How I Started Running:
In December, 2013, I had a bit of a wake-up call. I was about 280 pounds, athletically inactive, and generally in a bad place. Running had been an on-and-off hobby at times over the years, but it never really took… until then. I never thought my relationship with running would ever be more than a passing fancy, but I guess I have proven that wrong.
My Favorite Moments / Biggest Accomplishments:
When I first started running in December, 2013, I could barely make it a quarter-mile without having to stop. Every achievement from there was a notable accomplishment: Running my first mile, my first 5k, my first 10k. I never thought a half-marathon would be something I’d ever do… did it. But why stop there? I ran the New York City Marathon in November, 2014, less than one year after I started – a remarkable improvement from not being able to run more than a quarter-mile less than a year before.
More marathons followed, and when my hunger for bettering my marathon PR began to subside, I made the jump to triathlon. It wasn’t a small jump either – I went for the big boy, the full Ironman. In July, 2017, after a near 16-hour event, I crossed the finish line at Lake Placid and heard Mike Reilly say those words: “Scott Riecke, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!” Yeah, I did that – I still can’t believe it either. Three months later, I crossed the finish line at Ironman Maryland
Future Goals:
Unfortunately, I followed up my double-Ironman 2017 with a DNF in 2018 at Lake Placid. I lost focus, didn’t train as hard, gained weight, and showed up at the starting line unprepared. Hopefully, I’ve learned my lesson because the moment I DNF’d in 2018, I know I’d be back in 2019. On July 28, 2019, I’ll try my hand at Ironman Lake Placid once again for my redemption. After that, I’ll also be doing the Marine Corps Marathon on 10/27/19 and possibly another race after that (still undecided).