, Dena checked her new sportwatch and saw that the 13-minute mile barrier, long thought physically improbable even given a six-week training schedule, had been shattered.
If neither pleasant seasonal temperatures, nor mostly windless conditions over the two-week stretch had been able to break their will, who was to say that anything else could?
"You've got to aim high," Joe summed up, "and if that's a little too intimidating, then aim for something much lower."
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