Not everyone is dealt the same hand of cards. Fernando Cabada, 25, is a runner who really understands this, and has learned a lot in life along the way since his distant and dark past. Cabada is one of six athletes featured in the new documentary film Born To Run: A Tale of Endurance, due out on DVD this summer. Now in post-production, the film focuses on Cabada as well as Ryan Hall, Abdi Abdirahman, Jason Hartmann, Fasil Bizuneh, and Karl Dusen. Directed by Zach Starr and Amsalu Bizuneh, the film really captures what the life of an elite runner is like on a day-to-day basis, and what kind of commitment it takes to be at the world-class level. Fernando Cabada, currently residing in Boulder, CO, was born to run. He is gifted with the genetics to be one of the fastest runners in the country today, and to be the current American record holder in the 25K distance (he ran a 1:14:21 at the US 25K Road Championships in May 2006). Cabada ran his debut marathon at the 2006 Fukuoka Marathon in Japan, clocking a 2:12:27. This first marathon finish became the seventh-fastest debut marathon in American history. He went on to represent the United States in the marathon at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan. However, he was also born into poverty. With a mother on welfare and a father in prison, Cabada missed out on a lot as a child growing up in Fresno, California. He did not have most of the advantages some of his current competitors had at that age. He did not have the money for new running shoes after every 400 miles that he ran on the road. He did not have access to some of the best training camps in the nation. “I was so far behind. I had to fight my way up to the top,” said Cabada. “I grew up with struggles, and I realize that I’m always going to struggle one way or another.” Before he ventured into distance running, Cabada tried to play sports like basketball and baseball, but claims that he failed miserably at them. He also did not know at the time that he had poor vision, and could not see the ball flying right toward him at baseball games. Whenever his father was home from prison for maybe a week, they played basketball together. If Cabada missed a basket, his father got angry at him—to the point that Cabada was completely burnt out on ball sports. “He made me hate those sports,” said Cabada. Cabada said that he started running when he was in the third grade. He discovered structured Physical Education programs in the nearby—and wealthier—Fresno suburbs. Cabada was addicted to running the day he ran the half-mile race and finished in fifth place. “After that race, I was like, ‘this is pretty fun,’” stated Cabada. Running helped Cabada escape from the life that his mother did not want for him. “Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to come back up, and I know now that I never want to go back down. That’s what keeps me going,” said Cabada. Despite some awkward setbacks at the beginning of his career, Cabada has managed to break free from whatever was holding him back. “I was never fast [in the early years]. I struggled up until my junior year of high school,” said Cabada. “I finished in last place in the 2-mile race at conference when I was in eighth grade.” After graduating from Buchanan High School in 2000, Cabada accepted a track scholarship to the University of Arkansas. When he was a freshman at Arkansas, Cabada joined the US Junior National XC Team. After attending school there for a bit, he went back home to California to run cross country at Fresno State. Cabada later transferred to Minot State in North Dakota. Eventually, Cabada went to Virginia Intermount College when Scott Simmons, his Coach at the time, moved to that school from Minot State. Fernando Cabada broke out on the national running scene in the spring of 2006, when became the American record holder in the 25K. As well as being competitive in the shorter distances, Cabada now plans on running more marathons—and bettering his time of 2:12:27. “I’d like to run another marathon this fall,” said Cabada. Since the end of last year, Cabada has been living and training in Boulder, Colorado, at 5,000 feet above sea level. Now coached by legendary marathoner and former world-record holder Steve “Jonesy” Jones, Cabada joins Alan Culpepper, Jorge Torres, and Ed Torres in the new elite training group called Tempo Sports. Formed in 2007, the training group provides support, training sessions, and medical assistance to the athletes. Cabada believes that Coach Steve Jones will undoubtedly help him to be a better runner—and maybe a better person too. Cabada, who has a reputation for being a bit confident, thinks that training with this group has been a very humbling experience. “I realize that my training needs to be structured. I can’t do this alone. I admit to that,” said Cabada. “I’ve had a lot of support [in Boulder]. This is my first time training with an elite group, and I feel blessed to have the opportunity. [Jones and Culpepper] have so much knowledge. They care about me and want me to be successful.” After moving around from coach to coach and from team to team in the past, maybe Cabada has finally found his niche in Boulder. Although the altitude adjustment has been rather tough on him, Cabada still hopes to improve quickly while taking a cautious approach. “Once you begin training at altitude, it’s hard to get back out of altitude,” said Cabada. The levels of the molecule 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) in an athlete’s red blood cells increase after the athlete moves to a higher altitude than they are used to. Even though the levels of this molecule increase so that more oxygen is released to tissues from hemoglobin, the body’s adaptation to this change still takes time. Cabada plans on staying at altitude for a while so that he might benefit from it more, like the Torres brothers. Jorge and Ed Torres have been training at altitude for years, and are now winning major races. Jorge won the 2008 USA 8K Championships in New York City on March 15. “Steve Jones is training us to be tough and aggressive, and without limits. We’re not allowed to wear watches. [Jones] doesn’t want us to put limits on ourselves, and to not back off if we feel like we don’t need to back off,” said Cabada. “[Jones] is a good coach and a good man. He has a good head on his shoulders, and is so humble. He respects the sport and the distance.” Cabada recently ran a 1:03:51 in the Shamrock Half Marathon in Virginia Beach, VA, finishing in second place behind Andrew Letherby. He looks forward to a lot more racing action this year, and a lot more lessons to be learned—especially in the 26.2 mile distance. “With the marathon, you have to respect the distance,” said Cabada. “Listen to your coach, and believe in your ability without a doubt.” *Photo credit: Starr Media Design. *Check out www.borntorunfilm.com!