There is never a dull moment when Lynda Webber is present.
No matter if you’re in the woods in the middle of a long trail run or on the road just doing a short training run, this young lady keeps life hopping.
Webber is a 55-year-old paralegal who was raised just outside Chicago before moving with her family to a farm in Crossville, Alabama.
She’s proud to say that she’s a graduate of the University of Alabama and was there Bear Bryant’s last year, but she’s not a big football fan and certainly not overly infatuated with “the Crimson Tide.”
Her introduction to running came in 1982 when she was in her final year at the Tuscaloosa school.
“I needed an elective and wanted something where I could get an easy ‘A’ so I chose a class called Wilderness Education,” she said while relaxing in the lobby of the downtown YMCA Wednesday after a long day at the office.
What she didn’t realize is that she would have to learn how to run to get that grade she was seeking.
“Our instructor took us out on an all-day hike and he told us what the requirements would be for his class. To get a ‘C’ we had to be able to run a mile in 10 minutes. For a ‘B’ we had to do two miles in 20 minutes and three miles in 30 minutes for an ‘A’.
“I ended up doing my three miles in about 27 minutes, so I earned the A I was looking for, but I didn’t run again until I moved to Houston in 1989,” she continued.
Fast forward to 1996 as that was when she decided to run her first marathon.
“I had decided I wanted to run the Houston Marathon. I followed a 16-week schedule and thought I was ready to run. Three weeks before the race, I did my first 20 and had to walk the last mile.
“Then at the expo the weekend of the race, I learned two more things about myself. First off, there was a guy there videotaping runners on a treadmill who was giving advice on running form. I was shocked that my form was so bad as my gait was awful.
“I also attended a Jeff Galloway seminar that weekend and decided to do the walk-run plan for the marathon. I followed his plan and finished with a 4:16. I never hit the wall that day, but I had to get orthotics after that,” she recalled.
But for a lady who’s willing to take a dare on just about anything, the sky is the limit on what she will attempt. She hang-glided off Lookout Mountain in 1987 and she auditioned to be a singer at Opryland when she was 22. Now the only time she sings is when she’s on road trip to a race or when it’s somebody’s birthday.
One of Webber’s big passions in life has been horses and endurance riding. She’s a veteran of many 50 and 100-mile rides and that may be what got her interested in doing ultra-running.
Since that time, she’s finished about a dozen marathons, but she also has completed a dozen 50Ks and three 50-milers. She has aspirations of doing a 100-miler in the near future.
She had her personal best time of 3:53 at the Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon in 2010 where she qualified for Boston. She had a time of four hours less than a month later at Rocket City in Huntsville.
Her only trip to Boston came in 2012.
“I had pulled a calf muscle about three weeks before and was careful to let it heal before Boston. I could feel a twinge about five miles into the race, but it wasn’t something I couldn’t live without and I was able to finish.
“I just wanted to do Boston once and I really enjoyed it as it was a great experience, but I really like the 50K,” she said, referring to those events that are some 31 miles in length.
“You get your money’s worth and you’re out there all day. It’s a doable event and you finish before dark most of the time. I just pretend to be an Indian and just keep chugging along. It’s a good distance without totally killing yourself,” she added with a smile.
These days, she runs four or five days a week and normally logs 40-45 miles, but she also cross trains and does a spin class at least once a week.
“I’m looking at races at the end of the year and I’d love to do the Salomon 30K, which is late October and part of the River Rock Festival. I may do the Lookout Mountain 50 miler in December.
“Right now, I’m limited by time as work keeps me busy, but if my body holds up, I want to do a 100-miler. Betty Holder and I were training for one, but I got hurt and didn’t get to do it.
“But running has become a lifestyle for me. My goal is to be strong and fit as long as I can, but it makes me feel so good. I love the way I feel when I’m finished a long run and those endorphins kick in,” she expressed.
Lynda has been married to Walt since 2002 and he’s a former world-classed track cycling champion. He understands the demands of long-distance running and she says that he’s her biggest fan.
Shortly after they got married, they moved to Australia for three years, but moved back to Chattanooga in 2005.
“I was too far from home and that’s why we came back to be closer to my parents. This is the recreational mecca of the Southeast and that’s why I love living here,” she explained.
She was working at Miller & Martin at the time and got to be friends with Cindy Ritchie, who introduced her to members of the Chattanooga Track Club.
Webber got involved pretty quick and was the Runner of the Year for her age group in 2006-08. She still does quite a few CTC events, but she also likes doing new races, so she’s not as active in the club as she once was.
“I was a nerd when I was a kid and not very athletic. I played volleyball in high school because I was so tall, but I was never any good. I was always the last one picked when we were playing games. I never was into team sports, but running is something I love.
“I’m always looking for a new challenge. Doing an event gives me a reason to run and I just like to test my body to see if I can do it. It’s also a great way to see new places. I train on roads mostly.
I do some trail running, but I don’t handle rocks very well and I’m scared of heights,” she added.
Life is a happening event for Lynda Webber these days and running helps it be that way. She’s the first to admit that she’s not fast, but she can run all day long and have fun in the process.
And that’s reason enough to take the first step.
(This is the 29th in a series of running features in Chattanooga. Next week's feature will be Lee Davis. If you know of someone who would make an interesting story, email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@comcast.net)