NIAGARA FALLS AIR RESERVE STATION, N.Y. -- Tech. Sgt. David Dixon, 914th Force Support Squadron training specialist, is a hard-core runner; preparing to run the Boston Marathon later this month.
Dixon runs six days per week, averaging 10 miles per run and started running three years ago after his wife encouraged him to participate in a weight loss competition. He picked up running in order to drop the weight, and hasn’t stopped since.
“I started running every day. I was smoking cigarettes. I was probably 30 pounds overweight. About three weeks in I stopped smoking and I lost 33 pounds. And I kept running,” said Dixon.
A major goal of his was to qualify for the Boston Marathon. In order to do that, he would have to have a running time of 3 hours and 10 minutes or less.
Dixon qualified for the Boston Marathon, a 26.2 mile course, on his second try, after previously missing the cut off by just over a minute. His qualifying run time was 2 hours 58 minutes 01 second.
He is part of a running group in the Buffalo area, called Next Level. He draws strength and inspiration from the people he runs with.
“The guys I run with motivate me to push it when my mind thinks I can't. We feed off each other no matter the distance or speed.”
In addition to having positive effects on his physical and mental well-being, he says that running has made him more even-tempered and focused both at work and at home.
In the future Tech. Sgt. Dixon says he would like to run the 2018 Boston Marathon as well as the Myrtle Beach half and full marathons.