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On the Track: Craig Greene Sprints to Fitness
By Alisa Harvey
January/February 2012
Good health and fitness was not always a priority for Craig Greene, 47, of Manassas, VA. When he was 28 years old he stood at 6’3”and weighed 220 pounds. His choice of exercise involved occasionally lifting weights.
In 1993, Greene became ill one afternoon while working for Federal Express. That day he learned from his doctor that he not only had high blood pressure, but his cholesterol levels were dangerously high. He was immediately put on medication to manage his blood pressure and advised to change his diet.
“Back then, I would eat a whole pizza by myself,” recalled Greene. “And, I would pour salt all over it before I ate it.” He also ate a lot of fried food and sweets. Per the doctor’s orders he began taking regular walks with his wife, Rhonda. “Both my wife and I were worried about my health,” said Greene.
“My doctor ran marathons. He encouraged me to start running again. We talked about me exercising more for my blood pressure and to help improve my cholesterol. High blood pressure and cancer run in my family,” noted Greene.
During this transition to regaining fitness he met a personal trainer who helped with his weight-training. “I could never do one pull-up. My trainer made me work every day to get stronger. Over time that guy changed me,” said Greene.
Eventually he was inspired to begin running after observing his neighbors running and watching track and field on TV. “I ran track and cross country in high school. I began running again in 1996 and discovered my love and passion for running again. In 2005, I started training and racing when I turned 40.”
Today Greene works in his hometown as a physical education teacher at Westgate Elementary School. He is also an assistant track coach at Stonewall Jackson High School.
“I enjoy working with the kids. I hope to be a role model to my athletes. When I stopped running after high school it affected my health,” he lamented. “I wish more African-Americans would run distance and road races. Running helps your mind and your body.”
As a masters division runner, Greene has set these personal bests:
- 200m – 25 seconds
- 400m – 54 seconds
- 800m – 2:11
- 1 Mile – 5:02
This past October, he ran 18:16 at the Pennington Blue Jay 5K held in his hometown. “My favorite event is the 800 meters. I also love running 5K road races because it reminds me of my cross country days in school,” he said.
Greene practices a vegan diet. He eats vegetables, soy milk, fruit, and grains. A typical day of training involves waking at 4:30 a.m. He leaves his house to train at 5:00 a.m. He does two track workouts and two 30-minute runs per week. One day is set aside for running hill repeats and one day for a long run of 5 to 8 miles.
“I do weight-training on the days that I run 30-minutes. I will rest one day during the week,” said Greene. He maintains a body weight of 160-pounds and passed his last medical exam. He and Rhonda often travel together to his track or road competitions. The proud grandparents have been married for 25 years. “Rhonda keeps me grounded,” said Greene. “If I had kept doing what I was doing years ago I would not be standing here talking to you today. Running has given me a second chance at life.”
Alisa Harvey set an American Masters W-45 mile record in (5:04:02) and holds the World Record for the indoor W-40 Masters Mile. She is the 2009 U.S. Masters Indoor Champion W-40 in the 400m, 800m, and Mile. A four-time winner of the Army Ten-Miler, Harvey is Chair, Masters Long Distance Running, for USATF Potomac Valley Association. For more information: www.alisaharvey.com.