Experience the 'Joy of Running' in a Bob Ross Costume

Want to experience the joy of running?
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🎨Show up for a Retro Run in a Bob Ross costume for some happy little miles.
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When runner Jeff Sherrell heard about the Trak Shack Retro Run in Birmingham, Ala., he already had the perfect running costume idea for the event.

• "I've always loved to watch Bob Ross on his painting show," says Jeff. "He has this unique demeanor, and the way he talks is always calm and soothing."
• "After learning a little more about his backstory, I started doing some runs with a Bob Ross wig a couple years ago," says Jeff. "But this time I decided to run in a full Bob Ross costume."

🏃‍♂️‍➡️Ready to experience the joy of running + some happy little miles?
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Here's what happened...

Did you know Bob Ross wasn't always a painter?

• You probably know him for painting beautiful landscape scenes with "happy little trees" in just 30 minutes on The Bob Ross Show.
• Besides his paintings, his signature trademark on the show: Talking in a calm, friendly and quiet voice.

But if you met U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant Bob Ross, decades earlier, under less than ideal circumstances, you might find him...

• Shouting orders
• Reprimanding recruits
• Demanding cleaner toilets and tidier barracks, and...
• Screaming about tardiness, disrespect, and disorder

Not the Bob Ross you know, right?
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When he left the military, he made a promise to never raise his voice again.

• It's a little reminder that people can change. 
• Life happens. 
• Things can turn out differently than you expect. 
• And sometimes things happen that might not make sense or seem unfair, only to be the perfect preparation for something in the future.

Jeff Sherrell wasn't always a runner, and then something happened...

"About eight years ago, I met a woman online and we went on a few dates," says Jeff.

• She was a runner. 
• They talked and chatted about running, races, and healthy lifestyle habits. 
• And Jeff thought he'd take up running to strengthen their connection.

"If she's this into running, maybe I can get into running," Jeff thought.
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But when he shared this with her, she replied with some honest truth:
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"You need to do this for you, not for me."

• He started walking, then running.
• He made healthy lifestyle changes.
• And he signed up for his first 5K run

"And then one week after I ran that first 5K, she broke up with me," says Jeff.
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"She left me, but running didn't."
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To make that hurt a little more, he lost his job after 20 years around the same time.
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"I pretty much went into a severe depression," says Jeff. "It was a really emotional and traumatic time in my life."
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He knew his close circle of friends and God were still on his side, but there was something else, too.
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Running.
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"After spending all that time developing the habit, running really helped me cope and work through that time," says Jeff. "And somewhere along the way, I realized, 'Hey, I really like this."
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So he laced up a new pair of running shoes and kept going...

Since Jeff's running journey started eight years ago, he's crossed the finish line of a growing list of races, including:

• 5Ks
• 10Ks
• Half Marathons
• Marathons, and one...
• Ultramarathon

Along the way, he's discovered the "joy of running," something the late Bob Ross would have probably appreciated.
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So when Jeff heard about the Trak Shack Retro Run in Birmingham, Ala., he knew it was time to celebrate some happy little miles in a Bob Ross costume.

🎨The palate + wig
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"After I got the Bob Ross wig a few years ago, I made a palate to carry with me,too" says Jeff.
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But it wasn't perfect. He threw some plain-white frosting on the palate with some food coloring, and it kept smearing.
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This time, he made the palate better.

• "I wanted to make the palate a little more permanent," says Jeff. 
• "So I got some white silicone in a tube, put it on the palate and added food coloring. Now I can take this anywhere, and don't have to worry about it smearing or melting."

👖Demin jeans
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You ever thought about running in denim jeans? 
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Sounds like a recipe for sandpaper-style chafing in the nether-regions, right?

• "I was a little hesitant to run in denim jeans," says Jeff. 
• "I've been running long enough to be very aware of the peril of running in something like that."
• The fix: Generous amounts of Body Glide + knee-length compression shorts under the jeans

👕The shirt
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Another one of Bob Ross' trademarks: He always wore a plain-colored button-down shirt with a collar. 
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But is that something you really want to wear during a hot-and-humid run in the middle of summer in Alabama?
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Jeff had to find a way to make it work.

• "I wore a sleeveless compression shirt under the button up shirt," says Jeff.

"Running in the Bob Ross costume was a total success, but it was a lot hotter to run in these clothes than most other races I've done."

"Lots of people know and love Bob Ross," Jeff said.
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"When I decided to sign up for the Retro Run, I really wanted to reach back in to the 70s or 80s. And I thought how much more of a beloved figure from that era can you get than Bob Ross?"
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With a smile on his face, Jeff cruised through the streets of Birmingham in full Bob-Ross costume, spreading happiness along every mile of the route.

• "A couple of people told me, 'As you passed us, I told my friends, we’re getting passed by Bob Ross...IN JEANS!'”
• "I had so much fun, and so many requests for selfies after the race."

Favorite race

• Tuscaloosa Half Marathon in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Favorite shoes

• New Balance 1080
• New Balance Supercomp Elite

Favorite fuels

• Gatorade
• LMNT
• Honey Stinger Salted Carmel Waffles
• Vanilla Wafers

Bucket-list races

• Boston Marathon. 
• Delaware Marathon. "I had a dream about it once. In the dream, I told my church I need to get up to Delaware to run a marathon."

The running community

• "As a pastor, sometimes I wish more churches were as supportive as the running community is. The running community always lifts people up. For example, you post something on Facebook about a run or a race, and you have complete strangers celebrating your achievements and cheering you on."

The Church of running

• "Paul wrote a lot about racing and running in his writing. He said: 'Run with patience the race that is set before you.' And that's really how we need to approach all the stuff we come across in life. There's pain and exhaustion. There's times we want to quit. There's discomfort all coming your way. And you don't have a place to quit. You have to find a way to keep going."

Running advice

• "Find your distance. Find your happy place. Sign up for a race that will challenge you, and start training. And learn to enjoy the process."