Hitting the Ground Running: New TLU Marketing Professor Teaches Running Class

Zach Plunk was running competitively long before he went to college-before he went to high school, in fact. He ran his first race back in elementary school and has been lacing up his sneakers ever since, and the distance he covers has certainly gotten longer since that first race. These days, he competes two or three times a year in half and full marathons-13.1 and 26.2 miles, respectively.

On any given workday, you'd be most likely to find Plunk in Tschoepe Hall, where he teaches classes in marketing within the Department of Business Administration. But this semester, he's jogging over to kinesiology to share his love of running with TLU students.

The idea came to him after conversations with kinesiology faculty members Dr. Jim Newberry, Dr. Erika Short, and Dr. Casi Helbig. "While I teach marketing, my office is on the kinesiology wing in Tschoepe," Plunk explained. As the kinesiology professors turned from colleagues to friends, Plunk's visits with them made him realize that there is a need for more activity classes at TLU-and he was more than happy to lend a hand. "I was already going to be training for multiple races during the year, so I thought I might as well bring students along with me to compete and get them course credit," he said.

The result: KINS 319-Half and Full Marathon Running.

"This is such a unique thing that Zach is doing," said TLU MBA Director and Associate Professor Mark Peacock. "His passion for running, wellness, education, and student success all coming together!"

"We not only run, but we learn how to succeed in endurance racing across all aspects, including hydration, nutrition, recovery, and race prep," Plunk said. At semester's end, the students will have the opportunity to put their new knowledge to the test. "We will be running in the San Antonio Marathon event on December 7."

"It is special to have faculty interested in areas outside of their major," said Newberry, who heads up the Kinesiology Department. "There are several business faculty who we discuss fitness of the mind, body, and soul with on a regular basis. 'Sound minds in healthy bodies.'"

Plunk came to TLU straight from the University of North Texas, where he earned his PhD in marketing last year. "I love to teach, and I love to be with students. At TLU, I am able to make 'being with students' my priority, which is most important for me," he said. He also likes it that TLU offers him the opportunity to have conversations about faith with his students, which might be discouraged at other institutions.

"I am always searching for ways to connect with students outside of a classroom environment," he says. "In my opinion, there isn't a much better way to learn about someone than to do something hard, like an endurance race, with them."

If you're interested in running but don't know how to get started, Plunk has some simple advice: "The best way to get better at running is to run," he said. "You have to be consistent to actually see improvement in performance and recovery." His other piece of advice is "Run with friends!" Which is, of course, exactly what he and his class will be doing all semester.