Debbie McClanahan has always taken great pride in taking care of herself.
She and her husband Jerry are long-time members of the Downtown YMCA as they’re both there faithfully around 5 a.m. five days a week. She worked at Unum for 30 years before retiring on Friday, June 13.
She believes in exercise and the benefits she receives when she participates. That may be a big reason why she started running back in the early 1980s.
Debbie graduated from Oak Ridge High School in 1970 before graduating from UT-Knoxville four years later. Sports in PE classes was about as close to athletic as she was in those days, but she did play the flute in the Pride of the Southland marching band.
She met Jerry at a church function in Oak Ridge and they dated for four years before they got married on Sept.
7, 1974.
“I was crazy about him from the very beginning and I still am to this day,” she said.
Debbie started playing a lot of racquetball in the early 80s as the running boom was just beginning to take off. Jerry had been a hurdler in high school and he got interested in local road races.
They were living in Brainerd at the time and that’s when Debbie decided to start running. It wasn’t a very impressive beginning as she would run about a half-mile from their home down to Brainerd Baptist Church. After a short break for water and catching her breath, she’d run back home.
“Jerry had entered a few races and suggested that I might enter one as well. My first race was the Run For Extra Life 10K that went from UTC to Eastgate,” Debbie said after her morning workout at the Y on Thursday morning.
“I didn’t realize that we had to go all the way to the back of Eastgate for the finish line and I had shot my wad in that last stretch before getting there. I think my time was 48 minutes flat, but after that, there was no stopping me,” she said with a laugh.
That particular race was sponsored by Perrier and the T-shirts were green. Benji Durden and Kate Gerbitz were the overall winners that day.
“I was hooked after that race, but that green Perrier shirt meant everything to me. And I’ll never forget how much I admired Kate Gerbitz. She was my idol and she won the race that day,” Debbie stated
Debbie has been running ever since. She was a lot more competitive in earlier years and won several races at the time. Back in those days, Jeannie Keys was a close friend and her training partner.
Jeannie had decided to run a marathon, so Debbie naturally joined her for the training runs. To make a long story short, Debbie also decided to enter the Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon in the fall of 1981.
Jeannie had a really good day and was the overall female winner in 3:19:33 while Debbie struggled in the final miles and had to settle for second place with a still-admirable time of 3:26:52.
“My goal at the beginning was to help her get through the training. I really didn’t want to run the marathon, but since I had done all of the work, I decided to enter. I was fine until about the 22-mile mark. I think I cried the last four miles, but I made the decision that day that I would never run another marathon.
“I was pretty good at shorter distances, but I just don’t think my body is made to go more than 13 miles,” she said, remembering vividly just how painful that experience was.
Debbie was victorious at the Chattanooga Chase one time and she also recalled a really good run she had at the Chattanooga Half-Marathon, which was held in downtown Chattanooga in 1996. As it turns out, she posted a time of 1:35:27 that day, which was first in the women’s 40-44 age group.
“Ricky Park talked me into entering that race as he said he was trying to get back in shape and needed someone to run with. I waited and waited for him, but he never showed up. I had never started out slow before, but I was waiting for him and expected him to join me at some point.
“I learned a valuable lesson that day as I learned how to pace myself. Shelly Camp was pregnant at the time and met me on her roller blades as we neared the finish over on Cowart Street,” Debbie said.
Another race that she really enjoyed was the Chickamauga Chase 15K. Something about running in the battlefield has created positive memories for a lot of Chattanooga runners.
“The Chickamauga Chase was always crowded and the weather was always good. I spent a lot of time training out there, but I haven’t been out there in quite a while,” she continued.
Like the story said earlier, Debbie and Jerry were devoted YMCA members who take their health seriously. But they had an experience at the beginning of the year that totally rocked both of their boats.
Jerry was diagnosed with prostate cancer on Dec. 26. Some 10 days later, Debbie got the disturbing news that her annual checkup was abnormal before finding out that she had cervical cancer.
Luckily for both, the detection was early and neither had to undergo chemotherapy or radiation. Debbie eventually had surgery. Her workout routine was interrupted, but things seem to be almost back to normal now.
“We both caught it very early as our margins are clean now. That messed up our workout schedules for a while as we never missed a day at the Y. But not being able to work out made me not be able to wait until I could exercise again,” she said in a serious tone.
“I spent a lot of time at Memorial Hospital and the volunteers were great. They were always so helpful in showing me where I needed to go. No matter what the day, I always felt better when I left.
“That’s what got me interested in doing some volunteer work there now. I work in the cardiac and vascular unit and I work at the information desk. I help with registration with those who are there for testing. I know exactly how they’re feeling as they come to us for treatment. It can be a very scary time, but I’m glad I can give something back,” she added.
“Both of us are doing really well these days and I’m just overflowing with gratitude. I’m happy that we’re both still alive and it’s hard to have a bad day when you’re thankful for everything around you. I used to complain when I didn’t have much time to run as long as I wanted, but something is better than nothing.
“I thought that it was all over, but it means so much more to me now. I’ve been handed a new slant on life. I’m almost back to where I was and I work with my personal trainer three days a week.
“Brice Johnson knows his stuff and he makes us work hard. He was so good to me when I was going through all of that, but he didn’t baby me. There are days when I absolutely hate the toughness of the workouts, but I’m so much better when I get through them,” she said.
Debbie doesn’t run nearly as far or fast as she used to, but she still logs about 20 miles a week and she still loves that run from the Y across the river to Riverview and back.
“I still love that run over to the golf course. I was just wondering the other day how many times I’ve climbed that hill behind GPS, but I still love to run. I also spend a lot of time with my family. My parents are both in their mid 80s, so I owe most of my good health genetics to them.
“We travel quite a bit these days and I enjoy reading a lot. But I’m just trying to maintain positive relationships I’ve developed through the years. All in all, my life is pretty good these days,” she stated.
Debbie McClanahan has experienced the good days and some of the bad when it comes to health issues, but she’s thankful that the bad stuff is behind her.
She and Jerry recently celebrated their 40th anniversary and they’re as crazy about each other now as they were back in the early 70s. And they’re both blessed with good health.
Running has a way of making it that way for many people. Debbie just hopes that she can continue for many more years to come.
(This is the 37th in a series of features on runners in Chattanooga. If you know someone who might make an interesting story, email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@comcast.net)