Jason Dennis Has Uncovered How The Areas Faith And Fitness Intertwine
Today’s guest is someone that I first met in person at the 2019 Marine Corps Marathon and since then I’ve gotten to know him a bit better thanks to social media and listening to his podcast.
We recently teamed up, along with 8 other folks, to virtually run around the world in the CRAW 50,000k.
I am looking forward to going a few easy miles today with Jason Dennis as I’m sure we will have no shortage of topics to cover.
Committing To Change
Jason Dennis grew up in North Carolina and was very active while growing up.
He loved fast-paced sports and viewed running as a punishment.
Fast forward to the age of 37 when Jason found himself overweight and unhealthy.
He had spent the last few years yo-yo dieting while losing and gaining the same weight.
Jason was committed to losing 25 pounds and keeping it off.
In an effort to make his goal a reality, he hired a personal trainer along with making healthier food choices.
Jason also began the Couch to 5k (C25k) running program as an added way to get in shape.
Running Stuck
Once Jason completed the program and ran a few 5k’s he began to notice his distance slowly increased as well.
Jason met other runners that both inspired him as well as gave him valuable advice.
He never imagined wanting to run a marathon, but with the encouragement of friends, he signed up.
During the early days of his running, Jason followed a cookie-cutter plan that was low mileage.
The plan allowed Jason to run the distance, but he began to toy with the idea of changing his training as a way to further reach his potential.
Jason now runs much higher mileage when training for marathons, along with including multiple 20-mile training runs.
The increased volume of miles led to improved performance along with quicker recovery after marathons.
New And Unique Ways To Stay Motivated
Running is an integral part of Jason’s daily life, but like other runners, he still looks for other ways to stay motivated.
One motivating goal that Jason has set is to run a marathon in all 50 states.
Jason is a member of the 50 States Marathon Club which has specific rules that pertain to what races count towards the 50 states.
Prior to Covid-19, Jason was well on his way to completing his goal.
With in-person races being hard to come by, Jason has found new ways to stay motivated.
Over the summer, he participated in the Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee (GVRAT).
The race required him to run 1000k over the course of a 3 month time period.
Currently, he is participating in the CRAW 50,000k with 9 other team members.
Jason won’t rule out any distance or challenge in the future.
Run The Race
Jason has been a news anchor for 20+ years but has recently also added the title of podcast host to his resume.
The local TV news station that Jason works at, wanted to add a podcast and was looking for a host.
Jason loves listening to podcasts and felt that he had a lot he could offer.
He chose the podcast name, “Run The Race,” because it implies perseverance to anything in life, not just running.
The 1 year anniversary is quickly approaching and Jason couldn’t be happier about deciding to take on this new venture.
Run The Race doesn’t just focus on running, but also fitness and faith.
The areas of fitness and faith both interconnect in many aspects.
Life And The Long Run
Faith and fitness are similar in that they both have peaks and valleys.
The main goal of his podcast is to encourage and inspire others with the guests he has on the show.
Ordinary people doing extraordinary things are the type of people Jason enjoys interviewing.
Regardless of how well Jason knows a guest, there are always things he learns through the course of the conversation.
Jason appreciates all he has, but never forgets to attribute God for giving him a platform and his family for unwavering support.
Jason especially loves how running is such a raw sport at its core.
The sport can be done anywhere, at any time, and not much is needed to get out the door.
This post is accompanied by an episode of my podcast, Diz Runs Radio.
Click this link to listen to my conversation with Jason Dennis.
Subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get new episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Originally published at http://www.dizruns.com on November 2, 2020.