Vikki Richardson: At 74 Years Young, this Former Playboy Bunny is Still Running

At 74 years young, Vikki has run 60 marathons and plans to do more!
Fitzness.com

Vikki Richardson, 74 years young, West Covina, CA with my husband, Kymmith Handy, 54 years young. Retired Children’s Social Worker for the Department of Children’s and Family Services, Los Angeles County.

When and why did you start running? Twenty four years have run into the past since my first marathon in 1989. It was most unlikely that I would ever run a marathon. I have flat feet, pigeon toes, and knock-knees. I do not have any genetic connections for running, as none of my relatives have run a marathon. Nonetheless, in 1988,I was inspired to start when I read an article on the benefits of running. Even though I belonged to a gym, I did not have any running history. At the time, I held my sedentary position as a Children’s Social Worker. Job frustrations made me want to run and scream. Since I love nature and being out in it, I thought running would be fun.

Have you always been fit? I have always been in “good shape,” but not physically fit for running. I nearly croaked trying to run around the block in my neighborhood, at first. My feet ached in regular tennis shoes. Adding flames to the fire, I ran in a leotard which crept up so far, I thought paramedics would have to remove it.After that, I learned about getting fitted for running shoes and choosing supportive running gear. As time passed, I ran a few 5K and 10K races. Then a girlfriend in the
gym told me that she rad run a 26.2 marathon, and she wanted to run another one. She talked me into running long miles with her, and we ran the LA Marathon in 1989. Running my first marathon caused me to question my sanity. Huge blisters surfaced on my toes, and most of my toenails turned black and eventually came off when new nails grew underneath them. I thought, “No more marathons for me!” That was true until 1991 when I ran my second LA Marathon and became “addicted to running marathons.” I ran my first half marathon a few months after my first marathon.

Vikki married her handsome husband, Kymmith, during the Las Vegas Half Marathon! Fitzness.com

Since then, I have run countless half marathons, 5K and 10K races. Along the way, I also ran a few 18 mile races and one “baby” ultra marathon of 31.07 miles. I kept a close count of my 26.2 marathons, and I have completed 60 of them. I have never gotten a “DNF” (Did not finish) in any running event. I have run all 10 of the Orange County Marathons, and I’m the only female Legacy runner in my age division. I have run the LA Marathon 22 times. California is rich with running venues, and most of my marathons were run in various cities here in my wondrous home state, including Big Sur. Other states include Arizona and Tennessee, my birth state.

Traveling is one of my favorite things to do, and I ran a marathon in Florence, Italy and one in Bora Bora, Tahiti. My favorite half marathon was in Las Vegas, December 7, 2008. It was a memorable moment because Kymmith and I were married during the
“Run-Thru Wedding” ceremony at mile 5, along with several other running couples. It just so happened that Kymmith and I were
the featured couple in the Las Vegas TV news and print. Now we can Google “A Start Gun Wedding” and smile at the picture of him
carrying me across the finish line with my bridal veil flowing in the wind.

What’s been the hardest part of all this running? Wishing that I could run faster. Running a marathon has not gotten any easier over the years. The daunting thought of running 26.2 miles in one day makes me panic early and avoid the rush, but standing at the start line is totally awesome.

What’s the most fun part of running all these races? The feeling of empowerment from task completion. Camaraderie with other runners in my running clubs keep me running back for more as we train for the next race.

Your favorite training son: “I Got The Victory” by Yolanda Adams and “Happy” by Pharrell Williams.

Vikki was a former Playboy Bunny! Fitzness.com

Favorite healthy food: Raw juice from my juice extractor and raw fruits and vegetables in my Nutri-Bullet, which I won in the
LA Marathon by placing among the top 20 runners in my age division.

Favorite unhealthy food: Potato chips, but raw cucumber juice renders them harmless.

Favorite post-race reward: A full body massage.

Advice for folks who would like to become runners: Get a physical checkup first. Consult Google for everything you want to know about running, juicing and healthy living. Join a local running group, and they will keep you pumped up to run and tell you which running stores offer discounts to the running club.

What’s next? I have written my memoir, “Most Unlikely,” and getting it published is next. It is a true life story of overcoming obstacles and beating the odds. I survived serious emotional and physical abuse by my father. It was most unlikely that a plain, shy girl from the backwoods of Denmark, Tennessee would become a Playboy Bunny, but I worked as a Bunny for two years. It was most unlikely that I would graduate from college with honors because I was labeled “uneducable” in high school. However, I earned a B.A and Teaching Credential in English from UCLA. In closing, we must protect ourselves from all things negative and destructive, especially our own thoughts, and running generates positive thoughts and actions. Therefore, I plan to continue running…