Welding

Students James Crain, Braylon Patterson, and Brylen Titsworth learning how to safely operate a cutting torch in the shop. 

Story by: Ray Howell

Qualifying for the Boston Marathon is like making it to the Super Bowl for local runners. I earned my qualifying time in January 2025 at the Houston Marathon with a finish time of 3:32:37. The qualifying standard for my age group, 60–64, for the 2026 Boston Marathon was 3 hours and 50 minutes. I finished 17 minutes and 23 seconds faster than the required standard, which secured my acceptance into the 130th Boston Marathon.

Qualifying felt like accomplishing one of the biggest goals I had ever set for myself as a runner. Earlier in 2024, I had lost a close friend, so while training for the Houston Marathon, I decided to dedicate both the race and my training to his memory. During that race, I ran my fastest marathon time ever and also recorded my fastest half-marathon split to that point. A month later, at the Run the Line Half Marathon in Texarkana, I improved that half-marathon time by another three minutes.

The Houston Marathon was challenging from the beginning. Around mile 22½, I developed severe cramps in my upper thighs. For the next two miles, I struggled to keep moving, stopping several times to regroup. Then, around mile 25, I thought about my friend Robert and prayed for the strength to finish the final mile. Robert had spent many years confined to a wheelchair after complications from back surgery caused severe damage to his spinal cord. Before he passed away, he told his wife he could not wait to get to heaven so he could finally run on the streets of gold.

After crossing the finish line, my cramps were so severe that I needed help walking. Deep down, I truly felt Robert carried me through those last miles. Qualifying for Boston while honoring his memory made the accomplishment even more meaningful and emotional for me.

Training this year has been much more difficult. After the Houston Marathon, I began having pain in my left ankle. At first, I assumed it was simply soreness, but after running the Run the Line Half Marathon in February 2025, my ankle swelled badly following a recovery run. I was diagnosed with Posterior Tibialis Tendinitis and spent seven weeks in a walking boot followed by eight weeks of physical therapy. The injury kept me from running for nearly three months.

When I finally returned to running, my mileage and pace had to be limited to protect the injured area. Slowly, the ankle began to heal, though most mornings still started with discomfort, especially during the first few miles. Today, I feel the injury is about 90 percent healed. I’ve registered to run the Run the Line Half Marathon again next month — the same race I completed just before the injury began. I know my 16-week training plan for Boston will still have limitations, but I remain hopeful that continued healing will allow me to complete the long-distance runs needed to prepare for race day.

I actually discovered running later in life after being diagnosed with Type II Diabetes in July 2014. At the time, I worked in sales, and my eating habits had caused me to become overweight and out of shape. My doctor suggested joining a gym or trying a treadmill. Around that same time, my son attended Trinity Christian School and ran on the cross-country team. Since I was already driving him to early morning practices, I asked the coach if I could join them. That was the beginning of my running journey.

At first, I could only run about half a mile before needing to walk. Gradually, the distances between walking became longer, and my pace improved. Ten years later, I achieved my fastest race times ever in the 5K, half-marathon, and full marathon. For most runners, aging usually means slowing down, so improving at this stage of life has been especially rewarding.

Training for a marathon comes with many challenges, especially finding enough time during the week. I work as a welding instructor at Liberty-Eylau High School and also drive a school bus route before and after school each day. Marathon training involves weeks of speed workouts, long-distance runs, race pace efforts, strength training, stretching, and recovery days. It often means dealing with sore muscles, exhaustion, lack of sleep, and constant fatigue.

My alarm clocks are usually set for 4 a.m., and on some days as early as 3 a.m., so I can finish training, get home to shower, prepare meals for the day, and report to my bus route by 6:45 a.m. Weekends are usually reserved for long runs, which often means sacrificing time with family, hobbies like fishing and hunting, and even simple daily responsibilities.

Mentally, staying motivated for an entire year while preparing for one race can be difficult. Much of my motivation comes from honoring my grandmother, Kathryn Howell, who passed away in 1999 at the age of 82. She raised 13 children and spent her entire life in Texarkana. Despite the enormous responsibilities she carried every day, she always seemed to have the warmest smile in the world.

Thinking about her work ethic inspires me on mornings when I feel exhausted, sore, or mentally drained. In many ways, I feel like she runs beside me in spirit, giving me confidence during moments of doubt and encouraging me to push beyond my comfort zone. During difficult workouts, long hills, or demanding tempo runs, remembering her gives me the strength to keep moving forward.

My wife has also been my greatest supporter throughout this journey. She helps in countless ways — washing endless loads of workout clothes, helping plan race schedules, preparing nutritious meals and hydration, and listening patiently to all the soreness and frustrations that come with marathon training. She keeps my priorities in perspective and supports me through the irritability and exhaustion that often come from lack of sleep and demanding workouts.

I also have several friends who train with me on weekends. Their encouragement, accountability, and shared experiences help make the process easier. The local running community follows my progress through the Strava app, where runners leave encouraging comments and support. Seeing others believe in me motivates me to keep pushing harder.

People run for many different reasons. Some run to stay healthy, some to lose weight, and others to finish an event. Then some runners compete against themselves — always chasing a personal best time or trying to improve from a previous race. I admire anyone willing to put in the work, and during races, I’m always quick to encourage other runners, whether they are ahead of me or behind me.

One thing running has taught me is this: if you want different results, you must be willing to do something different. Whether your goal is to run your first race, achieve a personal best, or qualify for the Boston Marathon, the effort you invest in your training will ultimately determine the results you achieve.