What’s Your Why?
Arthur Schnitzer
I started running back in 2012 when I was in college on a fixed income and I wanted to lose weight and could not afford a gym membership. The first time I went out and ran my first mile I neglected to do an out and back and had to walk back an entire mile. From there, I slowly built my distance up to running 5 miles every Saturday with my dogs. I had not considered racing competitively until 2019 when I saw a flyer for the Couve Clover Run.
Why Racing was the first organized event that I participated in and my experience there really created my why. I signed up for the 2019 Couve Clover Run the day of the event and ended up placing 3rd in my age group. Walking away from that race inspired me to start asking myself “If I can do this, why not more?” My Why became doing better than the previous race and pushing myself to go even further. That morphed into participating in my first triathlon at the PDX Tri. What keeps me coming back is that feeling in the pit of my gut when I am at the starting line, and the rush of adrenaline when I cross the finish line and hear my name. While 2020 has been quite a whirlwind, Why Racing has kept me engaged and motivated all year long. I am consistently inspired by those who I get to see at in-person races and the virtual awards ceremony to consistently challenge myself “Why Not?“ The atmosphere of Why Racing has allowed me to feel like I can do anything with their support no matter where I place, everyone is treated like they took the gold.
I do not have the typical Triathlon/Runner body and hope that others are able to see what I am able to do and know that they can too. I always tell people it’s not about winning it’s about just doing it. Why Racing has made it so that anyone and everyone is not only welcomed but celebrated when they cross finish line, whether first place overall or the final person crossing the finish line. That motivation and support are what inspired me to run the Beastman Tri over the summer and I am currently training for an Ironman in Lake Placid. I always tell people if I can do it, anyone can!
Arthur’s Racing Highlights:
- 86 races since March of 2019
- 36 with Why Racing including the Beastman 72.3
- Completed 1 Marathon and 10+ half marathons since March 2019
