Steve Pasquale is many things: a swimmer, a coach, and a teacher. But a runner?

Mr. Pasquale started running in early quarantine. Like the rest of us, he was pretty bored, and when the quarantine first started there wasn't much to do. “My wife was going out every other day or so to run herself. She said I should go with her one day. So I did, just for something to do and to see how far I could run for,” Pasquale said.

Pasquale enjoys running because it gives him an opportunity to clear his head and put aside stress. He also likes the feeling of accomplishment after finishing a tiring run. Running has come with a few problems, though. Pasquale has struggled with some knee and tendon pain as he’s explored running. He had to take a month off in August because of his Achilles tendons. “So now I just do longer runs each time I run, but not on back to back days.”, says Pasquale. He also invested in some Dr. Scholl’s inserts.

Pasquale is very proud of his improvements over quarantine. “When I started last March I couldn't run more than half a mile before I had to tap out.”, said Pasquale. He completed his first 5K on July 4th, and he’s run almost a half-mile more than that by now. When asked if he had advice for any aspiring runners, Pasquale said, “My advice is to start with short distances or just short timed runs. Build your endurance up and over time you'll be able to run longer and longer.”

Pasquale’s attitude about running has definitely changed in the past year. He never liked it and just didn’t think he was good at it, but now, he is proud of how many things he has accomplished recently. That doesn’t mean he likes it more than swimming, though. “The pool is where I belong!” Pasquale said.