Name: David Dye

Age: 42

Occupation: Route Sales Specialist at Purity Dairies

Years running: 7

Why do you run?

I started to run to get healthy and lose weight. I loved exercising with a group to push me and hold me accountable from day to day. I love the peace and quite while running on trails. I enjoy being detached from everything for a few hours.

Favorite place to run: 

My favorite place to run is Percy Werner Park in Nashville. I did my first trail run there and have put many miles on the different trails and roads since. It is an amazing place.

Favorite achievement:

Completing 100 mile races. I never dreamed I could ever run that far in the past. It’s always an amazing feeling each time I cross the finish line at each one and say “I just ran 100 miles straight!”

Toughest moment in a race:

When I was in the middle of The Barkley Fall Classic a few years ago, I was ready to quit around mile 32. I was sitting on a log half way up Chimney Top really tired and dehydrated. A lady came up to me and told me to get up and get moving, you have to finish the race just to get back to tour car. I ended up running back and finished well because of her.

Goals for 2017:

Stay healthy and not overtrain, and to focus on the things that I always seem to skip like stretching and cross training.

Race Schedule for 2017:

Tips for new runners: 

My tip for a new person just getting into trail running is to start slow and enjoy your surroundings. Don’t focus on time and distance.