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Q&A with Steve Cannon - The Run to Cure Cancer
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Photo: Squidoo.com
This is the first in a three-part series about runner Steve Cannon. A Des Moines resident, Steve is planning an 11-day, 300-mile run across Iowa to raise cancer awareness. To learn more about the race, visit his website.
Steve and I met over coffee at Zanzibar’s, where I had a chance to ask him a few questions.
Have you always been a runner?
I haven’t. I didn’t run in high school, college – none of that. I moved out to Colorado in my late 20s and quickly learned that everyone in Colorado runs. So, I picked it up too.
Do you remember your first race?
Yes – the first real race I ran was a 5k on St. Patrick’s Day in Manitou Springs, Colorado. It took me 31 minutes and I didn’t think I was going to make it. But, then I realized there was more to it than running – it was a social function too. Afterward, everyone went to the after-race party or headed down the street to have breakfast and a drink.
So, did you get hooked after that?
I did. I ran a few 5ks, tried a 10k and half-marathon. I kept pushing myself to run further. Sooner or later you reach a comfort zone – I guess I just haven’t reached mine yet.
During each race I run, there’s always this rush; a sense of accomplishment because it’s your own achievement. There’s a sense of competition within you. It doesn’t matter if 90 people are running the race and they all beat you – you set your personal record and that’s something to be proud of.
On June 22, you begin your run across the state. How did you come up with this idea?
A friend of mine, Rusty Bishop (owner of Gong Fu Tea in Des Moines) ran across Iowa, and I always wondered if I could too. I tossed the idea back and forth for a couple years and this past winter, it just didn’t go away. I decided that if I’m going to do something like that, I’m going to do it for a reason. So, I chose the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
I did research and found out how large it is and how involved it is in everything from building cancer awareness to fundraising and more. It’s bigger than anything – and gives the powerful message of awareness and hope.
For more information surrounding Steve’s mission, visit his website. Here, you can read his blog, check out the silent auction, view the race route and more.
Don’t forget to check back soon – You’ll learn even more about Steve’s training and The Run to Cure Cancer in the next week.
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