Former QB Finds New Competitive Outlet in Running

Former HP, TCA football player runs to combat severe anxiety

Thomas Hand struggled to let football go. But channeling his competitive energy into running has proven therapeutic, one stride at a time.

The Park Cities native and former Trinity Christian quarterback has found that half-marathons are about finishing fast, but also about calming down.

Hand transferred from Highland Park to Trinity Christian in Addison prior to his junior season in 2018, to play for then-TCA coach and Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary.

However, he missed most of that season with a broken elbow on his throwing arm. The following year, Hand left the team for personal reasons as the program spiraled downward.

“For three to four months, I kind of felt empty,” Hand said. “It was something I had done every day since I was 5 years old, and it was gone. But it wasn’t gone the way I was expecting it to be gone.”

Hand could have still played college football, but instead decided to pursue a marketing degree at Baylor, continuing a family legacy. He tried to stay in shape through weightlifting. Yet there was a void. Hand developed severe anxiety and began taking medication.

His mother had always been a runner, so Hand tried it during the pandemic — outside rather than on a treadmill, and exploring new routes while increasing his distance. He kept it up even while studying abroad in France.

“When I ran, it had a better effect than any of the medicine I had tried. I got addicted to it from a mental standpoint. It was really helping me, and I started challenging myself,” Hand said. “I wanted to do something competitive with it.”

Last summer, he began training 20-25 miles per week for his first half-marathon, the Tour des Fleurs at White Rock Lake. Hand met his goal of finishing in under two hours. He beat 80 percent of all runners and was fifth in his age group.

“I shocked myself and did a lot better than expected,” Hand said. “As soon as you start running, you can see a vast difference in your lung capacity, and you can do things you’ve never done before without getting tired.”

He improved his time in his second race at the Urban Ultra Dallas Eco-Trail event in January, placing fourth overall.

Hand said he will stick with half-marathons because the 13.1-mile distance gives him the disciplined regimen and health benefits he needs. He’s no longer on any meds, and his athletic regrets have gradually subsided.

“The football thing sucked, but I can’t be mad, because it led me to this,” said Hand, who graduated from Baylor in May. “I can’t deny that I like running as much, if not more, than football.”