One walk turns into running obsession
One day about four years ago, Brad Batemon showed up to work with too much on his mind.
He had become tired of carrying extra weight and from failing to stick with his plans to get in shape. Tired of being unable to walk up stairs without becoming short of breath.
Batemon, then close to 300 pounds, abandoned the long-term solutions and spontaneously used his lunch break to walk. Without recognizing it immediately, he had found a solution.
“I felt a little bit better and I said, ‘I’m going to do it again tomorrow,’ ” Batemon said. “I got to work about an hour or so early and walked about three miles every morning. …Then I said, ‘I’m going to go for a jog.’ I jogged not very far at all, but I was happy. I tried to go further the next day.”
The days added up until Batemon lost more than 100 pounds and became a competitive runner. On Sunday he’ll run in his third Prairie Fire marathon. Batemon, 38, has finished high in races of shorter distances and is looking to break four hours in Sunday’s marathon.
Batemon is part of a group of nine runners, chosen by race organizers, called the Local Joes. Its members aren’t necessarily the most athletically inclined, but they were chosen for stories of how they used running to improve their lives.
“We’ve got a little messenger thing on Facebook, we chat on there sometimes,” Batemon said. “We joke around on there – ‘Who’s going to be at track night tonight?’ or ‘Who wants to go out for spaghetti this weekend before the marathon?’ I started that one.”
Batemon wasn’t necessarily planning on becoming a regular runner when he opted for that afternoon walk in 2012. He had dabbled in mixed martial arts training and was involved in other workout regimens, but after his mother died at the end of the year, he found that he enjoyed the serenity outdoor running offered.
As he began growing more fond of running, his weight decreased steadily. It took about a year for him to reach a satisfactory weight, but he continued shedding pounds even after that, careful not to drop too many.
Near the end of that process, he was encouraged to run in a race on Easter weekend. It became the first of many.
“It was a 10-(kilometer), 6.2 miles,” Batemon said. “I didn’t know if I’d be able to make it or not, but I said I’d go ahead and give it a shot. I really wasn’t competitive, I just wanted to see if I could finish. And I loved it. I finished, and I had a great time.”
Batemon, who is known as “Batman” among friends for the Batman T-shirt he wears for good luck, didn’t know about that Easter race before a family member informed him. After the run, he began seeking out more races and competed each month.
The miles intensified and he became part of Wichita’s running community, networking with other athletes while joining training groups. He ran his first marathon in 2014 and is regularly setting personal bests at varied distances.
Batemon’s weight-loss plan included diet and lifestyle changes that have allowed him to maintain his physique. He runs with his three kids and attends their track and cross country meets. It all began with a weekday walk that became life-changing.
“I never thought I’d even run,” Batemon said. “I never thought I could even run a mile, and now my fastest mile is 6:04. I ran it a couple weeks ago.”
This story was originally published October 6, 2016 at 5:24 PM with the headline "One walk turns into running obsession."