The 75-year-old continues to hit the road to stay in shape and keep himself active. In some ways, it is the same reason he started in the first place.
He figures he started running when he was 29 or 30 years old, although it has its genesis earlier.
“I ran a lot as a kid,” Cohoe said, “because I didn’t have a bike. Other kids biked, I ran.”
“I started again when I quit smoking, and I started running that year. I didn’t want to put on a whack of weight. It didn’t work completely, because I kept eating more, but it dealt with some of it.”
He added he wanted to get into better shape, as there was a history of cardiovascular disease in his family. As well as having a childhood of running behind him, he felt it was a good choice, as unlike other sports like hockey or skiing, the investment was mostly physical.
“It is easy to do and it doesn’t take a whole bunch of money. You just need a pair of shorts, a t-shirt, shoes and socks. It’s cheap and easy to do and you can run anywhere.”
Cohoe admitted there were periods where he did not run for long stretches, but he always came back to it. He read a 1968 book by Dr. Kenneth Cooper called Aerobics that determined how fast you have to run to get and stay in shape. It had a point system, and Cohoe said he got started with that, and progressed from there.
The teacher and later principal did much of his running on the roads and highway around Boissevain School. He told a story of one of his many dogs. They went running together on a warm day, which got warmer. His dog was struggling; with Cohoe saying his “fur coat” was not doing him any good. The dog would not stay put but could not keep up.
“If you don’t think a man can outrun a dog…”
Later in the day, the dog was near collapsing, but did recover. There were other stories of opposite weather. You can run all year; you just have to dress for it. In the cold, the concern is when you stop running you cool down quickly. Also, Cohoe has had eyelashes freezing his eyes shut. He remembers going out north of town with the wind pounding from the west, and authorities advising people to stay off the highway.
“There was a Co-op guy there, helping someone out,” Cohoe remembers, “and he yelled out ‘somebody’s crazy’!”
The long distance running did lead to some competition. Cohoe ran in the first marathon in Winnipeg and at that time the route led from the old football field all the way to Headingly and back to the city. Other runners complained there was nothing to see on the route.
“I ran west of the school, so I didn’t know what they were talking about.”
He ran ten or so marathons over the years, in Winnipeg, Regina and Saskatoon. He remembers one in Red Deer in which he nearly froze to death and the blanket they put over him was not nearly enough to calm the shivering. He used to do a fair bit of running with another local marathoner Ross Wilkinson, often running to Killarney or Deloraine. He said running with another person is good if you are at the same pace. Cohoe said he never ran for time in marathons, only to finish the race.
“There is no chance of me running another,” he said. “I don’t feel the need. It doesn’t appeal to me as much as it used to. It beats you up, you are really whipped after. I ran a couple of half marathons, which are no big deal. If you just run to finish, they are no big deal.”
Cohoe said there was always wide variations in how many miles he would run in a year. He used to set goals and this year it was to run 1,000 miles and do one half marathon. He did the half marathon on his own, and he did reach his miles goal. He figures it is the furthest he has run for the past five or six years.
He does not run as fast as he once did, but said he runs farther. Cohoe generally prefers running in cold weather than hot, although he did lose a mitt to the wind once. He has vision problems, but they have not impacted the running as of yet and he has been fortunate to not have any knee issues. He wants to continue for now.
“I enjoy it. I find it relaxing and I like the outdoors too, which helps. If I don’t do it, I feel a little guilty.”
Cohoe said he is leery of giving people advice about keeping in shape, but he thinks that people that keep going physically also keep going mentally. He realizes if people do not want to do something, they will not.
“I think it is up to anybody,” he said. “Most people can find something to keep them physically active. I don’t know where I would be if I didn’t run. Maybe I would be in the same place I am now. But I sure don’t regret doing it.”
by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff