Competition can't compete with Jones on The Murfreesboro Post

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Competition can't compete with Jones

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By: By JOSH EZZELL, Post Sports Editor

Posted: Sunday, August 3, 2008 7:25 am

Valera Jones started running competitively 20 years ago.

At the time she competed in the 400-meter run. She loved the 400 and decided to add other events. Eventually she was competing in multiple events. Pretty soon she was winning multiple events.

Now she’s not only winning, she’s dominating. Recently at the Tennessee State Senior Games she won seven events: the 10K, 5K, 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 800-meter run, 1,500-meter run and the 400.

She qualified for the national meet in the Bay Area at Stanford University but hasn’t decided if she’ll compete.

“I’ve been walking, running 25 years maybe,” says Jones, who’s 72. “When I moved to Murfreesboro I started running in the district games. In 2000 I went (to state) and competed in four things, and I won gold medals in all of those. I’ve been with it ever since.

“I got a little more serious after I retired,” says Jones, who retired from the state Department of Human Services in 1997. “I had more time. When I heard about the senior games I got into it.”

Now her time is devoting to running and setting records. According to www.staterunningrecords.com, she owns 11 state records set from 2005-2008. She owns records in the 5 Km, 4 mile, 8 Km, 15 Km, half marathon, 5 Km, 8 Km, 10 Km, 15 Km and 10 Km.

“I beat my own record in the 10K,” she says. “My time on this 10K was better by a couple of minutes. I’ll send it in.”

DOMINATING DISTANCE RUNS
Jones’ favorite events are the 100 and 200, and she succeeds in those events as she won those events in the state senior games. She’s also won those events in other races.

It’s the distance runs, however, in which she’s making a big mark. She competes in multiple distance races and owns wins in the Music City Half Marathon and The Middle Half.

“You just start doing it and it gets in your blood,” she says. “It gets addictive.”

She runs two miles every day at Patterson Park every morning and walks two miles every afternoon. She might run a 5K on Saturdays. She plans to compete in the Fenton Payne and Fred 5K run Aug. 23 at MTSU. She’ll also compete in The Middle Half Oct. 11 at MTSU.

“When I got in the senior games I started doing 5Ks and 10Ks,” she says. “I do two a couple a month.

“I’ve always been active,” she says. “As I kid I played basketball. We didn’t have a track team. I always like to be out and about.”

She’s still out and about.

Although distance runs have become big, she still finds time to sprint.

“I asked her why she kept doing the 100,” says her husband, George Jones. “It tires you. She said, ‘Because I like it.’”

She likes it, and she’s very good at it.”

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Member Opinions:

By: jesse818 on 8/4/08
What an inspiration to me, a youngster of 49, who recently found I love to run...but it hurts my knees! Thanks for a great story! You keep going for many years!