Matt Heidenreich was your typical overweight out of shape corporate middle management schmuck. Standing at 5’5” his 205 lbs were not a flattering feature. At 35 years old he changed his diet and began his attempt at running in 2011. Having wrestled, raced motorcycles, ATVs, watercraft and dirt bikes his once active teens and 20s were a distant memory. Attending the school of self-learned mistakes and injuries he eventually moved up to longer and longer distances as time wore on. To date he has completed over 150 races of which 27 were marathons and over 20 ultras.
The journey to wellness has been a wild and fun adventure. Recently finding more balance in running, weight lifting and core strength building has had a much-needed positive impact to his path to being ‘fit’. Growing up barefoot on a farm in the Midwest he prefers anything outdoors and relishes in being one of a few Asian Rednecks embedded here in the deep south. On any given weekend you might find him in the woods hunting, rambling around on a muddy trail or covered in grime under an old Ford truck.
Regarding running, here is a snippet from his latest race report. His first run back after being out for 3 months with an injury.
“I was not born with natural running ability or gifted with extraordinary physical capabilities. I was however granted a phenomenal tolerance for pain and seemingly endless aptitude for suffering.
I cannot ever thank the volunteers enough and I find some level of resolve in knowing there are others like me that continue to push to find the limits. For it is at the end of what you know that you find what is possible. For now, I’m happy to be back amongst them and as always.
Run on!”