Here at runladylike.com, Fridays are all about sharing the inspiring stories of fit people who motivate all of us to be better tomorrow than we were yesterday. My Friday FITspiration series profiles runners, triathletes and casual exercisers who are making choices every day to be as healthy as they can be – in both huge ways and through simple, small victories. Their stories are about the journey of transforming from ordinary to extraordinary each and every day.

“When things seem hopeless, stay true to yourself and never give up.” ~Victor Mariano

Today, I’m excited to introduce you to Victor Mariano. Victor is someone whose perseverance and determination inspire me. As a Colorado native now living in Georgia, Victor was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2000 – the same disease he lost his father to at age 62. Three years ago, Victor lost his wife after a long battle with prescription pain addiction, leaving him a single dad of 3 – one daughter from his first marriage and the adopted dad of 2 teenagers from his second marriage. Victor recalls being in Colorado visiting family when his wife took a handful of morphine pills from her mom’s medicine cabinet, went to sleep and never woke up.

Despite the many challenges life has put Victor through already, he never quits. Running is where he finds strength and courage, and his focus is on his children and living every day to be the best he can be.

I’m grateful to Victor for sharing his story and his many valuable insights with us.

How long have you been running and what inspired you to start?
My running journey began 7 years ago in December 2006. Several things came together that motivated me to start. After surviving kidney cancer in 2002 and getting healthy, I had let myself slip. I managed to gain weight back I had worked so hard to lose. I was tired of being overweight, out of shape, feeling exhausted and staring down the barrel of age 50. Not where I wanted to be.

I saw a Nike+ TV commercial about a sensor that you put in your shoe. I headed off to Sports Authority and picked up a pair of shoes that “looked good” with the sensor slot and bought a Nike+ kit. I made up a play list, got some Nike friends online and I was off and running. I began uploading runs, joining challenges and getting in shape. It was motivating. I logged more than 5,000 miles on the Nike+ before I stopped using it! Once I started moving my body, 25 pounds disappeared right away. The next 35 pounds took about a year, and I followed the Runner’s World Runners Diet. I have maintained my weight between 160 and 170 pounds for 5 years now.

I ran for a whole year before I got the guts to finally sign up for a race. It was a half marathon in Georgia in February 2008, and then I was hooked.

What do you wish you knew about running when you first started that you know now.
There are 3 things I wish I knew when I started that I know now:

• First, it’s so important to incorporate rest into our annual training cycles. We all need some “off-season” time. Even though we think we may get out of shape or forget how to run, we have to rest our bodies. I learned the hard way by burning out from doing race after race in 2010. My body just shut down and my legs hurt all the time. I stopped running and did cross-training and other cardio to keep my fitness up but gave my legs a rest.
• The second point relates to what I have heard called “junk miles.” Oftentimes, I was running in online challenges or virtual races and those were mostly all about distance. And people do some crazy things to get those miles to “win,” all without a real training plan or time off. Running shouldn’t be about just running from one challenge to the next.
• Thirdly, cross-training is key. Doing fitness activities other than running, especially core training is important. Being able to stay upright in the later stages of those long races is so important to keeping proper form and preventing injuries.

What running accomplishment are you most proud of?
I am most proud of running my first negative split marathon in 2011. [Note from rUnladylike: A negative split is running the second half of a race faster than the first.] I decided to try the Galloway Method for my fall marathon in 2011. After having bonked the Nashville Marathon in 2010, I picked the October Atlanta Marathon as my “comeback” race. The run/walk method felt weird to me at first but I kept at it. I ran the suggested miles and paces during the week and ran all the long runs with a great group on Saturdays. The only long run I didn’t do was the 26-mile run. My opinion – if I am going to run 26 then it’s going to be on race day. We trained at 2:30 minutes run and 1:00 minute walk in the sweltering summer with the Atlanta heat. On race day, we did 3:00 run/1:00 walk. I felt great going into race day and my goal was 4:48. At mile 10, several of us started to pull away from the group and run our own race. When I crossed the half marathon mark, my time was 2:24. I was thinking ugh, not going to make the goal. In all previous marathons, I lost 3 to 5 minutes in the last 4 miles of the race. But that day I kept my run/walk intervals and stayed strong and crossed the finish line at 4:46. A 2-minute negative split!

You’ve run more than 65 races. Do any stand out as favorites?
I have 4 favorites.

• My absolute favorite was Big Sur in 2012. Not because of what everyone says about the beauty of it, as it was so foggy that day I only caught glimpses of the ocean. But rather, it’s my favorite because it was my toughest race so far. There were so many different weather changes that day – from sun and clouds to wind in your face to cold then hot. I did the run/walk method and had a negative split by 1 minute and totally kicked ass up the 2-mile climb to Hurricane Point! I finished in 4:40.
• My first marathon – the Chicago Marathon in 2008 – also stands out. I used the Hal Higdon method and followed it to a tee. I had a goal of 4:30 and ended up 4:31:09. I hate to say it, but those 9 seconds still haunt me.
• The New York City Marathon in 2009 was the best experience. This is my PR race (4:12:09). There is nothing like running through the streets of NYC.
• I also loved the BoulderBolder 10K in Boulder, Colorado. It finishes in the Colorado University Buffs stadium to cheers of thousands and was very uplifting.

You’ve been through some profound and challenging experiences in your life, like battling kidney cancer and the loss of your wife. Where do you find the strength to persevere during the times of greatest adversity?
My strength comes from within and from what I learned from my father. It is simple really. Take care of yourself so you have the strength to take care of others. And when things seem hopeless, stay true to yourself, and absolutely never give up.

What do you do to stay focused during the dark moments of a training run or race when you feel like quitting?
When I have dark moments in training, I put on my Bruce Springsteen/U2 play list. Running with Bruce and Bono is like running with good friends. I can listen to their life stories in the lyrics and connect with them at a level down to my soul. Bruce’s lyrics in songs such as “No Surrender” and “Tougher Than the Rest” to Edge’s haunting guitar in “Where the Streets have No Name” and Bono’s wail in “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” can get me through any dark day.

As for races, there have been some dark ones. But, I’ve never thought seriously about quitting in a race. Unless I can’t move and they have to carry me off the course, I plan on finishing.

What running or fitness-related accomplishment do you most want to achieve in 2014?
For 2014, I’m going to complete my first ultra race in April – the SweetH20 50K. In July, I’m going to my hometown in Colorado to complete a US SkyRunning Series race in Silverton, Colorado. It is a 12-mile hill race from the town of Silverton to the top of Kendall Mountain.

What is your running mantra(s)?
There are a few running mantras that keep me going. Oddly enough, they are both from episodes of “Grey’s Anatomy.” The first has to do with expectations and life’s changes. It goes like this …

“We all think we are going to be great and we feel a little bit robbed when our expectations are not met. But sometimes our expectations sell us short. Sometimes the expected simply pales to the unexpected. You gotta wonder why we cling to our expectations; because the expected is just what keep us steady standing. Still the expected is just the beginning, the unexpected is what changes our lives.”

The second has to do with accepting life’s changes from injuries – whether they be physical or emotional.

“Recovery is not a team sport; it is a solitary distance run. It’s long, it’s exhausting and it’s lonely as hell. The length of your recovery is determined by extent of your injuries, and it is not always successful. No matter how hard we work at it. Some wounds never fully heal. You might have to adjust to a whole new way of living. Things may have changed too radically to ever go back to what they were. You might not recognize yourself. It is like you haven’t recovered anything at all. You’re a whole new person with a whole new life.”

From a nutrition perspective, what have you found that works best for you before, during and after a race?
Before any race, it’s whatever I cook … nothing special. I just keep the quantity in check. In the morning before a race, I eat a banana, English muffin with peanut butter and cherry jam and drink water. During the race, I alternate between Picky Bars and Huma Chia gels. I don’t carry fluids on race day. I grab water and whatever energy drink they are giving out and mix together half and half.

Finish this sentence: I run because ________________.
I run because it brings me peace and joy at the same time.

What are your 3 favorite running blogs or Web sites?

• runladylike.com
• thelonerunner.com
• RunningTimes.com

How can people connect with you?

• Twitter @Victor__Runs
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/VictorAMariano
• MapMyRun: Victor Mariano
• http://www.athlinks.com/athletes/vmariano

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If you or someone you know has an inspiring running, triathlon or fitness story to share, please send me an email at runladylike@gmail.com. I am always looking for everyday athletes to feature on Friday FITspiration.

What inspires you both about Victor’s journey? Who do you think I should profile on a future Friday FITspiration?