Fromm nds his passion from trying to shed a few pounds
BROOKDALE — Anthony Fromm was living in Japan and feeling a little chubby when he decided to go for a jog.
He wasn’t the most physically active person, didn’t play any sports and didn’t consider himself an athlete. But, he caught the running bug in Japan and continued his new favourite pastime upon his return to Canada.
“I was feeling quite chubby when we were living in Japan so I had to figure out something I could do to lose some weight. The only thing I could figure out how to turn on in the gym was the treadmill,” said Fromm. “It was nothing really serious or organized. Just me trying to lose weight.”
He remembers being forced to run in gym class in high school. He didn’t like it. Which is all the more surprising considering he’s such an avid runner today who has competed in marathons, including Boston, and high endurance 100-mile events in Vermont two years ago and last summer at Cape Chignecto.
His first run was a short 10K event at Disneyland and his second was a full 42.2 km marathon, the Island Marathon, in 2007 on Prince Edward Island soon after moving home.
He has come a long way.
“I’m not sure what the exact moment or a lights on, 'this is awesome' moment was, but I just started slowly and kept at it,” he said. “I used to measure distance with a piece of string on a map using a Timex watch. Then it was getting into training programs and getting more serious with it, picking up some gear and a GPS watch.”
Fromm, who works for Amherst Detailing Services, said he’s one for challenge and the thought of running a marathon was something that appealed to him. He didn’t know a lot of runners in the area and it was before the Amherst Striders so he trained alone, heading out on the road.
“I would start running in a direction and tell Alyson (wife) to come pick me up in three hours,” he said. “I would measure the distance by the odometer in the car. My first marathon time was three hours and 50 minutes.”
He was hoping to participate in another 100-miler in Maine this summer but it was postponed by COVID along with most other events. He has continued to run, hoping things return to normal next summer, taking to the trails at Cape Chignecto doing a 50K loop around the provincial park.
He also goes to Ski Wentworth to run the trails.
Fromm, who has done the Boston Marathon three times, has also run for charity, raising about $10,000 for charities like the Bridge Workshop, food banks and the IWK.
For anyone starting out, he recommends beginning slow - something as easy as running from one telephone pole to another and then walking between the next set.
“The worst thing someone can do is go out and do too much and hurt themselves,” he said. “Then hook up with someone like the Striders or the YMCA. There are a lot of great people out there willing to help.”