HE'S 73 YEARS YOUNG AND STILL RUNNING
by Melissa Farrell

Seventy-three year old Oak Beach resident, Carl Yaroch has run 22,000 miles in the last 28 years, and shows no signs of quitting any time soon.

Yaroch began running at 45, like many other people who were influenced by the running craze of the 1970s. During the running boom, Yaroch started jogging. A friend encouraged him to run a race with him, and he has been running ever since.

Unlike many other people who passed that phase in their life and lost interest, running is an integral part of his weekly routine.

"I try to schedule my appointments around my weekly running routine," Yaroch said.

He runs three miles, three to four times a week.

"If I skip a day I planned to run, it wears on me," he commented.

While running can be very enjoyable, it takes a lot of dedication and self-discipline to stick to the routine. Some days the body may not feel like running; burnout is also common among runners who run many miles. Undesirable weather and injury is another obstacle die-hard runners must face.

"I have run in all types of weather, 18 degrees below zero, slush, snow and rain," he said. "There were days when I wasn't feeling well and probably should not have run, but I pushed through it."

As injury is common in running, like other sports, once in a while Yaroch would take a few days off because of a bummed hamstring or quad, but nothing kept him from running too long.

While some runners are highly competitive and focus on winning, Yaroch participates in the sport for enjoyment.

Yaroch has formed camaraderie with many other runners in the 348 races he has run since 1978. He looks forward to meeting with friends and acquaints at the races. Currently, Yaroch enters 10 to 12 5K road races each year.

While Yaroch enjoys road races now, at one point in his life, he trained for marathons.

"When I first started running I thought nothing about getting up and running 10 miles on a Sunday," he said.

When training for a marathon, it is important to gradually build up miles, he explained.

Yaroch said he always tried to build up to an 18-mile run, before the race. He ran an average of 1,400 to 1,500 miles a year when training for a marathon.

Yaroch has run seven marathons. He ran the Detroit marathon six times and the Marine Core Marathon in Washington once.

Warm weather during a marathon was often one of the biggest challenges for him to overcome.

"The goal in mind was to finish," he said. With his no quitting attitude in tact he always finished.

While Yaroch is no longer able to run marathons, he looks forward to running the next race.

His all-time favorite race was the 10-mile Crim, which he no longer feels he is able to run anymore.

"I will really miss the Crim. There is a point when you have to realize you can't do some things that you did a few years ago."

But that does not damper Yaroch's running spirit.

"Running is still enjoyable, even though it is becoming harder. It keeps me active.

"I feel much healthier mentally and physically when I run," he said.

Yaroch is very active, but not only as a runner. When Yaroch is not on the road in running shoes, he can often be found in his workshop making wooden creations ranging from push toys for the grandchildren to picnic tables and wooden benches for his children.

Yaroch also enjoys fishing for perch when the fishing is good.

Before Yaroch began running, he was a century biking enthusiast. One of his longest biking excursions -1598 miles - was the trip he took from Denver, Colorado, to Warren, Michigan. On his excursion he averaged 80 miles a day on his bike, arriving in Warren 22 days later.

Whether biking or running, Carl Yaroch's commitment to fitness is a marvelous example to one and all.