“It doesn’t matter where you finish. It matters that you’re doing it.”
Once again, Dead River Company is the official energy partner for the TD Beach to Beacon 10k Road Race. This year, the race benefits the Good Shepherd Food-Bank. For the weeks leading up to the August 1st race, our blog will spotlight Dead River Company employees who are running.
When Randy Hunt steps off for the 2015 TD Beach to Beacon 10k Road Race, he won’t be worried about where he places. He’ll just be happy that he’s there. At 43, he’s not exactly a life-long runner. He’s more like a 10-month-long runner. “I needed to lose weight,” says Hunt. “In October of 2014, a friend and I began a little competition. I found a 5k training app for my phone and began training. In May we competed in a sprint triathlon. And in 2015, I vowed to run at least one race a month, and I have.”
Along with his new fitness regime, Randy also has changed up his diet. “I’m eating healthy food, I’m exercising regularly and I’ll tell you, this whole healthy thing has made a huge difference in my life!” He’s already said goodbye to 50 pounds and is determined to take off another 30-to-50 pounds. “I’m a Multimedia Training Specialist in our Bangor office. That’s a lot of computer and video work, which comes after my 18 years in the Dead River IT department.” Having a relatively sedentary job no longer means an inactive lifestyle. “I try to run two to three times a week, and will be doing another triathlon in September.”
In the meantime, he’s preparing for his first Beach to Beacon. “I’m so excited to be a part of this race: the amazing crowd of spectators, thousands of runners—the whole experience will be unlike any race I’ve ever run.” With so many eyes on the race, will he be nervous? “Not at all. I run for fun and for fitness. I don’t worry about where I finish. The first few races I ran, I was the last runner across the line—but someone has to be last, right? I kept at it and gradually, I improved.”
If there are any other first-timers running, Randy has some advice: “Just go out there and do your best. It doesn’t matter where you finish. It matters that you’re doing it.”
His focus on fitness and healthy eating is another reason Randy’s glad to be running in the TD Beach to Beacon, because this year, the race benefits the Good Shepherd Food-Bank. “I know that they work hard to see that families in need have access to wholesome, healthy food. I’m sure there are people I know who will benefit from what we’re doing. I bet we all know people who will benefit—even though we may not realize it.” With runners asked to raise $200 to donate to Good Shepherd Food-Bank, Randy says he’s already surpassed that and is actively working to raise even more.
Fighting food insecurity and Good Shepherd Food-Bank are also targets of Dead River Company’s own philanthropy. “My father worked for Dead River Company for 30 years,” added Randy, “so I’ve watched the company’s community involvement my whole life. I’m really proud to be part of it.”
