RMC’s own John Luaces set out to accomplish a personal life goal to complete the 123^rd  Boston Marathon on April 15^th, 2019. This monumental race isn’t only the world’s oldest, but also regarded as one of the world’s most challenging marathons. Competitors come from all over the world to brave the sloped terrain of the Massachusetts rolling hills, and the unpredictable New England weather. To make the competition even more challenging this year, the race began with slippery wet weather conditions. This posed a threat for all 30,000-plus runners who commenced their marathon expedition through the wind, rain, thunder, and lightning. As the hours passed, the sun eventually came out, as if to offer a ray of light on their path to the finish line. However, with slippery slopes behind them, the runners were then faced with heat and humidity in their final stretch. Regardless of their adversity, crossing that historical finish line after 26.2 hard-earned miles is a victory to all Boston Marathon competitors. John crossed the finish line with a time of 3 hours and 32 minutes. John’s accomplishment is impressive, and his determination is inspirational!

What do you do for RMC?

Service Technician, Redding, CA

How long have you worked for RMC?

5 years

How would you describe your work day?

I service a mostly Ricoh customer base.  My territory covers locations approximately 100 miles from Redding.

What is the best thing about your job?

I enjoy the challenge of repairing customer’s equipment and network printing issues.

What do you like most about RMC?

I like the teamwork that I experience from my coworkers and management.

What does your workspace look like? What tools do you use?

My workspace has 4 wheels and a steering wheel. It gets 28mpg and tops out at 140mph.  However, it has yet to experience more than 70mph. My tools would include a screwdriver, a laptop, and sometimes a large hammer.

What has been one of your proudest moments working at RMC?

I am proud every time I can make a customer’s day better with a quick response, and timely repair.

What do you like to do when you’re not at the office?

I do a lot of running. I have a side business where I organize and direct about 20 running events per year.  I also do timing for another 15-20 running events that I don’t direct. I also volunteer at my local church.

What inspired you to compete in the Boston Marathon?

Boston is considered the Holy Grail of marathons. All runners require specific qualifications to have the opportunity to participate. When I approached the age of 50 in December 2017, my goal was to prove my qualification for the Boston Marathon at the California International Marathon.  As a 50 year old male, I needed to run a marathon under 3 hours and 30 minutes to qualify for Boston. The quicker the time at the CIM, the better chance I had of qualifying for Boston. I ran a 3:05 marathon at the California International Marathon, and that pretty much guaranteed a spot in the upcoming 2019 Boston race.

What would you say to others who might dream to achieve such an accomplishment?

It’s a lot of hard work and miles. I started marathon specific training back in December, with already a summer worth of running up to 40 miles per week. My training peaked in late January when I was running about 70 miles per week. Then, I had an Achilles tendon set back. I had to modify my training regimen by involving more cross training. I was able to get back to marathon training in March, but not at the intensity I had been. The marathon distance of 26.2 miles is not my preferred distance. I excel at the half marathon of 13.1 miles, or races of shorter distance. So with the training set back, I wasn’t sure how Boston was going to go. While competing in Boston, I ran well for the first 17 miles. I was running at a speed to finish in 3 hours, but then the high humidity of the day and altered training started to take its toll which slowed my pace. Nevertheless, I crossed the finish line in 3:32. It was a great experience, despite the time. I enjoyed it immensely.

John Luaces, Boston Marathon Finish Line

At RMC, we’re technology consultants, technicians, sales representatives, administrators, executives, and more – but we’re also unique individuals! It is always a pleasure to learn more about the members that make up the Ray Morgan Company family.