Somehow, before our eyes, June has melted into July.  Summer is now in full, sweltering swing and just as we all are starting to get burned out on picnics and patios, opting for more air-conditioned activities, I’m here to save the day with an NRC Double Feature!

That’s right.  Curl up in the comfortable confines of your own couch and get ready for two back-to-back tales, each worthy of the big screen in their own right.  Tune into your inner FM dial and imagine our soundtrack as we follow first, the country girl turned warrior walker, and then, the “wild ‘n’ crazy”, northerner who now runs the roads of Tennessee…

Who are the stars of our double bill, you ask?  Well, they’re none other than Cindy McGarvey and Victor Neilson!  Now you’re really intrigued, right?  So, grab your popcorn and settle in for double the danger, double the excitement and double the NRC love!

Cindy McGarvey

3 – 2 – 1… Action!  Our scene opens on the picturesque town of LaVergne, TN where our star was born.  An only child, Cindy McGarvey always wished for a brother or sister.  Although she was little, she remembers the letters her church would occasionally mail to her mom about opportunities to adopt orphan children.  Whenever these arrived, she would seize the opportunity to use the free visual aids and plead her case, but to no avail.  Nevertheless, in spite of her only-childhood she grew humble and generous, not solitary and spoiled.  When it came to sports, her game was basketball, which made her mother ecstatic!  She was good and played several years into high school, but decided to stop her Junior Year knowing she wasn’t the competitive type.

Back in those days there was no Facebook or texting, so Cindy and her friends would keep up with each other on their CB radios.  (Yep. 10-4, good buddy!)  Cindy’s handle was… wait for it… “Country Girl”!  Radio waves also brought her the voice of her first and only true love.   One time while spinning her CB dial, Cindy found Tommy McGarvey, a.k.a. “Double A”.  She could tell he was a nice guy and they kept in touch throughout school.

Speaking of school, Math was Cindy’s favorite subject, but she didn’t want to be a math teacher.  Her senior year of high school, Cindy took a class in computers and loved it!  (Actually, that is a major understatement.)  She pursued her education in computers at Nashville Tech and went on to become a computer programmer.  As technology evolved from CB radios to mobile phones, so did her and Tommy’s relationship.  It was around this time that they finally took the plunge and got married.  Their love story is still going strong and they’ll be together a whopping 31 years this year!

Since graduating, Cindy has worked for big corporations and small start-ups.  At one point, she faced a difficult decision.  Her employer for over a decade told her that, not only was she going to be laid-off, but that they wanted her to train the people who would be taking her job in another country.  She had never been so torn.  Her initial anger had her wanting to leave them in the lurch, but her mind and the financial benefits of aiding in the outsourcing of her job, won out.  Down on her luck and the job market bleak, Cindy says she couldn’t have done it without Tommy’s support.  Now, she loves her current job and enjoys keeping up with technology.

Here’s a tasty scoop: A little bird told me that the McGarvey’s are some of the best cooks around.  Friends have been telling them to open a Nolensville restaurant for years.  Sausage and Peppers, Spaghetti Sauce, any smoked meat that Tommy makes and Cindy’s banana pudding… so good!  (Mmmm, we need a NRC potluck?!)

When she’s not cooking, walking or working, Cindy likes to read (Kristin Hannah books lately) and watch marathons of reality TV!  Nashville… Survivor… Food Network Star… 19 Kids & Counting… Shipping Wars… they’re all set to record at her house, so she can watch any time.  In the movie of her life, she would cast Jennifer Garner to play her.  I totally see it – the innocence of 13 Going on 30 mixed with the strong-jawed toughness of Alias and the drive of the actress herself, fit Cindy’s leading-lady persona well.

Cindy started walking regularly one year ago when NRC launched their Couch to 5k Program.  Fellow NRCer, Wendy Mucci, mentioned it to her at church one Sunday.  She thought to herself, “I can walk and do it.”  And she did.  In her NRC C25K story, she wrote, “At first I felt like I wasn’t doing enough or that I wasn’t good enough by walking instead of running, but then Scott said that all that is important is that we are traveling and it doesn’t matter how you are doing it. At least I wasn’t sitting on the couch!”

Cindy was a solid member of the C25K 2013 Walker Texas Rangers!  She loved the positive encouragement she got from her friends and mentors; NRCer and mentor Diane Taylor, in particular.  Although she admits walking makes her feel like she can do anything, it honestly doesn’t make her want to run!  Instead, Cindy focuses on being a motivator for NRC walkers through her consistent presence and get ‘er done attitude.

In the words of her friend, Wendy Mucci, “Cindy McGarvey is one of the most inspirational people I know.  She shows up when most people would stay home.  I have seen her out in crazy hot temperatures and with snow plowing down.   Sometimes I will hear someone say that they can’t run because of the weather or because they aren’t feeling up to it and I just want to introduce them to Cindy.”

To be honest, Cindy will tell you she doesn’t always feel up to it either, but the cathartic release keeps her going.  In her C25K story, she also opened up about her personal experience with cancer.  Two years ago. Cindy had a GIST tumor (Gastrointestinal stromal tumor), which was cancerous, removed and underwent treatment with some miraculous medicines.  Last summer, she learned of a new spot and changed her medicine to one that has been successful in shrinking the tumor; however, the treatment makes her feet hurt horribly.  Even though, she hasn’t been able to walk as far or as fast due to the pain, she is determined to not let GIST take that away.  She’s lost 54lbs in the last year making no other changes, but walking.  She has taken on these challenges like a true warrior, never backing down, and is an inspiration to so many.

“What I am most thankful for on this walking journey have been the friends I have made in NRC. They are always so inspiring and friendly,” she added.  “We walked all last summer and winter long in the heat & freezing cold. I don’t think I could have kept up the walking if it wasn’t for my friends’ encouragement.”

After completing the C25K program, she participated in the Change for Chance 5K and had a great experience.  She had never walked 3 whole miles in her life and it felt really good crossing that finish line!  Later that year she did the Franklin Classic 5K and then got together with friends, Jessica Boely, Catherine Hartsfield and Cathy Perizzo, to get messy in the Color Run 2014!  Her future race plans include the 2014 Franklin Classic with NRC.

This past C25K season, Cindy was a mentor for the walkers and she said it was awesome being able to support others in their goals.  Her family has picked up on the walking thing, too.  Her teenage son, Michael, signed up for the 2013 C25K, but was not able to be consistent.  This year, he participated with his father and both have been making forward strides.  Her older son, Matthew, gets lots of walking in around campus, at Harding University.

When it comes to walking on Monday and Wednesday nights, I asked her how she manages to stay consistent.  She looked me square in the eye and said without missing a beat, “This is high priority for me.”  Mostly, it’s the positive encouragement that keeps her lacing up her Brooks Glycerin and coming back to NRC.  To people on the NRC fence, she says in the nicest, sweetest voice, “Just do it!” and walks confidently into the sunset.

We’re all just traveling.  Whether you’re running or walking, or a mix of both, its companions like Cindy that make NRC the best running club in the world. So come out to NRC and be sure to congratulate Cindy on her NRCelebrity status!

Victor Neilson

For this feature presentation, we leave the countryside of the South and head north to Buffalo, NY where the winters are bitter, but the football fans are not.  Our male NRCer of the Month, Victor Neilson, was born and spent the early years of his idyllic youth with his younger sister in the western New York town not far from the famed Niagara Falls.  When he was 6 years old, his family moved to Angola, IN, but they stayed die-hard Buffalo fans.  His fondest childhood memories are times he spent with his father watching Buffalo Bills or Sabres games and cheering them on together.  His own participation in sports started early, too; he was playing golf at 7 years old and took up tennis in his pre-teens.  He was never a runner though, that came later.

What’s more country than Nolensville?  Angola, Indiana, according to Victor!  As the county seat of Steuben County, which is well known for its 101 lakes, Angola had no shortage of farming and fishing. Victor and his friends spent much of their time on the lakes where he learned how to water-ski at an early age, a tradition the Neilson’s continue now on their family boat.  Victor still remembers “Tractor Day” at Angola High and cheering on the Angola Hornets at high school games.

In a twist of fate, Victor met his future bride, Mindy, while still in middle school. Mindy had just moved to Angola and the Neilson’s were the first family they met in town.  While their fathers were best buds, Victor admits his boyish charm was more than lacking at that stage of his life or as he puts it, “I was a jerk.”  He must have made a pretty strong impression, because Mindy still remembers to this day what he was wearing when they first met – a light blue I.O.U. chambray shirt and I.O.U. dark denim jorts!!!

This is the part of the film where our leading man must prove his enduring love to gain the affection of his soul mate.  (Don’t worry, there’s a happy ending.)  Due to their fathers’ friendship, their families hung out regularly, but it wasn’t until after high school that they tested the dating waters.  Little did Victor know, Mindy was a little skeptical that he could change his bad boy attitude, and it would take a long time for him to break down that wall.

Their first date was December 16, 2002 (yes, he remembers this date all on his own!)  He had it all planned.  They’d go to the nicest restaurant in town and he would wine and dine her.  He called to give her the big news and she sighed, “Oh.”  “Would you rather do something else?” he asked.  “Well,” she confessed, “I was kind of craving Guinness and wings.”  So, of course, Victor obliged and every year to celebrate their first date anniversary they go out for the same pub fare.

Victor attended Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN and graduated the same year, and same major, as a then future player for another black and gold team – New Orleans quarterback, Drew Brees of Super Bowl fame!  Victor minces no words when he says he hates Indiana University, Purdue’s archrivals, with a passion.  After graduating college, Victor took an opportunity to work with U.S. Foods, which eventually brought him and Mindy to Nashville.  During his 13-week training and sampling the different foods offered by the company, Victor gained 38 lbs. and learned quickly the perils of his new job.  Now, he’s careful to not grab a handful when passing by the French fry bowl in his client’s kitchens.  Above all, he feels fortunate to be one of the lucky few who actually loves their job.

Victor and Mindy moved to Nolensville about three years ago and love the community.  They have an adorable son, Robert, and Victor hopes to make a Buffalo Bills fan out of him someday.  Earlier this year, their entire family took a trip to Disneyworld where Victor and Mindy ran their first ever marathons and Robert ran his first race, as well.  Before his son’s race, Victor leaned down and asked, “Do you want Daddy to run with you?”  Robert looked him in the eye and said, “Daddy, I got this!”  NRC NextGen has another member!

This marathon trip came not long after Victor and Mindy started running consistently.  Before than, they would make jaunts out when they could.  He recalls, back then, Mindy had a worse time of it than he did and would get the runner gripes after about a mile in.  That being said, Mindy was the first to start running races.  It was about 3 years ago, when Mindy came home and said she was going to run her first half marathon.  Victor was suspicious.  His doubts only ended up spurring her on to finish her training and he had to eat his words one mile at a time when she completed the Women’s Half!  Five months later, she paced him to his first half at the New Orleans Half Marathon.  Victor has great memories of that race and it was there that he got bit by the running bug.

One of his other favorite races was the 2014 Carmel Half Marathon, because of the enormous NRC support and our epic finish line!  He first heard about NRC from his wife.  She kept telling him he should go meet up with the club and he finally did about two summers ago.  Now Mindy is also a regular.  He was struck by the friendliness and camaraderie NRC extended to newcomers.  The friendships he has made are what it’s all about to him.  He laughed, “It could be called the Nolensville Sitting Club and I would come, because of the people.”  Victor doesn’t have any specific running goals.  He simply runs for fun and the companionship, and… to eat.  His favorite meal is pepperoni pizza and ice-cold Pepsi, not beer or Coke, Pepsi!  (It is the choice of a new generation.)

More than anything, he enjoys encouraging others out on runs.  He loves taking the time to talk with and urge on runners in races who have started walking and need support.  It is a great feeling when he can help someone to keep on going and he says that almost always those people will see him after the race and thank him for giving them the boost they needed.  He ran the Middle Half for himself and got a sub 2:00, but he would rather pace Mindy or others to meet their goals.

Looking into the future, Victor sees no more than one marathon a year.  When not training, he runs to maintain his mileage and stay Half Marathon ready.  When he’s not running, Victor has been working on his bucket list.  He was able to check off “See a European football game” when he traveled to Barcelona recently.  He’s gotten into Formula One Racing a lot lately and so he wants to drive a racecar one day, plus he’s fixing up his high school wheels, a 1970 El Camino, which will be appearing on Wednesday nights before long.  He also plans to jump out of a perfectly good airplane and hopefully, one day, see the Bills play in the Super Bowl.

If he had to pick an actor to play him in the movie of his life, Victor would choose Jim Carrey.  A joker himself, Victor admits he’s almost never serious, sometimes a little raunchy even, and always the first to go “there” in a conversation amongst friends over a few beers.  He’s a breath of fresh air and a sip of cold water (a cooler of ice water welcomes NRCers by his mailbox often on Wednesday nights) and we are blessed to have him!  Be sure to congratulate Victor on his newfound stardom the next time you see him at NRC!

Diana Parmley

It’s my pleasure to introduce you to our female runner of the month, Diana Parmley!  If you’d met her in the starting corral of her first race, you would have been taken by her bright smile and no-holds barred laughter that is straight up contagious.  She also admits that you’d have found her rocking all cotton clothes and sporting shoes that were 2 sizes too small!  After she crossed the finish line of that first 5k, the sweat-laden clothing and toe-torturing shoes were simply not enough to keep this determined optimist from deciding to do a Half!  From there, Diana has navigated her way through more miles than she could have ever imagined.  In fact, she conquered the Carmel Marathon this past April (wearing an NRC tech shirt and appropriately fitted shoes, of course)!  If you met her now, you’d find she’s the same endearing young woman, flashing the same ineffable smile.  Still, she has gathered some great stories along the way, which I know you want to hear – so let’s get to it!

Diana moved to Nashville from Long Island, NY where she grew up with 5 siblings in a close-knit family.  Her parents are from Puerto Rico, and they made sure that their children took part in the rich culture and heritage.  Spanish was spoken at home and their kitchen was frequently filled with the delicious aromas of traditional Puerto Rican dishes.  Diana’s father is a preacher and her family was very involved with their church, which she feels had a really positive influence in her life.  She has lots of happy memories of her childhood, but a few family vacations have earned “the bomb” status – fun times at the beach in Florida and the amazing trip her family took to Puerto Rico!

At 18, Diana left New York and moved to Nashville to attend college at Lipscomb University.  She obtained her degrees in Mass Communication and Spanish landing a job with a major company as a national sales trainer.  Because of her position, she got to travel and see a lot of cool places.  Most of all, she found that she enjoyed the teaching aspect of her job the most and when her employer had to make some cut backs, she decided to go back to school to become a teacher.  After some serious studying and student teaching, Diana was offered a job in Nashville Metro Schools as a first grade teacher!

2013 was Diana’s first year teaching, but she has weathered it like a pro.  It wasn’t always easy and she admits, especially working with children, you never know what might happen, but at the end of the day she can feel good about the work she is doing.  She sincerely loves her students and it is obvious, from the Facebook posts of happy gifts like fresh picked flowers from the playground and sparkly signs that say, “Our teacher is the best!”, that the feeling is mutual!  Kids can see through the hype and they know that Mrs. Parmley goes above and beyond to make sure that in spite of whatever challenges they may face, they have the ability to succeed in her class.

Diana met her husband, Jason, in 2007 when she happened to move into the same townhome complex.  When she would drive by on her way home, Jason, (who is friendly, outgoing and one of the funniest guys I’ve ever met), would always be outside waving at her.  She would wave back and drive on, until one day, she decided she had to meet this guy and so she stopped and said hi.  They became friends and later started dating.  The two got married in August 2011 in a special ceremony officiated by Diana’s father in Puerto Rico.  Diana has also grown incredibly close to Jason’s son, Isaac, who she loves like her own.  Running may become a family activity, as Diana disclosed that Jason holds sprint race records his home town (I see a NRC track team happening!) and Isaac has even recently picked up running.  When Diana was signing up to do one of her favorite races, Ellie’s Run, Isaac decided to take part in the Ellie’s Kids Run and… he got 1^st place!  Congrats, Isaac!

Thanks to NRC bling, she started meeting up with NRC back in 2011, just a few months after she began running.  One day while Jason was working out at Prairie Life Fitness, he spied the logo on the shirt of fellow NRCer, Shawn Berkau.  He asked about the club in Nolensville saying that his wife was looking for a group to run with and obviously Shawn made a great pitch for the club, sealing the deal.  Diana remembers coming to NRC, that first time, at the old Mama’s Java.  There was not as many people running with the crew then, but still her stomach was in knots.  She remembers thinking there was no way she would keep up with these serious runners with “water bottles attached to their hands”!  To her relief, Shawn said, “Stick with us!” and they stuck together the whole route.  She has kept coming back ever since.

Recently, Diana wanted to support her NRC friends who were training for a full marathon.  She wanted to see what it felt like to run past 13.1 miles, but didn’t see a marathon in her future.  Every Saturday, she would take every step with them on their long runs even though she was convinced she didn’t want to do a marathon and was not signing up.  Each run, one of her friends would say, “Diana, why don’t you just sign up?  You can do it!”  And for a long time, Diana just laughed it off still honestly, not believing that she could.  It wasn’t until their first time to run 18 miles that she believed.  After running 3 and half hours she had expected to be miserable, but she felt great!  Together, this crew made it fun!  During that run, Diana remembers fellow NRCer, Elizabeth Schaub, not asking, but telling her, “You are doing Carmel!”  It was that total confidence in her and the constant encouragement from her friends and family that made it possible!

Diana has completed many races since taking up the sport from the Middle Half to Hoggin ‘n’ Joggin.  She was part of the notorious Relay Rutherford team, “Dangerous Curves Ahead” and gives back through mentoring the runners group, “We Got the Runs,” of the NRC 2014 Couch to 5K program.  When she is not running, Diana loves to cook.  She likes trying out new Paleo recipes and healthy meals for her family.  She is very active with her church and when she has free time, enjoys searching for unique teaching ideas on Pintrest.  A couple fun facts you may not know about her include:  she’s a morning person who loves to sleep in; and, if she had to be a piece of running gear, she’d be shoes, because they enable you to go wherever you want to go!  Just like running may take you to places you have never been before and even, sometimes, to tough places mentally and physically; afterwards, you feel empowered.

Diana says she is glad to have NRC and the friendships she’s made mean a lot to her.  We are glad to have her, as well.  Grateful is an understatement in describing how we feel about Diana finding NRC!  Her positivity, fun-loving nature and kindheartedness exemplifies the spirit of NRC!  Be sure to tell her congratulations on being chosen NRC female runner of the month!

Eric Waterman

There’s an old saying, “Even if you win the race, you still have to bend down to receive the medal.”  At 6’2”, there aren’t many who could reach high enough to bestow a medal upon our male Runner of the Month, but that is not why I think of him when I hear this phrase.  Humility among those who achieve greatness is rare, especially in competitive sports.  In fact, one of the reasons we all love NRC so much is that everyone is praised and accepted, regardless of their pace or previous accomplishments.  Still, we often hear of less experienced athletes who encounter an air of separateness and even condescension from the top contenders.  These are things you will never get from Eric Waterman.  He has accomplished greatness and has harnessed his ability to perform at such a high level, but you would never hear it from him.

Case in point, I admit that I didn’t know a whole lot about Eric before our interview. I knew he was fast and could bust out amazing times, often while pushing his 3-year old son in a stroller.  In all my questioning, never once did Eric mention a race time, pace, or ever being awarded a place in any race.  Honestly, I had meant to get all the “deets” on these things, too; but, Eric has such a quiet, unassuming way about him, he always seemed to answer my question without giving me the goods!  As we wrapped up, his wife Stefanie and son, Jeffrey, joined us.  I happened to ask if there were any other memorable races or accomplishments, and it was Stefanie who spoke up and reminded me of some of his most phenomenal finishes.  We will get to those soon, but first let’s learn a little more about the man behind the stroller.

Eric was born in Nashville and has lived in Davidson County all of his life.  As a kid, Eric wasn’t winning any races; in fact, the most running he did was chasing a ball up and down a soccer field for a few seasons.  Just after high school, a friend talked him into a blind date with a friend of a friend in Hendersonville.  He picked up the young, Stefanie (who was still in high school at the time), and they joined a group for a night on the town.  Afterwards, he called her up and they kept in touch knowing there was a definite connection.  They went on to have a few more dates before Stefanie concluded he’d passed the test and they became exclusive.  They married in 2001 in a gorgeous, intimate setting at Cheekwood Botanical Gardens.  Surrounded by the beauty of the Wills Perennial Garden, they said their vows.  The two enjoyed a long “honeymoon” until their family grew in 2010 when little Jeffrey was born.

As an adult, Eric has gotten into mountain biking, but unfortunately that does not end up with a very long season in Tennessee.  Eventually he decided running would be a good option for his off-season training, but it wasn’t as long ago as you might expect.  You may want to sit down for this, in case you’re as shocked as I was when I heard, but Eric didn’t start running until the fall of 2009!

A co-worker gave him the push he needed to initiate a running regimen and his feet first hit the treadmill at his local gym as he focused on working up endurance on his own.  It’s still easy for him to remember those early 1-2 mile workouts where he’d have to walk most of the way.  He used a Nike+ to help keep track of his workouts, but he admits he had no idea what he was doing starting out.  He kept at it, though.

Eric started running not long before Jeffrey was born and so he doesn’t really recall a time when he wasn’t running with a stroller.  He didn’t have a choice, so he just got used to it, building up his strength and endurance to accommodate the extra cargo.

Soon, Eric decided it was time to do a race.  He had only ever run 5 miles consistently without stopping once before when he stepped up to the starting line of the Boulevard Bolt, a Thanksgiving Day race in the Belle Meade area of Nashville.  He continued training and completing races, gaining momentum with each one.  Before long, Eric signed up for his first full, the 2012 Country Music Marathon.  He also joined his first ever group-training program with Fleet Feet.  Joined by now fellow NRCers, Tim Lloyd and Jeff and Amanda Bennett, he found the program a big motivator to stay up with the training.  In addition to work demands, life was especially busy at home with his young son, who was just 18 months around that time.  All of the positive encouragement spurred him to sign up for his second full marathon before he’d even finished his first.

With his next race (the Chicago Marathon) in his back pocket, Eric arose on race day and gave it all he had.  He had put in the training, but it just wasn’t his day.  He summed up his experience as, “Awful.”  While he didn’t attain the time he wanted, he accomplished his ultimate first-marathon goal, which was to finish.  From then on, Eric hasn’t stopped reaching for new goals.  Some of his favorite races are the Tom King Half Marathon, which was his first ever race with NRC and the Middle Half which he raced with NRC in 2013.  He remarked on the incredible NRC support during those races.

Some of his most memorable races include the Brentwood Half.  This was a big race for him!  With his son in tow in the stroller, Eric placed 3^rd overall!  Others are the 2013 Josh Byers 5K where he won 2^nd overall, the 2013 Change for a Chance where he won 3^rd overall, and the 2014 Memorial Day Dash 5K which he finished 3^rd overall in 17:54 also with stroller (that’s a 5:46 pace)!!!  What’s his secret?  Well, Eric eats oatmeal before every long run and race (somehow, I don’t think I’m eating the same oatmeal) and his favorite running fuel is Power Bar Mixed Berry Blast.  His current goals are to get close to a Boston qualifying (BQ) time and to improve his race times overall.

Before coming to NRC, Eric did his research.  He had been checking out our Facebook page while running with other area groups, the Southside Runners and the Tin Roof 2 Crew.  NRC had a reputation for being fast among those groups, for whatever reason (maybe the letters BQ have something to do with that).  Still, Eric said that it was meeting Scott Alexander and Joe Singer at these other running club gatherings that got him to come out to Nolensville.  He says he was self-conscious that first night and was seriously afraid that he would not be fast enough.  After the run and meeting so many nice people, he remembers most how welcoming everyone was not just during the run, but also afterwards hanging out.  What keeps him coming back to NRC?  There is just no other local running club that is quite as family friendly as NRC.  Recently he has been mentoring the C25K runners group, “We Got the Runs”, volunteering his time to help encourage others.

This is all to say that we are blessed to have Eric in our crew.  He trains hard and holds himself to high expectations, but regardless of the heights of his achievements he understands what it’s all really about.  Give Eric a shout out the next time you see him and tell him congrats!

Brudtärna klänning: Välj brudklänning att uppmärksamma många detaljer. Såsom stil, chiffong tyg. De viktigaste egenskaperna enligt deras kroppstyp att välja, är det nödvändigt att uppmärksamma bruden.

David and Vicki Victory

Spring brings change.  In each new bloom, we see the beauty that comes when time and preparation are combined with a little tender care.  Last April, the 2013 NRC Couch to 5K Program planted a seed for change in our community and for our club.  Those that participated (including the mentors) were sustained by the incredible accomplishments and treasured friendships made during that experience, and not only did each participant grow stronger, but our club has grown bigger and better as a result.

As we rev up for our 2014 Couch to 5K season, we wanted to tell the story of two NRCers who got their start with the C25K Program.  When NRC launched our free program to train individuals for the Change for a Chance 5K last year, this husband and wife team accepted the challenge.  Beyond the finish line, they have continued to push themselves to new heights and with a last name like Victory, who would expect any less.

Our Runners of the Month, David and Vicki Victory, were both born and raised in Tennessee.  Vicki grew up in Mt. Juliet and David grew up not far from our fearless leader, Scott Alexander, in Antioch, TN.  Neither claims to have been a runner in their youth, but they both were actively involved in sports.  Volleyball and softball were Vicki’s two main sports, and now her youngest daughter plays softball, which she has enjoyed.  David played baseball and basketball, but football was his favorite hands down.  His first baseball team was the Reds and he was a big Pete Rose fan, so it was natural that he grew up to be a Cincinnati Reds fan!  He also enjoys cheering on the Tennessee Titans, Nashville Predators, and Dallas Cowboys.  He attended Nashville Tech and now works for the TVA as an electrical engineer.

After high school, Vicki went to MTSU to study accounting and wound up with a job at Nissan, before securing a position with beer distributor, DET.  Over her 22 years with the company, she has moved her way up the ladder to her current position of CFO.  It was at DET that Vicki met David.  At that time, David worked in the warehouse.  In fact, they may never have crossed paths, except one day it just so happened he was in the accounting office using a computer for a work project.  According to David, when Vicki walked in and saw him at the desk she said in a sultry, seductive tone, “So YOU’RE David Victory!”  Vicki remembers the remark being a tad more innocent.  One of the occupational hazards of her job was that she knew the names of her fellow employees, but not always their faces; and so she says that’s all she had meant.  (Hmm, likely story, Vicki.)

Soon after becoming friends, the sparks began to fly and the two were married in 2001.  They moved to Nolensville in 2002.  With Vicki’s family in Williamson County, she wanted to find a home nearby, so Nolensville was a perfect spot.  They both have wonderful daughters named Rebecca from their first marriages and together they have another beautiful daughter, Natalie.

Prior to NRC, David and Vicki had an on-again, off-again relationship with their treadmill.  They would go through spurts where they would run for a while, and then life would get busy and exercise would get pushed lower on the list.  Then while at a Girl Scout event, Vicki heard about the NRC C25K program from her friend and fellow NRCer, Elizabeth Schaub.

At home, Vicki talked to David about it and they decided to sign up!  They more than survived their mile time trial and were placed with the 5:1 interval group.  The first few nights, David remembers thinking he might not be able to do the training runs.  It wasn’t always easy, but they both stuck with it and quickly started to see improvement in their endurance and stamina.  

After two weeks, David moved up to the Runners group and after two more weeks, Vicki joined him!  They both agree that the NRC C25K training was a good program and it encouraged a lot of people to get out and do something that they would never have done on their own.

The Victorys are very appreciative of the support they received from their NRC mentors and especially, Scott Alexander, Wendy Mucci, and Joe and Lisa Singer.  In addition to the official C25K training nights, the Singers would invite runners to join them for their “recovery” runs on Sundays.  The friendship that grew over those miles helped reinforce their confidence and determination and they began to see just how much they could accomplish if they set their minds to it.

I asked Lisa and Joe to share some of their memories and Lisa remarked, “I will never forget David coming up to me and telling me he and his wife had been in the 5:1 group and they were told they could move up if they felt ready.  He wanted to try the runner group first, before she decided to move up.  After one or two runs with them, I remember asking them, “Why were you guys hiding in that group?!”  🙂  They have been very consistent and have mentored others since C25K.”  Echoing Lisa, Joe said, “One thing I knew immediately after meeting them is that they would be ‘all in’ after C25K ended.  Lisa and I knew they would continue running and they have brought so much to NRC.”

Since the Couch to 5K, they have kept up their regimen and remain dedicated runners.  Both David and Vicki have been training through the bitter winter, running races all along the way.  Since last spring, David has run three Halfs, a 15K and 10K, along with several 5Ks.  Less than a year after completing the C25K program, David ran his first marathon, with his NRC training buddies Jeff Grimsley and Craig Roberts, at the 2014 Carmel Marathon.  Shooting for a 4:30, he crushed his goal finishing in 4:19:12!

Vicki has been busy herself.  Since C25K, she has completed two Halfs, two 10ks, and four 5Ks.  With extra motivation from NRCers Steve Kraft and Russ Kozar, Vicki was able to nail an exact 2:00:00 at the Tom King Half Marathon (which I have dared her to try to accomplish twice J).  She came in excruciatingly close to her goal of crossing the finish at sub-2:00, but she still has her sights set on breaking that time this fall.  Vicki’s next big race is the 2014 Country Music Half Marathon.  Due to the challenging course, Vicki is not expecting a PR, but plans to have a good time and enjoy the race.

Having accomplished so much, not even 12 months after getting back into running consistently, makes me even more suspicious of what I have predicted all along, which is that The Victorys are actually super heroes!  Think about it, super heroes never give up.  They are courageous, stay true to their purpose, and help others all while accomplishing amazing feats and avoiding the spotlight.  Like super heroes, true strength comes from their character, and David and Vicki are some of the best people you’ll ever meet.

Moreover, we all know super heroes can do it by themselves, but are more powerful in teams and always have each other’s back!  To that effect, the Victorys are known to combine their super powers to compete in some local relay events.  They joined up with 10 other runners on team “Couples Therapy” for the 2013 Ragnar TN Relay and will run the Relay Rutherford with NRCers, Jay Adamson, Amy Lynch, and Elizabeth Story this year.  Plus, their youngest daughter has been training for the ING Kids Race, which is held at the Country Music Marathon and Half Marathon event, and that has been a fun activity for the whole family.  Also, they are both volunteering for roles in the 2014 NRC C25K program, (David – runner coach and Vicki – 5:1 mentor) in hopes that they can help encourage others towards their personal goals.

When David and Vicki do find time to hit the couch (in between runs, of course), Vicki admitted that she leans towards darker TV shows, movies and music.  Think “Breaking Bad”, “Walking Dead” and Soundgarden.  David has similar tastes, but also loves watching sports.  They have the most laid back cat, named Christy, who joins them on the couch and gives new meaning to the phrase, “fat cat”!  Seriously though, she instantly makes you want to curl up next to her and snuggle!  Another rare factoid – their morning beverage of choice is not coffee!  While they do sometimes indulge, their regular a.m. routine calls for Diet Mountain Dew (Vicki) and Coke Zero (David).

You might also be surprised to know that David and Vicki are concert junkies!  They even keep a spot in their mail organizer just for concert tickets.  They’ve seen shows by everyone from AC/DC to Brad Paisley to Justin Timberlake (well, that one was just Vicki).  Their favorite place to see a concert is the Ryman Auditorium, whether it is for the subdued sounds of Civil Wars or the face-melting Queens of the Stone Age.

Lately though, concert lines have made way for long runs.  When I asked them for a little training advice, they gave me a tip the Singers shared with them, known as the 10% rule.  The idea is to avoid injury by never increasing your long run mileage more than 10% of your previous long run.  Good words of wisdom!

For those reading this who may be considering signing up for the NRC C25K program this year, I impart these words from motivational life coach, Tony Robbins: “By changing nothing, nothing changes.”  The Victorys are prime examples of the great things that can come from making the decision to change and “running” with it.  While some of their friends and co-workers may still look at them as if they’re insane when they mention the 10-mile run they did the weekend before, David and Vicki Victory aren’t stopping now.  We’re so glad that they have joined the ranks of NRC and look forward to come! Be sure to congratulate them next time you see them!