Love of Running is All About the Journey for Richmond Man
The YMCA 10k Training Team has transformed Bill Holton into a dedicated runner, and he's back as a coach again this year.
By: Ali Crissman
Bill Holton never thought he would develop a passion for running.
Holton had walked the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k presented by MARTIN’S with his wife in years past, but in December 2011, he received information about the race that would change his perspective.
“I’d never been big into running…but I got an e-mail for the 10k and then started reading about the YMCA 10k Training Team,” he said.
Holton had been on a weight loss kick at that point in time and saw running a 10k as another challenge to tackle.
However, he said he didn’t view running as an aid to his weight loss.
“I remember sitting at a Weight Watchers meeting and saying, ‘I’ve got to do this without exercise because if I use exercise to lose weight, I won’t stick with it,’” he said.
Eventually, Holton’s motivation for a healthier lifestyle led him to sign up for the training team at the Midlothian YMCA, and he remembers his desire to complete the first training run.
“I remember being determined to run the first mile on the first weekend of training,” Holton said. “The first time I ran a mile, it about killed me.”
Still, when Holton arrived at the first weekend of the training team, he had no idea about the journey on which he was about to embark.
“The first Saturday was freezing cold,” he said. “[Training Team coach] Ro [Gammon] was quite the character. She’s very motivational.”
Holton stuck with the training, completing all of the runs, and ran his first Monument Avenue 10k in 2012. He said the sense of accomplishment when he crossed the finish line during that race was one he won’t soon forget.
Bill Holton (green shirt) after the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k
“I was [in the past] the poster child for couch potatoes,” he said. “The feeling I got when crossing the finish line was one of almost shock and surprise that I could do it…It was a feeling of euphoria and being proud of yourself for doing something.”
However, Holton didn’t stop at running the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k.
“In July [2012], I got the e-mail for the Half Marathon Training Team,” he explained. “I have a good friend who is a marathon runner and he said, ‘You did a 10k, now you need to do a half marathon.’”
Holton ran his first half marathon in Richmond in 2012 and has since run two other half marathons, along with numerous 5k, 8k, and 10k races.
Now, in addition to continuing with his newfound passion for running, Holton can be found sharing his love for the sport by motivating other YMCA 10k Training Team Members at the Swift Creek location as a coach.
“Coaching has been very rewarding,” he said. “I’ve met some unbelievable people, and I really want to continue in the coaching aspect of running.”
Holton said the part that he enjoys the most about his journey with running is the fact that he has been able to positively impact so many people. Two of those people include his daughter as well as one of his coworkers.
“My daughter has been into running off and on [in the past], and now she does 10ks,” Holton said. “I ran with her at the [Richmond Road Runners Club] Turkey Trot this year, and she’ll do the [Ukrop’s Monument Avenue] 10k next year [in 2014].”
He also explained that his coworker expressed an interest to him in running, so he encouraged her to join the 10k Training Team, and she signed up.
Bill Holton (green jacket) leading a YMCA 10k Training Team group
“It inspires me to be able to have an influence on others,” Holton said. “I enjoy being inspirational.”
Holton said in spite of all he has accomplished in the sport, he still finds it hard to believe that he has transformed into a runner.
“I’m still not sure why I do it, I just enjoy running,” he said. “My wife thinks I’m crazy to wake up at 4:30 a.m. three days each week to run three to four miles so I can get to work by 7:15.”
Someday, Holton said, he hopes to run a full marathon. Until then, he plans to enjoy his new passion for running.
“I don’t plan on stopping any time soon,” he said. “Running has become a part of my life.”
For more information on the 2014 Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k presented by Martin's and the YMCA 10k Training Team, visit www.sportsbackers.org. The 10k takes place on March 29, 2014.