Project run

Executive: Brad Minus, senior project manager, Tampa General Hospital; founder, IronGoof, Tampa.

Diversion: Coaching running technique through his company IronGoof and competing in Ironman triathlons, marathons, and multiday races like the Goofy and Dopey at Disney.

Back to Fitness: In December 2008, Minus, a self-proclaimed “workaholic,” was told by a doctor that his “blood counts were off the chart,” and he needed to get back to fitness. So he decided to join a military-style boot camp to get back in shape, where he quickly realized he loved working out, especially running. He signed up to run the Chicago Marathon in October 2009 with the rest of his class, to support a friend with a terminal illness.

Bump in the Road: Two weeks before the big race, Minus found out he had a herniated disk. His orthopedic surgeon and neurologist told him he would never run more than three miles. But Minus had set other goals — completing an Ironman was at the top of his bucket list. He remembers thinking, “I don't believe you. I'll find a way to run, and I'll find a way to run long,” he says. “I knew they were talking about my current condition, and not what it could be. I wasn't going to let them hold me back.”

Refuse to Believe: He began to research how to trace an injury, and what muscles and connective tissues were involved in running. “If I was going to run, I had to take the impact off my back.”
Creating specific training programs to build the muscles around his injured disc, Minus was able to develop his strength so he didn't have to go in for as many adjustments with a chiropractor. Reading book after book on running form, he found a way to run without pain. It worked. Since his injury, 43-year-old Minus has completed five marathons, 15 half-marathons, two Ironman triathlons and seven half-Ironman triathlons.

Coach for fun: In 2011, when Minus was running the Chicago marathon, he noticed a 55-year-old woman losing steam during her second marathon. He started to run alongside her, encouraging her to finish it strong, Minus says. “I saw the smile on her face, and I was hooked.”
Minus officially started his hobby of coaching in May 2012, when he was asked to run a 10-week clinic at Fit2Run in Tampa. During the clinic he helped 15 women with no running experience train to complete a 5k without stopping. “Watching them come to the finish line was only second to crossing the Ironman,” Minus says. That's when he realized he wanted to help others accomplish running goals.

Hooked on Coaching: In the last couple years, Minus has achieved coaching certifications from USA Triathlon (USAT), the Road Runners Club of America, Newton Running, the Lydiard Foundation, and USA Track & Field (USATF). In addition to leading various clinics, Minus typically works with around 10 private clients in his spare time. His niche is beginners or returning runners, whom he helps find enjoyment in running by making it a comfortable experience. “Winning is doing better than you did before and coming across the line comfortably with a big smile on your face,” Minus says.

Project Run: Minus says putting together a fitness plan is similar to the work he does as a project manager, working backwards to figure out what needs to be done in order to accomplish a goal. Minus does this with his clients, providing feedback through an application called Training Peaks, which allows his clients to track each run, how much sleep they are getting, and what they eat during the day.

Zone out: “When they get into that zone, where they can think about anything but running while running, I've got a runner for life,” Minus says. A true runner's high is “when your body is on autopilot,” Minus says. “It becomes meditation, when you can think about life.”
“Mentally, I get so much work done” while working out, Minus adds.