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| "I don't play well with others, so running was a great fit for me." |
Simply, I run to think. It also helps me to stay sane, and of course in good shape. I find that a good run can be the cure to almost any malady, from writer’s block to anger to mourning. It also doesn’t hurt that it sets a great example for my children to follow.
How long have you been running? How did you get started? Why did you choose running over other activities?
I’ve been running since 1996 when I joined the Marine Corps. I never ran in high school and even loathed it when I joined the Marine Corps. As you might imagine, I was not very good at it, not very fast, and did not enjoy being yelled at to run. With that said, I never embraced it, instead only running just enough to continue to pass the bi-annual physical fitness test (PFT) requirements (3 miles in less than 28 minutes). As a young Marine, running 3 miles twice a year within the limits was no problem. I smoked, drank, and cavorted like most young Marines, staying basically fit through the rigors of the job. After getting married and getting older, it became harder and harder to maintain the ability to rip off a good 3 mile run every six months, but this still didn't convince me to run. In fact, I became even more entrenched with my disdain for the activity, telling others that the Marine Corps paid me to do my job, not run, though as you may know this is not entirely true. That all changed for me in mid- 2009.
In 2009, I started working out with another Marine who had long served as a mentor for me in other areas. Through a lot of persuasion on his part, I began to train with him as he prepared for a mixed martial arts (MMA) fight. I played the part of punching bag. Of course fight training involves lots of cardio, so there we were, me getting beat up and then forced to run! In a word, it was awesome. I began to see improvement in my running and began to really enjoy and look forward to the training sessions, so much so that I took the lead in our running training and began to be seen around the command as one of the more "fit" guys. At the end of the year, another non-running buddy of mine confided in me that he wanted to run a half-marathon because he was tired of struggling to keep his weight down and tired of being a poor runner. He, like me, avoided running at all costs.
So why a half-marathon you ask? Because it was the most insane distance we could think of at the time, realizing that a full marathon was likely beyond our reach, but finishing 13.1 miles might be conquered if we got to training. So that's what we did. We got my mentor on board as well as a few other trusted individuals and we began training; running at lunch and meeting on the weekends for long runs. It was humbling at first and then so liberating as we continued. We ran, and we ran, and we completed that first half-marathon. I was even able to get my wife on board and got her started running as well. We completed that first half-marathon in March 2010 in 2:05 and went on to complete two more half-marathons that year culminating with a 1:46 PR in September. I also completed a few other races (10Ks and 10 miler) as well as a half ironman that us "fit" guys ran at work.
I started running in Nike Air Max shoes, knowing nothing about running, gait analysis or shoe types. I eventually went to a "real shoe store," a Foot Locker of all places, and got sized for a pair of heavy, clunky Asics that came highly recommended by the "shoe specialist" at Foot Locker and were also endorsed by some of my recreational running friends. Boy was I naive when it came to running shoes and everything else involved, including my belief that Foot Locker was a "real shoe store" because they sold popular brands of shoes. Throughout my experience with the Asics, I stayed on the verge of serious injury for most of 2010, with significant hip pain and ultimately withdrew from the Marine Corps Marathon and stopped running for the rest of the year because of it. I was not (am not) a serial heel striker, having read up some on running and form and such, but I do know that my hip pain was correlated to those shoes.
In December 2010, I received orders to Monterey, CA where I now live and knew I had to get back to running. My first stop was to my local running store, The Treadmill, in Carmel, CA. I knew I wanted a change and had recently read Born to Run, so I was motivated to try something new; something more along a minimalist line. I bought a pair of Vibram Five Fingers and a pair of Saucony Kinvaras. I loved the Five Fingers and wear them daily still, but never really loved running in them (especially on the road) though I have completed many miles and one race (a mud run) in them. The Kinvaras were another story altogether and a love affair was born. Through September, I had logged nearly 1300 miles in 3 pair of Kinvaras as well as completed a 10K, half-marathon, marathon, and a 50K training run in them. My new shoe is the Altra Instinct, a zero drop shoe.
Running became my “go-to” sport because it was relatively cheap and easy and I didn’t have to rely on anyone except for myself. I have always been very competitive and sometimes I don’t play well with others, so running was a great fit for me.
How do you motivate yourself to run regularly? What about on the days the weather is bad or you are feeling particularly lazy?
Motivation to run is much easier these days because I now look at running as a privilege that I “get” to do instead of a requirement that I “have” to do. Additionally, running is my drug of choice, so I know that any malaise will be thrown aside by a good run. Finally, I believe that the only way to get better at running is to run, so I will never get closer to achieving a new PR while I sit on the couch.
Do you use a running coach, or read any books to aid in your training?
I do not have a running coach, though it is something that interests me greatly. In fact, becoming a certified running coach is something that I intend to pursue. Personally, I love to read about running and glean many useful pieces of advice from running books and magazines. As with most people, I was highly affected by the book Born to Run, but also by books like My Life on the Run by Bart Yasso, Running on Empty by Marshall Ulrich, The Courage to Start by John Bingham, Once a Runner by John Parker, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami, The Running Life by Donald Buraglio and Michael Dove, and countless others. For training specifically, I use Hal Higdon’s website, Jason Fitzgerald’s Strength Running website, Coach Jeff’s PRSFIT website, and lots and lots of great blogs.
How do you fit running in with your daily schedule?
Admittedly, sometimes this can be very tricky, but generally I do one of two things, and sometimes both. First, I schedule all of my runs. That way, they are a priority for my day and hold just as much weight as anything else that I do that day. Second, since I am married with 3 kids, I try to run at times when it won’t affect my family (such as early in the morning before they wake up) or I try to incorporate the whole family into my run (wife running and kids on their bikes). Either way, I am not a “fly by the seat of your pants” type of guys, so generally if my runs are not scheduled, then they will not happen.
Do your friends and family support your running or think you are crazy?
Well I am a member of the Idiots Running Club (IRC) if that tells you anything! Seriously though, I am fortunate to be surrounded by a lot of supportive people. My wife runs and most of my friends run, though not to the extremes that I prefer (marathon and longer). It also helps being in the Marine Corps, as for the most part, being fit is expected, and being extreme is encouraged.
What is your favorite running terrain (road, trail, treadmill)?
I honestly don’t have a favorite terrain to run on. I enjoy the road because it’s smooth and long, I appreciate the ruggedness of the trail, and I know it might sound sacrilege, but I enjoy the treadmill as well and consider it a valuable training tool.
What is the hardest race you’ve run to date?
Fortunately, I have yet to experience a truly hard race, though I know the day is coming. Many were hard though for different reasons. The Shamrock Half-Marathon was tough because it was my 1st half-marathon. The Big Sur Mud Run was tough because it was cold, rainy, and a physical race, though it was only 5 miles long. The San Francisco Marathon was tough as well, as it was my first marathon and so the unknowns of the distance were hard to cope with though the race itself went well.
By far though, my toughest running experience was my first 24 mile training run. Before my marathon, I was convinced that I needed to go over 20 as many times as I could and as close to 26 without getting injured. I set out to do 24 and totally bonked, staggering home and learning many valuable lessons along the way.
What is the most enjoyable race you’ve run to date?
My most enjoyable race to date was the Virginia Beach Rock ‘n’ Roll Half-Marathon. It was flat, fast and well organized. I ran a 1:46 (my current PR) and there were bands and spectators everywhere.
Have you ever been injured due to running? What were the ramifications?
In June, I realized that I had some sort of groin injury, but continued to run through it as the pain wasn't "that bad" and my marathon was in July. After the marathon, I continued to train for my "A" race, The North Face Endurance Challenge 50 miler in December. By October though, I knew I could no longer run through the pain and finally took a break from running and sought medical advice. After 6 weeks of visits to the Doctor and the Physical Therapist, I finally got the explanation for my injury; bilateral inguinal hernias.
I had surgery to repair them in December, but still had pain. Upon further examination, my surgeon diagnosed me with osteitis pubis which is basically an overuse injury that needs time with no activity to heal. I have not really run since October though I did continue to do other exercise. Unfortunately, nearly every exercise you can imagine affects your groin/lower abdominals, and therefore aggravated my osteitis. Following my surgery in December, I tried a few runs and exercises, but the pain was still there so I vowed to be “Fitness Free Till February” when I will reassess my situation.
Do you use any music or run tracking devices when you run, or are you a naked runner.?
I do not run with music unless I am on the treadmill. The outdoor sounds are too phenomenal to drown out with music and I love hearing my exertion as I run; the footfalls and the breathing. Additionally, I love to share my runs with others who are out exercising by giving a smile and a wave and I feel that headphones significantly take away from the community aspect of running.
As far as run tracking, I have dubbed 2012 my year of running simple and by this, I mean running for running and not being a slave to my Garmin. This is challenging though, as I am a numbers guy and I love my spreadsheets and poring over the numbers. This will definitely be a challenge. I log my runs via DailyMile as well and enjoy the ability to “brag” and “compete” with the larger running community.
How do you get yourself through the difficult parts of your runs? Do you have a personal mantra or do you just give up?
Never give up. Ever. I usually repeat to myself that “I can do anything for 30 minutes.” This mantra has helped my through countless runs where I was struggling and wanted to call it early. Another favorite of mine is “Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard.”
A lot of runners know that “Who has the runs” has a double meaning. How do you deal with the occasional “problem” that plagues every runner at one time or another?
Through experience, I have learned what works for me nutritionally before I run and what doesn’t. As an extra precaution I plan my road running routes to include potential bathroom stops and on my trail runs I carry baby wipes in my hydration pack. On occasion I have been known to bolt off the treadmill or sprint out of a formation run in order to utilize the facilities!
Just start. The biggest obstacle to running is yourself, so the sooner you can get over yourself, the better. Running isn’t always easy and sometimes it does suck, but you will never get better unless you do it. Second, make running a priority. Put it on your schedule and always be prepared by planning ahead of time so that you won’t have any excuses. Finally, sign up for a race and tell somebody that you did. With any goal that you want to achieve, accountability is key! Oh yeah, find a friend that shares your passion and push aside those that don’t.
What is your next big race?
My next big race is the Big Sur International Marathon on April 29th, 2012. I am hoping that my “Fitness Free Till February” will allow me to start running and training again. I am planning to run the race with my wife and instead of running for time we want to run for the experience (sights and sounds).
What is your immediate running goal?
My immediate running goal is to get back to running pain free. If I were running now, it would be to complete a 50 mile race.
What is your ultimate running goal?
My ultimate running goal is to eventually run a 3:15 marathon and complete a 100 mile race. For me I have learned that I don’t care as much about speed as I do about distance, though in my mind a 3:15 is an excellent marathon goal and 100 miles is the ultimate test of endurance.
Do you have a way we can keep track of your progress (Twitter, Facebook, Blog, etc)
Oh yeah, I thought you’d never ask! I blog, facebook, tweet, google +, dailymile, and pinterest. You can find me here:
Blog – www.justalittlerun.com
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Just-a-Little-Run/264242730282573
Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/justalittlerun
Google + - https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/113449550640764646769/113449550640764646769/posts
DailyMile - http://www.dailymile.com/people/justalittlerun#ref=tophd
Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/justalittlerun/
I look forward to following Mike at Just A Little Run. Thanks for sharing his story
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