It took Jeff Walker a while to realize that heroic moments don’t unfold at the finish line. They present themselves somewhere along the journey, among moments of the everyday grind, ones that go mostly unnoticed.
His professional career and running passion have taken him up steep hills, and through moments of effortless, ecstatic mile splits. But mostly, he routinely wakes up and trudges along, mile by mile, day by day, week by week, in the quiet stillness of the early morning, one step closer to a particular destination. One run closer to the next starting line.
But before exploring his journey as a runner, a simple disclaimer: Jeff certainly doesn’t consider himself an especially gifted athlete by any means.
- High school accolades didn’t come from athletics … but from Band and UIL Journalism
- He doesn’t come from a particularly athletic family
- He didn’t start running (really) until almost 10 years ago
Rather, it’s the appeal of the training process, the careful concern for consistency, and the pursuit of steady progress that’s pushed him to complete 5 marathons, 2 ultra-marathons ( a 50K and 54K), a number of 10Ks and half-marathons along the way.
“I don’t consider myself special in the running sense by any means, but the experience is certainly special. The gratitude I feel for the opportunity to put on a pair of shoes and head out my front door is enormous. The longer I go at this, the less I worry about what pace group I’ll line up with on race day; and more about the joy that this activity ultimately brings me — even on the rough days,” Jeff said.
It’s the journey that Jeff celebrates today, both in running and his role as Marketing Communications Manager.
“My career has taken significant twists and turns, but if I reflect honestly on my past endeavors and the road ahead, the journey is one that I’m appreciative of. It’s also one that moving forward, won’t be defined by one goal, one accolade, or even one misstep. What I continue to push my internal dialogue toward, is that it comes down to the little things, those thankless, short training runs or speed sessions that determine my success.”
The Journey Often Starts Slowly.
To say Jeff started out “one mile at a time” would be a gross overestimate.
“Running is something that I had an interest in for some time. I’ll never forget the first time I laced them up…. I ran literally four-tenths of a mile and felt like my lungs would explode. The next evening? It was just under a half-mile. And on it went. The first time I completed a two-mile run, I thought I’d conquered the world (only 1.1 more miles and I can run a 5K!”
After graduating from Texas State University (where he served as an editor at the University's newspaper) with a Degree in Journalism, Jeff freelanced for a variety of publications, including the Dallas Observer, while he pursued a full-time gig – one that afforded him the opportunity to be a full-time storyteller. Through a mutual friend, he learned of an opening at The San Marcos Daily Record. It wasn’t pretty. But it was work.
“My first job in the newspaper business was covering City Council, County Commissioner’s Court, and the Police Beat, basically the beats that my coworkers were able to ‘graduate’ out of,” Jeff said. “Covering (often gruesome) accidents; spending late nights/early morning inside the City Council Chamber, and filing the story before returning home; these certainly weren’t in my comfort zone. The hours were long and definitely irregular. But I knew if I could stay on these tasks, it would lay a foundation, expand my skillset, and lead me toward more desirable, more rewarding endeavors.”
The Journey Begs for Mindfulness.
Running certainly begs for mindfulness — to become mentally connected with your body during a run. To remove distractions, and to embrace ongoing progress and that particular moment in time. It applies professionally as well.
Jeff says he worked hard to build trust with the city officials he interviewed. To show initiative with his superiors. But also to remain mindful of articles that were unique, even off the beaten path a bit. Ones that if he wasn't paying attention to, he could miss.
“I’ll never forget, my first day on the job, my Managing Editor at the time, and a huge mentor in my professional life, said ‘I can micromanage you if I need to, but I don’t want to, and I don’t think you'd want me to either. I took that as my hint to voraciously pursue stories and keep the content flowing.”
One afternoon Jeff was out covering an issue with the wastewater treatment plant — frankly, it stunk, and the neighbors that lived near it were complaining. He was tasked with seeking community input on the issue. Jeff went door to door interviewing residents for quotes, when he happened on the front door of an older gentleman named Weldon. After visiting briefly about the plant’s stink, Weldon opened up, without being asked, about his family, his life travels, and his recent blindness (as well as the difficulty it presented him daily). And that seemed to be that.
“The next week or so, it was a slow news day, and on a hunch, I went back to Weldon’s home. I knocked on his door and asked if I could spend an hour or so interviewing him, maybe take him to lunch. What transpired was a front-page feature, a snapshot of this man’s journey that, frankly, had no business being on the front page. Even still, I like to believe it really resonated with readers. Not sure why that one article stuck with me. There was nothing significant about it, but I think it gave me the confidence to pursue unconventional angles, to realize that everyday folks have heroic qualities, and to remember in my career the simple notion that people relate to people.”
He carried that mindfulness when he had the opportunity to work for East Texas Copy Systems, and carries it today as the Marketing Communications Manager at Datamax.
The Journey Requires Gratitude.
“I’m grateful for every run, even if I don’t realize it in the moment,” Jeff said. “My runs, more than anything are my time to myself each morning to reflect, to prepare, and to clear my thoughts for whatever lies ahead. I don’t know what I would do without that time anymore.”
In January 2018, when Datamax acquired East Texas Copy Systems, Jeff’s emotions moved from fear (what happens NOW?) to awe (this team is INCREDIBLE) to inspiration (a culture that’s authentically LIVED). Working under VP of Marketing Robert Caldwell, Jeff appreciates deeply the opportunity to share others’ stories, strategically align marketing initiatives with business goals, and serve alongside a team with the pure intention of serving others.
“The feeling of gratitude for being part of this organization is monumental,” Jeff said. “I’m the sort of person who celebrates the grind, collaborating with Robert, chiseling away at a theme or a blog angle or potential keyword ad nauseam. Once something gets published, after all, it’s on to the next item.”
The finish line feels great. But it’s the journey that should be celebrated.
