Athlete Spotlight: Bryan David

By Bryan D.
​Forward by Drew M.

Bryan and his wife Heather have been making regular appearances at the JRC Growlers group runs since they moved to the area. After running with them a few times I have come to know that they might be some of the tougher athletes I have had the pleasure of knowing. Bryan's story shows how an athlete needs to constantly adapt to continue making improvements. 

"I was never a part of any organized sports when I was younger, but I was always active. From playing tag as a kid to basketball with friends in my teens, it didn’t matter as long as I could get outside and move. 

I joined the Marine Corps at 17, and that put me in a whole new world of physical exertion I never knew. Boot camp was the first time I ran continuous distances longer than your typical gym class in high school required. After boot camp, and picking up smoking somewhere along the way, running was not my friend. I did the minimum required which was two 3-mile running tests annually. That, and other unhealthy habits, followed me until just before I left the Corps. I realized I was not where I should be as a 25-year-old and ditched the smokes and started running more. When I got out in 2011 at age 27, I PR’d my three-mile test with a time just over twenty minutes, and I was hooked.

Fast forward a few years to 2015, when I was in college, and a friend asked me to join him at a Spartan Race. I said “sure” because I thought I was in decent shape. And I was; just not enough to compete at a Spartan Race. I finished that five-mile race after giving my all and having my whole body cramp at the end due to exhaustion. I was in so much pain, but I fell in love. I ran two more races that year, extending my longest ever run to 16 miles at the Spartan Beast in Vermont. I just couldn’t get enough. I continued to get better each year, running upwards of 8-12 races a season. This increased running also started causing many injures. I struggled with multiple stress fractures and other injuries that sidelined me. But after going through rehab and learning how to properly run over the last two years, I’ve overcome all those injuries. And at 35 years old in 2019, I finally got to the point where I was becoming a competitive force. I found my niche, which turned out to be races less than 10k. I haven’t finished lower than 7th place all year and managed to secure two 2nd place podiums and one 3rd place podium. 

​I plan on taking myself to the next level in 2020 by running in the Spartan Elite heat for their Stadium Series. This series has racers running through iconic baseball stadiums such as Fenway Park, Citi Field, and others. I figure I have been doing this for five years, and I’m not getting any younger, so if I’m going to see what I’m capable of, now is the best time."

On behalf of JRC I would like to wish Bryan the best in his 2020 competitive season!

​Be sure to come out and meet Bryan and other wonderful members of our community at our group runs!