Jared Earley: Winning The Race Of Life

It is often said the decisions we make five years ago are the result of how we are living now. Local runner Jared Earley can certainly attest to this.

In 2011, Earley was at work at The Robert Allen Group, where I met and worked with him. He had suffered a minor heart episode that kept him out a few days and could have killed him.

He decided at that time he was too young to be a statistic and needed to make some life changes. The 30 something fun loving, Gaffney Indian, South Carolina Gamecock and New York Jets fan had to get more active. He won a bet with some friends and began running. Now not only is he running, he is sprinting. Earley went from hardly exercising to winning and placing in road races across the Carolinas, including winning the 2014 Peach Festival 10K with a time of 45 minutes.

The bet was actually for $20 to see who could lose the first 20 pounds. The feeling Jared got after he began running was indescribable, and he wanted to kept getting that feeling.

Fast forward to June 2016. Jared has ran over 20 half marathons (his fastest time being 1 hour, 30 minutes), 1 full marathon and he's far from done. He would like to qualify for Boston and run an ultramarathon before the end of the year.

Jared's love for speed, health and running has definitely grown. He said he plans to continue running until he can only crawl.

Earley has got fitted to a neutral shoe. He likes all brands but specifically for 5ks, Jared goes with the lightest shoe possible with little cushion. For halfs and up he goes with more cushion. Nike peg and the Vomero really fits his foot right and compliment his running style.

Jared has gotten faster by doing intervals and a lot of hills. He likes hills better than flat surfaces because they give different muscles rest, while flat surfaces use the same muscles and it gets more tiring. Also, in Cherokee County, there isn't a lot of flat ground. Most of the time it's either you run hills, or you travel somewhere with flatter grounds.

Jared not only does intervals to stay fit, he has become involved with mixed martial arts. It's hard to balance MMA with running.  Therefore, on the days he trains MMA, he has a short running day of no more than four miles at a easy pace.

Earley's most difficult race to date was the Assault on Black Rock, it really took a lot for him to finish. The race is only a seven mile run but it hurts the body more than a full marathon as it is three and a half miles uphill and three and a half miles down, not to mention an elevation of 3500 feet. Wow, just a couple of thousand shy of a mile!

Jared runs alone most of the time, and has never been apart of a running. group. His musical playlist consist a lot of Atmosphere, Kid Cudi, Macklemore and Lil Wayne. Earley's advice to someone who is just starting out is don't get down on yourself when you can't run as far as someone else or as fast  He states that will come with time. Also, brace yourself as the pain is only temporary so start off slow and you will get better.

It's been a pleasure knowing this person and watching his journey. This is only the beginning for Jared Earley. He continues to run, and will scorch any finish line there is.

Gaffney: A City Of Peaches, Football, And Much More

Off of I-85 southbound between Blacksburg and Spartanburg lies a city with a lot of pride, tradition and history. It is identified by the giant Peach water tower. This is Gaffney, South Carolina, population of about 20,000 plus.

Gaffney has long been known for three things: peaches due to the South Carolina Peach Festival , high school football and their mills and plants.

The Peach Festival is held every year in July, and always draws a huge crowd with their parades, BBQ contests, road races, concerts, and the Mud Bog. Many artists have come through the city, which include Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Otis from the Temptations, Colt Ford, and Brantley Gilbert. Gaffney actually produces more peaches yearly than the state of Georgia.

High school football is huge in South Carolina , and it doesn't get much bigger for one of the state's oldest and most successful programs. The Gaffney Indians have won 17 state championships, most in the state. Almost 10,000 fans pack the Reservation every Friday night for home games, and a large following is always present at away games. People in Gaffney love football , period, and any negative word towards the Indians will not be tolerated.

For years, Gaffney thrived off of its cotton mills and textile plants. Hamrick Mills, Nestle Frozen Foods, and Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation are some if the ones that have helped the city thrive and allow residents to raise families and earn a good living in their towns.

There are two sides to the city separated by the railroad tracks: the East side and the West Side. While the East has Limestone College, Harold's restaurant and lots of farmland, the West side has more of the businesses and commerce. Floyd Baker Boulevard is where most of the major businesses and such are located. There are also many out near the Prime Outlets (called the "Yellow Mall" by residents) , including the Big E , a state of the art entertainment center which includes a movie theater, a play center for children, bowling alley, arcade and even a bar and grill that I have written about before when it was under different management.

Gaffney also has its staples in small business. The previously mentioned Harold's is one, as it appeared on the Food Network. There are also Bronco's Mexican Restaurant. Aegean Pizza, Hong Kong Express and Daddy Joe's BBQ and Grill. "Gaffneynites" are very proud of what they have, while trying to get more businesses into town, and activities for the youth.

This is overall a tight knit community where everyone eithers knows your name or at least one of your family members. One can really feel at home in a city such as Gaffney.