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By Rama K. Ramaswamy
Paul Guzzi, a Wellesley Public School (WPS) Physical Education teacher at John D. Hardy Elementary School, has been inspiring students for over a decade. He does so not only with creative programs such as “walk to school day” and “field day,” but also by demonstrating the achievement of his own personal goals.
Guzzi ran this year’s Boston Marathon as a qualifier. “It was my 2nd official Boston, and will be my 17th event or training run of 26.2 miles or more,” he said. “My best marathon time is 3:24:02 at Lehigh Valley Marathon in Allentown, PA, in 2011 to qualify for the 2012 Boston Marathon. My slowest was 4:17:34 in the 89 degree heat in Boston 2012. That day was the worst day I’ve ever had to race in, due to the extreme heat in April. The body just is not prepared for it yet.”
Guzzi completed his first “ultramarathon” in October 2016 - a 50-mile run in upstate New York around one of the Finger Lakes - finishing in just under 9 hours. His training for that event included runs of 26, 26, 30 and 36 miles every other week leading up to the race. “Yes, there was walking involved!” confirmed Guzzi. “I have also competed in numerous triathlons of varying distances, including three Ironman (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run) triathlons in Lake Placid, NY in 2004, 2006, and 2009.”
Other events, “both grueling,” according to Guzzi, included the Mt. Washington road and bicycle race. “The race organizers say ‘It’s only one hill,’ but it’s 7.6 miles up. Years ago, I rode my bike to Virginia with a friend. I have participated in many charity bike rides including the Tour de Cure for the American Diabetes Association and also the Ride to Defeat ALS for the ALS Association of Massachusetts in memory of my uncle. The Pan Mass Challenge is on my bucket list.
“The long answer is: running and exercise is what defines me,” Guzzi responded when asked why he takes on these challenges. “It makes me who I am. I would not be the same person without it. It not only benefits my physical health, but my mental health even more so. If I take time off from running, there is a psychological change as well as a physiological change with me. Running clears my mind and makes me whole. It makes me a better parent and teacher. That’s why. I don’t think I would like the person I would be without running, since I know how great I feel with it. The mental challenge of the events is just as much a part of it as the physical challenge, if not more. The sense of accomplishment overrules any pain that comes with it. Some days, it hurts bad, but it outweighs the other option of not being successful.”
This is a message that resonates with many of his students.
When speaking to his students and peers, though, Guzzi adds the following to his exercise recipe: “I also know when to adjust training when needed. I have learned to know exactly what my body is telling me. My favorite saying was on the back of a tee-shirt during my first marathon that said ‘pain is temporary, glory is forever,’ and I always think of that. It is so true. The only thing I need is the bragging rights. I don’t need a medal, but they sure look good in my den. They remind me of the dedication and determination that I have put in for those events and for all the years of discipline. If it can inspire my kids, then it’s a bonus”.
When asked to explain more about his feelings of personal achievement, Guzzi said, “it’s funny, at first I’d want to make sure I bought a jacket or shirt, or some kind of token to show everyone what I’ve done, but many years later I don’t need that and I stay more humble because it’s more internalized. I will keep the bragging to myself, it’s the bragging rights that I’ve earned that I have now decided [don’t] need to be advertised to others outside my inner circle of family and friends. Now I tend to sometimes wear older race t-shirts from unique or harder events more often when I am going to a race, or pre-race event for the sake of maybe striking up a conversation with a fellow athlete about the same event, and I will look for the same on others. I never know who I am going to end up meeting and what story they have to share.
“Being a Physical Education teacher,” added Guzzi, “is a great way I can motivate and inspire my students to keep an active and healthy lifestyle now and as they grow older. I tell them they don’t need to be a great athlete or even need to have great skills to enjoy being physically active. Not every student enjoys exercise, but being a role model is a responsibility I cherish.”
Guzzi felt that running the Boston Marathon, “is like no other,” and that since he has run this race several times, he knows to expect the best spectators in the world from the start to the finish, especially going through Wellesley and seeing all the Hardy families and students. “I must have seen, and stopped and chatted with, about 50 Hardy kids! That was by far my favorite part - other than the finish line - of the day.
As for the most difficult part?
“Everybody has their own opinion of the hardest part, and mine is from Cleveland Circle at about mile 22 until Kenmore Square at mile 25. The CITGO sign comes in view, but it never seems to get smaller, the road and surroundings all blend in and seem the same, and the legs are hurting after the uphills through Newton and then the quad-busting downhills out of Boston College into Cleveland Circle. At this point. I just want to get to Kenmore Square because the crowds there swell up from the Red Sox game letting out and there is only one mile to go.”
In spite of the hurting legs, Guzzi completed this year’s Boston Marathon in 3:58:04. “Just about in the middle between my fastest and slowest marathons,” he said. “The warm, sunny weather in the 70s slowed me down, but I was aiming for under four hours, so I am happy with my time. I was not out for a PR, even if it had been perfect weather. It was 15 degrees cooler than in the scorcher of 2012 the last time I ran, so I was trying to think optimistically.
“The only thing better than going to watch the Boston Marathon every year is running in it,” concluded Guzzi. “I am always happy when I race it and become an official finisher, which is always my main goal. It is the only marathon that participants have to qualify to get a number outside of raising money for a charity. It is often called ‘The People’s Olympics’ due to the qualifying nature.
“And then you get to run with the best runners in the world.”
