by Beth Hoad
As a Palmyra Highway Department employee, Matt LaMora has driven trucks on and plowed snow from our area roads for 16 years. Now he is running on them as he prepares to run his first marathon. He and his wife, Adrienne, owner of Victor Acupuncture, are training to run the Sehgahunda Trail Marathon & Relay on May 28, 2016. It will be his first attempt at running the entire race along with 299 others participating as sole runners. He ran one 9-mile leg of the marathon in 2015 and has run other shorter races.
Of his motivation, he said, “I want to be a positive example for our kids.” To that end, LaMora has gotten his children involved and last summer they ran the Palmyra 5K together.
“Also, I used to smoke and drank more than my share of six packs. Now I want to try to undo the damage done in my younger years. It’s a slow process and it would be easier if I’d started when I was younger. My ultimate goal is to be young for my age if possible.”
The day of this interview was sunny, breezy and brisk as Matt and Adrienne, their friend Katy Robinson and neighbor Todd Deppin started their day with a 12-mile run. Matt said scheduling time to run is often a challenge because of his job especially during the winter when he could be called out at 3 or 4 a m to plow the town’s roads all day. However, keeping his goal of running and finishing the Sehgahunda in mind, he often runs after work and feels he will be ready for the marathon next spring.
The Sehgahunda Trail Marathon & Relay begins at Portageville, NY and is run through Letchworth State Park on dirt trails. Run in any kind of weather with varying conditions, it is billed as one of the hardest trail marathons in the east with 26.3 miles of trails, 3000 feet of climbing and 100 gullies to cross in 8 hours or less.
In addition to building muscle and stamina, LaMora set a goal of losing a total of 40 pounds and acquiring a “different kind of six-pack.” His recent morning run of 12 + miles burned 1700 calories, a fete that puts him well on his way to achieving all his health and running goals.
LaMora said he runs fastest when he is alone, but that running with a group is more fun and is actually harder to do. “When you run with somebody else you usually talk to each other and that takes more energy than just concentrating on your running.”
He and Adrienne belong to a group of 25 area runners called Weekend Distant Runners which was organized in 2013. He credits with his wife being extremely inspiring and explained that unlike many other sports enthusiasts, runners seem to be friendlier and more supporting even if they are strangers.
Matt and Adrienne are hikers, a hobby that he started when his boys were in Scouts. He admitted that running uphill is his greatest weakness but with time and practice he is slowly overcoming that issue. Working hills into his practice runs is extremely important and he often runs back and forth over Cory Corners Hill outside Marion to improve his hill climbing.
LaMora said training for his first marathon has been a slow process and it has taught him patience. His advice to anyone interested in this type of running is to remember it is a slow process and maintaining a positive attitude is of utmost importance.
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