Jason McGinnis

Jason McGinnis - Half Squatches to OKC - Half Beginner 12-13 min/mile

Jason McGinnis

I was talked in to signing up for the RunnersWorld Tulsa Route 66 training group in June of 2008, by my wife, Lisa, who was at that point, my fiance. I was told, "it will make us closer to go through something so challenging together." She was very right. It not only strengthened our relationship, it has completely changed our lives and become our passion in life.

Until June '08 my longest run ever was 7-8 miles while I was in college which was 6 years ago. I have run off and on my whole life, some out doors, some on treadmills, averaging about 3-6 miles a day, several days a week. Back in college running a marathon seemed like this once in a lifetime goal that might be achieved someday in the distant future, if ever, and only if the stars were aligned perfectly and absolutely nothing else was going on my life. I had no idea how to accomplish this goal, but it seemed like such a long distance that only super freak humanoids could attempt such an challenge. I had never met a marathon runner and only seen a marathon on TV being run by Olympians.

Needless to say, my world got completely rocked, and I was greatly humbled when I joined the RW Tulsa marathon training group. I met people that could run farther than me sho looked so out of shape and some even looked as old as my grandparents. I also found out coach Kathy(a real life super freak) and another dude in the group (TZ) ran 100 mile races! I was stunned to learn that "ultramarathons" even existed. I was truly scared of these people!

But as the summer came to a close and I was increasing my mileage, I began to see why ultras were so desirable. Every other week I was running farther than I had ever ran before in my life. It was really cool to see if my body could handle the extra miles, the extra punishment, and every week it did. It was like exploring deep space or something. I thrived on the challenge.

I was also introduced to Turkey Mountain during my first months at RW Tulsa. I absolutely fell in love with trail running. I never feel a connection to whatever city I'm running in but there is something extremely powerful about running through the woods surrounded by God's creation. It's almost primal and the rush it generates is unlike anything I've experienced before. Thinking that every step may be the one that sends your face slamming to the ground as you slip or kick a root/rock. I love the trails so much and with a little inspiration from our very own Trail Zombie, Ken Childress, I gave myself the nickname, "Trailzilla". (Is it lame to give yourself a nickname?) You can also call me baby Z.

With all this in mind I was set on doing my first ultra. I had decided to turn my first marathon into a training run for my first trail 50K a few weeks later. I completed both races without injury and my life was changed forever. I felt so empowered having run 31 miles just 3 weeks after I had run 26.2. Distance running had become my passion. I'm always looking for the next race, the next huge challenge. I've got to be some sort of masochist because all these races dish out pain. I've never run an ultra that I wasn't glad to be finished with but somehow I crave more. My only explanation for this is that I live for the challenge of something others see as impossible or extremely difficult. I want to see how far and how hard I can push my body. What are my limits? How will I know if I don't try and find out?

Since running my first marathon roughly a year ago. I have ran 8 marathons, 4 - 50K's, and 1 - 100 mile race. I have twice ran 2 marathons in 2 days. I have also done 2 marathons plus 1 - 50K all in 8 days and each race was in a different state.

Anyone can run a marathon as long as they stick to the training and as long as they find a good pace. Some people may need to start with a half first. It is a good thing to build up your running base. I didn't and I got injured after my 3rd race because I think I pushed my body a little hard.

RW Tulsa training has taught me so much in the last year and a half. One of the biggest life lessons that I have learned is that you cannot judge people by the way that they look. I have met countless people older and fatter than me that can run faster and farther than me. I have been completely humbled by since I joined the running community. I have also met some of the most amazing and selfless people that will be my friends forever.

The reason I want to be a run leader is because I want to help others achieve a goal that they either see as unachievable or at some point viewed it as unachievable. There is nothing cooler or more rewarding than seeing someone accomplish a difficult goal. So many people encouraged me and it made all the difference. I want to be the difference in someone else's life that others were for me. There are so many things about distance running that you either find out the hard way or are taught by experienced runners. I don't want any runner to have to find anything out the hard way. I feel I have loads of experience and some good tips for beginning runners.

Every distance runner should:
Hydrate(all day, every day, even when its cold)
Figure out a plan for replacing electrolytes (how salty of a sweater are you?)
Keep those toenails cut (unless you prefer to lose them)
Buy shoes that are a little big (those feet are going to swell)
Test anti-chaffing products before a race (don't wait until raceday to experiment)
Test energy replacement products before a race (see previous)
Don't be afraid to walk (you can go much farther if you mix in some walking)
Eat pancakes the night before a long run (this is just my favorite pre-race food)