1,000 Miles Per Year

Erick Larson runs close to a thousand miles a year.

"I do four miles a day, four days a week," said the 60-year-old businessman.

It's something he's been doing since March 2000. He figures if he ran in one direction he'd be close to halfway around the world.

"At about 10,000 miles, I will be coming back home," he said.

Running may be his choice exercise but it's not his only one. Erick also leads a spinning class at the Maryville YMCA . He joined the spinning class two years ago as an alternate form of exercise, then was asked to teach it last year.

"Make your mother proud," he called out, above loud rock music during a late afternoon class. About 15 cyclists on stationary bikes followed his lead in the darkened workout room. They pedal fast to his classic rock 'n' roll collection of 120 songs, from Van Halen and Bon Jovi to Bruce Springsteen .

Erick also belongs to the Y's Red 9 Runners Club , a group of all levels and ages.

"I'm the slowest of the slow," he said.

"Erick is faithful and very encouraging to everyone," said Cheri Becker , of Maryville, who runs the club.

When he's not running or spinning, Erick likes photography and geocaching (a kind of outdoor hide-n-seek game with a GPS device). He and his wife, Theresa, live in Maryville. They have two grown children.

What made you start running? "I read a book that it was the quickest way to lose weight," said Erick, who had run track in high school. In 2006, I decided to take it up a notch." He ran farther and varied his regular 3-mile distance. "I've run 7,311 miles since 2000. I started running 5Ks. Since 2006, I've run seven 5Ks, three half- marathons and one full marathon." Erick, who is 5-foot-11 and weighs 198, lost 36 pounds in the process.

What made you do longer races? "When I was in college, I wanted to hike the Himalayas someday. I later learned that it cost $45,000 and I found out if you die, they leave you. I wanted to do something that set you apart from others. So when I turned 55, I did my first half-marathon. I shed a tear when I crossed the finish line.

"You reach a point at six or seven miles that you know you are going to do it. It's mind over body. You're too far in not to stick with it."

Do you usually run outside? "Twenty percent is treadmill. I mostly run on bike trails and dirt paths. There's probably not any pavement path in Madison County I haven't been on. I'm a nature person. I like seeing turtles, snakes, trees, flowers. I always have a phone or a camera along. I prefer (outside). I would rather run in summer than cold weather. My whole body doesn't (loosen) up when it's cold."

Why do you stick with it? "I run to stay in shape. I want to hike in the Appalachian Mountains when I'm 90. I've been there, and kids are huffing and puffing and I am not.

"I love the exertion. When I'm done, I'm hot and sweaty. About a half-hour after I'm done, I feel the accomplishment."

Any other benefits from running? "I own a transportation company. I get yelled at and screamed at all day long. By the third step, you forget all that. It takes the stress away. It's just you. ... I have a physical every year. I've done that since 2000. I've just had the best physical I've ever had. My blood pressure is 120/70. My cholesterol is 185."

How do you begin? "I started with a distance of three miles. I was walking 90 percent of the way. It took me 72 minutes to do my first three miles. Every day, I'd run a little more. It took me three months to go from walking to mostly running. My best time was 28 minutes. I am cautious. I didn't want to hurt my back or legs. I picked up running in 2000. I was 48. I just turned 60. Now everyone says, 'You don't look bad for 60.'"

About the YMCA's Red 9 Runners Club : They run four times a week together, Monday nights and Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday mornings. If you're not a YMCA member, the annual fee is $35. Besides running, the group gets together for social activities and community projects such as trash pick-up on Keebler Road and collecting for a food pantry in State Park.