My name is Alec Hood, and I’m 33 years old.  Growing up, I was never “athletic”, I never ran or played sports of any kind.  After graduating high school in 2008, I became an avid gym goer and heavy lifter, but avoided cardio like it was the plague.  I hated it.  Until the end of 2014 when I ran my first 5k, and it turned out not to be as bad as I thought.  In 2015 I began running obstacle course races, and from 2017 to 2019 traveled and ran Spartan Races around the country competitively, winning dozens of events and participating in several world championship OCRs.  But even then, I never enjoyed the running potion of these races; it was just “the boring section of course between the obstacles.”  It wasn’t until 2019 when I decided to go out for one random long run when I finally fell in love with and found my passion for the run itself.  The clarity, the personal growth, the freedom; I was hooked.  I ran my first marathon later that year, my first ultra in 2020, and since have run everything from solo 50ks, to running 120miles in the 48hr Merrills Mile in 2022, enjoying every step of my journey into the world of ultra running.  Unfortunately, in mid August of 2021 I was suddenly diagnosed with POTS, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, a dysautonomia or Autonomous Nervous System disorder, which causes an imbalance in the ANS. The resulting negative side effects include a drastic spike in heart rate in response to simply standing and/or any movements or actions.  Yes, that definitely includes running.  Despite this, I’m as determined as ever to continue to pursue my passion of running while also being as smart and safe as possible with this new obstacle life has presented me with.  After all, as ultra runners know, every struggle presents an opportunity to overcome and achieve more.  I am honored to join the Revolution Running team during this journey and look forward to all the miles and challenges 2023 has to offer!