By Steve Huffman
shuffman@salisburypost.com
CHINA GROVE ó About 10 years ago, Robert Miller got a wake-up call delivered courtesy of his niece.
ěYouíre fat,î the girl told him after studying her uncle for a few minutes one day.
Miller was taken aback, but didnít deny the assessment.
ěKids donít lie,î he said.
By typical American male standards, Miller probably wouldnít have been considered particularly overweight.
He packed 235 pounds on his 6-foot frame, no longer possessing a Charles Atlas physique, for sure, but probably not a candidate for ěAmericaís Greatest Loser,î either.
Still, the words hung with Miller.
ěThey really stuck,î he said.
And so, Miller decided to do something about it. He started running, first huffing and puffing his way for a mile or so, then, eventually, working up to considerably longer distances.
Within a year and a half, Miller had dropped 75 pounds and his running had improved considerably.
ěI found out I was good at it,î he said.
Miller, a dairy farmer who tends about 200 head of cattle on his farm outside China Grove, now runs about 15 races a year. Most are of the 10-kilometer variety, but about once a year, Miller runs a 26.2-mile marathon.
On Dec. 13 in Charlotte, Miller, now 36, competed against 1,000 other runners in the Thunder Road Marathon. He won with a time of 2 hours, 40 minutes and 50 seconds.
For those who know next to nothing about marathon running, letís be clear here. Millerís ability to pick up and put down his feet over 26 miles is noteworthy.
Only a handful of world-class marathoners are able to put away the distance at a speed thatís appreciably better than Miller.
Miller competed in his first marathon in 2000 and in 2003 competed in the Charlotte Run for Peace Marathon where he finished third. He finished third again in the 2006 Thunder Road Marathon.
In that latter race, he crossed the finish line in a personal best time of 2 hours and 38 minutes.
Miller admitted heís sometimes still amazed at how far heís come ó both literally and figuratively ó in the past 10 years.
ěWhen I started running, I couldnít do one 7-minute mile,î he said. ěNow I run 26 consecutive 6-minute miles.î
David Freeze is president of the Salisbury-Rowan Runners, a club comprised of local running enthusiasts. He lives not far from Miller.
ěWhen Robert started running, weíd go together sometimes,î Freeze said. ěI was faster. As he got better, it reached a point to where I couldnít hold onto him anymore.î
Asked if the two of them ever still run together, Freeze chuckled. Only on rare occasions, he said.
ěHe takes it easy on me now,î Freeze said.
He said Miller is the classic example of all the good that running can do for an individual.
ěHe went from being overweight and out of shape into being an extremely competitive runner,î Freeze said. ěHeís just an uncommon talent.î
Sue Shell is another of Millerís neighbors. She said she doesnít remember Miller being fat, but ěa big, strapping man.î
Thatís changed, Shell admitted.
ěNow, heís lean and mean,î she said, laughing.
Shell said itís not unusual for Miller to take off and run from his house to Concord and back. She said all the people around the Weaver Road neighborhood where Miller lives are proud of him.
ěHeís a celebrity out here,î Shell said.
Miller laughed when told Shellís assessment of him. He said he appreciated the accolades, but insisted thatís not the case.
ěIím just a common person,î Miller said.
Heís also busy.
Miller and his brother, Mike, milk about 100 cows starting at 6 a.m. each day. That takes two hours and itís a seven-days-a-week job.
Cows donít take vacations.
ěJust to get the milking done and to wake up,î Miller said of his reason for heading to the barn before heading to the road for a workout.
After the milking is done, Miller runs, usually starting about 8:30 a.m. In a typical week, heíll log 60 miles of training.
When heís gearing up for a marathon, the distance increases to about 70 miles per week.
Miller insisted ó as do most hard-core runners ó that his runs are more pleasure than agony, that the time alone allows him an opportunity to think and ěclear the cobwebsî as the saying goes.
When the weather is inclement, Miller logs his training miles on a treadmill at The Forum on South Main Street in Salisbury.
In the afternoon, Miller returns to his farm for more work, driving a tractor or tackling any number of other chores that await him. His evenings are often spent watching one of his children play ball.
Miller and his wife, Laura, have three children ó Seth, 15, Brock, 12, and Daxton, 9.
Getting Miller to brag on himself is nigh-on impossible.
He at first expressed reservations about being featured in the Post, and consented only after being told that several of his neighbors called the paper asking that his story be told.
ěHeís just steady,î Freeze said. ěHeís on the go all the time.î