Page 17 - WesternU View - Spring 2015
P. 17
and encouraged each other, but thanks to the Weight Watchers
he was still uncertain if he program, running and exercise.
could run any significant In February 2014, he began
distance, given the weight he training for triathlons to
was carrying at the time. challenge himself. This
November, he will compete in
Time and effort made the his first full Ironman.
difference. Running helped
him get over the weight At 42, Bruce said he feels better
plateau, and he found himself than he did when he was in
getting stronger and faster. He his 20s.
ran his first marathon, the L.A.
Marathon in March 2011 with “Running is great not only for
Alirez as his pace leader. It was the physical stuff, but because
the year Los Angeles had a it helps me mentally,” he said.
torrential rainstorm on race “When I was going through all
day, so any time objectives Bruce and Carolina Alirez outside of her remodeled office. the challenges with cancer and
disappeared. They just ran to the daily stuff, I would go out
finish, and more than six hours later, Bruce finally did. and run to clear my mind. It gives me that freedom to
get away from it for a while.” – Jeff Malet
Alirez said to this day, that first marathon was the
hardest Bruce has run, and his emotions at the finish
line the strongest ever.
“I know I will never see that look on anyone’s face
again,” Alirez said. “Elliott was really proud of himself, Below: Bruce at more
than 100 pounds
as I was of him. It was more than just a medal to overweight.
show he completed a marathon. He had so many
victories that day.” Right: Bruce, sleek
and healthy as he runs
in the LA Marathon.
Bruce has not missed the L.A. Marathon since, steadily
shedding time each race. His current personal record is
4:10:56.
“‘No excuse, no quit’ is something I would tell myself
when the cancer stuff hit and when I started running,”
Bruce said. “I was thinking, ‘Don’t make excuses for
things that happen, because they are going to
happen.’ You just have to want to reach your goal bad
enough.
“Not quitting means that I’m not going to give up
until I get what I want to get.”
In early 2012, he celebrated losing 100 pounds, and is
now down 105 pounds from his heaviest weight
WesternU View Spring 2015 15
he was still uncertain if he program, running and exercise.
could run any significant In February 2014, he began
distance, given the weight he training for triathlons to
was carrying at the time. challenge himself. This
November, he will compete in
Time and effort made the his first full Ironman.
difference. Running helped
him get over the weight At 42, Bruce said he feels better
plateau, and he found himself than he did when he was in
getting stronger and faster. He his 20s.
ran his first marathon, the L.A.
Marathon in March 2011 with “Running is great not only for
Alirez as his pace leader. It was the physical stuff, but because
the year Los Angeles had a it helps me mentally,” he said.
torrential rainstorm on race “When I was going through all
day, so any time objectives Bruce and Carolina Alirez outside of her remodeled office. the challenges with cancer and
disappeared. They just ran to the daily stuff, I would go out
finish, and more than six hours later, Bruce finally did. and run to clear my mind. It gives me that freedom to
get away from it for a while.” – Jeff Malet
Alirez said to this day, that first marathon was the
hardest Bruce has run, and his emotions at the finish
line the strongest ever.
“I know I will never see that look on anyone’s face
again,” Alirez said. “Elliott was really proud of himself, Below: Bruce at more
than 100 pounds
as I was of him. It was more than just a medal to overweight.
show he completed a marathon. He had so many
victories that day.” Right: Bruce, sleek
and healthy as he runs
in the LA Marathon.
Bruce has not missed the L.A. Marathon since, steadily
shedding time each race. His current personal record is
4:10:56.
“‘No excuse, no quit’ is something I would tell myself
when the cancer stuff hit and when I started running,”
Bruce said. “I was thinking, ‘Don’t make excuses for
things that happen, because they are going to
happen.’ You just have to want to reach your goal bad
enough.
“Not quitting means that I’m not going to give up
until I get what I want to get.”
In early 2012, he celebrated losing 100 pounds, and is
now down 105 pounds from his heaviest weight
WesternU View Spring 2015 15
