A recent study estimated that approximately 45-million people in the United States participate in biking, running and jogging each year. Even with my enthusiasm for a variety of sports-related statistical matters, sadly I can’t be counted among this impressive number. My enjoyment and participation in sports has been a life-long pursuit, but the running part was something I had to do rather than something I enjoyed doing.

These days on my occasional ‘brisk’ walks along the Riverwalk I encounter a small portion of those 45-million folks doing their thing. From some of the pained expressions on their faces I often think, ‘are they really enjoying themselves?’ But they are out there doing same and that’s all that counts.

This past April ten area runners had qualified to compete in the annual Boston Marathon, the Super Bowl of marathon races. Held on Patriots Day, the third Monday in April, it began in 1897 and was inspired by the success of the first marathon competition in the 1986 Summer Olympics. It is the world’s oldest annual marathon and ranks as one of the world’s best-known road racing events.

One of those ten competitors was Mike Habalar, a longtime running enthusiast who I’ve often teased about wearing shorts in the dead of winter. A ninth-grade history teacher at Williamsport, after fifteen years of running Boston was a long-awaited goal.

“Runners run for all different reasons and I respect that,” Habalar revealed. “But for me, I wanted to push myself to the absolute maximum and see how far my body can be pushed. The pursuit of Boston allowed me to do that and was glorious.

In his younger days Habalar was avidly involved with soccer but distance running soon entered his life.

“My wife, Tushana, and I were always pretty athletic. I played college soccer, but running certainly wasn’t what I enjoyed doing, but I ran because of soccer. After we got married it became much more difficult to find places to play soccer. So running was something you could do very easily on your own. We lived right beside a rail trail in York, PA.

“Tushana loves telling the story that early on to stay in shape we ran on the rail trail a few miles. I told her that I didn’t see any reason to run more than three miles. So in those days running was just something I could do to stay in shape without having to rely on somebody else to do it. She loves that story because now when I go out running I don’t run anything less than six miles.

“For me, running mirrors life in so many ways. It keeps me not only physically healthy, but more importantly mentally healthy. It is a massive stress reliever for both Tushana and I. We find that we do get that ‘runner’s high.’ That’s the thing that people talk about that when you are in good shape you want to stay in good shape. We are weekend warriors but we try and to be as competitive as possible. It has been one of those things that how far can I push myself?

“When you are playing a team sport you can only know how much you’re doing because you are relying on your teammates. Running is pure numbers. You know each time you go out, am I one second faster or am I one second slower. When you set really long term goals for yourself they may seem absolutely unattainable early on. But it is amazing what individuals can accomplish if they will continue to work at that goal. That turns into a snowball effect that ‘oh my gosh, look what I have done.’”

Asked about his dietary and rest regiments to maximize his long-distance training habits, Habalar admitted he is well-aware of what others are doing but maintains what has worked well for him.

“I do a lot of reading to see what other runners may do to prepare for a race. I understand the importance of measuring out their foods, carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Myself, I’ve never taken it to that level. I try to stay consistent with my weight but I don’t really watch what I eat. With the carb load you are certainly going to eat more bread but I don’t take a scientific approach like a lot of runners do.

“I am a huge proponent of rest. Four or five years ago I had some back issues, so I really only run three days a week. Leading up to a race the rest becomes more of making sure I stay off my feet as much as I can. When you go to new cities there are always things you want to see. But if you are there specifically for a race you have to place priority on the purpose of your visit. Walking around to sightsee takes too much out of your legs so you try to limit that as much as possible.”

In next week’s column we’ll share Habalar’s experiences in fulfilling his dream of running in the Boston Marathon.