This, Bud, Is For You!

Back in the late 1970's in Chattanooga, I had started running to improve my endurance for off road motorcycle events.  To provide some incentive I set a goal of running in the Chickamauga Chase that was held every year.  It was a 15K (9.3mi.) run on the roads of the Civil War battlefield of the same name.  Overtime I eventually got more interested in running than motorcycles.  The physical benefits were fantastic.  I met many people through the events and initiated numerous others to become interested and take up the activity.  One of those eager "proteges" was a co-worker named Bud Wisseman.  I had about a year up on Bud when he got started.  At that time running shoes were still in the early development stage and you couldn't find a pair of Nike Air Max at the Foot Locker.  Heck, you couldn't even find a Foot Locker or an Academy for that matter.  I had a running friend in Houston that introduced me to New Balance, but I had to order them from Massachusetts.  I sent a sketch of my foot and bought a pair of NB 320.  Wow!  They sure beat running in my Chuck Taylor Converse All Stars.

I recall sitting in my office with Bud and going over the drawings necessary to get a good pair of training shoes.  Bud was rather slow at first, but extremely persistent.  A bunch of us would meet at various locations and team up for our routine runs.  Usually pairing up by pace and the desired distance we wanted to run on that particular day.  I recall running on a rather warm day at Chickamauga.  Bud was in a group behind me.  We had already finished when Bud came in.  He looked terrible.  I asked him what happened and he replied,  "Some rednecks in a pickup had passed and threw a chocolate shake on him" 
                                                                         
Well, Bud was an engineer and very meticulous.  Like most of us he kept records of his runs.  He kept increasing his distances and improving his times in local 5, 10 and 15K runs.   In December 1979, I transferred back to Texas. Earlier in the year I had run two of my best races; a 40:01 10K and a 15K in about 62min 42sec.  After moving to SE Texas, two deteriorating knees and oppressive heat slowed down my running until I was advised by my orthopedic surgeon to give it up.  And I did.
Bud on the other hand kept plodding along.

Periodically I would hear from Bud and that he had stayed with his running.  He was running every day. He would call when he reached a particular milestone.  At one point I was vacationing back in Chattanooga when I attended a pizza party for Bud to celebrate his 10.000th mile.  I had not heard from Bud in probably 8 to 10 years.  Last week, out of the blue, my cell phone rings and it is Bud. 
He has stayed with his running but slowed down a bit on his times, but not his distance.  But, that is somewhat understandable.  After all, Bud is 74 years old now.  After a most enjoyable discussion, I learned that Bud has now run over 55.000 miles since that day in my DuPont office.  He has not missed a day of running in over 25 years.  That's 9130 days in a row.  If I heard him correctly he has run 24 Boston Marathons and if he qualifies this year, he won't need to qualify any more and will be listed in the permanent records.  He's come a long way from that chocolate shake bath at Chickamauga Battlefield Park.  He will probably live to be 100 if he doesn't get run over by a truck on Hixson Pike.

As for me, I haven't run in 25 years and after two knee replacements and 70 pounds, I probably won't. 
But,  after our discussion, I decided to get off the couch and I started a walking program.  So far I have walked a mile ever other day since our discussion.  At that rate I will be 365 years old when I reach 55,000 miles.  Bud,  your milestones are safe.  You are my Hero