KOPPENOL SHEDS OLD LIFE, FULFILLS HIS DREAM Up at five, on the train to New York City by 5:30; work straight through without breaks, back on the train and home at eight. For over twenty years, Bob Koppenol of Madison was on that train, but in his heart was a dream. It came to fruition two years ago when he tore up his commuter ticket, said goodbye to the Big Apple and opened the doors of Starting Line Sports in Madison. That was in January of 2006, but the seeds of the store were planted some thirty-plus years ago when Koppenol was competing at cross country and track at Summit High School. The seeds were incubated at Trenton State where Koppenol added the Steeplechase to his athletic resume with a 9:40 pr at the 3,000 meter distance. Those seeds lay dormant all those years while he made that daily commute. But running and racing was never out of the man, who put on his running shoes after debarking that train to go out for a run. |
"I continued to compete after college," said Koppenol. "I did a lot of the local road races. I would train at nine, nine thirty at night, but I couldn't compete at a high level. I was out running [at night] and getting up at five."
Koppenol was burned out. That's when he pulled out that dream and said goodbye to corporate life.
"I call it my midlife crisis," said Koppenol of the store. "It's something I've always wanted to do, ever since college, but never had the money or the time to start my own business."
"I finally got to the point where I didn't like what I was doing. There is so much pressure and I just decided I want to start my own business," he said. "It is an area that I know very well and it has always been my passion, so I decided, 'it's now or never'. Give it a shot."
Starting Line Sports on the main drag in Madison is not just a specialty running shoe store but is heavy on swim and triathlon equipment.
"When I opened the business I could see that triathlon was really expanding," said Koppenol. "Triathlon is what the marathon was back in the eighties."
"Back in the eighties, everyone you spoke to said, 'Oh I'm going to run a marathon.' Now it's 'I'm going to do a triathlon.'"
"We do a lot with the swim gear and the wet suits and the triathlon apparel," he said. "So that's a big part of our business. It isn't straight running. It's a lot of tri stuff as well."
Like many of his customers Koppenol has segued from a straight road racer to triathlete.
"I really enjoy triathlons because you get to mix in the three sports," he said. "But I enjoy the road racing because running is what I've done my entire life and what I am best at."
Koppenol, who is now 51 years old can credit his increased ability to train for his sub 20 minute 5K times, and is hoping to get them closer to 19 minutes. Now that the tri season is over he is back to running more with just one swim session a week and a weekly trip on the bike.
Ironically Koppenol still rises at five in the morning, but his schedule is far different than it was three years ago. He either runs or swims first thing in the morning and then is back home to help with his three kids.
"I can help out a lot at home. In my old job I was never around," he said. "Now I help get them off to school. Our youngest is in elementary school, so I hang out with him in the morning until I see him off."
Then he is down to the store to open at 9:30 a.m. He closes at six in the evening except for Thursdays when he is open until 8:00 on Thursdays. Sundays the store is closed.
This week he will see runners coming in to register for the Morris Mauler that is taking place at Lewis Morris Park west of Morristown next Saturday, November 3 rd. The race is organized by Dave Hoch of East Brunswick who is a part time sales associate at the store. Staring Line Sports offers two pairs of Inov-8 trail shoes as a raffle prize drawing at the race, which is a challenging 5 kilometer trail race.
According to Koppenol the new shoes, which were developed in the UK, have a low profile that allows the foot to really work the terrain. Unlike many trail shoes that have very thick soles, the Inov-8 shoes have a very thin sole, but with a plantar fascia web to provide good stability.
Because the race is on a Saturday (Hoch alternates his Mauler races between Saturday's and Sundays) Koppenol will be minding the store. When it is on a Sunday he sets up a display and then runs in the race. His best time on the course is 23:30, far off his road 5K time. But that is expected due to the difficulty of the Mauler that features a hill with a nickname that cannot be printed in this newspaper.
Originally published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, New Jersey on Sunday, October 28, 2007
Copyright, Madeline Bost, 2007
