The Running Rabbi

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How I went from running to the smorgasbord to running a marathon.

For years I ran – to the smorgasbord, to the all-you-can-eat buffet, to the front of the line at the deli counter, chasing the tastiest recipe or the biggest meal. And what did all that “exercise” get me? A morbidly obese, 300-pound body.

I was running to eat, practically sprinting into a six-foot hole in the ground, dug by my own fork, knife and greasy spoon. A marathon of misery made up of morsels of passing palatable pleasures, repeatedly reinforced by portions of regret and remorse.

Now, I’m running to live; not just for myself, but for all the people who are still stuck in my old workout routine.

Eleven years ago, I changed my life, gained a lot of clarity, honesty and conviction – and lost 120 pounds.

A few days from now, along with 30,000 of my closest friends, I’ll be running in the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. I’m not doing this to try and show off my new-found speed and world-class endurance. I’ll be happy to finish the 26.2-mile course in fewer than 5 ½ hours, which would put me in about 18,905 place (give or take a few hundred).

Basketball and Ultimate Frisbee are my sports of choice. I love the skills and teamwork – not to mention building up a good sweat. But running just for the sake of running was never in my game plan. Until our 15-year old son, Yossi, was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in March, 2011. Talk about having your world thrown upside down.

Just a few hours before Shabbat, my wife and son were flown on a medevac helicopter from Baltimore to Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. for emergency treatment that included brain surgery and five days in the ICU.

After three cycles of chemotherapy in Baltimore and more than 20 rounds of proton-beam radiation treatments in Philadelphia – supplemented by an ongoing anti-cancer nutrition regiment, thank God Yossi’s scans are completely clean, as is his bill of health for the future (God willing). We are extremely grateful and humbled by the outpouring of support and prayers we received from around the world, as well as in our incredible community of Baltimore. One local organization in particular, The Jewish Caring Network, literally held our hand, propped up our feet and physically and emotionally guided us through this ordeal.

So two years ago, when I was asked to take part in their annual 5K fundraiser to help support their cause, I felt honored and privileged to participate. There was only one problem; I had never run even one mile before, let alone 3.1 miles – which is the length of a 5K course.

But how could I say no? So I asked a dear friend, Bruce Luchansky, to help “train” me. I had two goals: not to embarrass myself by slowing him down too much, and trying to run three miles without stopping – no matter how long it took.

Remarkably, during our first morning run I accomplished the latter goal, if not the former, but my legs felt like rubber the entire rest of the day. After giving myself enough time to recover, I trained a few more times and actually earned a medal by placing in the top 10 of my age group at the race. Don’t get too excited, though, I think there were only 15 of us total.

Notice the race number I “randomly” received.Notice the race number I “randomly” received.

But I got the running bug. I started to like running just for the sake of running. It wasn’t as immediately stimulating as hustling down court on a fast break or chasing down a disc in a competitive game of Ultimate Frisbee, but after each run I felt really good. The endorphins were kicking in. I was experiencing the “runner’s high” and building my endurance.

Five kilometers turned into 10, and six-mile runs extended to 12. The first time I ran 13 miles – the length of a half marathon - I was amazed I could cover that distance without stopping. I started to enter races – not with the vision of winning, but to help push myself by competing against others. So far I have met my goals – which are to complete each race and not to finish last.

Anyone can change their life and develop a healthy relationship with food.

My main objective in running the marathon is to raise awareness to help reverse the obesity epidemic and to educate our community about proper nutrition, emphasizing the point that anyone can change their life and develop a healthy relationship with food.

This is the time of the Jewish year to put plans into action. We spent hours praying and reflecting during the High Holy Days and perhaps we pledged to “once and for all change our diet and/or start exercising more.” The days and weeks following the holidays are the true testing ground of those commitments. Are they going to be empty words or not?

Proper diet and appropriate exercise are fundamental Jewish tenets. We have a responsibility to care for the precious body God gave us. This is a lesson I learned the hard way and now I’m trying to make it easier for others to learn it as well. I hope that my story can help motivate you to take that first, critical step. Nothing is stopping you - and nothing tastes as good as feeling good feels.

For more information about Eli’s run click here.

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