6th Annual “Pump & Run”
6th Annual “Pump & Run”
Fitness Event to Raise Money for the United Way of Cattaraugus
At some time or another, we have all made a promise we haven’t kept. In the beautifully imperfect tendencies that are human nature, we are bound to lie. I consider myself a very honest person though, and I always try to be accountable and real with people. My Achilles heel though are the lies I tell myself. And since we’re becoming such good friends, I’ll let you in on a little secret: I have never kept a New Year’s resolution.
I always make them, start them, and then never follow through. Sometimes I’ll finish the year having completed a modified version of my original statement, not actually meeting my goal but maybe just grazing it. Sometimes I’ll keep it up for a little bit, like the year I promised to be more organized and keep a robust calendar, equipped with all of my assignments, plans, and deadlines, then just drop it altogether when it gets too hard.
This year, I really dropped the ball. I made the resolution that more Americans make than any other one; I promised to start hitting the gym. Not only did I fail, but I didn’t go ONCE. And after 7 months of trying to suck up enough motivation and nerve to just go, I realized that the folks who can just get up and go for no other reason than it’s just good for them are so admirable.
That’s how I felt learning all about the 2024 6th annual Pump and Run event hosted by Eade Fitness 24/7. Pump and Run is pretty much what it sounds like. Each contestant bench presses a certain amount of weight just before running one mile. In this case, runners go from Eade Fitness 24/7 on N. Union in Olean to Four Mile Brewing LLC on E. Greene.
“It’s a little bit of a strength and cardio fitness event,” said Paul Eade, owner of Eade Fitness 24/7. Paul’s Gym originated in 1988 as a powerlifting center, but has evolved through the years to cater to fitness trends. “In the late 90s, we went for more of a holistic fitness and aerobic approach.”
However, through its name changes and rebrands, it has always been Paul and his Gym. He locked on Eade Fitness 24/7 in 2005 and was impressively one of the first around-the-clock gyms in the greater area.
I spoke with Paul on the morning of Pump and Run on August 2nd. “And, we’re raising money for the United Way of Cattaraugus County,” he added.
Benefiting an organization like United Way through a challenge centered around self-betterment seems like such a beautiful way to celebrate fitness with the community. United Way’s commitment to assisting nonprofits makes it so meaningful.
Paul is a former board member of United Way. He gave me the rundown on their network. “United Way’s sole mission is to serve non-profits. There are 13 to 15 non-profits in their network. An example of one would be the Genesis House of Olean, which helps people struggling with varying issues to get back on their feet. The Genesis House provides lodging, food, etcetera,” said Paul.
From The Genesis House to Hospice, even to the Boy and Girl Scouts, United Way of Cattaraugus County has a number of local nonprofits covered. At this year’s Pump and Run, 500 dollars was raised for them.
If you missed the Pump and Run, be on the lookout because Eade Fitness 24/7’s next event is coming this fall. “We’re locally owned, passionate about fitness, love events, and love giving back!,” exclaimed Paul just before telling me about their upcoming firetruck pull event. Up in Lincoln Park, teams of men and women compete by pulling a real firetruck. This will be the second year.
More details to come over at eadefitness.com. Here, you’ll also be able to learn more about Eade Fitness 24/7 and find contact information. Hopefully, I can be a better New Year’s resolution maker next year and join the cool people up at the 2025 Pump and Run!