Pulliam: Caimano runs with a passion

At the age of 38 people don’t usually jump into new habits.

Rinaldo “Butch” Caimano is an exception and he’s thankful for that.

The Boardman resident picked up running in 1991 and hasn’t looked back.

At first, running was mere exercise.

“First I was doing it for the health benefits,” said Caimano, who frequently runs in Mill Creek Park. “After a while, I was getting in shape, I see a sign for one of those 5K races, and I said ‘Let me try one of these.’”

Soon after “trying” a 5K race (or 3.1 miles) Caimano seemed pleased with the results.

“I placed pretty well,” Caimano said. “I wasn’t sure what to expect. But I did a few more and started placing regularly. So I said, ‘I might be on to something here.’”

Caimano found his niche as he ran in area 5K races.

But after a while, he stepped his game up to marathons.

In 1993, Caimano qualified at the Pittsburgh Marathon for the Boston Marathon, one the world’s largest running events.

“You just have take a step back and take it all in,” said Caimano, about the Boston Marathon’s atmosphere. “The best runners in the country are there and everybody had to qualify to get in.

“It’s pretty humbling.”

Caimano qualified two more times in 1994 and 2001 for Boston.

But as the years rolled by, Caimano started training for 5Ks more than marathons.

“Training is the worst part,” Caimano said with a laugh. “For the 5Ks, you have to do more speed workouts.”

With his focus back on the shorter distance, Caimano says the training varies throughout the week.

“You still have to run about five to seven days a week but your mileage is lower,” Caimano said. “Maybe about a four- or five-mile run during the week and a nine- to 10-mile run on the weekends.”

Linda Caimano, Butch’s wife, says running is a passion for her husband.

“It gives him time to reflect on things,” Linda said. “It’s his outlet.”

His children, Dominic and Monica, also grew fond of running, often running with their dad while in high school.

“I miss those days,” Butch said.

While he doesn’t run with his kids anymore, Caimano, now 61, earned himself a trip to the 2015 National Senior Games in Minneapolis. He finished third in the Ohio Senior Olympics to qualify.

Butch says he’s going to try something a little different while training for the national contest.

“I’m going to try and run at the Y during the winter to stay active,” Caimano said. “I don’t want to lose any speed and have to start over in the spring time.”

After all he has accomplished in his 23 years of running, Caimano is excited for the opportunity that lies ahead.

“It came as a pleasant surprise and I was proud of that,” said Caimano of the third-place finish. “To be a part of the top four [to qualify], it’s kind of a special feeling. All your hard work and training finally paid off. It kind of separates you from the rest of the pack. It puts you up on the next level to be able to compete against the best people nationally.”

Write Vindicator sportswriter Curtis Pulliam at cpulliam@vindy.com and follow him on Twitter @ Pulliam_Vindy.