14 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE JUNE 25, 1993

SPORTS

A most positive long-distance runner

by Bill Podojil

The sport of running has known many interesting and courageous participants. During the recent Revco Marathon and 10k, I had the pleasure of meeting several out-of-town gay runners who came to Cleveland for this nationally known event. They were hosted by some Cleveland Frontrunners and treated to a "Carbo-Load" pasta party the night before the race.

As stories of past races and hopes for the following day's race filled the air, I happened to meet a unique runner, Ric Munoz, who came all the way from West Hollywood, California, to run the Revco. Ric carried himself like a seasoned veteran athlete as he told many stories about his running career and was the answer man to the neophytes of the group who had questions ranging from side cramps to running shoes.

After the race was completed, I called him to talk about his inspiring career as a runner. There is more than just his running career, however, that is inspiring. Ric was diagnosed in 1987 with HIV.

Munoz began running at the age of 25 after being coerced into entering a local 10k race by a co-worker. Growing up in the Los Angeles area, Ric never liked to run, however it slowly became more and more a part of his life. He was soon off and running in local 5k's, 10k's and marathons. "Running seemed to become a natural thing to me," he comments, "I really enjoy it." While he did enjoy the sport, it wasn't until his HIV diagnosis in January, 1987, that made him start to concentrate on improving his skill. "I really didn't take the sport too seriously until after I found out I had HIV," he explains. "After that I decided that I really wanted and needed to concen-

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trate on something positive. Having HIV has actually improved my running career!"

I asked Ric how he felt when he found out he was HIV positive. He answered, “I reacted pretty well to the news. I had already accepted the fact that I probably was infected, so I guess I was prepared mentally for the worst. I do, however, have a pretty positive outlook on things and try to make the best of any situation." Having logged a total of 53 marathons and averaging ten marathons a year since 1989, one could say that he has made the best out of what could be a terrifying situation. "I simply refuse to worry," he added, "worrying is a learned behavior that can be un-learned just as easily. I just don't dwell on it, and honestly don't even think about it unless I'm asked." Ric is very open about his HIV status and has done many interviews for Los Angeles newspapers and news programs.

For those not familiar with the standard running distances, a 5k equals 3.1 miles, a 10k equals 6.2 miles and a marathon consists of 26.2 miles. The marathon is considered to be one of the sport's most grueling events, taking months of training to prepare and sometimes weeks from which to recover. Breaking the 3 hour time is considered quite good in amateur competition.

Ric finished the Revco Marathon with a time of 2 hours 52 minutes. This placed him 62nd among the men, 13th in the 35-40 age group and 69th overall. "The competition for the Revco was pretty intense," he was quick to point out, "I am really quite pleased with my finish. The course was flat and was a good course to improve time." Like every athlete, he has his stories about near disasters and victories. "My most difficult marathon was the Gay Games in Vancouver in 1990... a very monotonous course!" He placed 45th in that marathon, 15th in the

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San Francisco Gay Games in 1986 and plans on competing in Gay Games IV in New York next year. "The Gay Games should be experienced by every gay person, either as a competitor or as a spectator. It is an incredibly positive and rewarding experience," he said.

An interesting story he told me was about a recent New York Marathon in which he had a knee "blow-out" and could not continue to put any weight on the front part of his leg. His solution was not to quit the race, but rather he turned around and actually ran backwards for the last two miles of the race with his head straining to look behind him for the finish line. "That did get a few laughs, and was perhaps one of the oddest finishes of that year's marathon," he remarked.

Munoz is not the type of athlete that rattles on for hours about his own accomplishments and glory days. Instead, he is more interested in finding out how new runners feel about the sport and cultivating their interests. "Cleveland's lesbian and gay community is fortunate to have a very positive group like the Frontrunners. The people in the group want everyone to do well and inspire each other to attain greater levels of running skill. Not all groups can claim that," Munoz commented. He is currently an active member of both the New York and Boston Frontrunner clubs. He was an active member of Los Angeles Frontrunners for eight years, but recently left the group over philosophical differences. "They are a good group," he said, "our goals just aren't the same."

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Ric Munoz crosses the finish line at the Boston Marthon.

Munoz also has strong opinions about the benefits of exercise and health, especially for those with HIV. "I have been fortunate not to have had any health problems," he said. "I have been taking ddl for a couple of years, but I feel that my healthy outlook on life is what really has kept me in good shape. I have other friends who actually progressed to AIDS and still ran a marathon. I try to live for the day and not consume myself with bad thoughts. You are buying a ticket to deterioration if you just sit there and let fear and worry consume you."

To wrap up our conversation, I asked Ric for some final comments to anyone thinking about running, whether they have HIV or not. "First," he said, "give running a chance, no one is going to run a marathon after only a week on the road. Second, run with a group of people who are going to encourage you and want to see you do well. Finally, stick to it! Remain as active as possible. For those with HIV, take your mind off of your condition and concentrate on doing something that makes you feel alive! Keep your mind off all that energydraining mental and emotional stuff."

He apologized in advance for his final comment because it sounded hokey and old fashioned, but I think it makes the most sense for everyone, "Don't give up on life, or it will give up on you." Classic advice from a truly classic athlete.

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