tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84366135534130508402024-02-18T23:25:54.329-05:00Lifetime RunningAmby Burfoothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972662001978097115noreply@blogger.comBlogger181125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8436613553413050840.post-78737601045461667252023-01-27T00:30:00.002-05:002023-01-27T00:30:00.154-05:00PROFILE: Herb Townsend has been running for 45 years<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span><b style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5AWJiwQ3xJtBygxgOunK0-mOSc34mZrEtuviYkdORJW5GytyvXXGSk1ssNexyRZHLpz-ytYaEecax-3G5xrkNL-XQjKSvak80ncmXRrGcn49la2YJxcukhcn8Ye8HdR9VZiPeMVdIQ5ObiUq1qOGnfGxEr09w4GlKrP0MHOprqTfTUUwL2vYnJZ_i/s323/Herb%20townsend%20beach.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="323" data-original-width="225" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5AWJiwQ3xJtBygxgOunK0-mOSc34mZrEtuviYkdORJW5GytyvXXGSk1ssNexyRZHLpz-ytYaEecax-3G5xrkNL-XQjKSvak80ncmXRrGcn49la2YJxcukhcn8Ye8HdR9VZiPeMVdIQ5ObiUq1qOGnfGxEr09w4GlKrP0MHOprqTfTUUwL2vYnJZ_i/w446-h640/Herb%20townsend%20beach.jpg" width="446" /></a></b>Herb Townsend will be 85 in a couple of months, and he's still running about 35 miles a week--an impressive amount. His secret might be that he trains at a slower pace than most, as slow as 20:00/per mile. At the same time, he can still crank 12:00s if he decides to enter a 5K race. "</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; white-space: pre-wrap;">I feel cheated if something (like travel or illness) prevents me from having my daily run," says Townsend, who splits his time between Ocean City, NJ, and Naples, FL. "Maybe it is an addiction, but considering the associated health and fitness benefits, I consider running to be a positive addiction."</span></span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-1ca14a64-7fff-c1fa-39c5-3d30fef14e44" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span><b style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; white-space: pre-wrap;"></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span></span></div><span><b style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; white-space: pre-wrap;">Career-profession? </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; white-space: pre-wrap;">After getting a PhD in Materials Engineering and Science from the University of Pennsylvania, I worked for 34 years in the research department of Bethlehem Steel as an Engineer, Supervisor, Division Manager, and Senior Fellow. Following my retirement, I became an independent <span><a name='more'></a></span>consultant to the construction and automobile industries, providing technical and expert-witness services on the corrosion performance of coated and low-alloy steels. </span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When did you start running and why? </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; white-space: pre-wrap;">At age 39, I became concerned about my health as it pertained to providing for my wife and three daughters. It seemed that the three most likely threats to my life were cancer, traffic accidents, and heart disease. To minimize the risks of cancer, I went on a low-fat, high carbohydrate diet (studies at that time indicated environmental toxins and carcinogens tend to concentrate in fats). For traffic accidents, I began wearing my seat belt (believe it or not, many people, myself included, did not in those days). And for heart disease, I took up running (The initial results of the Framingham study had indicated that anyone who qualified for the Boston Marathon was immune to heart attacks). </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How much did you run in your peak years? </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; white-space: pre-wrap;">At my peak, which occurred in my mid-forties, I was typically running 80 miles per week, although I sometimes ran 100 miles or more when training for a marathon. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Top races and performances?</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; white-space: pre-wrap;">Two highlights that always come to mind are my marathon PR of 2:40:42 at the 1984 Philadelphia Marathon, at age 44; and finishing in first place overall in the 1990 Great Valley Marathon in Chambersburg, PA at the age of 51 in a time of 2:51:39 </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3aylgjwijeemDzglVoj1WRs0-ak3c5DAG67e-Teg-Su5UfEmsqNAfzmWkaKgYOLAB-FPqUiFPVyjx8w9lYFrUeR2ta2Ft8U1B4X4E6DOqHSG-LfMD9Ys88UnZgV3n_lX05H1OC94bJMALNZpGaFMTI9aVLxMcK1INT_VTIMaBXW5VgCh9O2bZ0CH7/s372/herb%20townsend%20and%20woman.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="276" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3aylgjwijeemDzglVoj1WRs0-ak3c5DAG67e-Teg-Su5UfEmsqNAfzmWkaKgYOLAB-FPqUiFPVyjx8w9lYFrUeR2ta2Ft8U1B4X4E6DOqHSG-LfMD9Ys88UnZgV3n_lX05H1OC94bJMALNZpGaFMTI9aVLxMcK1INT_VTIMaBXW5VgCh9O2bZ0CH7/w296-h400/herb%20townsend%20and%20woman.jpg" width="296" /></a></span></div><span><br /></span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #201f1e;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Do you have a total lifetime miles estimate?</b></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; white-space: pre-wrap;">As of the end of 2021, I had run a total of 133,212 miles, more than 5 times around the world. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How much are you running and cross-training now? </span><span style="color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am currently running 35 miles per week, most of it at snail’s pace (20 minutes per mile), with a random amount of fartlek. I also do light calisthenics almost every day, and work with free weights about once per week. I do not stretch on a regular basis, only when needed to address a particular issue, such as a sore piriformis. </span><span style="color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you still race, please provide a somewhat recent race result or two. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">My most recent 5K time was 36:37. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Does it bother you that you are slower now? </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is no denying that slowing down with time is a major issue. There not much to do about it other than accept it gracefully. When I started running, I could always improve my performance by increasing my mileage and speed workouts. Then, there came a time that no matter how hard I trained, there was no longer any benefit, only increased risk of injury. Now, it is physically impossible to train with the volume and intensity that I once did, so reduced training plus advancing age is a double-barreled blast. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">My motivation to keep training is a firm belief that my health will deteriorate at an even faster rate if I quit. Also, with some races offering awards in the 80+ age groups, there remains the lure of competition which provides an incentive to keep training. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #201f1e; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How have your diet and weight changed through the years, if at all? </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">My diet has become gradually less restrictive with time, I now consume proportionately more protein and deserts, plus beer and wine. Although my running mileage is much less, I have managed to avoid significant weight gain by reducing the portions on my plate. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">My daily supplements include a multivitamin tablet, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, low-dose aspirin, and hyaluronic acid (which I believe has cured my osteoarthritis of the knees). I also take prescription medications, including Atorvastatin to control cholesterol, Cialis for ED, and methenamine to minimize UTI. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">What injuries or other health issues have you faced through the years? </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">I have experienced most, if not all, of the usual running overuse injuries, including stress fractures of shins and metatarsals, as well as soft-tissue injuries like plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, runners’ knee, torn hamstrings, shin splints, pulled groin muscles, and inflamed piriformis muscles. There are also the broken ribs and wrists suffered from falls while running. These things generally correct themselves with time and rest. Then there are age-related issues such as enlarged prostate, urinary tract infections, and most recently aortic vale stenosis. The latter was recently treated by transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">An inspirational quote? </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve read that Steve Prefontaine said, “It’s not the fastest one who wins the race, it’s the one with the most guts.” Obviously less than 100% true, nevertheless it is a great motivating thought to invoke when dueling with an opponent! </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">What 3 short tips would you offer to young/midlife runners who hope to continue running many years into the future? </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">1--My daughter’s high-school cross-country coach told his team, “Don’t do too much, too soon, too fast.” This is great advice for avoiding injury, but it is up to the individual to determine what the actual limits may be. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">2--There is no such thing as the weather being too cold to run. There is only the possibility of being under-dressed. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">3--Don’t be afraid to draft. There is no better competitive tactic on a windy day. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">4--No matter how fast you are, the odds are overwhelmingly high that there is someone out there who is faster than you. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-size: x-large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_9YUw1oxmDC4j-XLsNEBBIvah5W2S9zLYOqu7Naliu2CL3p08FQD0M7bde3I--0DRgZdmHdrETAhXv1B1Q3n3Fm8ZGInESZc7WDFrEp-ZXVW5mfX1J7flVriPXbOaUwbmdi36avv9m8VFj8IWTdQjfMjuOwsfdgnUs6vIlR_-o9J1VOdZvRvSVdf9/s582/herb%20townsend%20posed.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="446" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_9YUw1oxmDC4j-XLsNEBBIvah5W2S9zLYOqu7Naliu2CL3p08FQD0M7bde3I--0DRgZdmHdrETAhXv1B1Q3n3Fm8ZGInESZc7WDFrEp-ZXVW5mfX1J7flVriPXbOaUwbmdi36avv9m8VFj8IWTdQjfMjuOwsfdgnUs6vIlR_-o9J1VOdZvRvSVdf9/w306-h400/herb%20townsend%20posed.jpg" width="306" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /><b>How does running & fitness improve your life on a daily/weekly basis? </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I feel cheated if something (like travel or illness) prevents me from having my daily run. Maybe it is an addiction, but considering the associated health and fitness benefits, I consider running to be a positive addiction. Moreover, racing has taken me to many places in the world I would otherwise never have seen, and allowed me to meet many outstanding people. </span><span style="color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What are the biggest lessons (life lessons and running lessons) you have learned from running? </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; white-space: pre-wrap;">Every person has a unique set of potentials for various types of accomplishment such as athletic, intellectual, and artistic. The degrees to which these potentials are realized depends in large on the effort they put into their development. For example, I may not have as much potential speed as someone else, but if I have worked harder and reached a greater percent of my potential, I may be faster. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">I believe that life is meant to be enjoyed, as long as pursuit of your enjoyment does not harm others. It is even better if your enjoyment also contributes positively to the happiness of others. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 87pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Finally, the years have taught me that, in dealing with most people, positive reinforcement produces positive results, whereas negative reinforcement produces negative results. There is a subset of people to whom this does not apply. These are the people you want to avoid. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />Amby Burfoothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972662001978097115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8436613553413050840.post-47164896255903306452022-09-07T00:30:00.003-04:002022-09-11T15:17:45.983-04:00PROFILE: Kitty Consolo has been running (and winning) for 47 years<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvdtl04lq9CgGrcX5PEc-DGV_qqPn3bKJauMW0GVDZ2U61oaMkGfevNJ80a0IE_eJdsr2FRNWlD2HntCsYogSls9UQIc8cORMzbezoIHPGt8mFve67R7bF3XcNvzr9wrps77-gz_eQrwH7iGE-rWJ6vtxlKqDVzwzNTLYlFynDJ_acHgRmfNiDwCZl/s564/kitty%20consolo%20colorful%20jacket.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="559" data-original-width="564" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvdtl04lq9CgGrcX5PEc-DGV_qqPn3bKJauMW0GVDZ2U61oaMkGfevNJ80a0IE_eJdsr2FRNWlD2HntCsYogSls9UQIc8cORMzbezoIHPGt8mFve67R7bF3XcNvzr9wrps77-gz_eQrwH7iGE-rWJ6vtxlKqDVzwzNTLYlFynDJ_acHgRmfNiDwCZl/w400-h396/kitty%20consolo%20colorful%20jacket.png" width="400" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Sep 2022) There probably aren't many runners out there who can say they have won more than 500 races. Kitty Consolo is one. A PhD in exercise physiology and qualifier for the first U.S. Women's Olympic Marathon Trials in 1984, Consolo, now 65, lives on Cat Run Road in Granville Ohio. (Yes, Kitty lives on Cat Run.) In her prime, she had a marathon best of </span><span style="font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre-wrap;">2:42.46. Today, she's still running about 30 miles a week and winning (in her age group) most of the races she enters. This, despite severe asthma and allergies. She follows the advice of legendary basketball coach John Wooden: "</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do not let what you can not do interfere with what you can do.” And also her mother: </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Leave people and things better than you find them.” </span></span><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-dad08e33-7fff-ca1c-f70f-5205c9ed3aeb"><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Career-profession? </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have been teaching at the University/College level since fall 1979. I have a PhD in Exercise Science from Kent State University (1990) and have taught at many places. I have been at Ohio University Zanesville since 2002 and am very proud and pleased to report that <span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: large;">I was named Outstanding Professor for 2022. Teaching is my passion, and I am fortunate to teach courses across a variety of disciplines. I am also very proud that I created UC 2900 a special topics in wellness 1 credit class that I offer every semester in just one afternoon giving students sound info and experiential exercises to improve their physical, emotional and mental wellness. I hope to teach for many more years.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt69nQ0ETkk-bibPN_yrBz6vRUcvMix8eJ1exZVA-_sGjdipEb9t4_7jyhlCabBTdcBCCaHHNbff0bFOQnadpuwUaC1ZkitV1Nx6-t7vLOsO8P-ezCyqHq2JSZr4jK1Ai0C5vh2NxiecBsb8aWPGyZbA5gWfR2pJjt5BnomuG7MqdfPj0sooYreiVM/s755/kitty%20consolo%20and%20others%20old%20photo.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="742" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt69nQ0ETkk-bibPN_yrBz6vRUcvMix8eJ1exZVA-_sGjdipEb9t4_7jyhlCabBTdcBCCaHHNbff0bFOQnadpuwUaC1ZkitV1Nx6-t7vLOsO8P-ezCyqHq2JSZr4jK1Ai0C5vh2NxiecBsb8aWPGyZbA5gWfR2pJjt5BnomuG7MqdfPj0sooYreiVM/w393-h400/kitty%20consolo%20and%20others%20old%20photo.jpg" width="393" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With her mother and father at the<br />1984 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When did you start running and why? </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre-wrap;">I started running in 1972 when my family spent a semester in England. We lived by the English Channel and every day I would go out and run a mile or two when the tide was out to embrace the sunrise and feel calm. However, it was May 1975, right after I read about Steve Prefontaine and his untimely death, that I decided to embark on distance running. I thought it would continue to help my anxiety and keep my weight down so I could continue to eat lots of healthy carbs. I created a hilly 15-mile course that I ran several times that summer. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">I also entered my first road race, a local 5 miler in my hometown, the Granville Firecracker Five because my dad was running it too. After the race I went right home. My dad came home later with a big red, white, and blue trophy and I said “Dad, way to go.” I was shocked when he said, “This is your trophy.” Before running, I did not feel like a skilled athlete. I was always picked last, no one wanted me on their team. With running, I felt free and a spiritual connection to the universe. I felt this is where I belonged and I loved how I felt not only when I ran, but when I finished.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">In college at Wake Forest, I decided to go out for the men’s cross-country team as I had been running with my boyfriend at the time and because Wake Forest had no women’s team, Title IX allowed me to run on the men’s team. I was shocked to qualify in a men’s race for women’s nationals by running three miles in 18 minutes.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However, the women’s athletic director did not want to send me to nationals as she thought competition was unladylike, (horses sweat, men perspire and women glow). But I went to the Wake Forest school newspaper, and they did such a revealing article that the entire athletic department stepped in and sent me to the women’s nationals. When I won the 1977 Charleston Distance 15 miler, Nike shoes contacted me and asked if I would run for them. That began many years (1977-2001) of shoe sponsorships and competition all over the US and world (St. Lucia, Bermuda etc)</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How much did you run in your peak years? </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre-wrap;">I would build to as much as 70 a week but preferred to average 50 miles a week. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Top races and achievements? </b></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am very proud that my first attempt at the marathon was the Toledo Glass City marathon in 1977 which I won. I blew out the first half in 1:25 and then crawled in at 3;15 but still won the women’s overall. I have won well over 500 races from the mile to the marathon since 1975 if you count overall and age group, and last year won all 9 on my races in the 60-64 age group. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I won the Cleveland Revco marathon both in 1982 and 1985. The 1985 race was won just six weeks after having major surgery to remove an ovarian cyst. I also qualified for and competed in the First Women’s Olympic marathon trails in 1984 finishing around 150th place. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My best marathon was the 1982 New York Marathon where I placed 15</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="vertical-align: super;">th</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> overall for women and 7</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="vertical-align: super;">th</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> American in 2:42.46. My second fastest marathon was at Boston in 2:45.08. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">I had to give up running marathons in 1998 as my asthma and allergies just could not handle the distance but am happy to still be racing today at 65. However, since then, I have continued to race 5km-10km since then usually winning my age group and occasionally placing among the top overall women. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last September (2021), I was very proud to have captured the senior trophy at my favorite all time 5km the Ken Keener Classic 5km run in Millersport, Ohio with a time of 26:04. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The trophy is almost as big as me!</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-size: x-large; font-weight: 700;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87zUqZB5ZXwdYxr4ltnmBSjGQlyRM6X11UvGjSj7JSf8Sq1kPp68cyOlK1HZ0Zi3hiCkllDNSeBn4yfvowWKbsJ_OEZHPHgdOHKdFxiTrrEbhiVGGSzFj7Te--yHpsoRpXcCdUJWSltR2SPibxgmC4EKt41pg108oKppKg7PjpnUN8lzwHe9gpgry/s777/kitty%20consolo%20young.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="777" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87zUqZB5ZXwdYxr4ltnmBSjGQlyRM6X11UvGjSj7JSf8Sq1kPp68cyOlK1HZ0Zi3hiCkllDNSeBn4yfvowWKbsJ_OEZHPHgdOHKdFxiTrrEbhiVGGSzFj7Te--yHpsoRpXcCdUJWSltR2SPibxgmC4EKt41pg108oKppKg7PjpnUN8lzwHe9gpgry/w400-h289/kitty%20consolo%20young.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">College days</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Any estimate of lifetime miles? </span></b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is purely an estimate as I did not always keep track but assuming for 23 years I ran around 50 miles a week for each year 23 x 50 x 52 =59,800. And then the next 24 years I averaged 30 miles a week for each year 24 x 30 x 52 = 37,400. So the grand estimated total would be 97,240 miles.</span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How much are you running and cross-training now? </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre-wrap;">At 65 years, I run 30 miles a week all on roads. A training week will be 6 miles on Wed with 1-3 timed miles and sat a 6-8-mile-long hilly run and then the other days are 3-4 miles easy. </span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was able to install my own year-round outdoor hydropool last year and I swim 5 days a week 20-30 min but do not know distance. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre-wrap;">I stretch every day after my runs while I am still warm and make sure to stretch my soleus, calves, hamstrings, quads, IT band and the with an orange spikey roller I gently roll my legs and feet.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Twice a week I do strength training with bands up to 50 pounds, focusing on my legs. I also do 2 x 30 squats against a wall.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Any recent race results? </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This year I kicked off my 65</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="vertical-align: super;">th</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> birthday (April 16, 2022), with a second place overall in the Kiawanna 10km in Lancaster, Oh and hope to run many more road races this year. I just placed second in the 60-69 age group (first time I have been beaten in a few years) in the Jack Roth 5km 26:48.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Does it bother you that you are slower now than earlier? </b></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am fortunate that I asked my physical therapist (Jon Plush, ATC, PT) to help coach me back in 2009, and the first thing he did at our first race together, was to take away my watch. This strategy removed the pressure of time altogether. I ran well and focused on how I felt not the time. It also helped me quit focusing on past times and what how fast I used to run. Since I have severe asthma (we need to bring oxygen to my races as I need to mix it with my meds and no longer use inhalers) and allergies, it is safer, smarter and more fun to relax and focus on breathing well and running in the flow and not to worry about time. Once I quit focusing on my times, I had and have fun with my running. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yes, I am slower and there are friends who I used to beat who are still running and racing much faster than I am now but my focus is feeling good and enjoying racing.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have a different perspective too because I lost my mom to cancer when I was only 34 and now at 65, I will have outlived her by 2 years in July so I celebrate that I am still alive and still able to run despite my severe asthma and allergies. Life is short and I love this quote from John Wooden, “Do not let what you can not do, interfere with what you can do.” </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The people who inspired me are some of the ones in lifetime running, Bill Rodgers, Jeannie Rice, they continue to run and race, and they are older so I am glad to have them to look up to. Bill gave me much good advice during my marathon years and I love how he always emphasized to have fun running and racing.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Any diet or weight changes? </b></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have always had a healthy diet and never eaten fast food. Due to my food allergies and concern with additives and preservatives, almost everything I eat is organic and I never eat out. I always bring my own food whenever I travel.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I used to eat a lot of sugar and baked goods but now I just can’t tolerate them. I get headaches and pains from them, but I do rely on organic dates, and ginger chews, ginger is a great anti-inflammatory and helps with nausea too.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am fortunate that my immunologist and allergist that I have seen now for over 22 years (Dr. Michael Waickman, Fairlawn, OH) has had both me and my husband on many supplements for years that have boosted our immune systems and kept us very healthy. Everyone should consider 5000IU D3, it not only builds bones and helps with muscle recovery but is a powerful virus fighter and boosts immunity. I have trouble absorbing B so I take a special methyl B supplement and if one is over 40 one needs to take B12 sublingually as the stomach no longer absorbs it well. We also take fish oil which has amazing anti-inflammatory properties as well as can prevent sarcopenia, muscle wasting from aging, and wet macular degeneration. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My weight has dropped some, even in spite of taking fish oil I have lost some muscle. I used to race at 112 pounds, now I am 104 pounds.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Any injuries or health issues? </b></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre-wrap;">Besides my severe allergies and asthma, I have dealt with a lot of plantar fasciitis and use pro-tec arch supports which have really managed that as well as wear cushioned flexible shoes. My worst injury was in 2006, when I was running in the nearby bio reserve in winter and my foot caught a log and I soared 10 feet in the air downhill to land on a frozen pond. I was unconscious briefly and then I heard God say, “Get up and get home or you will die here.” I walked/jogged the 4 miles home and did not realize I had dislocated several cervical and thoracic vertebrae, ribs and my hip. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Any favorite inspirational quotes: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre-wrap;">In addition to the John Wooden quote I mentioned above, I would like to share this one from my mom, the late Jeanne Consolo, who said, “Leave people and things better than you find them.” I try to live by this.</span></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5o7yMAIBeV0LGd0n5wMe8ZPfGmlfo5zpq9vpnpufXtpQQtwzK1-3iirFf0qfpitlHhaA-gUfb7WKj_NDUcnTRWP2nwRIkNr2RvfE07sPXqe0oacNrfARUQ_PdrNNWZ4Zwl-_q-trzYhKhKS9-npo6eloB8IXVnaLkdhXBiRaq8p4meYA__66gR1z/s999/kitty%20consolo%20trophy.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="999" data-original-width="798" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5o7yMAIBeV0LGd0n5wMe8ZPfGmlfo5zpq9vpnpufXtpQQtwzK1-3iirFf0qfpitlHhaA-gUfb7WKj_NDUcnTRWP2nwRIkNr2RvfE07sPXqe0oacNrfARUQ_PdrNNWZ4Zwl-_q-trzYhKhKS9-npo6eloB8IXVnaLkdhXBiRaq8p4meYA__66gR1z/w320-h400/kitty%20consolo%20trophy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tropies and more trophies</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What 3 short tips would you offer to young/midlife runners who hope to continue running many years into the future?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">1--Pay attention to pain, tightness and fatigue. Using a scale of 1-10, with 1 being nothing and 10 being terrible, once you feel a 5 do not go past it, stop your workout, rest and you will prevent a lot of damage.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2--At the first sign of pain or aches, use ice packs or ice massage for 20min and avoid heat until pain or ache is gone.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3--Keep your own running log and learn what works for you. Do not follow anyone else’s schedule, staying illness and injury free is the key to long-time running. Then Listen to what you learn about your own body.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How does running & fitness improve your life on a daily/weekly basis? </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre-wrap;">Since I teach a lot of health classes and biology, starting my day with my run, then stretching and swimming gets me ready to excel for the rest of my day. I cannot imagine Not exercising daily, and I have inspired my students to be healthier as well. Being fit gives me lots of energy to still work full time, take care of my dog and husband and to go forward from loss and disappointments. It helps my mood, my outlook and I feel very spiritually connected to God when I run. It is as Eric Liddell described in Chariots of Fire, “When I run, I feel God’s pleasure.”</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What are the biggest lessons you have learned from running? </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre-wrap;">For me running is not just what I do, it is part of who I am. I am a runner and that means I am persistent, and in for the long haul. Running has helped me develop many attributes that help me deal with life’s challenges: persistence, patience, discipline and dedication. Running calms, me, helps me cope with life and to feel connected to God and nature. It is during running I often gain insights to difficulties, solutions to problems and inspiration to continue to live despite loss and limits. I believe one can continue to run as we age, but to do so we must carefully listen to our bodies and work with them. Less can be more.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I love racing too, but it is important to me that I am healthy enough to run daily so I am careful not to get injured racing and to allow ample recovery from such efforts. Races can also take away one’s joy of running if the only gage one uses for success is the watch. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Finally, running is a way of life. A way to greet the world each day, regardless of the weather and to listen and learn how my mind and body are feeling for the day. It is also my personal time with God, to hear any guidance I need, and to feel connected to this supreme being and the world God created. </span></p><br /></span>Amby Burfoothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972662001978097115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8436613553413050840.post-81435792584658852612022-08-05T00:30:00.001-04:002022-08-05T00:30:00.143-04:00PROFILE: Jenny Hitchings is getting faster, setting records at 59<span id="docs-internal-guid-62f70310-7fff-cf54-c249-ba6fb6471d4a"><span id="docs-internal-guid-f035be0f-7fff-4931-3e70-af9269472d66"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVuQtkEcw7YuFHSNe-D6DhGFZjC9Mk9laJVW743CuFWgKnt9K7-jGfTGgk9t3H5pjkq-p1f7zu-BHPsfYajBvUeOWyPUkoG1kgdpatRgfr6aT79bxOWkEQAwndLQgLp0J7S-z5SLvH_h3TASnryxeAivrY-B2lFu9gt1HADmhxyyHXi8E7VDph_KNO/s960/jenny%20hitchings%20race%20in%20blue.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="547" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVuQtkEcw7YuFHSNe-D6DhGFZjC9Mk9laJVW743CuFWgKnt9K7-jGfTGgk9t3H5pjkq-p1f7zu-BHPsfYajBvUeOWyPUkoG1kgdpatRgfr6aT79bxOWkEQAwndLQgLp0J7S-z5SLvH_h3TASnryxeAivrY-B2lFu9gt1HADmhxyyHXi8E7VDph_KNO/s16000/jenny%20hitchings%20race%20in%20blue.jpeg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">(Aug 2022) Most age-group runners record their best times and maybe win a few races at the x0 end of their 5-year age-group: at 40, 50, 60 etc. Not Jenny Hitchings. She'll turn 60 next July, and watch out for her then. But she has also been on a record tear recently at 59. Last October, for example, the Sacramento CA resident ran 2:45:36 to win her age-group in the Boston Marathon. In fact, Hitchings is still getting faster. She credits that fact that she's motivated, very consistent, has a flexible schedule, trains 55 to 75 miles a week, and "probably the most important factor is good genes."</span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Career profession?</span><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I am a Running Coach. I coach remotely up to 14 adults (intermediate to advanced runners) for the 5k-30k as well as a youth running club at our local elementary school and middle school XC.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When did you start running and why?</span><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I started running for fitness as a college student at UC Santa Barbara, but I didn’t realize I was a decent runner until my late 30’s to early 40’s. In time, with proper training, running peers, a team and a coach, I was able to excel after I was 40. I was a late bloomer with an untapped talent!</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How much did you run in your peak years?</span><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I think I’m still in my peak years. I run 55-75+ miles per week (depending if I’m in marathon training). I have never gone beyond 80 miles per week even when training for a marathon.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Top performances?</span><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Breaking 3 hours (2:58) on my 4th marathon, coming within 10 sec of making the Olympic Marathon Trials in 2011 (2:46:10 - you can imagine that this was very bittersweet), Winning Rocket City (Dec.2011) and Mountains to Beach Marathons (May, 2018), and placing 2 and 1st (2x) in the Boston Marathon in my age group. I’ve run my fastest times in <span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">a variety of races in the last 4 years, including 5 x American Records and a World Record at NY (2:50:36, 2019). But, I never would have thought I could run 2:45:36 at Boston in 2021, and I did…and then ran 2:46 at CIM 7 weeks later. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_2ITwZUVqmbY2BNNEHzTVFNeQffrzleyknk6m17eYrnYX8DMBCKjgw0baWbEhFRULshgPsDk4fm0kBaaxniHnFPtbBsiFjxdevn5YZWN3Hh8hu1er35h_bAEpunCW0hG7M9Z3285IKDthor3eNYXQhB5qR3UmHuN2rJeOp46dLuzTvCVBVdluCUH/s452/jenny%20hitchings%20hair%20flying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="336" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_2ITwZUVqmbY2BNNEHzTVFNeQffrzleyknk6m17eYrnYX8DMBCKjgw0baWbEhFRULshgPsDk4fm0kBaaxniHnFPtbBsiFjxdevn5YZWN3Hh8hu1er35h_bAEpunCW0hG7M9Z3285IKDthor3eNYXQhB5qR3UmHuN2rJeOp46dLuzTvCVBVdluCUH/w298-h400/jenny%20hitchings%20hair%20flying.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><br /></span></span><p></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">These are my American records for 55-59: 5k - 18:05; 10k - 37:21; 10 Mile - 1:00:38 - April, 2022 (I’ve broken the record 3 x ); 1/2 Marathon - 1:21:17 (and unofficial due to poor cone placement - 1:20:24, Nov., 2021); Marathon - 2:50:36 (* WR) / 2:45:32 (World Best Time, Oct., 2021)</span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Any idea of your total lifetime miles? </span><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">About 65,000+.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How much are you running and cross-training now?</span><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> See above, 55 to 75 miles/week. I am not one to preach strength training. Though I know it can be important; I do not do it much. I do push ups and light weights, I ride my Peloton (but more if I’m feeling an injury coming on, or I am injured) and I have taken up road cycling in the last year, which I really enjoy as a way to cross train and not put any pressure on myself. I do stretch a little before and after running, but I’ll be honest, I should do more, and my body is telling me that. It only gets harder to add stretching/rolling to the routine if you haven’t done it all along.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do you worry about slowing down?</span><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> So far, no, as I’m not slower now. And I attribute this to starting racing at 40, being VERY consistent, motivated, having a flexible schedule, having Jenny Spangler as my coach, not making excuses and most probably the important factor is - good genes. I do not have the same energy or motivation to run or do workouts in the early morning, so because I’m able to, I run when it works for me. Aging is inevitable, and I know my body and how I run, physically and mentally, will continue to change over the years. I only hope that my running changes organically, and not due to injury or sickness.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Any diet or weight changes?</span><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I have maintained my weight through the years, and if anything, I have thinned out more. I don’t have much body fat and this is something I watch during training cycles. If I don’t keep calories up, I lose weight quickly. During this time I will make daily protein (Skratch) shakes with oat/almond milk, frozen fruit or a coffee/chocolate one. If I can remember (and no, not because of age), I take Vitamin D, K and A, Krill oil, Collagen and occasional Calcium. The Calcium is a supplement I need to get serious about, as I know I am on the verge of some osteoarthritis. But I eat very clean/healthy. I try not to get obsessive about food, as I love good food and wine.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Any injuries or health issues through the years?</span><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I haven’t had that many injuries, but some have taken me out for 8-12 weeks. I have had a metatarsal stress fracture, calf strains, horrible achilles/heel issues due to a Haglund deformity on my heel that lasted a couple of years ( I had surgery on this in 2011). I did PRP (platelet rich plasma) for a tear in my hamstring and micro tears in other surrounding areas in 2017. And many other niggles along the way. In all cases, healing began when I finally realized I had to take at least 2 weeks totally off of everything, and then introduce low impact cross training slowly. Building blocks to recovery, and trying to keep a good mental state, is just a different kind of training.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Any short tips for other lifetime runners? </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">1--Set goals … and boundaries.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">2--Be consistent.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">3--Don’t make excuses.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">4--Maintain balance in your life.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How does running improve your daily life?</span><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Running for me is a</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2r82WePgf3v8ZVoVkM7qb8SUJxTIbTG_ogPKDi8vxDvFABbKfTeJRv6QovmqeL8MXZhAtknf3kDsU5H9itC1EiCg1Eh7iPBVzqXKp6pBrYULQZz12BqJXH0rBm1LXWxZYoTXs5kRlDneuypgfKO2JrGfzdC8zInfAmUJPlWpq2c56esf-kr3EZepx/s382/MRcampaign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="382" data-original-width="283" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2r82WePgf3v8ZVoVkM7qb8SUJxTIbTG_ogPKDi8vxDvFABbKfTeJRv6QovmqeL8MXZhAtknf3kDsU5H9itC1EiCg1Eh7iPBVzqXKp6pBrYULQZz12BqJXH0rBm1LXWxZYoTXs5kRlDneuypgfKO2JrGfzdC8zInfAmUJPlWpq2c56esf-kr3EZepx/w296-h400/MRcampaign.jpg" width="296" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /> passion, a joy, an escape, a challenge, my own personal rival, and I’m good at it. This instills a daily confidence, and a feeling of accomplishment that allows me to feel unique and empowered. I guess I’m a better person (and definitely easier to be around) because of running.</span></span><p></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Biggest life lessons you have learned from running? </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Running in nationwide races, and while traveling or vacationing around the world, has enabled me to get my bearings (my husband would disagree) and see the sights in a different way. And because runners share a universal language, I have made connections and befriended many wonderful people. Out of most sports, people understand running. It’s not complicated, and we all know how to do it. I feel that runners from all abilities, races, genders, countries, etc…can unite. So, aging may slow my paces down, but I will still run, and if not, I can talk about it!</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p></span></span>Amby Burfoothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972662001978097115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8436613553413050840.post-74663523506263650452022-07-18T00:30:00.005-04:002022-07-18T08:44:48.581-04:00PROFILE: Kevin Boyle has been running for 53 years<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisL-LVEOLi720tnhr9ohOJpRGzVtgb3k-P2VhBqILYnuXZw5AVVnL6lILqUC2vNQ57yFVYctFLHQ2MYUGW8imXzoqtiKLGTdBLkwmC1fONt1AlZFNRxcwHv1GSp5c9KjjQrmsb_UEOFy3uKVCHYwDARJJG5Znzia36uWxsui8HekYvuKHnmPOcAM2S/s958/Kevin%20Boyle%20Baltimore.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img border="0" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="795" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisL-LVEOLi720tnhr9ohOJpRGzVtgb3k-P2VhBqILYnuXZw5AVVnL6lILqUC2vNQ57yFVYctFLHQ2MYUGW8imXzoqtiKLGTdBLkwmC1fONt1AlZFNRxcwHv1GSp5c9KjjQrmsb_UEOFy3uKVCHYwDARJJG5Znzia36uWxsui8HekYvuKHnmPOcAM2S/w532-h640/Kevin%20Boyle%20Baltimore.jpg" width="532" /></a></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(Jul. 2022) Kevin Boyle has hung out a fair amount with Gerry Lindgren and Matt Centrowitz, sr. That's not a bad resume for any runner. Boyle, now 58, says he has been running since first grade. He achieved a marathon best of 2:37 in 1990, and has finished a marathon in six straight decades. For some reason, he has done much running beside rivers. This makes him think: "L</span></span></span><span style="font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">ife is always flowing like a river; not always straight and not always calm. But always flowing, and you must flow with life, coping with and adjusting to the changes, the rough waters, and the twists and turns thrown at you."</span></span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Career-profession? </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> My career has been very interesting and varied. I attended law school at night at St Johns University in New York City. During the day I was a<span><a name='more'></a></span> high school gym teach and track coach on Long Island. I served in this job for five years. I then entered active duty in the Army as a Judge Advocate (attorney). I spent 26 years on active duty retiring in 2015 as a Colonel. Upon my retirement I returned to teaching and coaching, this time at American University in Washington DC. At American University I teamed up with my college coach from St Johns Matt Centrowitz who was coaching at American University. I currently teach law in the Justice Law and Criminology Department at American University. </span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When did you start running and why?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I began running in 1 st grade running the 40-yard dash in CYO meets (Catholic Youth Organization). Ever since 1 st grade I was active in CYO swimming and track, because in my large family (10 children) and also in my neighborhood children played a variety of sports throughout the year. As I began high school I focused on track and swimming and then in college focused solely on running. I ran my first road race in 1978 in our town’s 4 th of July 5 miler. I ran my first marathon in 1979 at age 15. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How much did you run in your peak years?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> In my peak years I ran 100 miles per week. As I got older I started to focus more on time, and would try to average about one hour per day of running. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Proudest achievements?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I am most proud of being the Captain of the All- Army Track Team. The All Army Track Team is not the collegiate West Point Team but rather the team made up of active duty Soldiers that competes for the Army in various meets and also competes against the Navy, Air Force and Marines. I am also proud of the fact that I have been able to complete one marathon in six straight decades. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My best marathon was a 2:37 at Long Island in 1990. Last fall I ran 5:05 in Baltimore.</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">An estimate of your total lifetime miles?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 90,000-100,000 miles </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How much are you running and cross-training now?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> These days I try to run 8-10 hours per week. In addition to running, I also swim throughout the year. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Does it bother you that you are slower now than when younger? </span><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I was stationed in Hawaii in the 1990s I used to run with Gerry Lindgren. He used to always say, “I have the mind of an 18 year old and the body of a 48 year old”. I can agree with that sentiment. I have to balance emotions with facts. I have to say to myself that I am much older and that my times for my age are appropriate for runners my age. Also when I run for an hour in the woods, I have no idea of how far I have run, and in my mind I feel like I am running just as fast along the trails as I did 40 years ago. Runners who can continue to run year after year inspire me. To me being, on your feet for 4-5 hours in your 60s and 70s is very impressive. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Any diet and weight changes?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> My weight has gradually gone up over the years. Fortunately I do not need to take any medications. However I do take multi-vitamins. </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZCuwbJFXAcjoQjUCa8QhV9V9WQrQF57dMFF4HqG_4YHXlLbO72VHV_uvH6-h6ayjWv9NNyYfk2AvXyvfQ1uqDVrs2NNe1TCHCTBNR3u6e4ALLyvj3lHRD2eL0anK78WOL5sKIXVei1lfPbev_mra0lx9OQirktkh7UsewVw7VC5lcE5W469MigaR/s467/Kevin%20Boyle.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="331" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZCuwbJFXAcjoQjUCa8QhV9V9WQrQF57dMFF4HqG_4YHXlLbO72VHV_uvH6-h6ayjWv9NNyYfk2AvXyvfQ1uqDVrs2NNe1TCHCTBNR3u6e4ALLyvj3lHRD2eL0anK78WOL5sKIXVei1lfPbev_mra0lx9OQirktkh7UsewVw7VC5lcE5W469MigaR/w454-h640/Kevin%20Boyle.png" width="454" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What injuries or other health issues have you faced? </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Believe it or not I have never had a running injury in my life (aside from a trip over a rock that required staples). I have been able to avoid injury by backing off whenever I feel an issue coming on. Ever since I was in my teens I realized a few days off of running to allow a minor injury to heal is better than “running through” an injury which could develop into a large problem. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">3 tips for those who want to become lifetime runners? </span></span><span style="font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">Matt Centrowitz once told me we have a duty to pass on our knowledge to the next generation. I agree.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">1--My first tip is take care of your physical health. Eat properly and rest. If you feel an injury coming on back off. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">2--My second tip is no one race defines a career. A lifetime is a long time. One bad race at age 20 will be forgotten by the time you are 30. Don’t dwell on bad races or workouts. This will cause an endless cycle of self-doubt, which will kill your desire to continue running. A bad race should be forgotten about by the time you get in your car to drive home from the race. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">3--My final tip is adjust your goals as you age. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How does running and fitness improve your life on a daily/weekly basis?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Over the years running has helped in two regards. Being physically fit is a huge help in the Army, as parts of the job require exertion over long hours. Running has also helped reduce stress associated with my job. At one time I had three clients I represented on death row. Running allowed me to reduce the stress that comes from such cases. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What are the biggest lessons you have learned from running? </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A week or so before the Baltimore Marathon, I thought back over my past 50 years of running. At the time, as I was running along the Potomac River at River Bend Park in Virginia, I realized that I have run along a lot of rivers in my life. The Missouri River when I lived in Kansas City, the Rhine River when I lived in Germany, and the Han River when I lived in Seoul. And I thought life is always flowing like a river; not always straight and not always calm. But always flowing, and you must flow with life, coping with and adjusting to the changes, the rough waters, and the twists and turns thrown at you. And it is the people along the way who help you navigate this river. Running is not about the actual races; rather it’s about the great people you meet along the way. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p></div></div>Amby Burfoothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972662001978097115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8436613553413050840.post-18348971774355680352022-07-02T00:30:00.002-04:002022-07-02T00:30:00.150-04:00PROFILE--76-yr-old Gary Patton holds a lot of American Records<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8AaZ9JxmSuCezvKg5QTshDoxOP4-kFQvnfOn0WExg7ToV4UT8mrLxl3YiBq8X0Qgu1V9c3mZmv7kIdnxXKGbCBy6RZWVTo4jXj2hHeswxlm9IGQ1fruaxW6X11VWBEnGuZCqe2rTW2KJHhqHGpqcEZYopI7Xni-1kEAWkxWApPC7C-8WFIga7wY84/s861/gary%20patton%20with%20medals.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="861" data-original-width="755" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8AaZ9JxmSuCezvKg5QTshDoxOP4-kFQvnfOn0WExg7ToV4UT8mrLxl3YiBq8X0Qgu1V9c3mZmv7kIdnxXKGbCBy6RZWVTo4jXj2hHeswxlm9IGQ1fruaxW6X11VWBEnGuZCqe2rTW2KJHhqHGpqcEZYopI7Xni-1kEAWkxWApPC7C-8WFIga7wY84/w562-h640/gary%20patton%20with%20medals.png" width="562" /></a></div>(Jul. 2022) If you're not in Tampere, Finland, right now, you haven't seen Gary Patton this week. He's in Finland competing in the 2022 World Masters Track & Field Championships. (We're not keeping up on the daily results, but can note that Patton has already finished second in the age 75-79 800 meters event--running 2:39.71--and tied-for-second in the 6K cross-country race. That's <u>second</u> in the WORLD.) Patton's list of American Record and World Record performances in the middle distances is about as long and impressive as you'd ever want to see. And the 76-yr-old from Rock Rapids, Iowa, does it on far less running mileage (and perhaps more cross-training) than most elite runners. His success stems in part <span><a name='more'></a></span>from a positive get-back-in-the-saddle-again mentality. "Whenever I lose," he says, "</span><span style="font-family: arial;">I pick myself up and try to do better the next time."</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-786dbb83-7fff-5e0d-2415-1f20bb6fc7e1"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><b>Career profession?</b> My area of practice was as a consulting civil engineer in design of public water supply systems. </span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>When and why did you start running? </b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">I started running at age 21 at the suggestion of a physician, who thought I should do so for my health. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>How much did you run in your peak years?</b> I don’t have training logs going back more than 10 years, but I don’t think I ever got over 30 miles/week, even when training for a marathon. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Top performances?</b> My favorite record is my m75 road mile record, 5:56. Others--</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;">800M M75 Outdoor AR: 2:37.06 </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;">1500M M70 Indoor AR: 5:07.11 </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;">1500M M70 Outdoor AR: 5:04.87 </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;">1500M M75 Outdoor AR: 5:19.87 </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mile M70 Indoor AR/WR: 5:29.81 </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mile M70 Outdoor AR: 5:35.03 </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;">3000M M70 Outdoor AR 11:19.29 </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;">Marathon: Honolulu Marathon 2011: 3:58:59 </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Any estimate of your lifetime running miles? </b>Age 21-40: Weekend jogger with estimated miles, 8000 mi. Age 41-75: Competing in road races and track – est. 25,000 mi. total. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zP3AzhFq7arEzrgF1pCPNUxElno2eYXIx08mZa5fGL3Nq4PzpBs6xZX4IO43K_E9W9DULOt8HUpPK4iEwH42T5jS0p9GeJiS1KtXB5KTjCWxFWLJSeOiPN8qJgg_asVVc9ws6eb30qNHgb8WIWq_siOTRjJt_XcIL0MO84uD0QTg9XkNwhQbfEoa/s547/gary%20patton%20indoor%20usa%20blue.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="544" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zP3AzhFq7arEzrgF1pCPNUxElno2eYXIx08mZa5fGL3Nq4PzpBs6xZX4IO43K_E9W9DULOt8HUpPK4iEwH42T5jS0p9GeJiS1KtXB5KTjCWxFWLJSeOiPN8qJgg_asVVc9ws6eb30qNHgb8WIWq_siOTRjJt_XcIL0MO84uD0QTg9XkNwhQbfEoa/w398-h400/gary%20patton%20indoor%20usa%20blue.png" width="398" /></a></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><b style="font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b style="font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">How much are you running and cross-training now?</b><span style="font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Running about 15 mi/week – about half are hills, intervals and speed work. Swimming, biking, elliptical about 4 hr/week, usually doing intervals. About 5 hr/week strength training with weight machines, free weights, body weights, pilates and swiss ball. About 20 min static stretching following runs, bike, elliptical. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Does it bother you that you get slower with age? </b></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">When I rationalize it, slowing down does not bother me. I deal with it by looking at my American and world rankings in my age group. My motivation is seeing the great majority of people my age not being able to run a single step – killing themselves with inactivity and poor diet. I’m inspired by runners who can outrun me or who have middle-distance age-group records that I haven’t been able to beat – yet. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><b>How have your diet and weight changed through the years, if at all?</b> My wife and I have always had a relatively healthy diet, but more so in recent years. A little less meat and more fruits, veggies and whole grains. Never smoked. Used to have wine or beer occasionally, even less now. My weight has been fairly stable over the years at about 115 lb. (I’m 5’- 4”). What’s changed is a little less fat and a little more muscle due to more weight training. I quit the half aspirin, fish oil pill and glucosamine years ago. Now the only supplement is Vitamin D in the winter. With a good diet and relatively good health, everything else is just money in the pocket of drug/supplement manufacturers and their pill-pushing salesmen. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><b>What injuries or other health issues have you faced through the years?</b> Since limiting mileage to quality work and increasing cross training and strength training, injuries haven’t kept me out of action more than a month at a time. Every year or 2 I’ll get a bad calf or hamstring cramp (I wouldn’t call them strains) that slow me down for a week or 2 until the soreness goes away. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><b>A favorite quote?</b> "Carpe diem."</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><b>3 tips for other lifetime runners?</b> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">1--Mix it up when it comes to training. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">2--Rest an injury. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">3--Eat right and get plenty of sleep. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>How does running and fitness improve your daily life? </b></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">We have a 2-story house and I can bounce up and down the stairs. Last winter, I scooped snow for 2 hr on my driveway with little increase in heart rate and no muscle/joint soreness the next day. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: -4pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><b>What are the biggest life lessons you have learned from running? </b> Whenever I fail--when I don’t come in first--I pick myself up and try to do better next time. I don’t do any navel-gazing. I mostly just take one day at a time and deal with life’s problems as they appear. I’m in complete denial of aging – I feel great. For which I’m very thankful.</span></span></p><div><br /></div></span></div>Amby Burfoothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972662001978097115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8436613553413050840.post-11539810421675434782022-05-26T00:30:00.008-04:002022-05-26T00:30:00.150-04:00PROFILE--Bill Shreffler started running, lost 70 lbs, and is going strong 100,000 miles later<span class="im" style="background-color: white; color: #500050; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><u></u></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1LLKj9QWOUpKcrXIG5KZTi1wWspiiW47Ax0WB8BImx8jCR2es5Hou6uy0aqXIJh-i9zGJ-ylCdk-I5hWKQMwwS1eU4-GaiTEkL0Hz-eayBnh_ZLUUzbYgMpNGt2ddSq9tGSSDrrlh6ozsBWEB3dzFic1g_a36EVDFp75opwlseaszgSFaGirq1N04/s1777/bill%20shreffler.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1777" data-original-width="949" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1LLKj9QWOUpKcrXIG5KZTi1wWspiiW47Ax0WB8BImx8jCR2es5Hou6uy0aqXIJh-i9zGJ-ylCdk-I5hWKQMwwS1eU4-GaiTEkL0Hz-eayBnh_ZLUUzbYgMpNGt2ddSq9tGSSDrrlh6ozsBWEB3dzFic1g_a36EVDFp75opwlseaszgSFaGirq1N04/w342-h640/bill%20shreffler.jpg" width="342" /></a></div>(May, 2022) Bill Shreffler started running for a typical reason: He didn't like the way he looked in the bathroom mirror after stepping out of the shower. Seventy pounds later, he was off and entering marathons. His personal record isn't sensational--3:34--but his consistency is. Now 68 and living in Coumbia, MO, Shreffler is still running every day of the week and logging more than 50 miles per week. His attitude is world class: "<u></u><span style="color: #222222;">I know that every day I have over an hour of quiet time early in the morning," he says. "I can reflect on yesterday, think about the day ahead, forgive myself for the many mistakes I have made in my life and get excited about the future."</span> <p></p></span><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: arial;">Career-profession?</b><span style="font-family: arial;"> Managing Member of BridgeWorx – medical device distributor.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><b>When did you start running and why? </b>I was 70 pounds overweight and bet a co-worker <span></span>that I would lose more weight than he did. I won the bet.</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><b>How much did you run in your peak years? </b>Peak years I ran 100 miles/week as I trained for marathons.</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><b>Best performances? </b>After living in Colorado Springs and training at an altitude of 6,500 feet I ran my 7<sup>th</sup> Chicago marathon and had a PR of 3:34:00. Before I had my PR at Chicago I ran the Los Angeles Marathon in March 1992 after training through a harsh Chicago winter and finished in 3:50:26.</span> </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><u></u></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><b>Total lifetime miles? </b>I passed 100,000 miles last October (all well documented with some commentary about the run)</span> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><u></u></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>How much are you running and cross-training now?</b> I run 54 miles/week – 8 miles Monday through Saturday and 6 miles on Sunday. I also lift weights<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> 6 days/week. I do “pushes” (bench) 3 days and pulls (curls) 3 days. Additionally, I ride a stationary bike for 30 minutes after I lift (right after I complete my morning run) and ride again at lunch time for another 45 minutes.</span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Any recent races?</b> <span face="Arial, sans-serif">I hung up the racing shoes due to wear and tear on my body preparing for races. I choose to focus on my daily run instead. I get much more value that way (mentally and physically).</span> <br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><u></u></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><b>Does it bother you that you are slower now?</b> I <i>am</i> slower and it does not bother me too much. I am glad that I can still run 54 miles/week 52 weeks/year. I love leaving my house in the dark, normally by 4:20 am, and getting home in the dark. It provides great solace and quiet. I use the first half of my run to pray, and the second half to allow the endorphins to help provide potential solutions to business problems and general life issues. I have always wondered what is around the next corner and that desire to see things that most people don’t get to see (like a brewing storm with high winds and rain slapping my face) keeps me going. I run every day in every type of weather.</span><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><u></u> </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><b>Diet weight changes through the years?</b> My running has allowed me to eat most of what I want to eat. I eat steel cut oat meal several times/week and take vitamins and CBD gummies. I also take a packet of Immune+ everyday to get vitamin D and zinc. I admit to eating too much chocolate but I believe in quality as well as quantity of life.</span> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6UMGbjxYTdpp26f0lXhaO_-ZSn5Gw2AKY0j2uj1ji5yzo4yEGnyVTQYTp4tYYcfkJftmfDGnm2wCF2k86U0vQzt2W46k63w0jZ8-ZGZbV4GyZU-6gSuJJiIZui33a3ZIClMVMeYzreDk-IcrprIW3febzoHgWppXU2hHqbbhnJkGz4GX16iQRMGa/s1208/Bill%20Shreffler%20Chicago.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1208" data-original-width="1094" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6UMGbjxYTdpp26f0lXhaO_-ZSn5Gw2AKY0j2uj1ji5yzo4yEGnyVTQYTp4tYYcfkJftmfDGnm2wCF2k86U0vQzt2W46k63w0jZ8-ZGZbV4GyZU-6gSuJJiIZui33a3ZIClMVMeYzreDk-IcrprIW3febzoHgWppXU2hHqbbhnJkGz4GX16iQRMGa/w363-h400/Bill%20Shreffler%20Chicago.jpg" width="363" /></span></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><u></u></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Injuries or health issues? </b>I have had problems with both knees and no longer have any cartilage left. One knee caused me to miss almost 6 months of running as I had to rehab the knee. The day after I hurt my knee I jumped on my bike and logged 10 miles/daily in the neighborhood. These miles are not included in my running miles. I run with adjustable Velcro knee braces and they are a life saver for me. I have had no real problems since I began using them 10 years ago. I also wear compression shorts to reduce any potential hernia issues.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><b>A favorite inspirational quote?</b> Henry Ford said “If you think you can’t or you think you can, you are right”. I coined the “Evolution of Winning” when I ran a large organization and our team had great success (I wrote about the methods I used for success in my book “Execute Like a Pro” available on Amazon). The evolution of winning is 1) I can’t – most people think they can’t run or exercise. I often hear “I wish I could but list reasons why they can’t”; 2) I can – overcome the objections and get folks to believe that they can do something ; 3) I will – this is the fun part. When someone believes in the mission they will do whatever they have to be successful; and finally 4) I did it– this is the euphoria we all have when we finish a race, hit a goal, lose the weight – whatever we set out to do.</span> </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><u></u></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Three short tips for other hopeful lifetime runners?</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">1--Hydrate during the day.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">2--Change your shoes at least every 350 to 400 miles (pay attention to the soles and identify what type of shoes you need aka under pronator, over pronator, more cushioning, etc.) and</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">3--Find the fun in running. You don’t have to run a preset course. Learn your pace and run by your watch. Go places, see things.</span> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><u></u></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><b>How does running & fitness improve your life on a daily/weekly basis?</b> It is built into the fabric of my everyday life. My wife jokes that I am not easy to live with if I miss a run. I am healthy with few issues into my late 60’s, and my doctor wants me to keep running. My son is a college football offensive lineman and I have been able to teach him how to breathe and run.</span><u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><b></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMpj9bA1dtcNmuNBwqOg4PAmWEo_pTyTmzvSpLOyz4CA9Iu9jRa0qmI4QGaDPwwTBFDZq3Cp3HO7qrklG4yh9ydna1FzobRaC0oWhhNajpYLmg4wiSgxJOH538kdQitA8G30iSeNV__24kXXyURwToBpziELi7TyuDXJF8bS6XRK6sScVys12_VF6O/s1358/Bill%20Marathon%20Pic%20(2).jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1005" data-original-width="1358" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMpj9bA1dtcNmuNBwqOg4PAmWEo_pTyTmzvSpLOyz4CA9Iu9jRa0qmI4QGaDPwwTBFDZq3Cp3HO7qrklG4yh9ydna1FzobRaC0oWhhNajpYLmg4wiSgxJOH538kdQitA8G30iSeNV__24kXXyURwToBpziELi7TyuDXJF8bS6XRK6sScVys12_VF6O/w400-h296/Bill%20Marathon%20Pic%20(2).jpg" width="400" /></a></b></span></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><b><br />What are the biggest lessons you have learned from running? </b></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">I know that every day I have over an hour of quiet time early in the morning. I can reflect on yesterday, think about the day ahead, forgive myself for the many mistakes I have made in my life and get excited about the future. I love the preparing for my run – running clothes, braces, flashlight, etc. I love opening the front door at 4:20 am and seeing a deer run across my lawn. I love seeing Christmas lights in the dark. I love watching the donut guy open his kitchen as he prepares for the day. I love watching the early morning deliveries at the local grocery store as they stock up for the day. I am aging, but I feel I am still strong and life is good. I owe a lot of that to running. I am not afraid to look in the mirror and see what is staring back at me. I have accomplished many things in my life and I have more to do.</span></span><p></p>Amby Burfoothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972662001978097115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8436613553413050840.post-21614591002631483122022-04-27T00:30:00.006-04:002022-07-27T13:38:23.279-04:00PROFILE--Richard Houston has completed 27 Boston Marathons in a row<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPR-At2uDU7YFZSf5i5fXvsCm_pYvpk9lWI8jX8ZkKQ1K-It-Q0mnri3H4RU1gyIiSMcMXDimTB-X5P6jzJ9tTnstsTKzvNa1abFt44sIJ3YF8IKdLl0WVkr7VuXaNSMu2ISr513vPv5UeuKSWfZXbI2trQJ09SbeiP5Y7ldeG3cmTqiOInaQQY0iC/s621/Richard%20Houston%20running%20pack.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="383" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPR-At2uDU7YFZSf5i5fXvsCm_pYvpk9lWI8jX8ZkKQ1K-It-Q0mnri3H4RU1gyIiSMcMXDimTB-X5P6jzJ9tTnstsTKzvNa1abFt44sIJ3YF8IKdLl0WVkr7VuXaNSMu2ISr513vPv5UeuKSWfZXbI2trQJ09SbeiP5Y7ldeG3cmTqiOInaQQY0iC/w395-h640/Richard%20Houston%20running%20pack.jpeg" width="395" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">(Apr. 2022) Richard Houston just completed the Boston Marathon in 4:39:18. It sounds a modest achievement until you consider that it was his 27th Boston in a row, 34th overall, and he's now 65 years old. A melanoma survivor, he credits his long-term success to learning when he can "run through" an injury, and when that's a bad idea. He likes the 1979 Boston Marathon poster of Bill Rodgers hitting the finish with just a single word on the poster: "Relentless."</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Career-profession?</b> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">I recently retired after 43 years of teaching high school history. I worked at St. John's High School in <span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: large;">Shrewsbury MA for 16 years (where my 4 brothers and I all went). I then moved to Cape Cod and spent the next 27 years at Harwich High School and Monomoy Regional (when Harwich and Chatham merged). The Commonwealth of Massachusetts honored me in 2012 as the American History Teacher of the Year. I also coached Cross Country and Track at St. John's for 10 years, and I was the part-time assistant track and cross country coach at College of the Holy Cross (my alma mater) for six years.</span><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span><b>When did you start running and why?</b> </span>My brothers, our friends, and I all seemed to run everywhere when we were kids. Formal running was kick started by my public school physical education teachers in Auburn, MA as part of the president's physical fitness challenges in the 1960s. I quickly realized that I did better versus my compNEsiots the longer the run was. I ran my first race (Wachusett Regional Invitational XCourtlandtchool division) in 1969. Running seeNCAAso feed my competitive instincts; I don't think I've ever gone a year without a race since then. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span><b>How much did you run in your peak years?</b> </span>I peaked out on mileage in the late 70s and early 80s after I graduated from Holy Cross and began to focus on road racing and the marathon. I spent years putting in weekly totals ranging from the 80s to 120s. I streamlined the process for some of that time by running back and forth tGarmin (and running with the teams that I was coaching).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Top performances?</b> In high school, my top performances were in my senior year (1974) when I was the runner up in class B state mile championship in 4:22 and 5th place in the All-Statregiminin 4:18.8. For the running and the soccer team captaCovid I was later inducted into the St. John's High School Hall of Fame. At Holy Cross, I started playing varsity soccer (for which I was recruited) but switched to cross country sophomore year and eventually became a captain. I focused on the mile in indoor and outdoor track and was a NE finalist in both seasons; my top finish was 6th in the outdoor NEs in 1977 with a 4:08.9. My top XC race was the 1976 IC4As where I ran 25:45 at Van Courtlandt and just missed qualifying for the NCAAs. After graduation I started running the Boston Marathon (2:30:34 in 1979); I've now done 25 in a row and 33 cumulative Boston's which gets me membership in the Quarter Century Club. I also ran 50:48 for ten miles and 30:18 for 10K during the peak of my road running days. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjogvTun-BO8E371UMZHV79pzSqHmYwbhburQMoAqSy_pUMlUIhthMUQp9cHcfsy3mv7obVNjQuilU5BDh1_lKVmeLibIQ4flT611xQKRChnYqx30DuzGGClIUDBFBCMhfvY0OSg28a0BPelBcd2szrQsnyJ4jWZeH3-UIHzWYpqWo3pXMOnyHdO8D2/s2576/Richard%20Houston%20face.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2576" data-original-width="1932" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjogvTun-BO8E371UMZHV79pzSqHmYwbhburQMoAqSy_pUMlUIhthMUQp9cHcfsy3mv7obVNjQuilU5BDh1_lKVmeLibIQ4flT611xQKRChnYqx30DuzGGClIUDBFBCMhfvY0OSg28a0BPelBcd2szrQsnyJ4jWZeH3-UIHzWYpqWo3pXMOnyHdO8D2/w300-h400/Richard%20Houston%20face.jpeg" width="300" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span><b>How much are you running and cross-training now?</b> </span>As I build up for Boston each year, I try to get up to 50-60 miles per week for a couple of months. I'm pretty consistent around 40 year round. I walk/hike quite a bit as well, some of it during what I call my "modified" Galloway method. Weights and swimming a couple times a week have long been incorporated into my regimen, but that took a back seat over the last year with Covid closures of my gym. I've only included the most basic stretches over the last couple decades (and it shows!!)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>An estimate of total running miles? </b>I didn't start keeping</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>a log until the later part of my HC years. Since then I kept track of all my mileage but have never totaled up the records (written notebooks, work docs, apps, and Garmin). When I get around to it, I'm pretty sure it will be around the 100,000 mark.</div></div></span></div><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span><b>Any recent race results? </b></span>During the lockdown, I did quite a bit of virtual competition. Some of my QCC friends and I ran across the continent twice last summer in a virtual relay celebrating the anniversary of Dave McGillivray's famous fundraising run. We also won a virtual relay race from Florida to Boston. These events were all about putting in the miles, not the pace. At my age, I like that. Coming off a hip stress fracture, I did the virtual Boston last September in 4:28, just about my slowest (I've usually been in the 3:30 to 4:00 range over the last decade). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span><b>How are you dealing with aging and slowing?</b> </span>As a long-time member of the Cape Cod Athletic Club, I would be remiss if I did not say that the late fellow CCACer Johnny Kelley was one of my inspirations. I often run past a monument (in Nickerson State Park) dedicated to him upon his 50th Boston Marathon finish (of the record 58 that he did). As with many other BAA Quarter Century Club members, I focus on keeping the streak going rather than worrying about the time. Not being able to run would be a major "bother" for me. So far, so good. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxtfK0IKZho9deNlFDcgIhkrMi2ZFmc_gLoo7wUsNemV-dxMisRD6WDAlBzzk8mmWn02toaoQc4fDYbOaUWfmnCJNQuJDwU_lXk0CS2ZjLcUFilLDOM3dSmQ22zantR7msFhl7OZcenF8J9BABUqFdq-ht7Iis942EcshtP1qbYctjDByZKzs-vAuS/s829/Richard%20Houston%20running.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="829" data-original-width="522" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxtfK0IKZho9deNlFDcgIhkrMi2ZFmc_gLoo7wUsNemV-dxMisRD6WDAlBzzk8mmWn02toaoQc4fDYbOaUWfmnCJNQuJDwU_lXk0CS2ZjLcUFilLDOM3dSmQ22zantR7msFhl7OZcenF8J9BABUqFdq-ht7Iis942EcshtP1qbYctjDByZKzs-vAuS/w251-h400/Richard%20Houston%20running.jpeg" width="251" /></a></b></span></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span><b><br />Diet and weight changes?</b> </span>I carry about 15 pounds more than when I was younger and doing a lot of mileage. I have to watch what I eat more than in my younger years. As a Melanoma survivor, I have to keep my sunscreen on each day, so I take a vitamin D supplement and a senior multi-vitamin to make up for what I can't get from the sun. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span><b>Injuries and/or health issues? </b></span>I think I have had many of the running related/overuse injuries over the last 6 decades. I seek out the best professionals when needed; I've learned when I can "run through" an injury and when that's counterproductive. Most recently I've had to get meniscus surgery, to recover from a broken arm, to deal with a hip stress fracture, and to cope with some cancer related issues. I do aim to do some running every day that I can, although often just an easy walk/jog. As of today, I have 14 months without an off day. My longest streak is about three years. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span><b>A favorite inspirational quote?</b> </span>I have a poster of Bill Rodgers crossing the finish line at the 1979 Boston Marathon with the caption: "Relentless." He was kind enough to sign it for me. It's in my office. That was also the first year that I did Boston although I was 20 minutes behind him. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span><b>3 tips for hopeful lifetime runners? </b></span>1--Find a group/club/team to run with. 2--Rotate/replace shoes regularly. 3--Have fun. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span><b>How does running & fitness improve your daily life?</b> </span>Camaraderie. Good health. Stress reduction. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span><b>What are the biggest life lessons you have learned from running? </b></span>Consistency in your pursuits is the key. Find what you like to do (and/or what you're good at) and give it your passion. Have fun. </span></p>Amby Burfoothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972662001978097115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8436613553413050840.post-25839142817340882162022-03-10T00:30:00.001-05:002022-03-10T00:30:00.150-05:00Steve and Paula Boone have run nearly 1200 marathons (collectively)<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><div style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwhTTYJFfCjzFeBP5rWVHttJUZJBFjmuSVqv7-fCqKe3EtZIfgHNNiDn7a6w0oxLRl8ZjiAAV35AmmnwsSmpmCSyZ4HMULXmRTgIZlYtlffA9xEO4N4J7RtWpplmulmBVu7cd8DLXV3nAZ5nir0iFvfu5TJ_Oubyi6QtT-fOav8-Hs_8XgUkfd3LIJ=s1363" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1363" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwhTTYJFfCjzFeBP5rWVHttJUZJBFjmuSVqv7-fCqKe3EtZIfgHNNiDn7a6w0oxLRl8ZjiAAV35AmmnwsSmpmCSyZ4HMULXmRTgIZlYtlffA9xEO4N4J7RtWpplmulmBVu7cd8DLXV3nAZ5nir0iFvfu5TJ_Oubyi6QtT-fOav8-Hs_8XgUkfd3LIJ=w640-h508" width="640" /></a></div><br />(Mar. 2022) Steve (72) and Paula Boone (a mere 55) are fixtures in the running community. Based in Humble TX, they run on average 20-35 marathons a year. Paula was originally from Utah but after meeting a longhaired hippy at the 1997 Boston Marathon she lost her heart to him and embraced Texas. Steve just completed his 800th marathon at the Houston Marathon in January. He did his first marathon there and runs it every time he hits a 100 anniversary. His most prolific year of marathons was in 2014 when he ran 46. Paula reached her milestone of 365 marathons in January of 2021. “This way I have a tee shirt for every day of the year without doing laundry,” she comments. She runs an average of 14 marathons a year and as many as 35 but says Steve is much more dedicated than she is. “</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">I don’t love running. I love to eat, travel and hang out with my friends and doing marathons in all 50 states multiple times allows me to do all of those things. Running is just the painful part of getting there,” says Paula. Between them, they have 6 kids, 9 grandkids and 1 great-grandkid. </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"></span></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt;">Career-profession?</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt;"> Steve: </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">I am mostly retired from my career as a computer programmer and feel a bit like a blacksmith after cars became widely available. Paula is a retired schoolteacher. In 1992 I created the Marathon Challenge program. T</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">he original intent was twofold. I wanted <span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">elementary school students to learn that the marathon distance is 26.2 miles in an attempt to prevent their parents from continually asking me how far my last marathon was. It seemed like a better idea to teach the students rather than repeat myself. My other goal was to encourage students to work toward a long-term goal and complete it. As an incentive the students would be awarded a t-shirt at the end of the school year if they completed the marathon distance.</span></span><p></p><div style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16pt;">The first year, only 14 students completed the distance. I believed that my idea was a failure because of the low completion rate and my youngest son only ran 25 miles and did not earn a shirt. The second year, several hundred students completed the marathon distance and earned shirts. We now have as many as 10,000 students and faculty members in 27 schools earning a shirt each year. </span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">In 2000, Paula and I started the Texas Marathon, which is always held on New Year’s Day. We offer huge medals, hot pizzas delivered every hour, and treat every runner like family members we actually like. In 2001 </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Paula and I also started the 50 States Marathon Club so that keeps us busy when we aren’t running marathons. </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><b style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt;">When did you start running and why? </span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt;">Steve: </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Sometime in mid-1987 one of my clients bet me that I could not run a marathon. At the time, I was playing soccer in a 30 and over coed league and thought it would be an interesting goal. It only took a few 10K’s to understand that running fast on a soccer field had nothing to do with long distance running. Running the first mile at a five minute pace translated into dragging my carcass to the finish line and suffering mightily. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">In January of 1988, I completed the Houston Marathon, my first, in 4:29 and was disheartened after having a 3:30 goal and failing so miserably. I’ll be running my 34<sup>th</sup> consecutive Houston Marathon this January, which will also be my 800<sup>th</sup> lifetime marathon. </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">I have carefully planned my race schedule over the years to have marathon numbers 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700 occur at the Houston Marathon.</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBkoiqctuJpRryTGJCfUgPn6txLxrFPukQpFzcAaQVI5U-_Wtqjo7GRr8WXoBP2g7Z6oeeJWsHPbo5fMwXba-UX6ep6zN6pFaicr0_IjJ7pk0WFN5AjHv4cCBUs6VAcZ8-4Ic-SUtIvSnk6-gm77cPY2nWHI06utyKG98CjaL6B1F03A__acJno8Bz=s306" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="261" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBkoiqctuJpRryTGJCfUgPn6txLxrFPukQpFzcAaQVI5U-_Wtqjo7GRr8WXoBP2g7Z6oeeJWsHPbo5fMwXba-UX6ep6zN6pFaicr0_IjJ7pk0WFN5AjHv4cCBUs6VAcZ8-4Ic-SUtIvSnk6-gm77cPY2nWHI06utyKG98CjaL6B1F03A__acJno8Bz=w546-h640" width="546" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></span><p></p><div style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16pt;">Paula: I started running when I beat a boy at a race in 6<sup>th</sup> grade. I ran track in junior and high school and thought the first women’s Olympic Marathon in 1984 was the coolest thing ever. After having two kids, I needed to get in shape. I started lifting weights, doing aerobics and then started running on the track at the gym. A lady saw me at the gym every day and invited me to join her running group. They were all getting ready to do the 100<sup>th</sup> Boston (4/15/96). They helped train me for my first marathon 5/11/96 at the Antelope Island Marathon in Utah. I ran an ultra that summer and a BQ in the fall. </span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">What were some of your better/memorable races? </span></b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Steve:<b> </b></span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">In October of 1991, I trained much harder and was able to run a Boston qualifier in 3:20 at my 13<sup>th</sup> marathon in Chicago. In 1993 at the Black Hills Marathon in South Dakota, I ran my personal best of 3:04:51 on a difficult course. </span></span></p><div style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Paula: </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">My most memorable race was Boston 1997. That’s where Steve and I met. Running the continents made for some very memorable races. The Big Five Marathon in South Africa ran in a game reserve with lions, elephants, giraffes, hartebeests, etc. The Great Wall Marathon was a tough race with 7 miles actually on the Wall in China. Running with kangaroos at the Shepparton Marathon in Australia was amazing. The toughest race was in Antarctica. We camped in tents and ran with penguins. America is a wonderful country and we have been blessed to see so much of it. </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><b style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Did you have an early inspiration or person who motivated you? </span></b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Steve:<b> </b></span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Motivation came from being challenged to run a marathon. After performing below my original expectation, there was a voice in my head that told me to try harder.</span></span></p><div style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Paula: </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">My mom has always been a great inspiration and motivation for me. She has always been a very independent woman who overcame many challenges and she still took great care of us and loved my dad completely. She’s run several 5Ks in her 80s. She taught me not to ever give up and not to settle for less than the best.</span></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><div style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">How much did you run per week in your peak years? Now?</span></b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Steve: I have kept track of completed marathons and ultras but never logged mileage. My highest mileage for one week exceeded 180 miles while completing seven marathons and proved that ego trumps common sense. When I was younger and faster, one hundred mile weeks were not uncommon. Currently, my mileage varies from 40 to 70 mediocre miles a week. The advantage to being slower is that I can work on my tan and retain my nickname “Tan Ben Franklin.”</span></span></div><div style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Paula: </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">In my peak (and young and skinny years) I probably ran about 40-50 miles per week and worked out 6 days a week. Now I try to get my 10,000 steps in each day. I run about 20 miles a week and then run about 1-2 marathons a month (before Covid). </span></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><div style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Cross Training: </span></b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">PauIa and I are continually in our pool swimming laps unless we decide to drift around on pool floats and nap in the sun. Napping seems to be winning out these days.</span></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">How has your diet/weight changed through the years? </span></b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Steve: Aging has caused my weight to increase. I am fairly serious about eating healthy but hate to feel hungry. Ben Franklin was never a skinny guy when he was old either.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Paula: </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">My weight fluctuates (code for I’m fat). I struggle to keep it in check. As I’ve said before, I don’t much care about running, but I love eating. Steve thinks it was false advertising since I was skinny when I met him. </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16pt;">How important is social running to you? If you were/are a competitive runner, can you adapt to the slower times?</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16pt;">Steve: I am not a social runner but acknowledge virtually every runner I see unless I run out of breath and am panting like a dog. Running slower times drives me crazy but as hard as I try, gravity and old age are not my friends. Placing in my age group because the rest of the old folks are in nursing homes or using walkers is not satisfying. On the other hand, finishing last or near last in my age group is worse.</span></p><div style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Paula: </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">My first year of marathons was pretty successful. I came in 2<sup>nd</sup> female in my first marathon. I PR’d and qualified for Boston at my 3<sup>rd</sup> marathon. I then started chasing states and my times got slower. I have much more fun running slower and chatting with friends. I think I’m more of a social runner than anything. All the real fun is near the back of the pack!</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Obstacles along the way: </span></b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Steve: In 2016, at mile 3 of a 12-hour event, I tore several ligaments that attached my Achilles tendon to the back of my heel. I had to limp through 23 more miles on a muddy trail because it was the last state in my quest to complete the states for the 6</span><sup>th</sup><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> time. I had to change from the marathon to the 5K at Kona the next weekend, limped slowly and was able to edge out my mother-in-law at the finish line. Three weeks later we had a marathon scheduled in Las Vegas that I had to complete so there would be enough finishers for Paula’s completion of the states for the fourth time.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16pt;">In August of 2017, I had a staph infection in my knee that required eight days of hospitalization and continual antibiotics to prevent the loss of my leg. This coincided with Hurricane Harvey and massive flooding in our area. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Paula: </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">At my PR at St. George, UT in 1996, I injured my IT band. My doctor said he thought that maybe I wasn’t cut out to run marathons. I slowly rehabbed that injury and have had a few others along the way. Steve always says that we don’t get injured, we just get re-injured. We’ve already broken everything before. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzpuBwG1wZNoSiTl-y0viOjq9pGtW5iu-Ws4Txr78RGUjVPcXm8I53x_HJtRek3UuY5xpPvPION9HvqKAsdVkc-3t0c5Y9_U3DnsYWYMG8yleeUBk8zhvP2vO8UiBBEEOEDexcuIupSAgSEV-jr-bT5c8bnx2d9kr5QOLjwQl2Ss94YHOM_PUg5VmM=s4675" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4675" data-original-width="2988" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzpuBwG1wZNoSiTl-y0viOjq9pGtW5iu-Ws4Txr78RGUjVPcXm8I53x_HJtRek3UuY5xpPvPION9HvqKAsdVkc-3t0c5Y9_U3DnsYWYMG8yleeUBk8zhvP2vO8UiBBEEOEDexcuIupSAgSEV-jr-bT5c8bnx2d9kr5QOLjwQl2Ss94YHOM_PUg5VmM=w410-h640" width="410" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /> </span><b style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Has running helped you with the aging process? </span></b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Steve: Running has always helped me deal with life. It has helped me design software projects when my focus had to be on two things: breathing and the project. Running makes me a part of the community with people continually saying they are inspired to get outside. Running keeps the mind and heart young. The mirror tends to dispel that conclusion. Stay away from mirrors.</span></span><p></p><div style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Paula: </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Since most of my running friends are older than me, I feel like a kid. After running with folks in their 60s, 70s and 80s, I don’t feel like there is a time when you’re “too old” to be active. The folks in our 50 States Marathon Club are all very self-motivated adventuresome people who don’t put limits on themselves. They’re great examples for me. </span></span></div><div style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><br /></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Running Philosophy? </span></b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">If you think you can, you can. If you don’t, you are dead right.</span></span></p><div style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">A Favorite Quote: </span></b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">“Can you work or are you just ornamental?” –<i>Hunt for the Wilderpeople</i></span></span></div></div></blockquote><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16pt;">What three tips would you give someone who wants to be a life long runner?</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">1) Make friends; they will last you a lifetime. </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">You can plan “runcations” together and see the world at street level.</span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16pt;">2) Make a positive difference in your community.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16pt;">3) Do not take yourself so seriously. If you need to reinforce this, stand nude in front of a mirror and try not to laugh and point.</span> </span></p><blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">What are the biggest lessons you have learned from running?</span></b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Steve: A regular everyday runner can have a tremendous effect on their surroundings and can impact the lives of many thousands of people they will never meet.</span></span></p><div style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Paula: Running has made me more patient. After spending so many hours on the road I don’t need immediate gratification. Running also taught me pain management. I still hurt, but I can deal with it for longer periods of time. When I was getting a mammogram recently, some of the other ladies were asking if it hurt. I had to laugh because I only had to count to 20. After spending 5-10 hours running, 20 seconds is nothing. I did tell them that I probably wasn’t the best person to ask since I’m a marathoner.</span><i><span style="font-size: 16pt;"></span></i></span></div><div style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></i></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></div></div></blockquote>Amby Burfoothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972662001978097115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8436613553413050840.post-21907305369908802712022-01-26T00:30:00.007-05:002022-01-26T05:50:39.396-05:00PROFILE: Yuko Gordon, 71 next month, is one of the world's greatest marathon runners<span id="docs-internal-guid-279b9593-7fff-7760-cde8-dba95e60f1a9"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgunv45lxDbXQKoRYiFUUZF9GbqgyMtO5FOcAhmZgofNdwQ9586jxL-qkfZT3SQ5nV-XoO9hWLbDLJfuIT6lZuSsrURoo8FKw-WHEJi93fxDkNqQKiBiML9GAU-1FjVolHFeCyy9bpAo8xtaRJihQKnp9O5mEctA4bzQNDycwjdvxljU5Y5W-5FamLY=s719" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="547" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgunv45lxDbXQKoRYiFUUZF9GbqgyMtO5FOcAhmZgofNdwQ9586jxL-qkfZT3SQ5nV-XoO9hWLbDLJfuIT6lZuSsrURoo8FKw-WHEJi93fxDkNqQKiBiML9GAU-1FjVolHFeCyy9bpAo8xtaRJihQKnp9O5mEctA4bzQNDycwjdvxljU5Y5W-5FamLY=w486-h640" width="486" /></a></div>(Jan. 2022) Yuko Gordon, who will turn 71 next month, is undeniably one of the world's greatest marathon runners. She competed in the first major global marathons for women--the 1983 World Championships and 1984 L.A. Olympic Games--and last fall won the 70+ division in the WANDA age-group world championships in the London Marathon. Two years earlier, she ran 3:19:37 to set the age-68 world best time in the Berlin Marathon. Gordon--born in Japan, raised in Hong Kong, and living for decades in Great Britain--set her lifetime PR, 2:38:32, in 1987. "I'm a fighter, and I don't give up easily," she says. "</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; white-space: pre-wrap;">Progress occurs only outside of comfort zone." How long will she keep running? "</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have no plan, I don’t have to--because my body will tell me one day."</span></span></span><div><span style="color: #212121; font-size: large;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Career-profession? </b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My main career was Flight Hostess (Airline Stewardess) at Cathay Pacific Airways for 10 years from 1974 to1984. I left Japan for Hong Kong to take up the job when I was 23. I loved flying and travelling around the world, which was so liberating and exciting seeing the different places, the cultures and the people. In recent years, I only do volunteer work one morning a week as a gym assistant for the day patients at a local Hospice. In 1984 before the Olympics, the only crucial mistake I made, <span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I failed to taper sufficiently and I was probably over-trained and tired for the most important race of my life. I finished 5 minutes outside of my PB and I deeply regretted it. Being called an Olympian gives me mixed feelings. I didn’t fight hard and long enough to earn it; the historical inclusion of women’s marathon just happened in front of me. </span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>When did you start running and why?</b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I started running in 1979 (age 28). My company (Cathay Pacific) used to send a team to the annual Inter Hong Cross Country Race (4.5 miles trail) and I was lured into the team accidentally. My friend told the team organiser that I had run when I was a school kid. I had been managing to stay clear from the invitations in previous years but 5 years into the flying job, I was in a state of boredom with my life and I was pushed into it rather easily this time. I totally enjoyed the 6 weeks (once or twice a week) of relaxed and sociable training runs followed by post-run teas with other </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">ladies of the team. We were all novices and started from scratch. I had never run downhill before and I still remember the sensation of numbness in my shins. I was the best of the group, so I wanted to win and I did; so did our team. I found the trail runs so refreshing and pleasant. I was so happy to discover such a wonderful thing to do and meeting new people in my life. </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGY2HWVHu3MjuruAcNB-un3jkUlkXCoRz6mhmYjKGMjw9wwBaLZGy47O8qN-9rCkx8fOEwS5RvMRkAnQdy8wu8ueKKQEhQeWuONgP3VeFrlQmTxmQtNHRXu7xS1FwhYJqJmhwQDOi311US7posaLxEKJgYLcD4BdrRNcUt_TVUE8rU6WIurKDnAy7A=s1408" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1408" data-original-width="936" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGY2HWVHu3MjuruAcNB-un3jkUlkXCoRz6mhmYjKGMjw9wwBaLZGy47O8qN-9rCkx8fOEwS5RvMRkAnQdy8wu8ueKKQEhQeWuONgP3VeFrlQmTxmQtNHRXu7xS1FwhYJqJmhwQDOi311US7posaLxEKJgYLcD4BdrRNcUt_TVUE8rU6WIurKDnAy7A=w266-h400" width="266" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I ran my first marathon the following year in 1980 with my boyfriend in 3:27 and the second was on our honeymoon at the Honolulu Marathon in 3:13 later in the year. Four summers later, I was running the marathon at the LA Olympics. I stopped running completely around 1999, mainly because I was increasingly involved with my kids’ activities and more interested in their future rather than my past. I thought it was a normal process for any athlete to fade away and didn’t even think about running anymore. I resumed running gradually around 2012 but more consistently from 2014. It took for a while to adjust my old head to my new body. My running head was still at where I left off and everything I did seemed too much too soon. It caused a string of injuries one after another. I started to run more regularly when my beloved dog died in 2014 because I desperately needed distraction from the sad loss. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>How much did you run in your peak years?</b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Around 50 miles a week. My training was erratic and inconsistent due to the nature of my job, jetlag, irregular hours, days in unrunnable environments, sudden change of schedule and so on. I did 60-70 miles/week before the Olympics. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>What are some of your top race performances?</b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 1) 10K course record for W65 at Silverstone 10K (over F1 motor race course) in 42:46 when I beat the W65 world 10K record holder Angela Copson and broke her own course record (43:06) in 2016. I don't know how I did it when I unexpectedly passed the speedy record holder at the 3km mark. I sprinted (felt like) the next 7km! 2) I ran the half marathon in 1:16:02 in Hong Kong over the very hill course near the China border in 1985. My record still stands after 36 years (no race last 2 years with Covid), and it was my PB too. They call the annual race now The Heritage Green Half Marathon’. It was a beautiful course in Kowloon Peninsular and there are so many lovely memories attached to it in my heart. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; white-space: pre-wrap;">3) 3:19:37 Berlin Marathon 2019 when I won the W65 division. The second half was negative split by 70 seconds and last 10K was the fastest of my splits in just over 46 minutes. I could have gone even better if it had not rained. 4) My marathon PB 2:38:32 at the Hong Kong Marathon in 1987 came out of the blue, a year after my international retirement. This was the most comfortable marathon I ever ran, and I felt the 26 miles went so quickly. 5) I won the Nike Ladies Race (4.5 miles country park trail) for 10 years (a year of break with pregnancy) in Hong Kong. My body synchronised perfectly to the hills, rocks, bumps and every twist and turn along the path. It was my race and nobody could catch me. My course record is 26:12, no other girl ever ran under 27 minutes. I always thought I want to scatter my ashes there until we left Hong Kong. 6) London Marathon 2021 with Jeannie Rice when I won W70 in 3:25:30 I was looking forward to having a race against her. I was surprised to pass her around 22 miles. She did not have a good outing on the day, but it was fortunate for me. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>How much are you running and cross-training now?</b> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">I run around 20-30 miles weekly now, but my training mileage before a target marathon goes up to around 40 - 50. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">For core and balance work, I go to a Yoga class once a week. Occasionally Pilates and Kettle bell classes. They are all good but I often miss the classes and am not committed. My training has been always running based. I never had time for any extra workouts when I was younger, so the habit still continues. I used to do more stretches, but I don’t do much these days because my body no longer stretches well. I play tennis (my second sport). I invested myself for the sport around the time I was retiring from running. I love the game, but at the moment I cannot play tennis well because I lost the agility needed in the ball game because of too much running (only forward movement). Instead, I play short tennis with slower balls with a group of people (all 60-70+) at a local tennis club once a week. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b></b></span></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHIHgVntzFQ4lg1Jv2roAr3SYUdToJfVwFXQ_siFKW0bh20X1zwKfzLLIaVJxRgFTfLYeVN0q-CrD2N9ZHKbTzLMOH6GMsKtS0Lk8p7l5_k4Q0RvJhRxiMF4mH9naFZqMQ-HDJQeUPuNkElfNLAyHiJAOcoFGd1-pbpocyaVq9gzPU8UITnooNhkeS=s572" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="322" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHIHgVntzFQ4lg1Jv2roAr3SYUdToJfVwFXQ_siFKW0bh20X1zwKfzLLIaVJxRgFTfLYeVN0q-CrD2N9ZHKbTzLMOH6GMsKtS0Lk8p7l5_k4Q0RvJhRxiMF4mH9naFZqMQ-HDJQeUPuNkElfNLAyHiJAOcoFGd1-pbpocyaVq9gzPU8UITnooNhkeS=w360-h640" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Photo by Pete Smith</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b></b></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><br />If you still race, please provide a somewhat recent race result or two.</b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> In 2021 - Marathon 3:25:30 (London). Half (1:37:50) 10K (45:12) 5K (22:12) 800m (3:09) After the Covid lockdown in 2020, I ran 6 marathons within 8 months in 2021, Windsor, Boston(UK), London, Valencia (all 3:25 – 3:29) plus 2 small low key trail marathons and I lost much speed for shorter distances. </span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Does it bother you that you are slower now?</b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Of course, I miss my faster and stronger self, I miss my springy bouncy legs and bottomless lungs very much. But the taste of winning is still good. I have got used to running as I am now. It feels normal to be passed by unfit looking younger runners and to be unable to catch them. I still love running, so, no reason to stop, but I know it won’t be long to go, so make the most of it whilst I can. Jeannie Rice and Angela Copson, they inspire me most. They are leading and showing us the way we oldies can achieve. I am very thankful and admiring for their competitive spirits. They are brave. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>How have your diet and weight changed through the years, if at all?</b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> My weight is back to where I was at the peak but maybe with much less muscles. I never bothered about nutrition too much and same now, but care about weight gain before a target event. But the marathon is ok with a bit of extra weight I think. I take iron tablets and glucosamine. I seem to have recurring problem of iron deficiency. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">I do cook fresh food from fresh ingredients for our meals everyday and use only olive oil since my husband had a heart attack in 2011. My cooking is basically in Japanese style. My husband and I like ‘Fish & Chips’ takeaway too which is not in the patients guidebook. We also love a meal out at a local pub and restaurant.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>What injuries or other health issues have you faced through the years?</b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> My injuries or break-downs always had a clear cause, so the solution was relatively easy, eliminating the mistakes when I got over it . I have been a relatively injury-free athlete, perhaps attributed to my short and light frame. Also, there is a touch of laziness in me, so the volume of my training never totted up too high. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>A favorite quote?</b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> "A time perhaps to count my blessings and celebrate a bit more what I have, not what I have lost."--Elaine Kingett </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c8f72f7a-7fff-07f8-d1c9-172ebe949a33" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Any tips for would-be lifetime runners? </b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; white-space: pre-wrap;">The older, you get, the less distraction you have in your life, so it gets easier to concentrate on what you like most. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>How does running and fitness improve your life on a daily/weekly basis? </b> Definitely helping my mental wellness - running alone in peace, training with cheerful bunch of club-mates, meeting other runners at races or long runs with friends, all so enjoyable. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What are the biggest lessons (life lessons and running lessons) you have learned from running?</b> Knowing what I shouldn’t do is as important as knowing what I should do. I didn’t like to be told that I am competitive, but I realised it’s an essential quality to becoming a champion and it’s not a negative one. I’m a fighter and don’t give up easily. People who often say they are not competitive; I think they simply hate losing or going through the pain to get better. I am not scared of losing and I believe in ‘no pain no gain’. There is always someone better than you. That’s the reason why we are inspired and improve when we try to catch them. Progress occurs only outside of comfort zone. I have also experienced and learnt that under- training is safer than overtraining. Figuring out how less could be better than too much is very difficult, and the balance is constantly changing as age factor comes in. What I achieved in my running so far has been the outcome of trials and errors, and I feel it still is. I should be content just to be myself, but not less than myself. The older I become, I have become less and less interested in what I used to do, and only a few things really matter to me. Running is one of them. </span></span><span style="color: #212121;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">How long will I keep running? </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have no plan, I don’t have to--because my body will tell me one day. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p></span></div>Amby Burfoothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972662001978097115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8436613553413050840.post-39646645255668698772022-01-14T00:30:00.005-05:002022-01-14T16:09:11.181-05:00PROFILE--Mike Wien won the 70-74 division at both Boston and New York City last fall<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_zFt2w_fK5DVLCpxrKTPHgqizUHuZirhJi2scCgQTEoqRJksj9kb2actua-SCCNcW_Qp1hvaDw19kiA3bzWfI_AwLCCgup4sOYZFGh8HFwEIKxB3zXFh7TYXtrULbn4LuG1Hk-GtfwGSl_MQy2lcH4DhgQNRBQ39_kqC_eD7c_xm3SAprSQBneFmH=s973" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="973" data-original-width="926" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_zFt2w_fK5DVLCpxrKTPHgqizUHuZirhJi2scCgQTEoqRJksj9kb2actua-SCCNcW_Qp1hvaDw19kiA3bzWfI_AwLCCgup4sOYZFGh8HFwEIKxB3zXFh7TYXtrULbn4LuG1Hk-GtfwGSl_MQy2lcH4DhgQNRBQ39_kqC_eD7c_xm3SAprSQBneFmH=w610-h640" width="610" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Jan 2022) How many runners do you know who are fabled in the marathon-triathlon world and also in corporate marketing circles? Not too many. But Mike Wien, a 70 yr old from Boulder, CO, is one, thanks to his involvement years ago in the launch of Tostitos, the crunchy, salty tortilla chips. More recently, he ran 3:29:34 at Boston and 3:34:54 in New York City to win the 70-74 division in both marathons last fall. Wien has achieved lots of triathlon podium finishes as well, and believes his success in running and life can be attributed to good balance. That is, a meshing of the Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, and Spiritual. Oh, and then there's his wife, Nannette. She has long supported all his endeavors, and excels particularly in providing healthy, high-calorie meals and expert on-course "competitive intelligence."</span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><br />Career profession: </b>I spent the first 28 years of my career in senior marketing roles with Frito-Lay, Pepsi, Omni Hotels, CitiBank, and Deloitte. While at Frito-Lay, I launched FANTASTIX (a huge failure) followed by TOSTITOS (a very big winner.) The next 15 years were in the <span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">classroom as a professor of marketing and franchising at Georgia State University. I also started a marketing consulting and professional speaking business focused on gaining a competitive advantage or a Specific Edge. </span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>When did you start running and why? </b>I first started running in high school. I was not much of an athlete. I was the kid always picked last. At 5 foot 2 inches and 92 pounds as a freshman, I was one of the few who could join the wrestling team in the 95-pound category. The wrestling coach insisted we all participate in a fall sport – football or cross country. The decision was obvious, and I worked my way up to the 7th man on the varsity team my senior year. However, in a high school meet, it was a 5-man team – so, I would fill in when needed. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b style="white-space: pre-wrap;">How much did you run in your peak years? </b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Peak years? I still think I am in my peak years. When I was an exclusive runner, I ran 50 to 55 miles a week. Now, I run 35 miles a week and bike 180 to 200 miles a week. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5_igSMO8TjnYJ07X4NEbyvxFLdx_cISJXH87O06KsYuRXLykcYG2tL096pQeVXWDT5xi3b3H9dV0rC-5SegEQWYISNfG9V8-Bz8Uc9kWrr5XFZn_SZvUPiH70FLth1HZOwg4FGhs_02OvL2n3GXMuk1vLXB7JeUf2PIEpfAdf5mdWoz2s8AHqhwKu=s604" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="546" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5_igSMO8TjnYJ07X4NEbyvxFLdx_cISJXH87O06KsYuRXLykcYG2tL096pQeVXWDT5xi3b3H9dV0rC-5SegEQWYISNfG9V8-Bz8Uc9kWrr5XFZn_SZvUPiH70FLth1HZOwg4FGhs_02OvL2n3GXMuk1vLXB7JeUf2PIEpfAdf5mdWoz2s8AHqhwKu=w361-h400" width="361" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Nannette and Mike Wien</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Top race performances?</b> My race accomplishments have come later in life and all in my age group. In 2006, I was 5th on the podium at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. In 2011, I was 2nd at the same race. I won for my age group at the Olympic distance triathlon World Championship in Cozumel in 2016, the long course triathlon World Championship in Penticton Canada in 2017 and the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in St. George Utah in 2021. My only significant race accomplishments as an age group runner were winning the 70-74 division at Boston last fall and then repeating that win at the NYC Marathon four weeks later.<br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Any estimate of your total running miles?</b> As an adult, I ran competitively from 1978 to 1982 and then became just a recreational runner from 1982 to 2002. I have been a serious triathlete since 2003. That sounds like 68,000 miles. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>What's your training like now? </b>As I entered my 50s, I moved from a focus on running to competing in triathlons specifically for the cross training. I stretch 15 minutes a day, but my physical therapist can not understand how someone as tight as me can run as fast as I can. I was working with weight machines three times a week before the pandemic. Since I stopped going to the gym, my strength workouts have suffered. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Recent race results? </b>I was such a late bloomer that I feel like I am in the prime of my racing career and 2021 was my best year ever. I won my age group in the Ironman 70.3 Utah, the Ironman 70.3 Hawaii, the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in St. George, and as previously mentioned, the Boston and New York City Marathons. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Does it bother you that you are slower now? </b>Yes, I am a lot slower now. In 1979, I ran the Dallas Marathon in 2:48:18 (35th in my age group and still my best time) to qualify for the Boston Marathon, and I cried. Last October, I ran my 60th Marathon - the Boston Marathon in 3:29:34. I cried for only the second time at the finish, because I had won my age group and run the best race of my life. I embrace getting older and track my performance against my peers, not against previous times.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Have your diet and weight changed through the years?</b> I was probably 10 pounds heavier during my recreational running years in my 40s. However, my weight now is back down to my running weight when I was in my 30s. I eat a healthy diet that includes a lot of fruit, vegetables, grains, fish and chicken, and believe I get plenty of nutrients from the food I eat. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Injuries or health issues?</b> I fractured my pelvis in April 2018 and could not put any weight on my legs for 8 weeks. My doctor told me that while the injury was serious and I would have to drop out of the Long Course Triathlon World Championship as the defending champion that September, I would have a full recovery and would be back competing in 2019. That gave me the inspiration to push hard on the physical therapy. I did come back strong, winning the bronze medal for Team USA at the 2019 Long Course Triathlon World Championship in Spain. </span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Any favorite inspirational quotes?</b> "Success is best built by those who can turn obstacles, failures, and disappointments into learning experiences for moving forward."--Mike Wien in the book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Specific-Edge-Sustained-Effort-Business/dp/0990768600"><i>The Specific Edge.</i></a> </span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Tips for hopeful lifetime runners?</span></b></span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">1--Make your running workouts fun and enjoyable by adopting the three “P”s > <b>Place</b> – Run in interesting places. A trail through the woods. A neighborhood with interesting houses. A location with great views. <b>Pace</b> - Run at a sustainable pace. If you can’t talk, you are running too fast. If you can sing, you are running too slow. Run at a pace that will make you want to come back. <b>People</b> – Run with interesting, like-minded people. They will make the run more interesting and inspire you. It is also impossible to hit the snooze button when someone is waiting for you. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>How does running and fitness improve your life?</b> People who stay fit are able to slow the aging process and live more exciting lives with passion and purpose. On a personal level, the real benefit for me is that my 35- and 31-year-old sons still enjoy skiing with their 70 year old father. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b></b></span></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-size: x-large;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjH3F52_rfH9R_M8v1u2matt_gxpGjeONI_YvIMbw9djIvIz4QnhQRFQ12B0FiypSnyBn0a9tcy08yDtWIA0eHFKffLwmOKPaKtFVpC8GX2qp_1uuMOBZk9p7aFP5zXD3_wGeZxy2D-exxW7cTkQw-3ptomDdBUKAh4JafWpcyt7eyZnnxQfKJJRSRG=s2206" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2206" data-original-width="1898" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjH3F52_rfH9R_M8v1u2matt_gxpGjeONI_YvIMbw9djIvIz4QnhQRFQ12B0FiypSnyBn0a9tcy08yDtWIA0eHFKffLwmOKPaKtFVpC8GX2qp_1uuMOBZk9p7aFP5zXD3_wGeZxy2D-exxW7cTkQw-3ptomDdBUKAh4JafWpcyt7eyZnnxQfKJJRSRG=w344-h400" width="344" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes it hurts. So it's good<br />to have Nannette (in pink) cheering.</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br />What are the biggest lessons you've learned from running?</span></b><span style="font-size: large;"> An important life lesson that I have learned from running and applied to my life is finding the right balance to perform at the highest level and to avoid burnout. Balance revolves around four key attributes: Physical, Intellectual, Emotional and Spiritual. We all know too many people who focus on one or two of these elements and are dragged down by the ones that are overlooked. <b>Physical</b> – Staying active with exercise, eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep. Be proactive at managing your health. <b>Intellectual</b> – Focusing on learning new ideas or skills, making improvements in your job and career, staying current on trends, technology, and events. <b>Emotional</b> - Making relationships a priority. Staying connected with family and friends and having goals or dreams to share with others. <b>Spiritual</b> - Being connected and supporting your greater community, having empathy for others, exploring mindfulness and meditation. People who embrace all four elements will live more exciting lives with passion and purpose.</span></span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Who has had the greatest impact on your success as a competitive runner and triathlete? </b>Nannette Wien, my wife of 46 years has played a critical role in the success I have had as a runner and a triathlete. She provided the logistics for my need for 4,000 to 5,000 calories per day and was very supportive of my 20+ hours a week of training, However, she made the biggest impact by providing me with competitive intelligence on the race course so I could adjust my game plan in real time. For instance, she told me I was 30 seconds behind the leader at mile 17 in Boston this year and I ended up winning by just 27 seconds. She also told me I was 10 minutes behind the leader as I came off the bike for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in September and I was able to make that time up in the 13.1 mile run to win.</span></span></p>Amby Burfoothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972662001978097115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8436613553413050840.post-7490557418876259522021-12-22T00:30:00.002-05:002021-12-22T00:30:00.218-05:00PROFILE: Andy Ferrara has been running for 58 years<p></p><p><br /></p><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8Ds0xHS8YBSvBHzYpF6tpiqa1zDVCmvyjERgQc2Me3ymbYJAXxvekUKDl6ASSSOLEmfBvSv5M9XlHVw4Sv-LYYT39LYHUCPiptNqYXT9YnaH5_G9MiR_u-UWjMzEHShbShR7HzSkWwJyiTHWRiyjNaNEXc03dIMDAe_Ty4GH7c9B7a-TPAxHFOXbs=s2186" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2186" data-original-width="1626" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8Ds0xHS8YBSvBHzYpF6tpiqa1zDVCmvyjERgQc2Me3ymbYJAXxvekUKDl6ASSSOLEmfBvSv5M9XlHVw4Sv-LYYT39LYHUCPiptNqYXT9YnaH5_G9MiR_u-UWjMzEHShbShR7HzSkWwJyiTHWRiyjNaNEXc03dIMDAe_Ty4GH7c9B7a-TPAxHFOXbs=w298-h400" width="298" /></a></div>(Dec. 2021) After growing up in Brooklyn and starting a teaching-coaching job there, Andy Ferrara had to move to a Houston suburb for a new position during New York City's financial difficulties. The move took root, and he continued running and teaching. Now 73, he has covered more than 100,000 miles and has a daily running streak that goes back more than 44 years. His secret? Maybe that when his body starts hurting, "Those times don't consume me."</span></span><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-81bf9e47-7fff-6b14-ea07-0912dfacf693"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-812330e4-7fff-db72-e6f7-32bdc9ed363c"><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Career/profession? </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was a high school teacher and track & field/cross-country coach for 52 years. Retired in June 2021. </span></h1></span></div><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When did you start running, and why?</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">I started running as a sophomore (1963) in high school (Erasmus Hall in Brooklyn). I just wanted to make the track team. Once <span><a name='more'></a></span>on the team I discovered cross-country and wanted to be a part of that as well. Little did I realize that it would become such a big part of my life. After high school I attended the City College of New York (CCNY) and continued running cross-country and track. After a change of majors, I was determined to be a track and cross-country coach. I “floated” around to various NYC high schools, as was typical in the 1970’s, until finally getting permanently assigned to South Shore HS in Brooklyn. My running stopped during this time, as family, teaching and coaching filled my time. The NYC financial crises changed all of that in 1976. I lost my job after 7 years. I began running again as a release and to have “time to think.” I ended up in Houston, Texas and continued my teaching and coaching career. I retired last June after a total of 52 years teaching and coaching in high school.</span></h1></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How much did you run in your peak years? </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For a 3-year period 1978- 1980, I ran 3,042- 3,234- 3,346 miles. An average of 61.4 miles per week. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Once in Texas I resumed serious training again and started a running streak that continues to this day. On August 18, 2021, it reached 44 years (16,071 days). I ran my first marathon in Houston in December 1977 (2:59:19). I followed it with the 1978 NYC Marathon (a disaster of over ambitious proportions). My best time was a 2:38:01 in 1984 in the Houston Marathon. Probably my proudest race was in 2016. After not racing for 25 years or so, I gave the Houston Half Marathon a try. Less than 2 months before my 68 th birthday I ran 1:52:45 and finished 7 th in the 65-69 age group, surpassing all of my goals. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1XxUxazd5kscXQRFtV_NxSV8HClCLFY6W2SdmKRSaWYjg3YnK6xkjUy2T2hi1ADPsSJgdWaGdcDWGTS6DgiN6_ojS_VtG7m84H-ARV9YBDzQ3wx6gMI6mBNdDFBBzUiGTcQj2ri522HBQ1h3yNHXusrP9icBVaj1GSx1zMBrYCl1o4L47pMzNCZ8u=s824" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="678" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1XxUxazd5kscXQRFtV_NxSV8HClCLFY6W2SdmKRSaWYjg3YnK6xkjUy2T2hi1ADPsSJgdWaGdcDWGTS6DgiN6_ojS_VtG7m84H-ARV9YBDzQ3wx6gMI6mBNdDFBBzUiGTcQj2ri522HBQ1h3yNHXusrP9icBVaj1GSx1zMBrYCl1o4L47pMzNCZ8u=w329-h400" width="329" /></a></div><br /></span></h1></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Top races and/or proudest achievements?</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> My marathon best is 2:38:01 in the Jan. 1984 Houston Marathon. I’m probably most proud of running 1:52:45 for a half marathon 2 months before my 68 th birthday. I hadn’t run a race for about 25 years. </span></h1><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Any idea of your total lifetime miles?</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I reached 100,001 miles on Nov. 1,2021. </span></h1><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is your current running routing, plus other cross training?</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I run every day still, and don’t cross-train, don’t stretch, and don’t do strength work.</span></h1><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Any recent races?</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I haven’t raced since the half marathon in 2016. </span></h1><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Does it bother you to be getting slower?</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> It sometimes bothers me that I’m running slower now. Not that it’s slower than years past, but slower than 12-18 months ago. As long as I can still “lace them up” and get out the door, I’m good. I have small personal goals, reaching 100,000 miles, keeping the daily running streak going (it was 44 years on Aug.18, 2021) </span></h1><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How have your diet and weight changed through the years? </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My weight has stayed pretty constant over the years. It’s been within 10 pounds for 40 years (137 to 145). Currently it’s 142. I take a multi-vitamin daily and added vit. D3 on doctor’s recommendation 2 years ago. </span></h1><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Any big injuries or health issues?</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Fortunately, no major issues to speak of. The rare case of flu hasn’t stopped me. The biggest problem has been avoiding dogs. I’ve been bitten 3 times in the last 8 years, drawing blood and requiring stitches. </span></h1><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Have you got a favorite inspirational quote or two?</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> “Now, I’m liberal, but to a degree I want ev’rybody to be free But if you think that I’ll let Barry Goldwater Move in next door and marry my daughter You must think I’m crazy! I wouldn’t let him do it for all the farms in Cuba – Bob Dylan “I shall be free no. 10” </span></h1><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What 3 short tips would you offer to other hopeful lifetime runners?</span></h1><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">1--Do it because you enjoy it. </span></h1><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2--Race if you want to, not as justification.</span></h1><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3--If you must make comparisons, make them to the current you, not the past you. </span></h1><br /><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How does running and fitness improve your life? </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I honestly don’t know. There are times when it seems like everything hurts. Those times don’t consume me, and I know I’m doing better than most after all the years and miles. </span></h1><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What are the biggest life lessons you’ve learned from running?</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I continue to run because I can, and I still enjoy it. At heart, I’m a numbers geek like many (most?) track coaches and fans. I like compiling stats, setting goals, being active. If that qualifies as a philosophy, then there it is.</span></span></span></span>Amby Burfoothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972662001978097115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8436613553413050840.post-47847472426361788862021-10-21T00:30:00.003-04:002021-10-21T00:30:00.193-04:00PROFILE: Mark LeDuc has been running for 43 years<p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: times;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: times;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7cad45uCT4auzAmV1uymNlQ9LxxZRtfmfu6nhR4F4Ka6if6YzFJg7gzQH8C4NxdHCpCHAy-VXelXg8vy6OCiUHIXNXYaCIaAyXEdyPybvdE7zdmFrHkaltHoXoFFJu44CpdvNliCVIDQ/s2041/mark+leduc+marine+corps.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2041" data-original-width="1469" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7cad45uCT4auzAmV1uymNlQ9LxxZRtfmfu6nhR4F4Ka6if6YzFJg7gzQH8C4NxdHCpCHAy-VXelXg8vy6OCiUHIXNXYaCIaAyXEdyPybvdE7zdmFrHkaltHoXoFFJu44CpdvNliCVIDQ/w460-h640/mark+leduc+marine+corps.jpg" width="460" /></a></div>(Oct. 2021)Mark LeDuc completed his first run on April 1, 1978, but there's nothing foolish about his career running record. In particular, he shines at compiling his running data. How many of us can say, "</span><span style="font-family: times;">I have run in 1224 races lifetime, winning 46 races outright and placing first in my age division 247 times." Now 67 and living in a Minneapolis suburb, LeDuc is still logging 30 to 50 miles a week. He follows the Cabbage Soup Diet when he needs to lose a few pounds, and is still chasing<span><a name='more'></a></span> one big goal: to achieve a Boston qualifying time in each of the 50 states.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>Career-profession:</b> In my 20’s I was a retail manager with Kmart. In my 30 - 40’s I was a meter reader for a electric utility company. In my 50’s I was in field collections (shut offs) for the same utility company.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>When did you start running and why?</b> My first run was April 1st, 1978. Although I did not know this till one month later, It was also the date of my sister’s (Annette LeDuc) first run. I actually tried running for a month in 1973 in my parents basement. I was too embarrassed to run outside since I did not know or see other runners. I started running to improve my aerobic capacity and get in a good cardio workout to go along with my calisthenics and weights. My sister Annette convinced me to run my first race in 1979. I did not know any runners, but Annette assured me that I would not finish last. I really believed that races were just for fast school jocks!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2hZk_kEsqWLPjbLTpc3KcIBaZQ36-lprkTWELuyckgJEzi2DCi8sRGzKT_oSchjlOo9NgyK7q2c9yaIYmxiEoGlRkljwV1pNsc7WV5-e23xjOahpZ7JfmF4H9jDHmZk-WiNhcmkC_1F8/s1891/Mark+LeDuc+nyrr+jacket.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1891" data-original-width="1529" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2hZk_kEsqWLPjbLTpc3KcIBaZQ36-lprkTWELuyckgJEzi2DCi8sRGzKT_oSchjlOo9NgyK7q2c9yaIYmxiEoGlRkljwV1pNsc7WV5-e23xjOahpZ7JfmF4H9jDHmZk-WiNhcmkC_1F8/w518-h640/Mark+LeDuc+nyrr+jacket.jpg" width="518" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>How much did you run in your peak years?</b> I use to run 50 to 70 miles a week. Additionally, I walked about 30 miles a week across lawns, snow and fences to read meters for my job. Always worried that a running injury could effect my job performance. In my 40’s, started running with other runners about 3 times a week. This helped make me faster as well as running on a race team "Marathon Sports" and later "Molar Milers”. I usually take two days a week off from running. A true non-streaker! Probably never ran more than 10 days in a row. To prepare for marathons I typically run 5 to 10 long runs (18 to 30 miles) before each marathon. I once ran a 30 mile training run by myself and reached the marathon split in 2:58! Most of my long runs were run at about a 7:30 pace.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>Top running achievements?</b> I have run in 1224 races lifetime, winning 46 races outright and placing first in my age division 247 times. I hold the Minnesota age 55 record in the 20 mile with a time of 2:17:31.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">I was the 97th (and oldest along with Benji Durden) finisher of the "50 States Sub 4 Hour Marathon Club”. My average marathon time in the 50 states is 3:13 (2:50 age graded).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>Running PR’s?</b> mile-4:47; 5k-16:40; 10k-34:15; 15k-52:45; 10 mile-56:15; 20k-1:10:45; half marathon-1:15:12; 25k-1:32; marathon-2:46:46; 24 hour run-100 miles.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>Recent running times?</b> At age 60, mile-6:05; 5k-20:45; 10 mile-69:50; half marathon-1:34; marathon 3:19.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>How much are you running and cross-training now? </b>Today I run 30 to 50 miles a week. I consider my bi-monthly sports massage and my occasional Recumbent Trike trek across park trails as cross-training. I stretch for about 5 minutes before my run and perform a better stretch about 3 miles into the run when my muscles have warmed up.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>Does it bother you that you are slower now? </b>The slowing process from age was only really noticeable as I moved into my later 50’s. I was never really fast in my 20’s. Most of my PR’s came at age 30 to 40. In fact, from age 29 to 41, I could maintain pretty much the same speed through out all distances. Now I consider it a victory if I run a race in a time close to the year before.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>Who or what inspires you? </b>Runners who are my age but are much faster do not inspire me. I view them as runners from a different planet. Still, it is good to know that someone my age can do some great times! I’m inspired more by runners of my age with similar abilities. They make me push and train harder.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>How have your diet and weight changed through the years? </b>I use to run between 145 - 150 pounds. Now, I try to run at 155 - 160, usually ending up at 165. Time off for injury usually takes my weight up to 170 pounds. I have a family history of morbid obesity among my grandparents. Maintaining a good weight is hard! When I get real serious about an upcoming race I’ll try the Nolan Shaheed (musician, miler from CA.) diet. This consist of eating one meal a day! Not easy at first, you get use to it after awhile. Also, the 10 day cabbage soup diet works pretty good.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFIePNQbTVBNfC_iKIA8unM-vU-OLOOOPrxZyR4BrJveLhf-is9p9jz46hYDpBKHy-BgVk0T4bVS7Bh2KvH0-weng_e2ai6e6-z5phfP6MrV-7jgVOkYcdP0zOY4s-qTjFshyphenhyphenLyD1u8R8/s2048/Mark+LeDuc+running.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1589" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFIePNQbTVBNfC_iKIA8unM-vU-OLOOOPrxZyR4BrJveLhf-is9p9jz46hYDpBKHy-BgVk0T4bVS7Bh2KvH0-weng_e2ai6e6-z5phfP6MrV-7jgVOkYcdP0zOY4s-qTjFshyphenhyphenLyD1u8R8/w310-h400/Mark+LeDuc+running.jpg" width="310" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><br />Tips for hopeful Lifetime Runners?</b> You don’t always have to run in a run! If you feel like walking during a run then walk! If you need to take a day or two off from running do that!</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">When I go out for a run it seems like I keep picking up the pace. I am not even conscious of doing this. There are days in which I don’t feel like running. On those days, it’s best to not push it or perhaps just walk or take the day off! Also, try running with others of your ability. This will keep you more motivated to run. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>How does running improve your life? </b>It gives me a barometer of where I am physically in life. If something is a little off, I’ll probably feel it on the run. Without running I would have no reference point to gauge how I should feel from day to day. Running gives me a sense of well being.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>What are the biggest lessons you have learned from running?</b> I have noticed that people who have compulsory habits seem drawn to running. Some transferred a negative habit to the very positive habit of running. When I first started running, it was all about fitness. But then fitness wasn’t a thought in my mind when my running turned to performance and competing in races. Now, competing is no longer on the front burner, and fitness is more important. In summary, this whole running thing has turned into more of a hobby than a sport! Well, speaking strictly for me.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>Future goals?</b> I still have a goal of running a BQ at a marathon in Wyoming and Kansas. Once this is accomplished I’ll have run a BQ in every one of the 50 states!</span></p><p><br /></p>Amby Burfoothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972662001978097115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8436613553413050840.post-49328073841895748522021-08-11T00:30:00.001-04:002021-08-11T00:30:00.218-04:00PROFILE--Ray Charbonneau has been running for 30 years<p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFhRqdUt2cmNATglPuSSvwvE77fapL2R6I6TbOYJeKTCzkpIOaDyt-RJi_jwSmvF7V2txNAGmeTpjU2U-uCpjx_NApwkA8jWIsp1kJN6Bo0mnNMZ7TD3tf5h5_WJoc-90z70l_SPJiNVA/s1280/IMG_0027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFhRqdUt2cmNATglPuSSvwvE77fapL2R6I6TbOYJeKTCzkpIOaDyt-RJi_jwSmvF7V2txNAGmeTpjU2U-uCpjx_NApwkA8jWIsp1kJN6Bo0mnNMZ7TD3tf5h5_WJoc-90z70l_SPJiNVA/w480-h640/IMG_0027.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><span>(Aug. 2021) Ray Charbonneau started running as a quarter miler in high school, then took some time off for Doritos and beer. Since coming back, he has found himself drawn to marathons and beyond. Now, 60 and living in Arlington, MA, Charbonneau still feels the force, but also deals with a "brittle" body. He says that getting slower doesn't bother him as much as knowing "I'm going to keep getting slower." He advises other runners: "</span><span>On race day, you can run faster than you’ve trained or farther, but not both." </span><span>When not running (or cycling, or kayaking), he operates an independent IT company, writes books and articles, and helps freelance authors to publish their books on Amazon and other digital platforms.</span></span><p></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>Career-profession?</b> After many years of corporate IT, I am now sole proprietor of <a href="http://ReallyFixIt.com">ReallyFixIt.com,</a> an IT service business, and y42K Publishing Services, where I help<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"> independent publishers with the technical aspects of getting their books out. I also do some freelance writing and have written five books on running and edited another.You can find out more at <a href="http://y42k.com.">y42k.com.</a></span><p></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>When did you start running and why? </b>I can’t remember not running, and not just because I’m getting old. I’ve almost always been in motion,unless I’m sitting and reading. I started more organized running on the track as a quarter-miler in high school, then took some time off to eat Doritos and drink beer before picking up road racing when I was in my early 30’s. I started running longer distances mostly because all the Doritos and beer were adding up, but I soon found I liked it for its own sake.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>How much did you run in your peak years? </b>Not as much as I would have liked. I’ve always been a bit brittle, never getting in as much as 2000 miles in a year. The only time I’ve ever run 100 miles in a week was when I did it in a day. When things were going well, I’d get into the 40s or 50s per week (if you count running-equivalent miles on a bike) on my longer weeks, interspaced with 20s and 30s. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8gpi-2ij2YWs_Kx5vxHcqa4lzbKTzYxaFf6pI_hpQTBzK7XffIO73IrgsxAtWC9F9lpAA6PD7TbSWNUeU1nPIzpG_74UoZSWDQuBHzKsFBchWopX-EusU7F3S5DrvHjopcinor7s1qdw/s1280/IMG_0033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8gpi-2ij2YWs_Kx5vxHcqa4lzbKTzYxaFf6pI_hpQTBzK7XffIO73IrgsxAtWC9F9lpAA6PD7TbSWNUeU1nPIzpG_74UoZSWDQuBHzKsFBchWopX-EusU7F3S5DrvHjopcinor7s1qdw/w400-h300/IMG_0033.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">I probably would have been more competitive if I focused on shorter races, but I always preferred to feed my addiction in longer events. Objectively, I was never anything more than a threat to place in my age group if a race was small enough. But subjectively, there’s a long list of things I’m proud of. Qualifying for Boston was a challenge, but I finally did it for the first time when I turned 40 and got a little faster. At 55, I won my age group at LakeTahoe and six weeks later ran a -9:42 mBQ at Rehoboth. I was one third of the 2012 USATF-NE Masters Marathon championship team (see quotes below). In 2005, I ran the Bull Run 50 Miler in Virginia, then in the following week ran all the Boston Hash Harriers marathon weekend events and a 3:48 at Boston, which included multiple beer stops along the way. (My picture was up on the wall of the bar I stopped at in Framingham, a bar sadly no longer there).</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">I’ve also finished the VT 100, guided a blind runner at Boston in 2013, qualified for Boston in 2014 (post-bombing) and 2018, where I ran with Amby and friends to celebrate his 50th anniversary of 1968.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">Getting published has also been fun. I’m quite happy with some of the things I’ve written. And I’ve met a lot of fun, interesting people along the way. Those results count too.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>Any estimate of your total lifetime miles? </b>Just about 40,000 since I started running again. That’s pretty accurate as I’m one of those obsessive loggers. I still have my paper logs from 30 years ago.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>Current running and cross training? </b>The last few years have been tough in that regard. First, I ignored hamstring pain until I could no longer sit at my desk to work. That took most of a year to rehab. Most of my cross-training is on the bike, which has gotten much harder now that I’m not in “run a marathon whenever” shape. Biking is fine as a supplement, but when I’m forced to take time away from running, it just doesn’t cut it the same way as a lifestyle choice. I also kayak (great core workout) and my wife and I go cross-country skiing when climate change permits. I regularly do body-weight strength training at home, as much as I dislike it. And I try to stretch, just because doctors always ask if you do, but I never get any more flexible.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-size: xx-large;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWxO-7OjUb8kquqOswkR7cakj6V7zbhb-SL9mD6bGjLHJcF8REs7y3ZlOCzc1E8H2z46mw4YzU63BBMSpHXXdJVooShgiEXXQpEwHjn5-tjBxgFp4etztQ620k9L-cVdF7S_q1nX4fmf4/s1474/ray+amby+VIP+tent+post+race.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1474" data-original-width="1284" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWxO-7OjUb8kquqOswkR7cakj6V7zbhb-SL9mD6bGjLHJcF8REs7y3ZlOCzc1E8H2z46mw4YzU63BBMSpHXXdJVooShgiEXXQpEwHjn5-tjBxgFp4etztQ620k9L-cVdF7S_q1nX4fmf4/w558-h640/ray+amby+VIP+tent+post+race.jpg" width="558" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After stormy 2018 Boston Marathon.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />Any recent races?</span></b><span style="font-size: x-large;"> With injuries and COVID, my most recent race was a slog through my hometown Turkey Trot in 2018. But I’m not dead yet…</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><span><b>Does gettting slower bother you? </b>Getting slower doesn’t bother me that much. What bothers me is that I’m going to </span><i>keep</i><span> getting slower. Luckily, I’m so slow now that if I can put together any decent running at all, I’ll get faster again, at least for a while. One big motivator is remaining relatively fit as I get older. I may not be as fast or have the endurance I used to, but I know that my life is still better than it would be if I weren’t getting any exercise.</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>Diet and weight changes through the years?</b> I weigh about 5-7 pounds more than I “should”. I actually got down to my fighting weight when COVID started and we weren’t going out to eat as often, but I got over that as COVID-time went on. My diet is fairly typical American, though the last few years I’ve eaten more veggies in the summer as my wife and I try to eat through our weekly farm share.I take a multivitamin daily. Not sure if it helps. I also take a few meds to help combat general oldness, which probably also help my running.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>Injuries or other health issues?</b> Calf strains are probably my most common problem, but I am rife with general inflammatory issues. While training for my first marathon, I came down with both an ITB problem and plantar fasciitis. The podiatrist I went to took a look at my rigid cavus feet and told me I’d never run a marathon. Another time I had a problem that only bothered me when I was running, and a doctor told me it was a good thing it wasn’t anything important. So finding good medical care is an issue. Of course, if I were a better patient and didn’t try to run through everything that wouldn’t matter as much. Denial isn’t just a river in Egypt.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>Any favorite inspirational quotes?</b> “If I didn’t run when something hurts, I’d never run.”--me. "I’m always happy to be the slowest guy on a fast team."--me again “We are all an experiment of one.”--George Sheehan</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>Three tips for hopeful lifetime runners? </b></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">1--LSD (Long, Slow Distance) is the most important part of your marathon training unless you’re one of the gifted few.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">2--Decide what you REALLY want. If you want to perform as well as possible, you need to specialize some, and can’t go all-out all the time.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">3--On race day, you can run faster than you’ve trained or farther, but not both.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>How does running and fitness improve your life on a daily basis?</b> I’m much more tolerable to be around when I’m running. Ask anyone who knows me.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>Biggest life lessons learned from running?</b> If you keep taking the next step, sooner or later you reach your goal.</span></p>Amby Burfoothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972662001978097115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8436613553413050840.post-56805275540873117052021-07-08T00:30:00.002-04:002021-07-08T00:30:00.190-04:00PROFILE: Nancy Ditz has been running for 42 years, including one Olympic team<p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJrCiKCCQMUfvLExfGmOAKSOrGcrf3wDo9e-FyfX2W6aljL6LBEgciDVZcpJY8-cpZdsMW0CNYyuUNgHOQl68vf5ALCcLMXPLbYP2VTniM11Ww8Y1tqrORNYD3wZny8HIuQze4Y3xlCs/s328/nancy+ditz+runner.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="284" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJrCiKCCQMUfvLExfGmOAKSOrGcrf3wDo9e-FyfX2W6aljL6LBEgciDVZcpJY8-cpZdsMW0CNYyuUNgHOQl68vf5ALCcLMXPLbYP2VTniM11Ww8Y1tqrORNYD3wZny8HIuQze4Y3xlCs/w554-h640/nancy+ditz+runner.png" width="554" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">(July 2021) Nancy Ditz is one of those rare runners who can say that she won her first marathon. In her case, it was the 1982 San Francisco Marathon, where she clocked a strong 2:44:34. Three years later, she ran 2:31:36 at Cal International, and in 1988 she qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team in the marathon, finishing 17th in Seoul, South Korea. After 22 years away from running, Ditz started up again in 2014 to enjoy running with her daughter, Emily. Since then, she has tried<span><a name='more'></a></span> to stay non-competitive by entering various trail and adventure events, but often can't help but win her age-group. Now 67 and living in Woodside, CA, Ditz often advises others to "Take off your watch, and enjoy the beauty of your surroundings. Be grateful in all circumstances."<br /><span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Career-profession?</span> I’ve had several careers: print journalist Assistant to the Director of the Stanford Alumni Association; professional runner; television journalist; meet director for numerous events at Stanford (volunteer); president of a 45-member youth soccer club (volunteer); many other volunteer roles.</span></span><p></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">When did you start running and why?</span> I was “pre-Title IX” but loved all sorts of sports; I was a springboard diver in high school, coxswain for the men’s crew and men’s basketball manager at Stanford. After college, some friends were putting on a neighborhood race with a free pitcher of beer at the finish line. I ran for the free pitcher of beer, and found I enjoyed distance running and started entering local races. I realized I really liked both the training and the racing. </span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzaYpkfGffhIm4a5_pksGicqrfHpCs9H-OTZyADkMQeBL8habGyua3AF3j8xXcKnOrrGtwNZnwDdRtQfdnRRFauwbuC9JxFmaSQVAvnQE3yWI0fBhWI5O2lSM6S1Tt38bujEA_TtQplY/s640/ditz+and+daughter+mount+rushmore.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="481" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzaYpkfGffhIm4a5_pksGicqrfHpCs9H-OTZyADkMQeBL8habGyua3AF3j8xXcKnOrrGtwNZnwDdRtQfdnRRFauwbuC9JxFmaSQVAvnQE3yWI0fBhWI5O2lSM6S1Tt38bujEA_TtQplY/w480-h640/ditz+and+daughter+mount+rushmore.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Relaxing with her daughter after the 2018 <br />Mt. Rushmore Half Marathon</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>Peak running years and miles?</b> The 1980s were a time when people were experimenting with less mileage, but I found 100 miles a week to be a sweet spot. I probably could have run more as I only had one major injury (stress fracture from running Bay to Breakers a week after the women’s Olympic marathon trials in 1984). But at the time, 100 per week was deemed pretty aggressive.<br /><br /></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Top performances:</span> Certainly making the Olympic Team in 1988 and finishing as top American in Seoul was a highlight, although it was a very disappointing race for me (17th place). I finished 7th in the 1987 World Championships (first American), and won 3 Sydney City to Surfs and 2 LA Marathons, as well as two team IAAF bronze medals in the 15K. Most of the time I ran for place, rather than time, and tried to enjoy the successes.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">My PRs include: mile, 4:44 (track); 5000, 16:08 (track); 10K, 32:45; 10 mile, 54:19; half marathon, 1:12:46; marathon, 2:30:14 </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">I retired in 1992 because…I just wasn’t loving it anymore, although I was very fit and had several PRs that year. I was pregnant with our second child, and just stopped running. I didn't start again until 2014 when that same child asked me to run the Boston Marathon with her, which we did in 2016.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Current running and cross-training?</span> When I started back, I experienced a lot of injuries, but also realized how much I missed it! So I’m running 20-40 miles a week and training with <a href="https://more.arrs.run/runner/9445">Bill Clark</a> and the West Valley Track Club. Currently I am injury-free, but I spend a lot of time stretching, strengthening, and using various aids (hyper volt, assorted rollers) to try to stay healthy. I’ve also recently taken up golf, which has its own training challenges, and it is sometimes difficult to train for both with consistency. I see my PT every three weeks because there’s always something that is not quite right.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Any current race results?</span> I love to race trail races; I’ve run several of the national park half-marathons (<a href="http://VacationRaces.com">VacationRaces.com</a>) with my daughter and we are all about the experience; we stop for photos and snacks! On a lark, when I turned 65, and without much specific training, I ran a 3:08.46 for 800m.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Does it bother you that you are slower now?</span> I train with younger and much faster people. I adapt the workouts (if they are running 1K, I’ll run 800m) so I can still “race” them. And, as I mentioned, I like the trail races because the times are not at all comparable to running on the roads. I am not nearly as competitive as in my younger days, but I do still like to win (my age group). I also ran cross country for the first time, representing WVTC, which was really fun. My husband inspires me; he is a paragon of consistency. I’m not nearly as disciplined.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Diet and/or weight changes?</span> Hahaha. I am 15 pounds heavier than my younger self. I take quite a few vitamins (multi-, D, calcium). My diet is similar to my younger days, but I eat a bit less, since I’m not running 100 miles a week!</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy8y6xrKaLPI7Uur8AcahH09XbfbWlnhy6B6ycqiz39mPFPPRoPgm0UiIB_i9_Fqs_urztjfgT9_BXEEAMZowI5BB5y4jGy6fK5K008ofIegqynrxSIafU5jlZGanNyHftbN3bj7S4Ih8/s451/ditz+avia.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="298" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy8y6xrKaLPI7Uur8AcahH09XbfbWlnhy6B6ycqiz39mPFPPRoPgm0UiIB_i9_Fqs_urztjfgT9_BXEEAMZowI5BB5y4jGy6fK5K008ofIegqynrxSIafU5jlZGanNyHftbN3bj7S4Ih8/w422-h640/ditz+avia.jpg" width="422" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><br />Injuries or health issues?</span> When I returned to running after my 22-year hiatus, I suffered injury after injury, the worst being torn meniscus in both knees (one just after the first one healed). I found a great PT who has helped me strengthen my core and hips, which resolved my knee problems but requires consistent attention. I broke my foot (non-running injury requiring surgery) early in the Covid lockdown, which was tough because I couldn’t run or play golf. I ended up with a sore shoulder from trying to work out on crutches.</span><p></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>Three tips for hopeful lifetime runners?</b></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">1--Find new running challenges; try something different (track, cross country, trail racing, different distances).</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">2--Take off your watch and enjoy the beauty of your surroundings.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">3. Be grateful for the opportunity to run </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">(Note: Bill Clark and I often talk about the down side of the watch technology. “Back in the day” we had a simple stopwatch and we estimated our distance based on time. Some of my running friends today are discouraged if they have a “bad/slow” run. I encourage people to just run freely and ignore the data.)<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>How does running & fitness affect your daily life? </b></span><span style="font-family: times;">I love my running people. During my early days, most of my running was solo. Now I belong to two different groups, Tattersols women’s group and West Valley Track Club. Most, but not all, are younger than I am, and I love to hear about their lives, and am so grateful for the new friendships. </span><span style="font-family: times;">I feel healthy and can enjoy other sports (skiing, golf) because I’m quite fit for someone my age!</span></span></p><div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br data-mce-bogus="1" style="box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>What have you learned through running? Any guiding philosophy?</b></span><span style="font-family: times;"> Lessons: Achievement requires steady effort and attention to the details. I learn more from failure than success. Philosophy: Be grateful in all circumstances. </span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><br /></p></div>Amby Burfoothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972662001978097115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8436613553413050840.post-52524734012711194522021-06-11T00:30:00.002-04:002021-06-11T00:30:00.232-04:00PROFILE--Jeannie Rice has been running for 37 (very fast) years<p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #222222;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHrcecpuT5ok1IoiYarfLsqM3iqa663hInc4NBTNiAD2P8jOT92y0M0XWJsdliOmjKC82_sNbrBYzgFeiKWWyStYmWsiRaKDev0bHz_AzFVdiacRQp9ueZ59vPNa74OtUcBSh37EzYzD0/s451/jeannie+rice+327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="353" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHrcecpuT5ok1IoiYarfLsqM3iqa663hInc4NBTNiAD2P8jOT92y0M0XWJsdliOmjKC82_sNbrBYzgFeiKWWyStYmWsiRaKDev0bHz_AzFVdiacRQp9ueZ59vPNa74OtUcBSh37EzYzD0/w500-h640/jeannie+rice+327.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br />(June 2021) Jeannie Rice, now 73, holds the single-age world record for a marathon by a 71-year-old woman. She set that mark, 3:24:48, at Berlin in 2019, improving by 3 minutes on her 70-year-old time (3:27:50) the previous fall in Chicago.<span style="color: #222222;"> “I’m more competitive than ever,” says Rice, who laughs that she gets faster as she gets older. She also knows there are no short cuts to training and works hard, putting in the weekly miles and the speed workouts to meet her goals. This October's Tokyo Marathon (her 124th overall) is next on her list. It will give her all six of the Abbot World Marathon Majors. Rice, who was born in Korea and came to the states as a 19-year-old, splits her time between Ohio and Florida.</span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>Career-Occupation?</b> I am a semi-retired real estate agent. I like to keep busy and also keep my own schedule so I can get in my training.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">When did you start running and why? </span></b><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">I started running in the summer of 1983 when I was 35. I had been visiting family in Seoul, Korea, for 3<span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"> weeks and put on a few unwanted pounds. I thought that jogging would be the best and fastest way to lose the weight. I had only been jogging for two months when a friend talked me into entering a local 5-mile race. I placed fourth in my age division and thought I could do better. I didn’t realize I was so competitive!</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Did you have an early inspiration or role model? </span></b><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">That would be Joan Benoit Samuelson. She has been my idol ever since I watched her win the 1984 Olympic Marathon. I had the privilege of meeting her when she was a guest speaker at the Cleveland Marathon. </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTb1gQ8HpL2f1VhFCq-zBEjk5vy-LQBqXK4hXMJl1B44MUrQ_w0lHpScdwRH58MZNEwomrrJWDUV0YevJBvhe7gTYiPx1NvmffGFbCEN0k8IJwxefn4Nqhb_pDmxeDyPlmTbHD8NErDME/s354/jeannie+rice+hug+project.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="354" data-original-width="302" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTb1gQ8HpL2f1VhFCq-zBEjk5vy-LQBqXK4hXMJl1B44MUrQ_w0lHpScdwRH58MZNEwomrrJWDUV0YevJBvhe7gTYiPx1NvmffGFbCEN0k8IJwxefn4Nqhb_pDmxeDyPlmTbHD8NErDME/w546-h640/jeannie+rice+hug+project.jpg" width="546" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">How much did you run in your peak years? </span></b><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">I average 50 miles a week year round and increase that to 70 when I am training for a marathon. I haven’t reduced my mileage as I age.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">What were some of your best running achievements? </span></b><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">I have so many memorable runs/races.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">1)<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">First marathon, 1983 Cleveland when I ran a 3:45. Six months later I BQed at the Columbus Marathon in 3:16.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">2)<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">1985: Ist Boston! </span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">3)<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Celebrated my 30-years of running by running 2013 Boston, winning my age division. Sadly, that was the year of the bombing so that overshadows my win.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">4)<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">2017: Broke the USA Marathon Record for my age in Columbus, 3:29:14.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">5)<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">2018: Broke the World Marathon Record for my age in Chicago by 7 minutes (3:27:50).</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">6)<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">2019: Broke my own world record in Berlin by 3 minutes, 3:24:48.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">7)<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">2019: I set the Half Marathon World Record, 1:37:07 and the ten-mile record, 1:11:41, for my age.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Any estimate of your total lifetime miles?</span></b><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> I’ve calculated that I have run 93,000 miles in 37 years, which is the equivalent of running around the globe 3 times and I am on my fourth lap around!</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">How much are you running and cross-training now? </span></b><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">I cross-train my upper body with lightweights. I think my legs get enough of a workout! I am an avid downhill skier and also enjoy golf as often as I can. I like to swim as well, but not in the ocean. I like to do laps in a pool.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Any recent races? </span></b><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">I ran a local 5K last month in 22:17. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Has your diet and weight changed much through the years? </span></b><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Yes. </span>I weigh about 5 pounds less than I did as a teen. I never did like meat. I grew up eating rice, fish, seafood and all types of vegetables. My favorite meal is a fresh field green salad with grilled salmon. I’m not crazy about sweets so have a low-fat diet. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Injuries or health issues through the years? </span></b><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">I have to say I have been very blessed and lucky regarding injuries. In all my years and miles I have never had a running injury. I’ve fallen a few times and hurt my knee but it healed itself with some time off.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"></span></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWb75dCUNpMfokPj9n28pGkjKRqbmHdQSbdIwTOgsUbrD-C7tum43xfgwvEHBjeOGAkjTWEUgQfL8nXCNDpTa8XngFps9x_eUmaWR5HtquN-fDVsWEjk0qGyA5c8y8quMNasAJVCB-_U/s508/jeannie+rice+elephant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="384" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWb75dCUNpMfokPj9n28pGkjKRqbmHdQSbdIwTOgsUbrD-C7tum43xfgwvEHBjeOGAkjTWEUgQfL8nXCNDpTa8XngFps9x_eUmaWR5HtquN-fDVsWEjk0qGyA5c8y8quMNasAJVCB-_U/w485-h640/jeannie+rice+elephant.jpg" width="485" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><br />What are the biggest lessons you have learned from being a lifetime runner?</b><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> Mental toughness, discipline, motivation, and determination.</span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><b><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">What three tips would you give other hopeful lifetime runners?</span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">1)<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Stay fit and healthy. Maintain a good diet.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">2)<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Don’t be disappointed and give up when results are not what you want. Be patient and keep trying.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">3)<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Run with friends and/or a group to make it fun.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Has running helped you with the aging process?</span></b><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> Definitely!! I train with much younger men and women and compete against age divisions with a better time. In Berlin 2019, my time was 2 minutes faster than the 1<sup>st</sup> place male in my age division. When I run I forget how old I am. We never talk about age with my running partners although I am old enough to be their grandmother! I don't believe in setting limits on yourself.</span></span></p>Amby Burfoothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972662001978097115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8436613553413050840.post-51434624457197884442021-06-02T00:30:00.005-04:002021-06-02T08:00:23.311-04:00PROFILE--Don Chaffee has been running for 61 years<p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja6t9abrF0PBpKelsQ1Blm6Gxvzcpc6w7CGVpr7BWxzMRrpxqvvSiO3yJOo9eTaTnxdLbDFmLaNHWB3d4hQL6kh2ZWYpAN2Pya71NPAXcbrG16P2lPCWoAOiZOcngoH2air6vbVJnimkY/s551/don+chaffee+winning+dipsea.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja6t9abrF0PBpKelsQ1Blm6Gxvzcpc6w7CGVpr7BWxzMRrpxqvvSiO3yJOo9eTaTnxdLbDFmLaNHWB3d4hQL6kh2ZWYpAN2Pya71NPAXcbrG16P2lPCWoAOiZOcngoH2air6vbVJnimkY/w512-h640/don+chaffee+winning+dipsea.png" width="512" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Winning Dipsea, 1979</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">(June, 2021) Don Chaffee has run, biked, and swum in California, Kenya, Uganda, and Michigan. He may be the only person on earth who can claim the following: He has won the Dipsea Race and been congratulated after a Kenyan marathon by the legendary Kip Keino. He has also served as a guide runner for Harry Cordellos, run a 2:43 at Boston, and been competing in triathlons for 30+ years. Chafee, now 81, appreciates Walt Stack’s credo: “Start slow and taper off.” On his current runs and bike rides, he makes sure to “loudly thank whatever deities have blessed me.” That’s never a bad idea.</span></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Career-profession?</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I spent 50 years trying to inspire college students to think like economists starting with graduate school at the University of California, Davis. Besides Davis, I taught at Middlebury College (undergraduate alma mater); University of South Carolina; Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda; San Francisco State University; Golden Gate University; and for the last 24 years of my career, Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When and why did you start running?</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> In spring 1959, my junior year in college, I began jogging <span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">with twin goals: become a better high jumper (failed), and prepare for my upcoming ROTC summer training (some success). I kept jogging-running for over a decade: the rest of college, Army active duty in Korea, and graduate school. At my first professorial job (University of South Carolina) I joined a group of faculty runners who shared my dream of running a marathon. My first race in January 1971 was a ten miler in Sumpter, SC. My first marathon was the Peach Bowl in Atlanta, December 1971.</span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How much did you train in your peak running years?</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> My best years were the late 1970s-- my late 30s, early 40s. I ran as much as 100 miles a week for several weeks before marathons. When not pointing at a marathon, I ran about 70 miles a week.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What do you consider your top achievements?</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> My second marathon, in April 1972, was a win (over a massive field of 11) at the Southeastern Masters Track and Field Championships. We ran the Duraleigh course: Durham (Duke University Chapel) to Raleigh (NC State track). My time was 2:47, a PR that stood for several years.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">In the spring of 1972 I moved to Uganda to teach at Makerere University. In December of that year I ran a marathon in Thika, Kenya - before that country became a dominant force. I finished 10th out of about 50 with about a 3:15 (hot day), and was awarded a medal by Kipchoge Keino, making it worth the suffering. In 1974, just before returning home I ran a marathon in Uganda and I swam in the country’s swimming championships. Because I won the 1500 meters “marathon” and the 400 freestyle I can claim to be a national swimming champion. People who have seen me swim are initially mystified when I claim that title. Only two people have asked the right question, “What country?”</span></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1_xAVUz-FDnb7Fu2iV0Kk2lJXlz7QFXhsDhiEDc5mXacKIXokekOKV9CwIUy8wLSDmfyBRp_Ad5hrtUpAgbCfgDZ0W_QxmTKPk75GUDuLPR4zMDLPA3X5-VMEVw6oTil8AFnk3dbUBrk/s261/don+chaffee+kip+keino.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="233" data-original-width="261" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1_xAVUz-FDnb7Fu2iV0Kk2lJXlz7QFXhsDhiEDc5mXacKIXokekOKV9CwIUy8wLSDmfyBRp_Ad5hrtUpAgbCfgDZ0W_QxmTKPk75GUDuLPR4zMDLPA3X5-VMEVw6oTil8AFnk3dbUBrk/w400-h357/don+chaffee+kip+keino.png" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">With Kip Keino</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Back in the U.S., in the San Francisco Bay Area, I joined a bunch of crazies who ran the Mt. Tamalpais trails. All the running, falling, bleeding and ankle twisting led to my biggest win, the Dipsea race in 1979. The next year I won the Double Dipsea, and before that I was fastest over the Double Dipsea course in 1977. Also in 1977, I ran the Boston Marathon in my lifetime PR time, 2:43.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">In 1981 I began my triathlon career. After all, I could run and swim, and I biked enough to complete the Davis Double Century back in 1978. In the summer of 1981 I did the Sierra Nevada half-Ironman, and that November I accepted a friend’s challenge: the first ever Escape from Alcatraz. The glory was just finishing, especially the swim with only a Speedo for (no) protection from the 57 degree water.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">We moved to Michigan in 1989, and besides running scores of races, I continued triathlons. I completed 28 consecutive Reeds Lake triathlons, and I was the oldest to finish it at 79.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is your running and cross-training like today? </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I bike more than I run. My biking pace and distance are not that much different from my running pace and distance when I was in my 30s and early 40s. Each ride is between 10 and 20 miles, three or four times a week. My walk-jogs go about 3 or 4 miles, a couple of times a week. I have run only three races since turning 80, two 5Ks and a 5.3 miler. I won my age group in all three; I was the only one.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Running-fitness philosophy?</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> At my age, too much of my personal news is full of the decline and death of friends, classmates, etc. I love being able to ride and walk-jog beautiful trails, mostly around West Michigan. As I move along, I loudly thank whatever deities have blessed me. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Your advice to other runners?</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Enjoy the ride. Don’t let anything hold you back. One of my longtime friends is Harry Cordellos, a blind athlete. We met in San Francisco when we were both in our early 20s, just after he went totally blind. At his request I taught him to ice skate. Later in life we remet, and I guided him in four of his 150 or so marathons. Improbably he also ran the Dipsea several times.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c43f6575-7fff-f268-dc33-e020ec8974e5"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Also, one could do well by heeding Walt Stack’s motto, “Start slow and taper off.”</span></span></p><p></p>Amby Burfoothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972662001978097115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8436613553413050840.post-77499150950706825452021-05-06T00:30:00.001-04:002021-05-06T00:30:00.237-04:00PROFILE--Rob Hadgraft has been running for 40 years<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: times; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieRe2g_yY08Nf1TzWW-pDuppQnADLzDRHN3E4zLtw9cAfvbJ0SH-FSFWZsS4vNEeu8iE0sawhVd9wJm0P7ndkU7nJ-4R-kVsJSws8SdI94K79xq-y4uouoeb5u3jWHcm4Bgij1kSq5Z30/s856/rob+hadgraft+in+red.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="856" data-original-width="718" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieRe2g_yY08Nf1TzWW-pDuppQnADLzDRHN3E4zLtw9cAfvbJ0SH-FSFWZsS4vNEeu8iE0sawhVd9wJm0P7ndkU7nJ-4R-kVsJSws8SdI94K79xq-y4uouoeb5u3jWHcm4Bgij1kSq5Z30/w536-h640/rob+hadgraft+in+red.jpg" width="536" /></a></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">(May 2021) Rob Hadgraft is a British runner, journalist and book author who has written books about historic runners quite a bit faster than he (Alf Shrubb, Deerfoot, etc). Now 65 and living in Colchester, U.K., he reports that he has a half-marathon best under 1:20 but "never had the patience or aptitude to do well for the full 26.2." Instead, he chose to run 20 to 30 miles a week and enjoy various club and regional races. Like the one where he suited up next to Seb Coe. He'll also happily tell you about the benefits of beer for runners.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>Career-occupation?</b> I worked as a news and sports reporter, sub-editor and editor for UK and European regional newspapers and briefly in corporate public relations before turning freelance to write books and features on sports history.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>When did you start running and why? </b>It began for me in 1981 when <span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">a group of us young journalists (all running virgins in our twenties), ran an unofficial marathon across the county of Suffolk, to raise funds for a local woman whose husband was killed at work leaving her with a young family to bring up alone.</span><p></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">It went surprisingly smoothly, so afterwards I bought myself a proper pair of running shoes, did some solo training runs and looked around for other events. Tried a 5k mass fun-run in Central London and found it liberating to run fast after the slog of that marathon. I so enjoyed the physical sensation of running fast and passing people that I quickly became hooked and gave up football in favour of running. Enjoyed the fitness it brought and the way it was relatively simple to fit in bits and pieces of training in the week and find a race every weekend. It became a life-time routine, but never a dull one.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpr9oqTAmjgmJgdezYRkyCI56RVpXhnn_pTfHY-ECKNbur38APLtolOlhJHwTJBLMH9YDguuloLCd7tyORTr-JlEOP1LGzxb6pbcuh_1mcsJqJelwYGYxMTtuTfaSZ_yBYg6LQGrA1SwI/s477/rob+hadgraft+on+toes+in+white.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="267" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpr9oqTAmjgmJgdezYRkyCI56RVpXhnn_pTfHY-ECKNbur38APLtolOlhJHwTJBLMH9YDguuloLCd7tyORTr-JlEOP1LGzxb6pbcuh_1mcsJqJelwYGYxMTtuTfaSZ_yBYg6LQGrA1SwI/w358-h640/rob+hadgraft+on+toes+in+white.jpg" width="358" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>How much did you run in your peak years? </b>For many years I ran four or five times a week, including a race at the weekend. I was never a mileage freak, and functioned happily on 20-30 miles per week. Any more intense than that and minor injuries would creep in. The most I ever did was 55 in one week. For quite a few years I was doing 1,000 miles a year, which was consistent but not especially high compared to many club colleagues. That figure has dwindled greatly in recent years. The ageing process and injury have meant I can only do a fraction of that and now have to ‘manage’ things carefully in order to keep going.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>What were some of your best running achievements?</b> Doing 27:00 for a 5-miler (8k) at Clacton-on-Sea was a highlight (how I wish I’d saved one more second; as 26:59 sounds so much better!).Or maybe doing two 10K races in eight days, both timed at exactly 34:50, represented a peak? I managed 4:48 for the Mile once …. it was a special feature event at Milton Keynes with some big names involved, and I wasn’t too far behind Kenyan star John Ngugi at the finish. Beforehand, I changed into my racing kit right next to the great Seb Coe! However, possibly my best performance was at the famous annual Nos Galan midnight run in Wales on New Year’s Eve - here I managed to maintain a speed of fractionally over 5-minutes-per-mile over a very hilly route, inspired by the fantastic atmosphere. Went under the hour for 10 Miles several times, and sub 1:20 for the Half-Marathon, but never had the patience or aptitude to do well at the full 26.2.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>Any estimate of your total lifetime miles?</b> That number stood at just over 31,000 miles by April 2021. Sadly, it is now advancing upwards very slowly indeed.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>How much are you running and cross-training now? </b>I now have to carefully manage my running to protect a spot of arthritis in the right ankle and knee, which means keeping mileage low, and running mainly on grass. It also means I can’t really train with my club colleagues any more, or enter road races, so my main entertainment these days is searching around for a 5k Parkrun that is mostly off-road and flat, and letting the dog drag me round one of those! Others in my position might well have quit by now and taken up cycling or swimming, but I can’t quite kick the running habit. If I was a horse I’d probably have been shot by now!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>Any recent races?</b> Have done precious few races since 2018, but hoping to get back and do a few gentle Parkruns in 2021. I have accepted my competitive road and cross-country days are probably over. This does irk me, and I do miss the sheer buzz of fast running and the famous running ‘high’.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>Have your diet and weight changed much through the years?</b> At my quickest I carried about 145 pounds (10 stones 5 pounds) but now I am at least 15 pounds above that. Diet is reasonably good, with plenty of fish and very little red meat (only the occasional bacon sandwich!), plenty of fruit and veg, but possibly a little too much sugar, and too few alcohol-free days! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-s4fKM4EU_56eZ1uEGqQ1e8C2eXTtKOmBe0h2cxBaBZtgGVY7HeysR0-he6VqS09rQpB9-NVUF7qFBAYZ8afRu6agNEl1ek88Q6x1lk3UaVFIDkLzISaYVTiS33ixtTERwlLEcVUpkqI/s322/rob+hadgraft+park+run.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="322" data-original-width="238" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-s4fKM4EU_56eZ1uEGqQ1e8C2eXTtKOmBe0h2cxBaBZtgGVY7HeysR0-he6VqS09rQpB9-NVUF7qFBAYZ8afRu6agNEl1ek88Q6x1lk3UaVFIDkLzISaYVTiS33ixtTERwlLEcVUpkqI/w296-h400/rob+hadgraft+park+run.jpg" width="296" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br />Back when I was running well nearly 30 years ago I probably had a slightly better diet and for quite a while took Royal Jelly supplements, but the only additive these days is glucosamine for the arthritis!</span><p></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>Injuries or health issues through the years? </b>The arthritis has been the only thing to prove a genuinely limiting factor. All other issues over 40 years of running usually cleared up fairly quickly and were only short-term problems.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>An inspirational quote or two?</b> I’ve published <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=rob+hadgraft">half-a-dozen books about champion runners </a>of yesteryear, and I rather liked a quote from one of these - the great Alfred Shrubb - who once told his fans: “I think beer is a great aid in training, taken in moderation. During all the time I have been racing I have found it a great help. Look here, it’s no use a man trying to run races on tea and soft stuff. It does him more harm than good. You must have something solid and muscle-giving in you!”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">I also quite liked that Nike slogan from the 1980s: “There Is No Finish Line."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>What three tips would you give other hopeful lifetime runners?</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">TIP 1. You need steady mileage in your schedule for conditioning purposes, but don’t run hundreds of ‘rubbish’ miles simply for the sake of it. Distance is not the be-all and end-all! Too many runners seem to treat short runs like 5k as hardly worth getting changed for!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">TIP 2. Variety is the key to enjoyment – Try different distances and terrains, and support local races. Putting all your eggs in one basket and building exclusively towards a single event that is many months away can be a dangerous business for the non-elite runner.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">TIP 3. Don’t be too proud to slip down the rankings as you get older and slower! Keeping active is far more important than the minor disappointment of being overtaken by people you used to beat.</span></p>Amby Burfoothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972662001978097115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8436613553413050840.post-1449420196410791452021-04-30T00:30:00.008-04:002021-05-06T07:26:49.432-04:00PROFILE--Hal Goforth has been running for 50+ years<p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGHbbXBE56obxPN19XQswWY3P4RQVYu_CeuVrLIhHH6wFoxs0L76dhTiIQdCmpFlTHc3EO-B7pusuuCn4xCZgC_nceVq0INshBx1n4CHUAOpZMoNiljrZIjAzifNizesoyWU8wiMlpo8/s2048/hal+goforth+up+close.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1759" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGHbbXBE56obxPN19XQswWY3P4RQVYu_CeuVrLIhHH6wFoxs0L76dhTiIQdCmpFlTHc3EO-B7pusuuCn4xCZgC_nceVq0INshBx1n4CHUAOpZMoNiljrZIjAzifNizesoyWU8wiMlpo8/w550-h640/hal+goforth+up+close.jpg" width="550" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br />(Apr. 2021) Hal Goforth has a particular fondness for the Boston Marathon, which he has completed 39 times. He set his marathon PR in Boston in 1981 with a 2:28:33. In 1998, when 53.5, he won the 50-59 division. He has also been an eight- time winner of his age-group in the BAA Half Marathon. Now 76, Goforth lives in El Cajon CA, but also spends a month or two each year deep-sea fishing off the Florida Keys. Despite injuries and a heart-valve replacement in recent years, he continues to train regularly with his running partners in San Diego. "Build relationships that will last a lifetime," he says.</span><p></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>Career-profession:</b> I served as a US Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Diver (EOD)for 26.5 yrs (i.e., 4.5 yrs active duty and 22 yrs reserves), a Navy Marine Mammal Trainer in Vietnam, and retired as a Navy CAPT. I received a <span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">BS Degree in Biology at U of Fla, MS Degree in Marine Biology at U of South Florida, later received a PhD. in Kinesiology at UCLA, then became a Research Physiologist at the Naval Health Research Center. (At the same time, I taught Kinesiology and Marine Sciences at Point Loma Nazarene Univ. for 17 yrs.) I also coached men’s High School X-Country at La Jolla High for 3 yrs. and later 3 years as an Assistant X-Country coach at San Diego’s Grossmont High School.</span><p></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>When and why did you start running? </b>After getting my BS degree in Biology at U of Fla, it was time to be drafted or join the military. I had played fraternity sports at college (e.g., water polo, volleyball, baseball and flag football) but not much running. So I began running more (~2-3 miles) to get in physical condition to join the Navy. My father knew a friend (Lail Morthland), one of the few runners in our town (Ocala, FL). I trained with Lail for a few months before going to Officer Candidate School (Norfolk, VA) the Navy. Our longest run was 10 miles and this was my last day running, before going to Navy OCS (Officer Candidate School). After leaving 4.5 years of active duty in the Navy, I went to graduate school at U of South Florida (USF), and began running 3- 4 miles more regularly. After graduating from USF, I returned to San Diego and joined a running group at Balboa Park. This was the beginning of my competitive running.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1h_VdoLIkCVbvzF8jIdT8bLnsMuh1Q2xk46NPcScLVM4RMsyamLmredkR-OxZtTBZtqobrlXom5LVxPzdAHzmh_cIK9y48hZlyGFcCLRl0T-kFufRoKnFu0Fl_zNgVHrKyVGJHTQHfc/s642/hal+goforth+mom+dad+boston+photo.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="642" data-original-width="486" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1h_VdoLIkCVbvzF8jIdT8bLnsMuh1Q2xk46NPcScLVM4RMsyamLmredkR-OxZtTBZtqobrlXom5LVxPzdAHzmh_cIK9y48hZlyGFcCLRl0T-kFufRoKnFu0Fl_zNgVHrKyVGJHTQHfc/w484-h640/hal+goforth+mom+dad+boston+photo.png" width="484" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>How much did you run in your peak years? </b>My peak distance running was in 1981 (@age 36) that year I trained 4,074 miles (78mi/week) for Boston. This became my all-time PR at Boston @2:28:33 and placed 239 th . Two years before, in 1979 (@age 35), I ran 3,803 miles (73mi/week) for Boston @2:36:57 and placed 546 th . My top running achievement was in 1985 (@age 40) finishing 3rd Place ahead of both Bill Rodgers and John Campbell. That year I trained 3,068 miles (59mi/week) for Boston. My second achievement was in 1995 (@ age 50) again finishing 3rd Place ahead of Barry Brown from Gainesville, FL (my birth place and University).</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>An estimate of your total lifetime miles?</b> My total miles at the end of March 2021 was 109,520 miles.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>How much are you running and cross-training now</b>? I run weekly on average of 15-25 miles, Stationary biking 2-3X week for 6-9 miles each. I do stretching after watching Jeopardy most evenings and a 1hr 30 min massage every Tuesday.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>Any recent race results?</b> I still run with other partners but that can’t be considered racing even though we hold a 5K workout on the last Wed of each month. I can currently “run” a 5k in ~10-10:30 pace. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>Does it bother you that you are slower now?</b> No, because my running club friends at USATF Florida Track Club- West have all had a similar gradual loss of speed.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>How do you deal with this?</b> Life is still good because we are all still above ground, have good humor and enjoy being together after many years. We celebrate with beer, chips, cakes, cookies and dhampagne when one of us has a birthday or a good workout.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>How do you maintain motivation against the inevitable aging process?</b> This is not always easy, but we don’t dwell on the bad …only the good times! It’s our running partners who keep us going… one day at a time and one decade at a time. We inspire each other to keep going, until the inevitable occurs.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><b></b></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-family: times; font-size: xx-large;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIPtZgcFxzn9DGwgH4FJebGtwC8YtIsKH-48s_TpuFMc4kF_xE0z52h3qtiuWfJd9PJYOet35tARhed-v5cPFvMDzumL7mSdPofV8p5QqHY0pwWQhtxl8vyfwS83pqx1Awvalrw6Yv4lE/s504/hal+goforth+mission+bay+marathon+png.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="398" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIPtZgcFxzn9DGwgH4FJebGtwC8YtIsKH-48s_TpuFMc4kF_xE0z52h3qtiuWfJd9PJYOet35tARhed-v5cPFvMDzumL7mSdPofV8p5QqHY0pwWQhtxl8vyfwS83pqx1Awvalrw6Yv4lE/w316-h400/hal+goforth+mission+bay+marathon+png.png" width="316" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">An early Mission Bay Marathon</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /><span style="font-family: times;">Injuries or illnesses? </span></span></b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">I have had way too many surgeries the past ~12-19 years to be competitive (e.g., Right and Left meniscus trim surgeries (2006-2010), Right knee partial surgery, Left Knee full replacement (2018-2019), rotator cuff/tendon surgery hit from behind by a lady in a wheel chair in Boston Medley (2015) , Aortic valve replacement (August 2012-2013).</span><p></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>How have your diet and weight changed through the year, if at all? </b>My body weight has been ~130-135lbs ever since I left college and the Navy. (My wife hates me because I only eat when hungry and exercise at least 1 hr/day and work outdoors often.) My B.P. is always ~120/70. I still wear the same size clothes (pants, shoes & shirts) as when age 25-30.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>Vitamins, minerals, supplements?</b> Occasionally I take 500-1,000 gems of Vitamin C, Motrin, and always have wine with our meals. For ~25-30yrs, we were wine importers from France, New Zealand and Oregon .We have controlled our consumption and drink both red and white wines. Our diet is mostly fish, seafood chicken, salads pasta small potatoes, and some lean meat. This reminds me …it’s time for supper with a vegetable salad, small yellow potatoes, a Cornish hen and an Oregon Pinot noir.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>Any favorite inspirational quotes? </b>"The marathon will humble you." Bill Rodgers. "If there were no tomorrow, how hard would you train today?" R3 Sportswear. "It ain't over til it's over." Yogi Berra</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">Three tips for hopeful lifetime runners?</span></b></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">1--Train with a goal, and train gradually to meet that goal. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">2--Train with other runners with like abilities and goals. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">3--Don’t try to race or train when you are injured, build up your mileage gradually while increasing volume and intensity. If you get injured and miss training for a number of days, it may take you the same number of days that you didn’t run before you can return to your previous level of running. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">Also, purchase and study good running books; (e.g., Jack Daniels, Pete Pfitzinger/Scott Douglas, <i>Running Science</i> by Owen Anderson, Hansons’ Marathon Method, and Meb Keflezighi's <i>Run to Overcome</i>).</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>What are the biggest lessons (life lessons and running lessons) you have learned from running? </b>Always treat others as you would treat yourself, build relationships that will last a lifetime. Develop close and honest friendships. Remember that running on a regular basis will improve your health and fitness, reduce illness, and extend your life span.</span></p>Amby Burfoothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972662001978097115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8436613553413050840.post-29612119765639340242021-04-14T00:30:00.002-04:002021-04-14T00:30:00.238-04:00PROFILE: Frank Bright has been running for 59 years<p><span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQY8T-ero-k3cRha0Na_yiiz6_Bm8_iGyUL2Uk9wpzpop5PFNYl30cKeHt5gkRY_-wlFC7pZ7wVHlPDRa_PlHa6TpF45NKVVD7UdlQmNsETu1qnLaj-44WHRtBQ-6Mw256EHBcPWEqt24/s637/frank+bright+recent+5k.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="546" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQY8T-ero-k3cRha0Na_yiiz6_Bm8_iGyUL2Uk9wpzpop5PFNYl30cKeHt5gkRY_-wlFC7pZ7wVHlPDRa_PlHa6TpF45NKVVD7UdlQmNsETu1qnLaj-44WHRtBQ-6Mw256EHBcPWEqt24/w343-h400/frank+bright+recent+5k.jpeg" width="343" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">First race post heart attack</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">(Apr, 2021) Last November Frank Bright ran a sensational half-marathon--a 1:51 at age 76. But the Shreveport, LA, runner had a few bad races as well in the following weeks. He was puzzled. Then things got worse. In early January, he learned that he had suffered a heart attack, and would need surgery and stents. Okay, you do what you gotta do. By March, Bright was running again, and in April he raced, modestly, in a local 5K. He hopes to be marathoning again later this year. He says running has taught him not to obsess over where you are on the race course ... or the life course. In another mile, or a few more weeks, a dark outlook often looks much brighter.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span><b>Career-profession? </b></span>I spent 6 1/2 years studying Chemical Engineering (B.S. and M.S.), 3 1/2 years working in the field for Dow Chemical in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and then turned to law (LSU-Baton Rouge). While in engineering graduate school, I coached the LSU<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> cross country team. I practiced law (real estate, oil and gas, wills, trusts, estate planning and probate of estates) for over thirty years in my hometown of Shreveport in a small law partnership, retiring in 2007 at 64. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>When did you start running and why?</b> I was a student manager for football, basketball, and baseball in high school and water skied with the coaches in the summer. The various coaches saw that, by my senior year, I had developed physically. I had run with the basketball team in preseason training and practiced with the team. In addition, they knew that I could waterski until the boat ran out of gas. After basketball season my senior year ended, it was time for baseball, but the other coaches ganged up on the baseball coach and told him that I was going to run track. He was not happy to lose his statistician/scorekeeper. He finally agreed, but on the condition that I had to win in order to continue in track. I won and landed a track scholarship to college.<b> </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>How much did you run in your peak years? </b>Started marathoning at age 35, so peak mileage years were from age 35-45. Some 50 mile weeks then, but mostly 40-45. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoj6aTHHoxJJyF9mxRnWX4KMrj_SD6NN7X9O6JRrcd3l7qPpsn1KLDJcglv51AIggYVq0CW0P4BptDMTX1MB9TJoVcV5xtGD6wMvVoaArdZl9Mj75MU7lTnQytzhKubPkVNS9EhljlMOk/s415/frank+bright.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="293" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoj6aTHHoxJJyF9mxRnWX4KMrj_SD6NN7X9O6JRrcd3l7qPpsn1KLDJcglv51AIggYVq0CW0P4BptDMTX1MB9TJoVcV5xtGD6wMvVoaArdZl9Mj75MU7lTnQytzhKubPkVNS9EhljlMOk/w283-h400/frank+bright.JPG" width="283" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>What were some of your top race performances?</b> State champion in mile run in Louisiana largest school class (4:35) 2 1/2 months after beginning my running career. College - mile 4:19.5. 880 yds. 1:53.8. 2:44:03 at Dallas White Rock Marathon in 1982.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>Any estimate of your total lifetime miles?</b> 63,000</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>Any recent race results?</b> Half Marathon 1:51:12 in November 2020. Five Mile 39:48 in November 2020. Virtual Boston Marathon 4:33 in September 2020.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>How are you dealing with the aging process and getting slower?</b> I have handled this pretty well. Younger runners that I know flatter me and older ones inspire me. Since organizing a network of over thirty guys who qualified for the 2020 Boston Marathon in the 75-79 age division, I have used this group for motivation. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>How have your diet and weight changed through the years, if at all? Vitamins or supplements?</b> No change in diet. Weight was 120 in college and increased basically linearly through the decades to about 140 pounds recently. Most recently however the pandemic and training for a hot weather (Virtual Boston) marathon got me down to 130 for the first time in 15 years. No vitamins, minerals, or supplements. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>How much are you running and cross-training now?</b> I do some dynamic stretching after a 5 minute jog for warmup. I have done two types of calf stretches since my bout with plantar fasciitis. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>Injuries?</b> Had the same knee cartilage trimmed in 2006 and again in 2013. Plantar fasciitis twenty years ago. </span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">Health issues - None, until heart attack on January 2nd. I had a stress test on March 5, which went well. </span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">According to my cardiologist: "Good evening. I have good news about your stress test. You passed!! Your ejection fraction (how much blood your heart pumps with each beat) is 45%. Normal ejection fraction is 55%. You asked about how much damage the heart suffered with your heart attack, fortunately not much at all. You've only lost 10% of your ejection fraction."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">My young cardiologist (he has run four marathons) found one coronary artery totally blocked. That caused my January 2nd heart attack. Fortunately, it was not the coronary artery that kills you. He stented it right away, thinking that it might do me some good. In March he put two stents in the “widow maker”, which was 70% blocked. Part of the delay was in obtaining a 48 millimeter stent (the longest ever used in this area). I then passed a nuclear stress test and was instructed to “see me in six months”. That sounded good because he knows full well that I might run a marathon within that timeframe. I have been running 3-4 miles every other day (10:00 pace) and finished a hilly 5K race in early April slightly slower than that pace.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span><b></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3QaW2C59kWK6j0-IyPaDBOoXD2sangsNkDJRXsmF8UZ7DikzHVAEFewi1jsK-Yq9ME-SivxwTqLekqpbb0jhtyBtq0r0F8Ee-Ep5GNRkGAfozsQR8zd0sfd8kaNzLjW5oVRYJ8TKY2Zg/s436/frank+bright+boston+shirt.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="436" data-original-width="427" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3QaW2C59kWK6j0-IyPaDBOoXD2sangsNkDJRXsmF8UZ7DikzHVAEFewi1jsK-Yq9ME-SivxwTqLekqpbb0jhtyBtq0r0F8Ee-Ep5GNRkGAfozsQR8zd0sfd8kaNzLjW5oVRYJ8TKY2Zg/w391-h400/frank+bright+boston+shirt.jpeg" width="391" /></a></b></span></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span><b><br />What keeps you running? </b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I just generally feel good all the time, but also sleep well, stay “regular”, and eat as much as I want without gaining weight. </span></span><p></p><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>Biggest life lessons learned through running? </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I try to embrace adversity since we all have plenty of it in our lives and in running. Joy comes in overcoming adversity. I believe that it helps to look at life and running as non-static. Our situation is always changing. What may look like a bad situation at one moment will be different soon. Running is a clear example of this. At one point you may feel discouraged because you have half of the race yet to run, but you can cope by knowing that soon you will have only one-third of the race left, and then your mind will deal better with the situation.</span></span></div>Amby Burfoothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972662001978097115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8436613553413050840.post-82759290544062928692021-03-25T00:30:00.024-04:002021-03-26T06:42:11.583-04:00PROFILE--Bill Rodgers has been running for 57 years, with a few wins and many friends along the way<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: times; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyOv-78ldxLn1tv4BfueVEDZP46robpNOuduXR8hZgt6tLfwqhs751gac3xJ1TwXJL5iDHNrA9SJ-0OBE72P5DbreUBG0hgJEBwrkY00BoMDdx0L3cbNJUV0fQcxQj72SzGMUf75CDPRA/s686/bill+rodgers+up+close.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="686" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyOv-78ldxLn1tv4BfueVEDZP46robpNOuduXR8hZgt6tLfwqhs751gac3xJ1TwXJL5iDHNrA9SJ-0OBE72P5DbreUBG0hgJEBwrkY00BoMDdx0L3cbNJUV0fQcxQj72SzGMUf75CDPRA/w640-h530/bill+rodgers+up+close.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">(Mar., 2021) Bill Rodgers is known around the globe for his many road race and marathon wins during the first running boom of the late 1970s and early 1980s, and frequent appearances even when he didn't win. Just as important: His affable personality won him many fans throughout his career. He has a wide-eyed charm and friendliness that made some competitors think him "spacey." They usually finished behind Rodgers in races, where he displayed a razor-sharp focus and determination. He likes to quote himself: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">"If you want to win a race, you have to go a little berserk." At 73, "Boston Billy" does much of his running with his partner, Karen, and looks forward to entering races again later in the year. He retains both is deep passion for running, and his kid-like appreciation for it. He'll chat with anyone at any race about any topic. He's one of the sport's ultimate champions, on all levels.</span></span><div><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span>Career/Profession? </span></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Professional runner, motivational speaker. Prior to that I got my MA in special education at Boston College and taught for three years in the Boston School system.</span></span><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><div class="ii gt" id=":533u" style="direction: ltr; margin: 8px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><div class="a3s aiL" id=":5344" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.5; overflow: hidden;"><div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><span>When did you start running and why? </span></b><span>I guess you could say I started running as a kid with my brother and <span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">friends throughout our neighborhood in Newington CT. We were very active kids, always getting into something.</span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span>My brother, Charlie, and our best friend Jason and I ran track and cross-country in the fall of 1963 when I was a sophomore. The school had just started the teams. Prior to that I played baseball and hockey. I guess I showed early talent. I ran the mile in </span><span style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #202122;">4:28:8, won the 1965 Connecticut state cross country title and finished sixth in the New England Cross Country Championships.</span><span> </span><span>My name was called out on the morning PA system along with the football players. That was cool.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">I continued to run at Wesleyan College where my roommate and teammate was Amby Burfoot and another teammate was Jeff Galloway. They took running a lot more serious than I did. After college I admit to smoking a bit and riding around on my motorcycle wondering what to do with my life. I went back to school and got an M.S. in special education at Boston College.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmTsCU-GhXONebFhwA1NfobRGsJNXV8Cdmj-Tt1ab1Wbbu7Za9vRf7mx7Ycp7ohXKO6DC1KSFjd52e0KCNylnWK_y_068gJK1RTZnqnCbq5lLk0sGJ7XWvjAbc_7VMA9JC4ei2mBNYX9Y/s1443/bill+rodgers+quad+cities+old+guy.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1443" data-original-width="889" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmTsCU-GhXONebFhwA1NfobRGsJNXV8Cdmj-Tt1ab1Wbbu7Za9vRf7mx7Ycp7ohXKO6DC1KSFjd52e0KCNylnWK_y_068gJK1RTZnqnCbq5lLk0sGJ7XWvjAbc_7VMA9JC4ei2mBNYX9Y/w394-h640/bill+rodgers+quad+cities+old+guy.jpg" width="394" /></a></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><span>What were some of your better/memorable races? </span></b><span>Well, I would be remiss if I didn’t say my four marathon wins at Boston and New York. The Fukuoka Marathon in Japan will always hold a special place for me. When I won that in 1977, I was the only runner (at the time) to ever win all three major marathons. I also love the Falmouth Road Race, The Gasparilla 15K in FL, gosh there are so many races that I love.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><span>Proudest Achievements? </span></b><span>Making the Olympic team in 1976 and running for my country in Montreal ranks high in moments I am most proud of. My first Boston win in 1975 is also a historic moment for me after two other attempts. And getting Bronze at the 1975 IAAF World Cross- Country meet was a great feat.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">I am also proud of what I contributed to the sport during the years we changed the rules and got payment and prize money for runners. We brought running – and the marathon - to the forefront and established it as a legitimate sport with the US able to compete on the international scene.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><span>Did you have an early inspiration or person who motivated you?</span></b><span> </span><span>My high school coach taught me to love running and also to respect it. Billy Mills, Bob Schull, Bikila, Ron Clark, Pre, my coach Billy Squires, all the great champions who inspired me.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><span>How much did you run per week in your peak years? Now? </span></b><span>I still have all my running logs so this is easy. During my peak years I was running 100-130 miles a week. My highest week was 201 miles in 1977. Back then there were no limits. We were all exploring how much we could push ourselves. The international runners were doing more than us so if we wanted to beat them we had to train harder. Now, at 73, I’m doing 30 miles a week, a high of 40. I sill love to race and compete and have missed it during this pandemic. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><span>Cross Training? </span></b><span>In high school I ran on the grass for cross training and did calisthenics, mostly 10-15 pound hand weights for curls, 50 sit-ups, etc. I’ve never done anything too scientific about cross training. I wish I had taken more recovery time though. I pushed myself hard.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><span>How important is social running to you? If you were/are a competitive runner, can you adapt to the slower times? </span></b><span>First, I was lucky to get into the sport early and run fast times. I had support and great coaches. But now, I know I can’t run as fast so I just enjoy the sport and going to races and meeting other runners. Our running community is so welcoming. Sometimes when I show up for a race I hear the young guns who are in their 20s saying, “I’m going to beat Rodgers.” Hell, they should beat me! If they didn’t, they’d have a problem, not me.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj89ruVZ3QOxnYbFTniwc4B-LVanIxfMnU48CwXyPr9zD2reMHmPKkHjTTIXiKaHUy9wPa1hTpCj4ink0vZUQuAXe9OiTkkQrqHo8ZaFlG9ysMDkLpHiCTkWJ6eXgTi22iT9_nxu55wZWc/s443/bill+rodgers+sports+illustrated.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="397" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj89ruVZ3QOxnYbFTniwc4B-LVanIxfMnU48CwXyPr9zD2reMHmPKkHjTTIXiKaHUy9wPa1hTpCj4ink0vZUQuAXe9OiTkkQrqHo8ZaFlG9ysMDkLpHiCTkWJ6eXgTi22iT9_nxu55wZWc/w574-h640/bill+rodgers+sports+illustrated.jpg" width="574" /></a></span></b></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><span><br />Obstacles along the way? Injuries?</span></b><span> </span><span>We all get them. I’ve been lucky that I haven’t had major injuries but it just gets tougher to stay out there as I get older. </span><span>My prostate cancer in 2008 was the biggest battle I had to fight. Thank God the surgery was successful and I ran Boston in 2009 after a long hiatus.</span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: times;"><span>A favorite quote:</span></b><span style="font-family: times;"> “If you want to win a race, you have to go a little berserk.”--Me</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">What three tips would you give a younger runner who wants to be a lifetime runner?</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span>1<b>--</b><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span>Try different sports before you decide on one. What is your best ability? Are you a better sprinter or miler or is distance your thing? Find what you love.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">2--Join a running club.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">3--Take your time. Don’t rush this sport. If you nurture it and take care of yourself, you will enjoy a lifetime of running.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><span>Running philosophy? </span></b><span>What I love about our sport is how we all help and inspire each other. When we stick together we all do well together. It’s a very special sport.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><span>Has running helped you with the aging process? </span></b><span>I really don’t mind getting older because I have my running life and that will always be with me. We all have good days and bad ones but when I can get in a run, everything turns into a good day. I get in a good mood and stay there all day. And I think that at 73, I’m still relevant because I get out and socialize with runners of all ages. It’s a great and welcoming community. We are the cools kids!</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><span>What are the biggest lessons you have learned from running?</span></b><span> Running is a gift, the ultimate well of health. Treasure it and it will give you a lifetime of joy.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p></div></div></div></div></div>Amby Burfoothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972662001978097115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8436613553413050840.post-85564685010113640562021-03-19T00:30:00.003-04:002021-03-19T06:40:15.735-04:00PROFILE--Roger Robinson has been running for 62 years<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzmMYjd9Jp-ArZwgV4K6iwVzmLRgroosTJjlL2mN6cfLrH_6iz1gdexIX8QX0rhAhYJvOunurItUOejBRKPjnyZCd2KXz3z3Ut7hkbqQnf3e89_8MB2ED0s1CJ4abXel7Y_LTE2cmnD4U/s442/Roger+Robinson+2016.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="442" data-original-width="235" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzmMYjd9Jp-ArZwgV4K6iwVzmLRgroosTJjlL2mN6cfLrH_6iz1gdexIX8QX0rhAhYJvOunurItUOejBRKPjnyZCd2KXz3z3Ut7hkbqQnf3e89_8MB2ED0s1CJ4abXel7Y_LTE2cmnD4U/w340-h640/Roger+Robinson+2016.png" width="340" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5K road race, 2016. Photo by Bob Kopac</td></tr></tbody></table>(Mar, 2021) Roger Robinson is a runner with many years, races, and wins under his belt. He is also a writer who keeps the history of our sport alive and well through his deeply researched, witty and thoroughly enjoyable books. He is well known on the speaker circuit and is a stadium announcer. Robinson has a sense of humor, too. When we asked him if running has helped him deal with the aging process, he responded, "I'm only 81 so it's too soon to say." He splits his time between Wellington, New Zealand, and New York State with his wife, Kathrine Switzer.</span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Tell us about yourself. </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I like to live a balanced life. With a career as a professor and writer, I've also always been active as a runner. I'm no rustic but I couldn't live an entirely indoors life. Running on all terrains and in all weathers is part of my being. (Hence no treadmills or gym workouts). I was born in England, moved to New Zealand in my twenties, and ran world championship cross-country for both countries. First marathon was at age 41, and I ran well as a master (marathon PR 2:18:45; 2:28:01 at 50). World titles (10K and Cross-Country) at 41 and 50. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Went well again late 70s, after knee replacements (10K, 47:38 at 77, 54:11 at 80). Married for 34 years to Kathrine Switzer (they said it wouldn't last), we divide our lives between <span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Wellington and New York State, another nice balance. I retired from University work in my early 70s, so am now Emeritus Professor, but work enjoyably as a running writer, with six books and one in press. I also work as a running journalist, stadium announcer (including two Commonwealth Games) and TV or radio commentator - anything that involves finding the best words to describe and interpret running. One remaining mission in life is to earn recognition that good running writing can be of real literary value. I believe my last book, <i>When Running Made History</i>, attained that, and so does my next, working title <i>Running's Greatest Stories</i> (due Feb 2022). </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Career/Profession? </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I was a University professor of English literature, a profession where you try to do three full-time jobs at the same time – teaching, research publication, and management. I was eventually Academic Vice-President (in American terms) although my main loves were good teaching and writing. I always fitted in my lunchtime run (being Head of Department meant I could shape my own timetable) and from teenage on I also moonlighted to write about running for newspapers, magazines, and eventually books. Since official retirement, I am mainly a writer on running. But I still love reading great books and I'm a compulsive literary critic – so I'm programmed, for instance, to read between the lines of all political posturing, or promotional fatuities, or dumbed down running writing that I call joggerfroth. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">When did you start running (month and year) and why? </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I was born in 1939, in England, so I came to consciousness being bombed in World War 2 and in the austerity years after. I have told that story in </span><i style="font-size: 14pt;">When Running Made History.</i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> l was always dead last in 100 yard races at elementary school, but enjoyed watching the 3 miles at the local track, which was open to the public on Sunday mornings. So when I was nine, one Sunday I ran twelve laps, 3 miles. My mother always said I spent that Sunday afternoon in bed. That often happened in later years, too. I began to identify as a runner at 13, at high school, when a group of us started a cross-country club, partly to escape rugby, but also because we loved running on Wimbledon Common. That was it for life.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">What were some of your better/memorable races? </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The competitive runner's mindset is always that you will improve, so in a way you're never totally satisfied. It's much the same being a writer. But my nearest to three perfect races against very strong competition were (1) winning the 1967 British Universities Cross-Country Champs (equivalent to NCAA) in lots of mud; (2) winning the World Masters (40-44) 10K road, when I got the tactics exactly right (broke them on a hill); and (3) my Boston Masters record, 2:20:15 in cold sleety wind in 1984. See the “Boston from the Inside” chapter in </span><i style="font-size: 14pt;">Heroes and Sparrows</i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Guesstimate the number of lifetime miles you’ve run?</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8uwajMcxeR3Y_mkb-MJLQzXdzB9v0lmp8mqOjBe5KKe9R0Sg7uNn-SY4KnoDTn6Vv-0PXueOSNTnqHPqOiyjh6GhNk-fjDyaw_t4HT1tS_mTucLfxkhLhOzLDaTGmx93hGzw_RkfmS-k/s238/roger+robinson+winning+brit+xc+young.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="236" data-original-width="238" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8uwajMcxeR3Y_mkb-MJLQzXdzB9v0lmp8mqOjBe5KKe9R0Sg7uNn-SY4KnoDTn6Vv-0PXueOSNTnqHPqOiyjh6GhNk-fjDyaw_t4HT1tS_mTucLfxkhLhOzLDaTGmx93hGzw_RkfmS-k/w400-h397/roger+robinson+winning+brit+xc+young.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winning British Universities Cross-Country<br />Championships, 1967</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Not a clue. Not something that interests me. Nor does “streaking,” or collecting countries or marathons or whatever. I'd rather plan and train to run one good race than collect 100 races a year, or some meaningless total of miles. I'm not a numbers man. Races interest me, and times only because they can indicate how well you have raced. My journalism colleagues have learned not to trust me with times or splits. I can scarcely remember my own PRs. As a student, I often trained with a super-powered mathematician (he ended up in Silicone Valley) and I used to ask him what my best times were. As a University senior manager, I always prominently took my “Hello Kitty I Can Count” calculator to multi-million budget meetings. </span><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Did you have an early inspiration or person who motivated you?</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I describe two big ones in </span><i style="font-size: 14pt;">When Running Made History. </i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">(1) Emil Zatopek's 10,000m gold medal in 1948, showing me at age 9 that it's not how good you look that matters but how your legs move; and Murray Halberg's 5000m in 1960: “As a runner born with no fast-twitch fibers, who would never win any race on the finishing sprint, I was watching a man win in a way that might perhaps be my way...” I wrote (i.e. get away early, before the sprinters smell the finish). </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b></b></div><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />How much did you run per week in your peak years? Now? </span></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14pt;">At peak, age 24–55, 70-90 miles a week. Interesting you don't ask for more detail. The key was long race-pace intervals – 4 x 10mins, say, or 6 x 5mins. “Quantity of quality” is my principle, so if your big race will take 40 mins, you need to build up to 40 mins of race-pace training. With my lack of speed, repeats of 400m or 75sec was always an essential session. Tempo runs were also in there, perfect to make good use of lunchtime. Looking back, I should have added more long runs and more weekly miles, but I was too busy with work to put in more time. Now, it's 5 hours a week, when not injured, more if I can get up there without injury. Otherwise walking.</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Cross Training: If yes, how? </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Walked upstairs several times a day (my office was on the Eighth Floor, great for the cardio-respiratory). Lectured to 300 students (50 mins sustained energy and focus). Played with the cat (always exhausted before she was). Sunday afternoon nap. I do that form of cross training daily in recent years.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Has your diet/weight changed through the years? </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Of course. In a London war and post-war childhood, food was seriously scarce (see </span><i style="font-size: 14pt;">When Running Made History</i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> Chapter 1). Later, running 80 miles a week, much of it very hard, requires huge intake (“stoking the boiler” one astonished girl-friend called it), and leaves you at minimal weight. Motherly women always saw me as a challenge. My wife once described me as a labrador retriever. Old legs simply can't sustain that output of work, so the intake of food drops and weight increases, though not seriously so far. We eat only quality food (now we can afford it), but I refuse to “diet.” It's bad enough not being able to run as much as I'd like, without making myself miserable by dieting. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8oChZO57MEmv3SD_36iq1FQlLRMGmDHznzBnAD88cx9x8GWMpodNAT0jnn3LxhiKCqOeANXozG-W4a3rfWxJDL7hwaPLA9-2Cz3wwaL4ON9KvIfm-ru4NF7fV47hOYH-BQN5RdA2fkVQ/s643/roger+robinson+cross+country+gate.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="643" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8oChZO57MEmv3SD_36iq1FQlLRMGmDHznzBnAD88cx9x8GWMpodNAT0jnn3LxhiKCqOeANXozG-W4a3rfWxJDL7hwaPLA9-2Cz3wwaL4ON9KvIfm-ru4NF7fV47hOYH-BQN5RdA2fkVQ/s320/roger+robinson+cross+country+gate.png" width="320" /></a></span></span><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">How important is social running to you? If you were/are a competitive runner, can you adapt to the slower times? </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I don't accept any difference between “social” and “competitive.” In my experience, it's competitive runners who are the most social – perhaps because they truly love the sport. And they keep that love. I still happily hang out with many who were trying to race my nuts off 50 years ago. Hard training sessions have been some of the best social experiences of my life, much more lively fun than a stand-around small-talk drinks party. You can run hard </span><i style="font-size: 14pt;">with</i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> someone, quite different from running </span><i style="font-size: 14pt;">against</i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> them. As for adapting to times that get slower with age, there's not a lot of choice, is there? </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Obstacles along the way: </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Yes, inevitably. Most serious were a broken foot bone in 1969, and deteriorating knees after age 55, with eventually two replacements. But I've proved you can resume running, even racing, if you build up carefully. On the positive side, I was lucky, with the flexible hours of my profession, which made daylight training almost always possible; and with the running-friendly places I have lived; and with the great friends I have been able to run with.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">A favorite quote: </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">“We run because we like it </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Through the broad bright land.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">This is from Charles Hamilton Sorley's fine poem “The Song of the Ungirt Runners.” In <i>Running in Literature</i>, I published the only full account of that poem, establishing its origin in the period when Lieutenant Sorley went out running with his men during training for the trenches in World War 1. By the repeated “we,” I suggested, the poem affirms a human bond at a deeper level than military rank, a bond that all runners know, as well as love of the land itself. His team won the inter-regimental championship. Soon after arriving at the front he was killed by a sniper's bullet, age 20.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Running Philosophy?</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXtGhvuFaD-kZdUDtJiFJY3gIc7q7JiBcZGWlsIxeRJpn7nkRhGXlzUGHTtRmJdJ199cHrDjqd3BatPGC9VBA0Xq8Z1mBgzMPHDgoFgjJorCJKVkL2ANq4hSNbzzJ2OXJ5z9yyeSOBUU/s272/roger+robinson+and+kathrine+switzer.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="235" data-original-width="272" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXtGhvuFaD-kZdUDtJiFJY3gIc7q7JiBcZGWlsIxeRJpn7nkRhGXlzUGHTtRmJdJ199cHrDjqd3BatPGC9VBA0Xq8Z1mBgzMPHDgoFgjJorCJKVkL2ANq4hSNbzzJ2OXJ5z9yyeSOBUU/w400-h346/roger+robinson+and+kathrine+switzer.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">With wife, Kathrine Switzer</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I run because I like it, the simple, rhythmic, effortful movement over the earth. There's a good paragraph on “motives and rewards” in <i>Heroes and Sparrows. </i>Concise version: I run for the feel of the textures of the earth under my feet, for the variety it puts into my life, for the friendships it gives me, but also for the privacy; I run for the intense drama of the race, to be part of the history of running, I run for what Yeats called “the fascination of what's difficult,” and I run because I enjoy being shouted at for trespassing on golf courses. <b></b></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Has running helped you with the aging process? </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I'm only 81 so it's too soon to say.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">What are the biggest lessons you have learned from running? </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">(1) The more you put into something, the more reward you will get. See below, Do the work. (2) Pace yourself. What matters is persistence, and actual achievement, not blazing away at the start or looking good on camera. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">What three tips would you give a younger runner who wants to be a lifetime runner?</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">(1) Do the work and you will improve. Never mind shoes and diet and gizmos: do the work, it's so simple. And hugely rewarding. Nothing is better than a successful race or a hard and sociable training session.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">(2) By running, you are now making friends who will last your whole lifetime. And because they are runners, they are interesting and substantial people. That's the best investment for the future you could possibly make.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">(3) The big one. Read about running. Buy good books, especially mine (and Gail's and Amby's. But mine first). With all the time you commit to running, understand what it is that you're doing. Read about what it means, as well as how to do it. You are part of an important movement, with a great history and quality literature. Contribute to that culture, by buying good running books.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br /></p><div><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></b></div>Amby Burfoothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972662001978097115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8436613553413050840.post-11506864863242938662021-03-11T00:30:00.003-05:002021-03-11T06:44:53.182-05:00PROFILE--Dick Rapson has been running for 65 years<p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGeoHGpA7pJpE4I-6sF3S2A1kBUFTP6HgJr_JDjirAsCi4NylgvTVnlnqVmkyySThFGEIJEyFsWu4hhbl8gFHt4IG2Vyhw33AIGbFCAnFQtiPcc9odUka9jOlitqE5P6UQGt5siNX-6CA/s313/dick+rapson+plaque.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; font-family: times; font-size: x-large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="195" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGeoHGpA7pJpE4I-6sF3S2A1kBUFTP6HgJr_JDjirAsCi4NylgvTVnlnqVmkyySThFGEIJEyFsWu4hhbl8gFHt4IG2Vyhw33AIGbFCAnFQtiPcc9odUka9jOlitqE5P6UQGt5siNX-6CA/w249-h400/dick+rapson+plaque.jpg" width="249" /></a></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times;">(Mar., 2021) Dick Rapson has been running and coaching in northeast Philly for longer than most. He says his athletic credentials aren't special, but how many people do you know who are still running strong 65 years after starting? "</span><span style="font-family: times;">I’ve tried to combine my fitness with my coaching career," says Rapson, 81, from Lansdale, PA. "Back in the 60’s-80’s I used to run with the guys and explain the biology of fitness as we ran." A true coach-educator; we can never have enough of those. "I've always tried to use our sport to help kids feel good about their achievements," he adds. [LifetimeRunning.net co-host Amby Burfoot can attest to this. Burfoot's wife, Cristina Negron, got her start in running on one of Rapson's mid-1970s cross-country teams.]</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>Career-profession:</b> I began teaching in 1961 and retired in 2006. (43 of those years at Lower Moreland- mainly teaching AP biology). I continued to coach track (about 40 years; beginning in 1966) and cross country (51 years until my Covid “sabbatical” in 2020; I began the LM program in 1969). At this point I’m up in the air about returning to XC in 2021. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>When did you start running and why? </b>I begin running in HS as track was the only spring sport. It was a terrible <span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">experience! The coach knew nothing about track and practice every day was a time trial- literally. No surprise, I didn’t attempt to do track in college at Bloomsburg. XC didn’t exist at Bloom at that time either, so running took a pause. I often told my runners that the Battle at Marathon hadn’t occurred yet when I was a young runner. I started to run a little for fitness as a graduate student @ ‘64-‘67. </span><p></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span><b>How much did you run in your peak years? </b></span>In the 1970’s I got into racing a bit. Between 1978 and 1981 I did a few races. In September of 1978 I raced the half 3 weeks in a row(never realized that wasn’t a good idea.) Went 1:31/1:28 in the Philadelphia Distance Run Half Marathon PDR in the days before computer chips. I was training about 55-65 miles a week, getting in extra fall mileage with xc kids. Did about 10,000 miles between ‘78 and ’82- topping out at 281 miles in January of 1981. <br /><br /></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>Top race performances or running achievements? </b>Philadelphia Distance Run(9/21/80) 1:27.14- before chip timing. Hilly 10k in 1981 in 40:20(never ran under 40) 5k in 1982 in 19:35/ 22:58 in 10/02. No good marathon times: Penn Relays in ‘81/3:43 Marine Corps in ‘78/3:55 Ran 2:00:18 at Disney at age 69 in 2009; unfortunately, I was at the wrong end of my age group- was 11 th of 114. Came back the next year to run 13 minutes slower but got the 5 th place plaque. By 2016 I won my age group (75-79) at Disney in the 10k- and finished ahead of ¾ of the runners in the 70-74 group- running 1:08:16 at age 75. In 2014 I placed in the 75 age group(4/13) at Beach 2 Beacon. Thank goodness for a lottery entry as I could never type fast enough to get in otherwise. Also had some success age group wise running the 10k from 2013-2016 at the RW Half and Festival. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2bRLFuKMOaxF8sp6ICtwnkfm0lzWLHLu7ha8rK8KjwtsPVO7PclN1NXucE1q45j4eUr5fGna3gskUacIOWMKhAtakgubDP26NKqT3l1kM5SDioGfc86D09cQgi42z7NLjeeMM1oIKKQ8/s460/dick+rapson+finish+line+somewhere.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="373" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2bRLFuKMOaxF8sp6ICtwnkfm0lzWLHLu7ha8rK8KjwtsPVO7PclN1NXucE1q45j4eUr5fGna3gskUacIOWMKhAtakgubDP26NKqT3l1kM5SDioGfc86D09cQgi42z7NLjeeMM1oIKKQ8/w324-h400/dick+rapson+finish+line+somewhere.JPG" width="324" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>An estimate of total running miles?</b> This one is kind of hard ; possibly @ 50,000mi </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>How much are you running and cross-training now?</b><span> About 5-6 years ago I began to alternate running days with days in the gym (elliptical et al- no treadmill). Gym days were 45-60 aerobic followed by 30 minutes working on strength and balance. I also began to work one day a week with a trainer to learn things I might share with the xc runners I coached. Sadly, stretching never became a priority for me. </span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>If you still race, please provide a somewhat recent race result or two.</b> Well, Covid kind of messed that up, though I did do 3 virtual runs in 2020 supporting groups promoting races I had done in other years. Looking at my logs I realized my last race was a 5 miler on Thanksgiving 2017. Plodded through in 57:11. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>Does it bother you that you are slower now?</b> Absolutely! The modern watch is a cruel task master! Then again I’m a glass half full guy. I continue to go out the door and accept what I can do as an octogenarian. I still read and experiment with ideas which may help me. I read a lot and try to experiment with new ideas in my coaching and running. As a scientist I have always tried to collect and evaluate data. I can’t try to match my ’78-’82 results, but I do look for improvement from last week, last month, last time I did a certain workout. Although I continue to be amazed at the efforts of other athletes- including those I have coached- I am probably more driven by what I can still accomplish. (If it counts, I do have a framed front cover from my Sports Illustrated of June 15, 1970 of Pre as a freshman at Oregon.) </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>How have your diet and weight changed through the years? </b>Diet has changed very little- never much been into supplements. Eat in moderation. Breakfast( cereal, fruit, coffee) is important. I’m probably 15 pounds heavier than the 147 I found recorded in my log from 1978. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span><b>What injuries or other health issues have you faced through the years? </b></span>Injuries have never been a big concern. I have always contended that genetics has been a factor for those of us who are able to continue running. Though looking through my logs, I have been slowed down for a few days from time to time, but nothing chronic shows up. I see the dermatologist to remove skin cancers. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>Any favorite inspirational quotes?</b> “It’s better to wear out than rust out”. "Downhills are free!" “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” And what coach can fail to quote Pre? “To do anything less than your very best is to sacrifice the gift.” </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfwO8nzq8K-sd0Rm2QF9beN-2RSQ3c3FRTiozMXFIQlOL875X7p51L1lEWtDT8A0s0PVVr-E14eJFYDopLYGKEKro-AMJuauShjpHZUcV4v4uBO-BdJwJx3i7w-7isAIjVJltTTuT02w4/s866/dick+rapson+lower+moreland.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="866" data-original-width="399" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfwO8nzq8K-sd0Rm2QF9beN-2RSQ3c3FRTiozMXFIQlOL875X7p51L1lEWtDT8A0s0PVVr-E14eJFYDopLYGKEKro-AMJuauShjpHZUcV4v4uBO-BdJwJx3i7w-7isAIjVJltTTuT02w4/w294-h640/dick+rapson+lower+moreland.jpg" width="294" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><br />What 3 short tips would you offer hopeful lifetime runners?</b></span><p></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">1--Enjoy getting outside- without your phone perhaps. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">2--Whenever you race there are four factors involved- your opponent, the terrain, the weather, and yourself- but you can only control one of them. Apply that to all you do when you are out there. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;">3--Enjoy your successes; accept your failures, try to learn something from each.</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>How does running and fitness improve your life on a daily/weekly basis?</b> No matter how much slower I run these days, finishing a run gives me the satisfaction of accomplishment. Especially these days it’s good to get outside and “social distance”. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>What are the biggest lessons (life lessons and running lessons) you have learned from running? </b>Always work as hard as you can; but be willing to acknowledge your limitations. Enjoy every time you accomplish a goal. Never stop learning. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">After family get togethers my mother-in-law used to take me aside and tell me to never get old. I promised her I wouldn’t, and I'm doing my best!</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><br /></p>Amby Burfoothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972662001978097115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8436613553413050840.post-63636899656041318192021-03-04T00:30:00.020-05:002021-03-04T00:30:00.908-05:00PROFILE: Shawn Chillag has been running for 43 years<p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62zAIJXgpxwW3R_Fx8y7Fg4l_yyA5vpEfWyEJh7Nj1Tm8HeBiNS-fsRmYXrFyASUmHzGq8jumItENCl764zaoj81yXmoHkYIcHZIWda9IBtUDQ3dmweDvO11wBihCwfpGsuhvAHMwWk4/s739/shawn+chillag+hot+dog+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="739" data-original-width="436" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62zAIJXgpxwW3R_Fx8y7Fg4l_yyA5vpEfWyEJh7Nj1Tm8HeBiNS-fsRmYXrFyASUmHzGq8jumItENCl764zaoj81yXmoHkYIcHZIWda9IBtUDQ3dmweDvO11wBihCwfpGsuhvAHMwWk4/w378-h640/shawn+chillag+hot+dog+2.jpg" width="378" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Chillag in costume in hot dog race.</span></td></tr></tbody></table> (Mar, 2021) Shawn Chillag doesn't say much below about his life's work, but he's an MD who has been teaching at medical schools for many years. He spent a good part of his career at the University of South Carolina, with its well-known exercise super heroes like Russ Pate and Steve Blair. Currently, Chillag, 72, is a dept head at the West Virginia University School of Medicine. He's been running for 43 years, figures he's logged around 110,000 lifetime miles, and appears to have a talent for dressing in costumes. Another fun fact: His son and excellent runner, Ian, works with runner Pete Sagal on NPR's well-known "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" show, and also hosts a podcast with the catchy title "Everything Is Alive" in which he interviews inanimate objects. Chillag sr. reports a great benefit of aging: "</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"><span>I can’t move quickly enough now to injure anything."</span></span></span><p></p><div style="background-color: white;"><p style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>Career-profession:</b> Mostly a learner and teacher.</span><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>When did you start running and why? </b>I read at age 29 that if you don’t get fit by age 30, then it never happens. My brother had challenged me to do a race; we did it and I was hooked.</span><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>How much did you run in your peak years, miles/week, etc?</b> I averaged about 50 miles weekly. This got me<span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times;"> to anything from 1500 miles per year to 3500.</span><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></span><p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>What were some of your top race performances or achievements? </b>I was on a team that </span><span style="font-family: times;">won the Masters TAC 50 mile title. I was first three times (one tie) in the Ridge Runner Marathon in West Virginia, rated as one of top 10 toughest marathons in the US by Runner’s World.</span></span></p><span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>An estimate of total lifetime miles?</b> About 110, or a little more.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>How much are you running and cross-training now?</b> I averaged about </span><span style="font-family: times;">50 miles weekly for 2020, but will likely do less in 2021. I hope to get back to doing triathlons after on-and-off participation over 30 years from short to long events.</span><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>Any recent race results?</b> I was never very quick—now sometimes I am last--but also first in my age group. There were 3 guys in my age group for our 2019-2020 Winter Series of 3 races who were all significantly quicker than me. I was surprised to be net winner because none did all 3 races. For me, fifty percent of my successes are just from showing up regularly.</span><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEL2UAHnT7IeDwPzkExE40Sb6yO-RkAxiIwTeE63rPhKIDIhFi6UGBtsl_10hcepr1FKXmTmPsmAnh_QzECqWiojCwUPFflfXz-iJGC-Q6kgET9e60UMcboQhy4gHjmk1mWxMp9afePg/s773/sean+chillag+eggs+and+bacon.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="773" data-original-width="570" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEL2UAHnT7IeDwPzkExE40Sb6yO-RkAxiIwTeE63rPhKIDIhFi6UGBtsl_10hcepr1FKXmTmPsmAnh_QzECqWiojCwUPFflfXz-iJGC-Q6kgET9e60UMcboQhy4gHjmk1mWxMp9afePg/w295-h400/sean+chillag+eggs+and+bacon.jpg" width="295" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">And now ... he's bacon with eggs</span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>Does it bother you that you are slower now?</b> I would like to be quicker so it took less time, and I could occasionally keep up with someone. I went from running with men to running with women to running behind women to running alone. Getting something done every day, no matter how unimportant, is worthwhile and makes a bad day at work less troublesome. On Jan 25, 2021 was just the worst runners' day----cold-maybe high 30’s, pouring down rain, and windy. I got ready and felt like the cat looking out---interested but reluctant to start out the door. I made it 3 ugly miles, and felt better.</span><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>How have your diet and weight changed through the years, if at all?</b> No diet--I follow the seefood diet; I see food and I eat it. I can’t eat dead flesh after I saw how it is “made.” All clothes sizes are the same as always—I can wear stuff that is 40 years old. But my weight is down, reflecting inexorable skeletal muscle loss that occurs with aging. I believe if you keep the furnace turned up high that you can burn any garbage.</span><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>What injuries or other health issues have you faced through the years?</b> I have had my share of injuries usual to runners but nothing in decades as now I can’t move quickly enough now to injure anything. Got hit by a car once with minor injuries and a few cycling misadventures that were quite painful but nothing serious.</span><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>Do you have a favorite quote or two?</b> "If you can’t explain it simply, then you don’t understand it well enough."—Albert Einstein. "Never ever, ever, ever give-up."—Winston Churchill </span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><b style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;">Three tips for hopeful lifetime runners?</span></b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times;">1-- </span><span style="font-family: times;">Don’t run too much-do other aerobic exercise as well.</span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">2--Don’t fret as you slow down, as none of us are going to get rich doing this.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times;">3--Never give up</span><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-family: times;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSx5a7nTiQdxR9VOX_C1d0nolwmiRUBG-MNc_XFWiNS0v5ioJzmtnCxrIW3J-I9VmY22wag-FiGmUqq5Lh7FJq80drl7SoEr-VCaNd_MMQIT4GGX-O3BS5GJezMldZH6czF2qoL3r6FTI/s306/shawn+chillag+elvis+lamp.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="283" data-original-width="306" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSx5a7nTiQdxR9VOX_C1d0nolwmiRUBG-MNc_XFWiNS0v5ioJzmtnCxrIW3J-I9VmY22wag-FiGmUqq5Lh7FJq80drl7SoEr-VCaNd_MMQIT4GGX-O3BS5GJezMldZH6czF2qoL3r6FTI/w320-h296/shawn+chillag+elvis+lamp.png" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">A doctor and ... a rocker.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><span><b><br /><span style="font-family: times;">How does running & fitness improve your life on a daily/weekly basis?</span></b><span style="font-family: times;"> Get something completed, and I can eat whatever I like.</span></span><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></span><p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>What are the biggest lessons you have learned from running?</b> Keep plugging away at most everything. I only failed to finish one event after hundreds of races and probably 50 short to long triathlons. I did not have a DNF until about 6 years ago. At about the 15 mile point in the marathon run of an Ironman Tri, I gave up. It was Kentucky in late summer and hot as Hades. It was hard to continue running while vomiting and retching, and I have a personal concern for heat injury. </span><span style="font-family: times;">I had to wait 30 minutes for the sag wagon. </span><span style="font-family: times;">The sun had set and it cooled. I felt great by that time, but I knew my family would be worried and I was no longer age group competitive. Nonetheless, I regret not walking the last 11 miles and getting an official finish.</span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 11pt;"><span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">I should note that one of the greatest benefits I mull over frequently is that all 3 children are vigorously aerobically active for decades, mostly running. That could be because of my example or the genetics of obsessive compulsive disorder.</span></span></p></div>Amby Burfoothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972662001978097115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8436613553413050840.post-85235304818651143122021-02-17T00:30:00.004-05:002021-02-17T00:30:04.720-05:00PROFILE--Sam Cox has been running for 49 years<p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-size: x-large;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg11wGxRl7TSPt033DoPqoNq-7MI9UJguXIW-maVl644D6KeKuvmCRQsHpC51dBFK01gpzNsc5H3MAotQoO-rB2vuhhFu4pdDSSj7y-7BDl2gFnOW62MBClA8QvX7T09rCK2uAikyfqob0/s1831/samuel+cox+finishes+colorful+banners.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1831" data-original-width="1170" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg11wGxRl7TSPt033DoPqoNq-7MI9UJguXIW-maVl644D6KeKuvmCRQsHpC51dBFK01gpzNsc5H3MAotQoO-rB2vuhhFu4pdDSSj7y-7BDl2gFnOW62MBClA8QvX7T09rCK2uAikyfqob0/w408-h640/samuel+cox+finishes+colorful+banners.JPG" width="408" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Finishing a marathon last November.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> (Feb. 2020) Sam Cox started running in 1972 to get in shape for football, but soon realized that a running-focus made more sense for him. Six years later, he completed his first marathon, and almost qualified for Boston. The next year, he <i>did </i>qualify, running a 2:48. He would eventually reduce that time all the way down to 2:30:58. Now 62 and living in Greensboro, NC, he still logs 40 to 45 miles a week, and races marathons despite foot problems (Haglund's) and a history of atrial fibrillation. "I am grateful to be out there running, slow or not," he says.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> "</span>Nothing clears my mind, reduces my tension, fosters my creative side, allows me to think, to ponder, to pray, or to imagine quite like a good run."</span><p></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Career-profession? </b>I graduated Wake Forest University in 1981 with my BS degree, where I walked on to the cross country and track teams and ran my sophomore and senior years, and was on an Army ROTC scholarship. Following graduate work at the University of South Carolina (MS) in 1983, I served five years in the army in San Antonio and Germany. I then began a career in education (while working part-time in the Army Reserves, retiring in 2002), picking up additional graduate degrees at Oregon State University (1991) and The College of William & Mary (1993) while teaching history, coaching cross country and track, and then moving into educational administration. I spent the past 25 years <span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">in K-12 independent school leadership, and the past two decades as a Head of School. I retired just this past July (2020) from my leadership role and currently work as an educational consultant for independent schools and have begun work on my first--of what I hope to be several--books. The first book is Holocaust related. </span><p></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>When did you start running and why? </b>I started running in 1972 at the age of 13 to get in shape over the summer for football. I played football in middle school and high school, and began running track in grade 8. I was a mediocre football player and a mediocre middle-distance runner “specializing” in the 880. In spite of my lack of great success, I quickly became a running fan, following Jim Ryun, Frank Shorter, and the legends of the ‘60s and early/mid ‘70s.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"> </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">My freshman year in college I gradually increased my weekly mileage from 20 miles to 60 and an upperclassman told me I should run a marathon and try to qualify for Boston. In those days the standard was sub-3:00 and you could enter just weeks before the race. I chose the VA Beach Marathon on March 18, 1978--as a freshman in college and attempted to run my sub-3 in that first race. I was on pace through 20-miles but became acquainted with “the wall” I had heard so much about and crossed the line in 3:05:48. It was a painful experience but I was hooked and continued training and racing over the summer between my freshman and sophomore years of college. As a Wake Forest xc walkon, I quickly discovered what D-1 collegiate running was like! I finished that first as something like the number 17 or 18 runner of 20 or 21. I was not competitive, but I loved it.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"> </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I ran my second marathon in February 1979 in Columbia, SC (put on by Russ Pate) and improved to a 2:48. I ran my first Boston in April 1979.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"> </span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDUxV3tSa7hvoBYWUaKulJPVdr2lVp0dnHTi7jUhIIljWv2k4aXmc3fj-yLcqsHn-zP3MrroY_0yDciN6gtfvVGvCnZTB1Cyp8BgYvY4a_f5ZJb06n1BVj4-TM77jtQclN6ldIPTkMqco/s658/samuel+cox+kids+post+boston+marathon.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="658" data-original-width="549" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDUxV3tSa7hvoBYWUaKulJPVdr2lVp0dnHTi7jUhIIljWv2k4aXmc3fj-yLcqsHn-zP3MrroY_0yDciN6gtfvVGvCnZTB1Cyp8BgYvY4a_f5ZJb06n1BVj4-TM77jtQclN6ldIPTkMqco/w534-h640/samuel+cox+kids+post+boston+marathon.png" width="534" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">With children after Boston Marathon.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>How much did you run in your peak years?</b> I ran 70-80 miles per week in college, and then post-college in the 1981-1993 years I typically averaged 80-85 miles per week. The mid-late ‘90s and the early-mid 2000s I ran 60-70 miles per week. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Top performances?</b> My PR’s are:1 mile: 4:23.7; 5k: 14:59; 10k: 31:38; half marathon, 13.1: 1:11:07, and marathon, 2:30:58 </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I ran one 50K race and a 100K race in 8:06. I have run 43 marathons over six decades (the 1970s, ‘80s, ‘90s, ‘00s, ‘10s, and ‘20s as well as my teens, ‘20s, ‘30s, ‘40s, ‘50s, and ‘60s). I broke 3:00 for the first 3 decades and broke 3:30 for five decades, and have broken 4 hours for six decades. I estimate that I have raced over 1,000 races on the track, cross country, and the roads over the past half century. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: inherit;">Can you guesstimate your total lifetime miles?</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I estimate somewhere in the 105,000-110,000 miles range over nearly 49 years. From 1978-1994 I ran every day for sixteen years before an injury caused me to miss a day. I kept very accurate records from 1977 until the early 2000s, but it is more of an estimate since then.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>How much running and cross-training are you doing now?</b> I run 40-45 miles per week--when not injured, taking Mondays and Fridays off, so five-days per week of running. I continue to do one long run weekly and hit the track for speed work every Tuesday morning, though it is a stretch to call it “speed” work these days. I do a short 20-30 minute weight workout 2-3 days per week, occasional hiking with my dogs, and occasional cycling. I stretch a bit, but not nearly enough. I used to XC ski, and would like to take it up again but living in NC you have to typically travel to do it.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"> </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Any recent race results?</b> For years I raced 30-40 races per year, but the last 20 years or so it has been more like 10 races a year. I ran a 3:21 marathon a few years ago, 3:41 in June 2018 at Grandma’s Marathon, but could just muster 3:53 on Nov 21, 2020 at the White River Marathon in Cotter, AR. I’ve had a variety of injuries and health issues the past 10 to 15 years which have slowed me substantially. Oh, and being in my ‘60s does help with humility as well.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Does it bother you that you are slower now?</b> I’m not so bothered being slower as I realize that it is inevitable. However, I am troubled to slow so much the past few years; I would like to get back under 3:30 in the marathon and to have knees that don’t hurt so much. I am inspired by my running friends who keep plugging away and running consistently in spite of age. But I have been told by several orthopedic surgeons and a couple of cardiologists that my running days should be over and I should find another pastime. I don’t listen to them and I am grateful to be out there running, slow or not.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Diet and/or weight changes?</b> From the age of 19 until age 40 I weighed 137 lbs (I’m just under 5’8). In my 40s I weighed about 142, but the past 10-12 years I’ve typically been about 160-163. This weight gain definitely slows me, and puts more stress on my aging knees as well. I take a multi-vitamin, Vitamin D, and a daily aspirin but otherwise no supplements other than ice cream and hot, out-of-the oven chocolate chip cookies. These “supplements” are a reason why I have an additional twenty pounds.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>What injuries or other health issues have you faced through the years? How have you dealt with these? </b>I was blessed to be injury free in my teens, twenties, and largely through my thirties and early forties. In 2006, at age 47, I developed severe Achilles Tendonitis and Haglund’s Deformity in my right foot/ankle. My Haglund’s (calcified bony growth on the back of the heel) was the size of a golf ball and after all sorts of treatment and therapy, I could no longer run. In 2008 I had surgery to remove it and was in a cast for 6 weeks, followed by a boot for six more weeks, and it was 11 months before I could run pain-free. I had the left side done in 2011 after developing the same thing. The doctor said I likely would never be able to run marathons or long distances again even with the surgery, but in 2012 I ran a 3:21 marathon. I’ve run six or seven marathons and a number of half-marathons since then and have no more problems with the Achilles. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Several years ago I developed Atrial Fibrillation, and in January 2019 had a cardiac ablation. I’ve had no more A-Fib, but my aerobic capacity has not returned quite to the same level as before. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>An inspirational quote or two? </b> “And let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12: 1-2).</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"> </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">“Life's battles don't always go </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">To the stronger or faster man; </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">But sooner or later the person who wins </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Is the one who thinks he can.” (Walter Wintle)</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"> </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_q-bVJsl6DrJqRbwkzChu81cdekDWBels6LbhpHFzPD7FvGCo25aURP11Amox1GGS3j9hDY8NlHNYH7MZLT0A2tpLHQAtWjgFUpwEYDBU6UxX9fxM-spuwPpaDdbPDiUSJHHF47wx2XY/s467/samuel+cox+standing+under+boston+finish.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="251" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_q-bVJsl6DrJqRbwkzChu81cdekDWBels6LbhpHFzPD7FvGCo25aURP11Amox1GGS3j9hDY8NlHNYH7MZLT0A2tpLHQAtWjgFUpwEYDBU6UxX9fxM-spuwPpaDdbPDiUSJHHF47wx2XY/w216-h400/samuel+cox+standing+under+boston+finish.png" width="216" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><br />Three tips for hopeful lifetime runners? </b>Be patient, enjoy the moment, and never lose faith.</span><p></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>H</b></span><b style="font-family: inherit;">ow does running & fitness improve your life on a daily/weekly basis? </b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Running has helped me maintain a lifetime of fitness and health, and also is mentally therapeutic. Nothing clears my mind, reduces my tension, fosters my creative side, allows me to think, to ponder, to pray, or to imagine quite like a good run. In our fast-paced, high-tech, information-now world in which we live today, we’ve often lost the sense of wonder, the ability to use our imaginations. Running (along with reading) are great ways to stimulate that.</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>What are the biggest lessons (life lessons and running lessons) you have learned from running?</b> I am not a naturally patient person, but running has helped teach me the important lesson of patience. Running also is a great testament that success is largely measured by the amount of work and preparation you put in on the front end. Good things come to those who wait. </span></p>Amby Burfoothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972662001978097115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8436613553413050840.post-8298460022311224662021-02-11T00:30:00.001-05:002021-02-11T09:59:29.475-05:00PROFILE--George Hancock has been running for 47 years<div><span style="font-size: large;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkmgK_XW4Mnr6ZtPAEBPIwcWQxINqxgU9uqDtRRsWW4vxC3wHHENYumhidBmShmEJYMxyMavq9OAxTR_G7l5DD0gssNGXIP1UHFVT3ilc1MG0xd6rOsT6dS6drfJvTvm2AAGkTQrE5FQ/s405/george+hancock+292.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="287" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkmgK_XW4Mnr6ZtPAEBPIwcWQxINqxgU9uqDtRRsWW4vxC3wHHENYumhidBmShmEJYMxyMavq9OAxTR_G7l5DD0gssNGXIP1UHFVT3ilc1MG0xd6rOsT6dS6drfJvTvm2AAGkTQrE5FQ/w454-h640/george+hancock+292.jpg" width="454" /></a></div><br />(Feb. 2021) George Hancock is the honorary founder of the U.S. Streak Running Association, and has a couple of impressive streaks to his name. One lasted 24+ years, another 15+ years. And when he required disc surgery in 2018, did that stop him? Nope. His latest streak is 2+ years and counting. He's learned how to stride smooth and back-pain-free, and figures he'll continue doing the same well into his 70s. Now 67 and living near Johnstown, PA, Hancock notes: "I can look back and say, 'Yes, you can. One simply has to try.'"<p></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><b>Career-profession:</b> 1975 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown (UPJ). Worked in retail from 1976 through 1993 for a local retail firm, no longer exists, company was purchased and closed in 1993. Since then, <span></span></p><a name='more'></a>I was employed until my retirement on November 30, 2016 by the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown--last 5 years in the Registrar's office. My main job besides helping students was creating and maintaining the academic class schedule using Pitt’s software. This was fun. I enjoyed the interaction with Faculty, Staff and Students.<p></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><b>When did you start running and why?</b> Played football in junior high & high school, track team in high school, a decent runner, ran the roads before every season. Never had any running issues, was short, lightweight & could hold a pace well Began running again in 1973. As a UPJ student, had the time, running was fun & easy. I enjoyed seeing my results with overall health & fitness</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><b>How much did you run in your peak years?</b> The highest weekly mileage was 80 per week, averaging 70 to 80 miles a week during peak years</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><b>Top performances or achievements?</b> My marathon career was short, 1980 to 1986, and this was by design. I was always a better, faster 10K runner. Every marathon completed was under three hours. Best marathon(PR) was 1981 at Johnstown in 2:48:02, finished Boston in 1984 in 2:58:55. Best 10K was 33:26 in 1983. Best 5K was 18:16 in 1990. I was a consistent local age group winner in various race distances across my region </p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">Maybe most satisfying road race was my 2008 first ever road race win at age 55. I won a local 5K in 21:15, then several months later won another 5K in 23:15 on a trail.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tiEr9_rWDzvwwqOqpxFdc2c7hFrrPY2iNXPruIlV40KAtPfBO8Xw1JL3vc7V7ah7eW6l4JGaiqoUnUY8niBF1t1m-1j1skBvWTN2BYmBwWQ4Mv3I9S44bXsMzTuuDY5UXHdzXvEsYno/s389/george+hancock+green+on+green.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="389" data-original-width="275" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tiEr9_rWDzvwwqOqpxFdc2c7hFrrPY2iNXPruIlV40KAtPfBO8Xw1JL3vc7V7ah7eW6l4JGaiqoUnUY8niBF1t1m-1j1skBvWTN2BYmBwWQ4Mv3I9S44bXsMzTuuDY5UXHdzXvEsYno/w452-h640/george+hancock+green+on+green.jpg" width="452" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">I have been a daily-run streak runner with my first running streak beginning on 2/26/1978 and lasting over 24 years. My second streak began later in 2002 and lasted 15 years. Third & current running streak began on September 1, 2018.59 days. </p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">I am the honorary founder of the United States Running Streak Association (USRSA)--an organization based on my running streak research and many written articles, particularly for Runner's Gazette. I have also written a book, My Running Odyssey. </p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><b>Total lifetime miles? </b>105,761 actual lifetime miles. I have kept track from 1973.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><b>How much are you running and cross-training now?</b> Running 30 miles a week now, daily stretching, and a few planks. </p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><b>Any recent racing?</b> No. I retired from road racing in October , 2017, due to several herniated discs.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><b>Does it bother you that you are slower now? </b>As I aged, I saw my times slowing but it didn't bother me cause the new generation was winning at much slower times than I had run decades earlier. Locally, the death rate in my non-running age group is very high, so that's my prime motivator these days. To keep running, keep moving stay healthy. I have five younger siblings, but many think I look younger than several of them, and I never correct that assessment.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><b>Diet and weight changes through the years? </b>When I turned 60 I noticed that my metabolism changed. Since then, I'm very careful to eat smaller portions. I never weighed over 167. I'm 155 now. I don't take any supplements.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><b>What injuries or other health issues?</b> I learned 10 years ago I have low thyroid, and I have a genetic cholesterol issue. I take low dose medications for both. Currently I'm adapting to three herniated or broken lumbar discs from genetics, work history and rotten luck. My neurosurgeon said my daily running kept the problem from getting worse. After surgery in July, 2018, I resumed running on September 1, 2018, and worked up to 30 miles a week. I hope to stay at that level into my 70s.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><b>Three tips for hopeful lifetime runners?</b></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">1--Buy good running shoes and running gear.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">2--Run your best, keep moving.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">3--Read, study, and leaern about our sport's history.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><b>How do running and fitness improve your life?</b> I look forward to every new day. Every run is a road adventure. I get to run through the four season, viewing fantastic sights. Running keeps me fit and trim. And for me, running gives me numerous writing topics.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><b>What are the biggest lessons you have learned from running?</b> Running every day taught me goals are completed one step at a time. Running taught me that it's possible to complete any goal, task or assignment. Running every day is fun, soothing. I run because I can. Recently found out that even with broken discs I can run well. Now after 47 year of road running I can look back and say: Yes you can. One just has to try.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><br /></p></span></div>Amby Burfoothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972662001978097115noreply@blogger.com