- Drugs
My name is David Clark. I am a 42 year old father of three from Lafayette, Colorado. If you saw me today, you would see a 6-foot-tall, 160 lb. skinny vegetarian with a red beard and a crazy smile. I run ultra-marathons. In fact, I have run almost a hundred races, including five runs over 100 miles in length. I have even been fortunate to bring home a win or two along the way.
That is not, however, who I have always been. Seven years ago, I was a 320 lb. alcoholic who was dangerously close to death. My daily activities included multiple trips to fast food restaurants, drinking a bottle of scotch and swallowing whatever prescription painkillers I could find. From the outside looking in, I seemed to be as happy as the next person. But inside, I was dying a slow and painful death. In addition to morbid obesity and chronic substance abuse, I was under a doctor’s care for a heart condition, severely high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and two herniated discs in my back, which were still unknown to me at the time.
One morning I woke up with a thought, “If I don’t change right now in this moment, I will die.” All I could think about was the possibility of my kids growing up without a father. I didn’t want them to spend their lives trying to figure out why I drank myself to death. Without much thought of what was ahead, I poured my booze down the drain and went for a run. It wasn’t easy. In fact, I could only muster 15 seconds of running at a time and I had to mix in long periods of walking to keep from passing out. But I kept coming back. I ran more. I went to a group recovery meeting and I decided that maybe, just maybe, I didn’t have all the answers like I thought I did. I surrendered to a new life. It was a life filled with honesty, family and activity. I ran a 5k, a half marathon and a marathon and I never looked back.
I hear many theories from others as to why I am motivated to push myself to the extreme. These theories range from “trading addictions” to “running away from my problems.” But I can tell you that I am not running this much to escape my rocky past. I run to carry myself to a better future, a future that includes being a great dad, a better person, a better friend and also to try to be a beacon of light for others caught in a downward spiral.
You see, I believe in comebacks. How could I believe any other way? My journey has carried me all the way from rock bottom to become an accomplished ultra-runner, a successful running coach, a trainer and a philanthropist. I started a nonprofit called “The Superman Project” whose sole mission is to inspire and lead people to overcoming addiction and obesity. I am hosting an event that is for anyone who has struggled with addiction or overcoming personal hardship beyond the daily grind. The event is called “The Heart of Steel – Human Spirit Ultra.”
I believe that no one is too far gone and that it’s never too late to reinvent your life.
-David Clark