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Welcome to my Blog

Welcome to my Blog!

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Welcome to my Blog! My name is Shmarya Richler. I live in Montreal.  In March 2016 my doctor prescribed medication for my elevated blood pressure. I was 59. At the time I was also suffering from a hiatus hernia and gout. The hernia was causing severe acid reflux. The doctor also told me that my sugar numbers were creeping up. I decided that I really did not want to take pills because I felt that once I start one pill begets another. At the time I was doing some power walking but was very inconsistent. I was not watching what I eat so my weight was high. I read that running revs the metabolism better than walking. So, I started doing some running and changed my eating habits. When I started I couldn't run 200 yards without stopping. So, I started slowly by running a little and then walking. Slowly but surely, I built up endurance to the point where I could run 5K without stopping. From there I kept building mileage and in June 2018 I ran my first full marathon. I’ve done a lot of ru...
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Marathon Memories

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Marathon Memories It's been a week and there are so many memories and highlights of the race and the people I met. Here are some of them. Meeting my son and 4 grandchildren on 59'th street. A police officer took this picture. Running in North Williamsburg where the crowd was so thick I raised both my arms and high-fived people on both sides of the streets at the same time. High-fiving little kids who had their hands out. Waving my arms at different places and getting the crowd into a frenzy. The party in Harlem. Stopping to talk to people and telling them my age. Telling people why I am running. I took out my pill bottle to show them.  Acknowledging spectators who called out my name. Talking to other runners. Saluting police officers. Stopping outside a fire station and telling the firefighters that I ran 2 marathons in Laval for the firefighters. Having random people tell me congrats while walking to the train and on the train returning to Brooklyn. Asking the volun...
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NYC Marathon 2025 Pictures

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  NYC Marathon 2025 Pictures The Verrazano Bridge, the first of 5 bridges that we cross. They are The Pulaski, The Queensboro, The Willis Avenue, and The Madison Avenue. The Pulaski. Half way. The Queensboro The Willis Avenue Bridge 59'the Street about 1 mile to the Finish My son Sruli and 4 of his children From right to left Malka, Mendy, Sima, and Ita Approaching the Finish Line Crossing the Finish Line The Medal
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Finish Line L'chaim (to Life)

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NYC Marathon #5 In 2021 I took my blood pressure pills to the NYC Marathon and threw them in the garbage at the finish line. I kept the bottle and every year since then I've taken it to the race. I fill it with a bit of scotch and at the finish line I say L'Chaim (to life). Here is this years video. I try to stay as close as possible to the line without interfering with other runners who are crossing it. You can see them behind me. 
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How long did it take?

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How long did it take?  As a runner I get lots of questions. Some of them are funny, some are based on misinformation, and some provoke thought. After the “knee” question this question is in second place. “So, how long did it take?”. It usually follows the question “How much did you run today?” or after running a full marathon.   After a marathon I sometimes answer “I tied for first in distance” but most of the time I answer that I have no idea how long it took. Really??? they’ll say. Yes, really. I don’t time my runs and haven’t for a very long time. I used to but got to the point where my day would be spoiled if I was off my pace from the previous day or if I didn’t beat my previous best time for a run. Then one day I decided that I would stop timing myself. It was the best decision I’ve made when it comes to running. I now run to run. I stop to take pictures; I talk to other runners. When I run on the mountain here in Montreal, I’ll usually stop to give directions to...
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Some of my Medals

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Upon finishing a marathon (26.2 Miles) every finisher receives a medal. On the back of the medal there is a space for engraving a name and finish time. After my finish in New York in November 2022 I debated whether to engrave my medal or not. Do I put my official time, or do I engrave “Six Months” because that is how long it took me to train. Then it dawned on me that the reason I started running was to control my high blood pressure without having to take medication. For me the marathon is a celebration for the good health I have enjoyed over the past nine and a half years. And I don’t take any medication anymore! So, what better way to commemorate my marathons than recording my numbers on my medal as in the pictures below. I hope to do it again this coming November! New York City Marathon November 2022 New York City Marathon November 2023 Laval Firefighters Marathon June 2024 New York City Marathon November 2024
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Pasadena

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 I just got back from Pasadena where I gave a talk about healthy eating and exercise from a Torah perspective. The event was very well organized and well attended. Many thanks to Chabad of Pasadena who hosted the event and especially to Rabbi Zushi Rivkin who arranged everything. And thank you to the Honokas who hosted me during my stay. The best feedback I got was hearing that 2 people started running after hearing my story. 
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