Castro Valley man sponsors run
FREMONT -- The only place Brandon Watts used to run to was the border for a 640-calorie steak burrito a la Taco Bell.
Now, Watts is running for the homeless.
The 35-year-old Castro Valley man and Mission San Jose High School graduate is sponsoring a run in Fremont next week to benefit local homeless people and to spread the good word about exercise.
A lot of folks have been in Watts' shoes.
He was physically fit in high school; he even ran track. Then he got married, bought a house, had two kids, and landed a sales job that was not conducive to healthful eating.
Replica Louis Vuitton Monogram Vernis BagsDays turned into weeks, weeks turned into years, and Watts turned from a size medium into an extra large.
He had gained 50 pounds by 2007, tipping the scales at 220 pounds, much too much for his 5-foot 8-inch frame, he said.
Bulgari WatchThe turning point for Watts was coming across some old photos taken of his grandfather in his 30s. The two men had similar physiques -- and that was not a good sign.
Watts' grandfather developed diabetes and suffered three heart attacks before dying in 2006.
"It was a wake-up call for me," he said. "I was overweight. I wasn't sleeping very well. I knew if didn't live better, I could go down the same road."
So Watts walked to a nearby middle school and jogged one lap around the track. It left him winded but undaunted. He started doing more and more laps, and losing more and more pounds.
"Once I got through that initial hard month, it became more and more enjoyable," he said.
As he became more fit, he started running Saturdays with his pastor at Fremont Community Church and by himself along Alameda Creek and Lake Chabot several days a week. He also said "adios" to most of the fast-food he was eating.
During the past two years, Watts has shed the extra pounds
embroidered patches and now is helping his fellow congregants at the church live healthier lives.
Watts, who last year ran the San Francisco Marathon, has started a race of his own. He's sponsoring a 5K run to benefit the church's program that helps feed local homeless people.
The run is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Jan. 2 at Quarry Lakes Regional Park's picnic pavilion.
The entry is $20. For more information, go to .
Reach Matthew Artz at 510-353-7002. Read his blog at >
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