Amish man runs marathon in traditional Amish garb in 3:05

[Deberg_1990]

Interesting....

Leroy Stolzfus, 22, of Gordonville, crossed the finish line of the Harrisburg Marathon Nov. 8 in three hours, 5 minutes and 45 seconds.

That's a pretty impressive time for anyone, less than a minute away from a Boston Marathon qualifying time for a man his age. But Stolzfus ran the whole 26.2 miles in slacks, a long-sleeve button down shirt and suspenders, as he is Amish.

It's not his clothing he cites for "not running faster." Stolzfus said he believes he could have run closer to a three-hour marathon had he not gone out too fast in the race.

"I was feeling good, but I kind of almost crashed at mile 15," he said. He credited the cheering crowds for keeping him going, and said he was "amazed" by his finishing time.

Crossing the finish line, "I had no pain whatsoever. It was more mental anguish than in my legs. You have to train yourself not to think about it. It will just slow you down. I was once told by someone that it's 20 percent training and 80 percent mental. I do believe that," he said.

"It was a good race," he added.

A few years ago, Stolzfus got "involved with some stuff" he said he shouldn't have. His brother-in-law suggested he start running instead when he was tempted. He took the suggestion to heart, and went out for a run.

"I ran between two and three miles, and I thought 'Wow, this is hard,'" he said. But he stuck with it.

Stolzfus ran his first half marathon, the Bird in Hand Half Marathon in 2011, finishing in 1:42:51. In early 2012, he signed up for his first marathon, the Garden Spot Marathon, where he clocked in at 3:52:10. He kept running, his finishing times getting quicker and quicker.

The Harrisburg Marathon was nearly five minutes faster than his previous personal best.

Stolzfus is an evening runner, as he arrives at his job at a tobacco shop around 6 a.m. He spends most of his day lifting things around the store, and is on his feet a lot. He walks to and from the bus stop, at least a mile every day each way.

He doesn't run every day. In fact, he said he isn't like most runners.

"Sometimes, I don't even get 10 miles in before a marathon," he said. Most marathon training plans call for multiple double-digit runs.

However, Stolzfus is dedicated to speed work, logging laps around the track at F&M weekly with friends and his brother-in-law.

"It's a natural talent, but I do a lot more training than I used to," he said, noting he gets at least 20 miles in a week these days.

"How can I do this if I don't train that much? I think the type of work I do, lifting all day, and all the walking really helps," he said.

Stolzfus said he is used to running in his Amish attire, and it doesn't bother him. In the summer heat, he said he tries to drink more water, but he doesn't do anything "out of the ordinary."

Up next for Stolzfus? He will probably run a Turkey Trot this Thanksgiving, and he is interested in an ultramarathon as well.

And the Boston Marathon is also on that list. He is "definitely interested" in qualifying.

"I'll get there," he said. "I just got to train a little harder, learn how to not go out too quickly and negative split more," he said.

And since that fateful day his brother-in-law advised him to start running?

"Life is a whole lot better for me now," he said.


http://www.pennlive.com/sports/index.../11/amish.html