Two years and 131 miles later, still running for a cause

By: Bridget Doyle/triblocal.com staff reporter
09/21/09 04:20 PM 501 hits

Ross Forman with Connie Payton after placing third in his category at the 9.5-mile Walter Payton run on Sept. 12.

In 2007, Ross Forman wasn’t even sure he could run three miles without stopping. Two years later, the 42-year-old Buffalo Grove resident is busy preparing for his sixth marathon.

“I knew other people who did marathons, but I never in my wildest imagination thought I could run a marathon,” Forman said. “I was not a runner. Then I thought one day, ‘Let me see if I can actually do this.’ You get hooked on it.”

To train, Forman signed up to run with the National AIDS Marathon Training Program, a group based in Chicago and Los Angeles. The AIDS group trains runners based on the assumption they will raise a set amount of money to benefit AIDS research. Forman was the Chicago's top fund-raiser in 2007 and 2008, raising around $10,000 each year.

“Fundraising is tough in today’s economy, but you know you’re helping people with a worthwhile cause,” Forman said. “People are so appreciative and the coaching is excellent.”

Forman’s first race was in Florence, Italy in November 2007. After overcoming the hurdle of his first marathon, he ran in Nashville in April 2008. He followed with races in Amsterdam in October 2008, Honolulu in December of 2008 and San Diego this past May. Though he continues to improve, Forman said his best time was in Nashville.

Although he has suffered with past knee problems, the Northbrook native said he finds inspiration in the people close to him who push him to achieve his goals.

“When I’m struggling through the last half of the race thinking, ‘Why am I doing this?’ I try to remember the people who have donated to my cause,” Forman said. “I know my dad would love to run a marathon but physically can’t. I try to remember that there are people in a lot more pain than me, and If I can do something big like this and help fundraise, I’ll push through.”

Forman’s next race is the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 11. After his Chicago race, he will have completed half a dozen marathons in two years. However big this accomplishment, Forman’s convinced that all it takes is dedication to the sport.

“You just have to plan to make it a part of your life,” Forman said. “If you know you have running to do, you prepare for it — set aside time, get the proper nutrition, check the weather and make time to stretch and recover. I was not a runner, so I’m convinced anyone can do it if they dedicate the time.”

By Bridget Doyle, Triblocal.com reporter

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