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| "I'm more of a night owl pretending to be a morning dove" |
I run because I honestly enjoy it, and because the longer you run, the smaller the world becomes! I noticed this while training for my first marathon. What used to be a "really long walk" has become "a quick jaunt". When you realize that the next town is "just an hour and a half away" by foot, the world opens up to you. It was a very powerful realization for me, what capable beings we are.
How long have you been running? How did you get started? Why did you choose running over other activities?
36 years. I'm assuming that during my first year of life, I was crawling more than running. All joking aside, I haven't always loved running. In eighth or ninth grade, I went out for cross-country, but I didn't quite "get it". I didn't go out for the team the following year. In my senior year in high school, I joined a few friends for a USATF Indoor Track Meet at the University of Minnesota field house. I ran the mile and was hooked. I liked the longer distances, since my lanky frame wouldn't propel me forward fast enough to be competitive with our star sprinters, and at that age, I wanted to find something I was successful at.
For one reason or another, I neither participated in competitive running nor took up personal fitness until my mid-twenties. I would periodically buy a new pair of running shoes, visit a bookstore and pick up a new running book, and stick with it for a month or so. Eventually, my shoes would gather dust, or I would just use them as my everyday walkers.
During the summer of 2004, prior to the birth of my first son, I had gained enough weight to warrant a decision: go up a size in jeans or lose the pounds. I was feeling miserable about myself and decided enough was enough. I chose running. With new shoes and a schedule from a book, I made my first real effort at consistent running. It paid off. I shed the weight, felt better about myself, and really started to enjoy my runs. The winter ice slicks around my running haunts prompted me to stop running in late December, and I didn't pick it up until years later. It's a vicious cycle sometimes.
How do you motivate yourself to run regularly? What about on the days the weather is bad or your are feeling particularly lazy?
I need goals to keep me motivated, and that usually boils down to scheduling a race. It gives me somewhere to start planning, and a concrete goal to reach.
In Minnesota, you learn how to deal with the weather: multiple layers, polypropylene, wool, a nice wind breaker, a rain poncho for those sudden downpours - which are few and far between. I've started carrying an emergency solar blanket in addition to salt tablets, water, and food when I run in the winter. "Screw shoes" are nice for grip on slick pavement, but you can usually avoid that by running in the snow or crust.
Staying up too late is a bigger problem for me. I'm more of a night owl pretending to be a morning dove. When that alarm clock beeps, I use my goals as the ultimate push out of bed.
Do you use a running coach, or read any books to aid in your training?
I'm very much a do-it-yourselfer, and research quite a bit on the internet. I've recently received Daniels' Running Formula as a gift and have been ravenously reading it. I really like his approach to training and wrote my review of it on my blog:http://runswithd6s.blogspot.com/2011/12/excited-to-start-training-again.html.
How do you fit running in with your daily schedule?
I have to do it in the mornings these days, which is awful for me. Once I get out the door, I feel a lot better.
Do your friends and family support your running or think you are crazy?
Yes and yes. My wife doesn't understand what switch flipped in my brain these last couple years, but she's proud of my efforts and supports me wholeheartedly. My parents are not very happy that I want to run ultra-marathons, since it's "too far", but they've planned trips around my races to watch me and cheer me on. I'm blessed to have such a supportive family.
My friends have also been quite supportive, though most of them think I'm crazy anyway. What I find great about running is the number of friends you gain out of the sport. It is truly a supportive and inclusive subsection of society!
What is your favorite running terrain (road, trail, treadmill)?
Hands down, the trails are my love. By necessity, I run the roads around my neighborhood, but I would prefer to be skipping over rocks and roots.
What is the hardest race you’ve run to date?
Easily the Moose Mountain Marathon, which is held in concert with the Superior Sawtooth 50/100 mile ultra-marathons in September. The course is a twisted, rocky elevation roller-coaster along the Superior Hiking Trail on the North Shore of Minnesota. I loved it! I finished middle of the pack with a 6:46 time. My legs were jelly, I had almost dropped, but the accomplishment of finishing that course will forever be one of my favorites.
What is the most enjoyable race you’ve run to date?
I think my first half-marathon in the inaugural Minneapolis Half-Marathon would be the most enjoyable, since it sparked this obsession. I had never raced a course longer than 8 km, but a friend of mine lit the spark. My goal was to finish sub 2-hours, and I finished in 1:54, dropping five other racers up the hill coming out of the Flats. What an adrenaline rush!
Have you ever been injured due to running? What were the ramifications?
Yes indeed. I ran Grandmas' Marathon in 2010 and had Illotibial Band Syndrome so bad that it looked like a kiwi had been implanted in the side of my knee. I skipped a half-marathon that Fall to recover, and it was painful even to start. A single mile was an accomplishment, and then two. With guidance from my doctor, physical therapy, and a slow-and-steady approach, I was able to do some serious running this year!
I'm currently injured again, though thankfully it happened after the season. If ever you want to do a downward-facing-dog pose in Yoga, do not force your heel to the floor if it doesn't want to go there. As a result of a strained Achilles, I've been run-less for the last three months. I'm rehabilitating with swimming and pool running, but it's not as fun as simply strapping on the shoes and heading out the door.
Do you use any music or run tracking devices when you run, or are you a naked runner.?
I do enjoy listening to podcasts like Chris Hardwick's "Nerdist" and NPR "Wait, Wait. Don't Tell Me". I wonder what people think of me as I giggle on by. There are times when it's nice to just shut everything off and run for running's sake. My cell phone has built-in GPS, but I find its accuracy to be poor at best. I rely upon it only for mapping my route and keeping time.
How do you get yourself through the difficult parts of your runs? Do you have a personal mantra or do you just give up?
Do you remember that old Christmas claymation special, "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" (1970)? There was a song that I would sing as a kid, "Put one foot in front of the other, and soon you'll be walking out the door." Oddly enough, this song will usually get me out of a funk and keep me moving. To stick with the movie theme, I like the "Keep Moving Forward" slogan from "Meet the Robinsons" (2007). Even though I'm 37, I'm a kid at heart.
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?
Like anyone else. Luckily I haven't had to deal with it during a run. Big races are tougher to get time in the porta-potty, so make sure you don't drink too much water before the start.
What advice would you give to someone thinking about taking up running?
Sign up for a local fun run or 5 km race! Give yourself 12 to 16 weeks and let your friends and family know; they'll keep you honest. Find a Couch To 5k program on the web (they're prolific) that focuses on training in blocks of time, not distances. Now, get out the door! If you can find a local running club, join it! Your family may keep you honest, but runners will give you support, encouragement, and camaraderie.
What is your next big race?
I haven't signed up for anything in 2012 yet, but I would love to run the Superior Sawtooth 50 mile marathon this Fall. Frankly, with this achilles injury, I would be happy running the same races as I did last year.
What is your immediate running goal?
I have two. The first one is simply, "Give back." I've raced quite a bit, but I've not volunteered. Anyone who has been in a race knows how wonderful it is to have someone hand you a water, find you ice, or simply provide you some well-timed encouragement. This year, I will give back.
My second goal is: "Run smart. Run healthy." I think we oftentimes ignore pains that we should pay attention to. I've been battling injuries because I've either over-trained, over-stretched, or bit off more than I can chew. This year, I vow to listen to my body and back off when I need to.
What is your ultimate running goal?
Complete a 100 mile marathon before I turn 40. I'm a little over two and a half years away, or three full seasons! I can do this!
Do you have a way we can keep track of your progress (Twitter, Facebook, Blog, etc)
I primarily post to http://runswithd6s.blogspot.com, which has links to DailyMile, Google+, Twitter, and Facebook.
Keep on runnin'!
I need goals to keep me motivated, and that usually boils down to scheduling a race. It gives me somewhere to start planning, and a concrete goal to reach.
In Minnesota, you learn how to deal with the weather: multiple layers, polypropylene, wool, a nice wind breaker, a rain poncho for those sudden downpours - which are few and far between. I've started carrying an emergency solar blanket in addition to salt tablets, water, and food when I run in the winter. "Screw shoes" are nice for grip on slick pavement, but you can usually avoid that by running in the snow or crust.
Staying up too late is a bigger problem for me. I'm more of a night owl pretending to be a morning dove. When that alarm clock beeps, I use my goals as the ultimate push out of bed.
Do you use a running coach, or read any books to aid in your training?
I'm very much a do-it-yourselfer, and research quite a bit on the internet. I've recently received Daniels' Running Formula as a gift and have been ravenously reading it. I really like his approach to training and wrote my review of it on my blog:http://runswithd6s.blogspot.com/2011/12/excited-to-start-training-again.html.
How do you fit running in with your daily schedule?
I have to do it in the mornings these days, which is awful for me. Once I get out the door, I feel a lot better.
Do your friends and family support your running or think you are crazy?
Yes and yes. My wife doesn't understand what switch flipped in my brain these last couple years, but she's proud of my efforts and supports me wholeheartedly. My parents are not very happy that I want to run ultra-marathons, since it's "too far", but they've planned trips around my races to watch me and cheer me on. I'm blessed to have such a supportive family.
My friends have also been quite supportive, though most of them think I'm crazy anyway. What I find great about running is the number of friends you gain out of the sport. It is truly a supportive and inclusive subsection of society!
What is your favorite running terrain (road, trail, treadmill)?
Hands down, the trails are my love. By necessity, I run the roads around my neighborhood, but I would prefer to be skipping over rocks and roots.
What is the hardest race you’ve run to date?
Easily the Moose Mountain Marathon, which is held in concert with the Superior Sawtooth 50/100 mile ultra-marathons in September. The course is a twisted, rocky elevation roller-coaster along the Superior Hiking Trail on the North Shore of Minnesota. I loved it! I finished middle of the pack with a 6:46 time. My legs were jelly, I had almost dropped, but the accomplishment of finishing that course will forever be one of my favorites.
What is the most enjoyable race you’ve run to date?
I think my first half-marathon in the inaugural Minneapolis Half-Marathon would be the most enjoyable, since it sparked this obsession. I had never raced a course longer than 8 km, but a friend of mine lit the spark. My goal was to finish sub 2-hours, and I finished in 1:54, dropping five other racers up the hill coming out of the Flats. What an adrenaline rush!
Have you ever been injured due to running? What were the ramifications?
Yes indeed. I ran Grandmas' Marathon in 2010 and had Illotibial Band Syndrome so bad that it looked like a kiwi had been implanted in the side of my knee. I skipped a half-marathon that Fall to recover, and it was painful even to start. A single mile was an accomplishment, and then two. With guidance from my doctor, physical therapy, and a slow-and-steady approach, I was able to do some serious running this year!
I'm currently injured again, though thankfully it happened after the season. If ever you want to do a downward-facing-dog pose in Yoga, do not force your heel to the floor if it doesn't want to go there. As a result of a strained Achilles, I've been run-less for the last three months. I'm rehabilitating with swimming and pool running, but it's not as fun as simply strapping on the shoes and heading out the door.
Do you use any music or run tracking devices when you run, or are you a naked runner.?
I do enjoy listening to podcasts like Chris Hardwick's "Nerdist" and NPR "Wait, Wait. Don't Tell Me". I wonder what people think of me as I giggle on by. There are times when it's nice to just shut everything off and run for running's sake. My cell phone has built-in GPS, but I find its accuracy to be poor at best. I rely upon it only for mapping my route and keeping time.
How do you get yourself through the difficult parts of your runs? Do you have a personal mantra or do you just give up?
Do you remember that old Christmas claymation special, "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" (1970)? There was a song that I would sing as a kid, "Put one foot in front of the other, and soon you'll be walking out the door." Oddly enough, this song will usually get me out of a funk and keep me moving. To stick with the movie theme, I like the "Keep Moving Forward" slogan from "Meet the Robinsons" (2007). Even though I'm 37, I'm a kid at heart.
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?
Like anyone else. Luckily I haven't had to deal with it during a run. Big races are tougher to get time in the porta-potty, so make sure you don't drink too much water before the start.
What advice would you give to someone thinking about taking up running?
Sign up for a local fun run or 5 km race! Give yourself 12 to 16 weeks and let your friends and family know; they'll keep you honest. Find a Couch To 5k program on the web (they're prolific) that focuses on training in blocks of time, not distances. Now, get out the door! If you can find a local running club, join it! Your family may keep you honest, but runners will give you support, encouragement, and camaraderie.
What is your next big race?
I haven't signed up for anything in 2012 yet, but I would love to run the Superior Sawtooth 50 mile marathon this Fall. Frankly, with this achilles injury, I would be happy running the same races as I did last year.
What is your immediate running goal?
I have two. The first one is simply, "Give back." I've raced quite a bit, but I've not volunteered. Anyone who has been in a race knows how wonderful it is to have someone hand you a water, find you ice, or simply provide you some well-timed encouragement. This year, I will give back.
My second goal is: "Run smart. Run healthy." I think we oftentimes ignore pains that we should pay attention to. I've been battling injuries because I've either over-trained, over-stretched, or bit off more than I can chew. This year, I vow to listen to my body and back off when I need to.
What is your ultimate running goal?
Complete a 100 mile marathon before I turn 40. I'm a little over two and a half years away, or three full seasons! I can do this!
Do you have a way we can keep track of your progress (Twitter, Facebook, Blog, etc)
I primarily post to http://runswithd6s.blogspot.com, which has links to DailyMile, Google+, Twitter, and Facebook.
Keep on runnin'!
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