Marathon runner had to hang up his shoes

Marathon running was attractive to Mike Thorn, who would rather be active than watch others compete.

“I’m a person who likes to play a lot. I enjoy doing a lot of different things. Until about three years ago I trained for marathons. I’ve done 40 of them. At one time, I was in the top 2 percent of runners in the United States.

“One of the reasons I got into running is because I like to experience things. I don’t like just watching other people. I’d rather be doing it myself. I also like running because whatever you put into it, you’re the one who reaps the rewards or deals with the downs. In life there are a lot of things that are tied to other people’s performances. But with running it’s different. The only thing you really can’t control is the weather.

“I ran in high school, but not again until I was 39. I’d given up smoking and gained about 40 pounds, so I wanted to lose some weight. Eventually, I started competing in weekend runs, and I got hooked.

“I wish I could still do it. I hate seeing people run now because I enjoyed it so much. I guess I just ran too many races. It really takes a toll on your body as you get older. And once you stop, it’s hard to get the old joints going again.”

— Mike Thorn