When you ask amateur runners, Erin Hammond and David Fulvio of Macedon what drives them to run,,,the word “fun” does not come out of their mouths. Ribbons and medals are nice, but that it is not it either.
The way they both describe their sport – their passion – is setting and reaching goals.
Erin attended Gananda schools, and watched an admired her older brother Bill, who ran Cross Country in high school. I decided running was something we could do together and I signed up for the Track and Field and Cross Country teams. Bill was really good in school and I wanted to be good too. He inspired me.
When Erin went to Rutgers University, she met Dave Fulvio in her freshman year. Dave was from New Jersey and they began to date. The soon found out that running was something they had both done in the past. But with pre-law classes, sports was not a big priority. After they graduated, both went on to Boston University for Law School. “I didn’t run after high school for about 10 years,” Dave stated.
Erin began to long for the adrenalin again. Her last year at Boston, she entered a triathlon. “I never outgrew the thrill of running, and thought I would et back in to it. The Triathlon was tough for me. There were skills I did not possess. I really didn’t swim. I could tread water, but never took lessons. I began to swim at the Gananda pool.” It was there she met Denise Everitt, who swam daily with a friend, Brad Pfrommer. Brad noticed that Erin struggled with her swimming and he suggested that Denise work with her. “He told me that I was an inefficient swimmer and so I learned.” Bike riding was something had just took practice and endurance. I set small goals.” The final component of the triathlon is the running, which was already in her wheelhouse of skills.
“I trained doing a lot of Sprint Triathlons, which are 1/2 mile swim, 15 mile bike and 5K race.”
In 2009, Erin ran her first Triathlon in Pittsford. She placed well in her age group. That started the desire for bigger and better.
Dave, watching his wife run an Ironman Triathlon (which has a limit of 17 hours to complete the race. The World Triathlon Corporation (WRC) states that and Ironman consists of a 2.4 mile ( 3.86 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.25 km) bike race and a marathon foot race (26.22 miles, or 42.20 km). The events are raced in that order.
After 10 years away from running – although he worked out at the gym – Dave decided he would try his hand (his feet) at a Marathon.
Fulvio explained that: “I don’t swim so I went for the endurance and speed of a marathon (26.2 miles)”. The plan was to work out and get my self in shape for a marathon. “During first race, in Lake Placid, I dropped out after 2 0 miles, with a back issue. I immediately went back to training for my next one.”
“At my next marathon, I received a stress fracture. Now I was starting to rethink my type of racing,” Dave said.
He decided that if he went out for Ultra Marathons, up to 100 miles (anything over a marathon of 26.2), I could work with my endurance skills and not speed. I intensified by workout. It seemed like distance was more acclimated to my schedule also” Dave acknowledged. He tried a half marathon in April 2013 to get into shape for the longer runs, entering the Flower City Half Marathon and he placed in his age group.
The two runners, who spend their regular work 40 hour week as attorneys (Erin is Assistant County Attorney, and David is an attorney in the Law Offices of Villani and Grow, rarely run together. Their races are not scheduled for the same times or placed, but they often attend the others events to cheer them on.
They did run a half marathon together while they were visiting Alaksa for a wedding. Dave got a 2nd in his age group and decided he wanted to try the ultra marathons.
Erin has completed 3 Ironmen events. They include a 2.4 mile swim, 112 miles bike, 26.2 mile marathon.
“I watched a friend run in an Ironman Competition in Lake Placid in 2011 and I thought to myself, “I don’t think I can do that…then I decided I might be able to. “
Erin’s coach for her training is Denise Everitt, the women she met in the Gananda pool. I just ran a 6 hour race (just running) called “Cast a Shadow” in Chili NY. and another event, a 50K race (31 miles).
Erin completed a triathlon of swimming in the inlet ocean in Maine/New Hampshire, called “See The Summit”, which challenged her in a 92 mile bike up Mount Washington.
How do the 30 year olds, feel after a race? Exhausted, In Pain? “Sure, but the adrenalin high last for days.
Erin completed a half Ironman in Muskoka, Canada recently at Mont Trenblant, Montreal.
Both Erin and Dave work 40 hours a week at their jobs, and train 3-4 times a week in the pool, biking and running.
“I figure I do about 17 hours a week in training.
Dave works out at his local gym “Anytime Fitness” in Macedon, which suits his schedule as it is available 24/7.
Dave’s most impressive accomplishment to date is his entry in the the Burning River 100 miles (actually 102.2, Dave corrected). He placed 4th in the men’s division and 5th overall. “I am putting my running on hold for a while in 2017.” Dave acknowledged. “I qualified, after the Burning River event, for a place in a lottery, in December, which could have me eligible for a 100 mile race out west. We’ll see.”
The two were asked what makes a runner successful. What advise would they give?
David advised: “You have to plan, and commit. When you come home from work, you do not say, “Should I run?” You say — “I’m going running. Always have a plan and take small steps, set reasonable goals.” Erin’s advise is to dream big. As an adult, we sometimes give up our dreams, but my dreams are set. I plan to enter an Ironman in Florida in November (Panama City) and my dream goal is to race in the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. “Remember, small goals, and endurance. You can do it. Remain grounded.” Dave added.
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