Page 29 - Abilene Living

that is. If you’re by yourself and you wake up in the morning and don’t feel like running you’ll go back to bed, but if you have somebody that’s going to be meeting you at the park, you’re going to get out and do it.”

Taillon decided to “get out and do it” right around the time he hit forty. A retired Dyess Aircraft Maintainer, Taillon realized he was out of shape after the military. He says with an average age ranging in the mid-forties among the club’s members, many had the same “aha” moment. “What it is, is people realize they’re getting older, and you have to do something to stay in shape. You end up walking, and then you start jogging and then you start running.” After seven years in the club, Taillon has eight marathons under his belt and two ultra marathons, plus countless 5K’s and 10K’s. “I never was a distance runner, never thought I’d run a marathon, but with encouragement, it’s amazing what you can accomplish.” Before Taillon, Bill Horn served as president. In fact, he is considered the founder of the Abilene Runner’s Club. “What happened was there was a really small group of us. We had met each other at different races around town and formed a camaraderie, and really wanted to expand that.” In 2002, Horn, and just a handful of other runners began meeting at the YMCA to jog. Then the group began to grow. Nine years later, more than 200 members have joined. “One thing we really strive to do in the runner’s club, is say ‘Come out!’ There will be somebody there that’s at your ability level, to walk with you, run with you or just encourage you to reach