Lukus' Inspiring Marathon Come Back Story

This week we bring you Lukus, another epic tale of dedication and motivation. He was told he would never be able to run again. He then completed a full marathon and had the best time doing it.

The recap of his story starts here:

I started training for the Twin Cities Marathon 15 weeks prior to the event.  At the time I was not running at all because I was in the process of moving from Southern Colorado to Minnesota in preparation for starting my Ph.D. at North Dakota State University.  I was previously racing competitive XTERRA triathlon while working as a full-time professor in Exercise Science and Biomechanics, coaching triathletes, ultra-endurance runners, and ultra-endurance mountain bikers, online for Matt Hanson Racing.  While training for endurance mountain biking and XTERRA I would listen to the Sonya Looney Podcast on my long rides, and that is how I learned about Moxie and Grit. 

When I was 19, I was told I would never be able to run again. In the 4.5 years, I did not run I found new enjoyments in swimming and mountain bike racing, AND this is how I started my plant-based journey.  I also took that negative information and invested my energy in learning the human body, that is how I got to where I am in my academics.  I truly believe the combination of learning how the body operates physiologically and mechanically under stress and the diet change of eating plant-based is how I got back into running. 

Lukus crushing it in our F*cking Magical socks!

The marathon has always been very close and personal to me. I grew watching family members at the Grandmas Marathon in Duluth Minnesota every year.  But since the initial injury years ago I have been very busy with triathlon that I haven’t devoted time to just running. Also, the demons of passed injuries made me very nervous to ever focus time on the marathon. So, with the big change to starting my Ph.D. I decided to train as best I could but not sign up until the very last minute.  I registered for the marathon two weeks before the event and felt as if I was limping into it mentally.  It was an emotional day starting the race, I was so happy to be there, I had way too much fun.  The weather was perfect, the energy from the great state of Minnesota fans was amazing, and how beautiful the fall is in the Twin Cities made for a truly special day. 

I must thank Sonya Looney’s podcast and her Moxie and Grit brand, for the positive energy and vibes she gives off in each of her podcasts and newsletters.