The running family mourns its loss
By Jeanmarie Tarmann-Derry
Special to The Pinnacle
”
A good exercise for the heart is to bend down and help another
up.
”
Running is an exercise for the body, heart, mind and soul. Dr.
Debra Malka advises always warming up for at least 10 minutes prior
to any runs. After running the distance that feels comfortable, she
also advises giving at least 10 minutes to your body to cool down
and stretch.
The running family mourns its loss
By Jeanmarie Tarmann-Derry
Special to The Pinnacle
“A good exercise for the heart is to bend down and help another up.”
Running is an exercise for the body, heart, mind and soul. Dr. Debra Malka advises always warming up for at least 10 minutes prior to any runs. After running the distance that feels comfortable, she also advises giving at least 10 minutes to your body to cool down and stretch.
Blue skies and hazy clouds greeted us this morning. South Valley Running Club meets Wednesday evenings. We also meet some Saturdays at 8 a.m. at the corner of Santa Teresa and First. Excited about receiving my number and race packet for the Bay to Breakers, I decided to go out and run with them.
South Valley Running Club suffered the loss of a good man last week. Marti Menz’s husband, David R. Thoms, passed away during a race. Many SVRC members were at that race.
Some South Valley runners went out to the clinic Wednesday night and ran anyway. “David would have wanted it that way,” said a bright young runner who finished a marathon in the last weeks and still put in the miles today.
Often it is when faced with difficult challenges, whether of the body or soul, that we feel called to run.
For some, padding along the track may feel a solo activity, and indeed there were some moms and daughters out there running as their dads and brothers practiced for a local semi-pro football team.
However, our group felt cohesive, like a family.
Fellow members Gar and Gretchen, remember the great dad David was.
“He was always laughing and smiling with his daughters,” said Gretchen Yoder-Schrock.
Another member recalled, “David was a gentle man and drew people close to him with his warmth and contagious smile.” One of the founders of SVRC remembers, “The most notable quality about David was his devotion to his wife and daughters, and the encouraging way he helped them achieve their potential.”
When I was young, my little brother would point up to sunbeams streaming through clouds and exclaim, “There’s heaven.”
When my dear dog Harvest died almost 17 years ago, I had been in the house cooking and doing the dishes. I watched as Harvest, more a first-born son than a dog, lay peacefully on the deck breathing calmly and slowly, enjoying the sunshine.
His hair had turned white around his face and his days of racing along Los Osos’ beach chasing seagulls were long behind him. That day in the sunshine was Harvest’s last.
I called all of the family around him. We held hands in a circle and told stories and celebrated this dear member of our family, canine though he was.
Whatever our losses, we honor. We celebrate. We cry. We remember. We are still. We pray. We ask for guidance and somehow muddle through.
Wednesday evening, members of SVRC ran our times around the track, a bit gentler it seemed. Some of us, on the last part of our run, chose to go in a different direction.
As we stretched we remembered David. “He’s looking down on us. This run around the track is in his honor,” Gar said.
As you pull on your running socks, snuggle down into those worn faded tennies, say a little prayer for David and his family.
Yes, we will run in his honor always. As I say to my daughters, each time I say goodbye, “Be Happy. Be safe.”
If you have any questions, comments, or information about upcoming runs, feel free to email mi**********@*ol.com
