Published: September 24, 2005 11:51 pm      

Running opens up better health and better living for Adamia

David Adamia has discovered all the benefits of running.

“To be honest with you, it just makes a new person out of you,” he said. “I run to work every day. I live 3 1/2 miles from work, and every day I go to work, I run.”

Adamia, a native of the former Soviet republic of Georgia, came to Beckley as a student at Mountain State University in 2001. It was then he became a runner.

He gave the 5-K portion of the annual Beckley Half-Marathon a try, but eventually enlisted the help of local businessman and running enthusiast Jim Phillips.

Four years later, the 5-K is far too tame for a seasoned runner as Adamia. Since his introduction to competition, he has taken part in several half- and full marathons in Philiadelphia and Charlottesville, Va.

It was in 2002 that Adamia ran in the half-marathon for the first time. He will compete in the race again when the annual event hits Beckley next Saturday.

“Next weekend will be a big thing for me,” he said, “because I am expecting my time to be one hour, 30 minutes.

That’s compared to my first half-marathon I did in 2002 and would be a 20-minute improvement.”

Adamia plans on broadening his horizons this fall. He will run in the New York City Marathon Nov. 6. If he does well enough in that event, he can qualify for the Boston Marathon.

“I have to run the entire course in three hours and 10 minutes,” Adamia said. “That’s my goal.”

In four years, Adamia has earned a bachelor’s degree in international business and a master’s degree in strategic leadership from MSU. He began work at Country Inns & Suites as a guest services agent, but was promoted to guest services manager three months ago.

Maybe that’s a bit of good fortune that can be chalked up to a better class of living through running.

“When you pump your blood a little harder, just 30 minutes every day or whatever it is, you feel so good,” Adamia said. “You enjoy life. You are doing things with a pleasure. Running gives me that.

“I’m from another country. West Virginia is not home to me, and friends of mine become homesick and they don’t do well in school and work. They get depressed.

“I just don’t have that because, maybe, I just enjoy running.”

— E-mail:

gfauber@register-herald.com