ConSeal’s Marathon Man

Being a successful salesman requires a unique combination of perseverance, ambition and personality. The most successful know what it takes to overcome obstacles in order to achieve a desired goal and are not discouraged by setbacks.

For years, Darryl Cloud has used those traits in his day job as National Sales Manager for Concrete Sealants Inc. As it turns out, they came in handy for a much different endeavor he decided undertake five years ago: long-distance running.

When he started, Cloud had not done any sort of physical exercise in many years. His two children had taken up marathon running in previous years, though, and he decided he wasn’t too old to keep up with them.In the five years since he first laced up a pair of running shoes and hit the pavement, Cloud’s accomplishments have been impressive. To date, he has completed countless half marathons and recently completed his fourth full marathon. He has gained a lot from his running, including an appreciation for his health, many supporters who have donated thousands of dollars for various causes and new friends. And in the process he has also lost something very important – more than 80 pounds.

For Cloud, the running is about two things – taking care of his health and making a difference for charitable causes. In past years he has raised funds for arthritis and hospice and while those were causes he felt strongly about, it was his last race that meant the most.

The Marine Corps Marathon is an annual event held in Washington D.C. that raises funds for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the premier source of fundraising for breast cancer. As a former Marine whose own mother battled and overcame breast cancer, it was the perfect race for Cloud. He credits research and treatment for extending his mother’s life 14 years, and knows there is much left to be done.

From rising at 3:30 a.m. for his 4:15 a.m. runs to heading out in everything from blistering heat to temperatures well into the negative degrees on his business trips, there is no questioning Cloud’s resolve. He plans to run the Marine Corps Marathon again next year and in the meantime encourages people to give to Komen Foundation at http://ww5.komen.org/. He is, after all, a salesman and there is no sale more important to him than supporting the organization that gave the most important gift of all, the gift of life, to his mother.