RunnerDude Chats with Zola Budd

Excitement doesn't do justice in describing how I felt when I found out a few months ago that Zola Pieterse (better known by her maiden name, Zola Budd) agreed to do an interview with me. I was elated. I've followed Budd and her story ever since the '84 Olympcis. You see, 1984 was the year I started running. It was also the year I ran my first 10K. The 1984 Olympics were very motivating to me as I began to experience my budding new love for running. Zola intrigued me during those games because of her barefoot running. Today barefoot running is all the rage, but back in the 80s it was pretty much unheard of (in the states that is). In South Africa, Zola's birthplace and childhood home, barefoot running was a way of life. Not only did her barefoot running captivate me, the fact that she was about my age was pretty cool too.

Zola's name became a household word in 1984 when at 17 she broke the women's 5000m world record. Her time was 15:01.83. Unfortunately because the race took place in South Africa, which at that point was excluded from international athletics competition due to its apartheid policy, the IAAF (International Amateur Athletic Federation) did not acknowledge Zola's time as an official world record. But in 1985, Zola came back officially claiming the title while representing Great Britain with a finishing time of 14:48.07. Zola also has two world cross country titles and numerous other track victories.

Zola's running achievements are often overshadowed by an incident during the '84 Olympics when fellow runner Mary Decker-Slaney collided with Zola during the 3000m race resulting in Mary falling and being unable to finish the race. While originally in the lead, Zola, finished the race 7th. Zola was initially unfairly blamed for the incident, but the IAAF jury found that Zola was not responsible for the collision and years later Decker was quoted as saying, “The reason I fell, some people think she tripped me deliberately. I happen to know that wasn’t the case at all. The reason I fell is because I am and was very inexperienced in running in a pack."(reference)

Today Zola (45 years-old) is a volunteer coach at Coastal Carolina College near Myrtle Beach, S.C. She married Michael Pieterse in 1989 and they have three children (a daughter and twin sons). All the while, Zola has continued to run.

Read on to learn more about this amazing woman.

RD: Your birthplace is South Africa. Where are you located now?
Zola: We now live in Myrtle Beach, SC, USA.

RD: Many know of Zola Budd, the young barefoot runner of the 80s who at 17, broke the women's 5000meter world record with a time of 15:01.83. Others remember the Apartheid era of South Africa, during the time you first began to make a name for yourself in the running world. And still others remember the incident with Mary Decker. I’d like to know more about the young Zola growing up in South Africa. What was life like as a youngster?
Zola: I grew up on a small holding surrounded by veld (grasslands of South Africa) and lots of space to play outdoors. We had all sorts of animals and I spent most of my time outside playing games with the local black kids. We lived out of town and my only friends were the farm workers’ kids I grew up with. It was a life close to nature and I loved it.

RD: Your older sister, Jenny, played a big role in your early life and if what I’ve read is correct, you started running as a child, because Jenny was a runner. While in your early teens, Jenny died from melanoma. Tell me more about this special older sister. How did she impact your life?
Zola: When I was born, my mom was very ill. Jenny took care of me and I called her mom before I called my real mom, mom! She had a profound influence on my life. She was a very strong willed person but with a lot of compassion. Her absence left a big void in my life. I still think of her every day.

RD: Your father often got criticized for pushing you too hard in your running. You’ve many times described how your father wanted you to do well, and succeed as a runner, but that he wasn’t what the press made him out to be. What kind of man was your father? How would you describe your relationship with him?
Zola: When I think of my dad I always have fond memories of us spending time outdoors with the animals. He loved chickens and had all these cages with chickens. He loved nature and we would talk about anything and everything while we were together.

My dad never pushed me in my running. I was the one who had to wake them up in the morning to take me running, otherwise I wouldn’t have got to training. It was an unwritten rule in our house, that I decide if I want to train or not. My father did interfere with the business side of my running and that is where our relationship went sour. It is a valuable lesson I learnt not to repeat with my own kids and that is to give them enough freedom to be who they want to be.

RD: I was just about a year older than you when you came onto the running scene. I think because of all the politics that surrounded much of your early career that many think you were older than you were at the time. I think of my 15-year-old daughter and 19-year-old son and can’t even fathom either one of them having to deal with the normal stress of world-class competitive running much less being the focus of so much attention, much of which really had nothing to do with you as a person, but just the situation and the politics of the time. What do you think helped you persevere though that time period?
Zola: I think my faith. I realized early in life that nothing is as important as your faith in God. It was and still is a rock to my life. The other factor is the way I perceived life. I still think of myself as that little barefoot girl growing up on a farm surrounded by animals. That is who I am and not the runner per se.

RD: Looking back upon your running career? What if any might you change or wish would have happened?
Zola: I would not have competed in the 84 Olympics. Maybe the World Juniors first before moving up to the big league.

RD: You were a barefoot runner well before the recent barefoot craze. You’ve mentioned many times that running barefoot was the norm growing up in South Africa and that it was just the natural thing for you to do when running competitively. What do you think about the recent focus on barefoot running? Do you run in shoes today?
Zola: I do run in shoes today. I got injured in 1986 and started wearing orthotics in my shoes and stopped running barefoot. I am slowly getting back to training barefoot on the grass and track again. Running barefoot is great, but you have to be careful. Growing up in SA we went barefoot all the time so our foot muscles were very strong. Living in the US where kids are forced to wear shoes, their foot muscles do not develop as they are supposed to so when you try running barefoot as an adult, it can cause serious injuries if you're not careful.

My advice is to be very conservative in your approach to barefoot running. I never ran barefoot on the road and don’t know how one can do that with all the glass and other dangerous objects around.

RD: Are your children runners? What kind of advice do you give your children in regards to running? Do you coach them or are you just Mom?
Zola: My oldest daughter runs cross country and my youngest just for fun. I will encourage them to be busy but never to be competitive runners. Life is too short and there are just too many other things to do than running. I encourage them to use running as a tool to stay healthy and promote a healthy attitude to life, not to be competitive.

RD: You have so many running accomplishments, but which one or ones to you consider your biggest running accomplishment? Why?
Zola: Probably the European Cup in Moscow in 1985 which I won and out-sprinted Zaitseva, the Russian.

RD: You are still a very competitive runner. In 2009 you ran and won the women’s division of the Dasani Half Marathon in Myrtle Beach, SC a time of 1:20:41. What’s ahead on your running calendar?
Zola: I want to do the world Masters cross country this year and a marathon at the end of the year. Next year I would love to do the Comrades in SA, just to finish, not competitive. And I am thinking of something completely different, like the Ironman.

RD: What do you enjoy now most about running? Is this different from your youth?
Zola: I love being outdoors in nature. I love running in the woods in Myrtle Beach, as well as on the dust roads around my home town. I just love being outside and smelling the different seasons and hearing my own footsteps on the dirt. It is very spiritual. I have seen amazing nature scenes when running.

RD: Are you a lone runner or do you run with a group?
Zola: I mostly run on my own. Because of my kids’ schedule and my work, I have to squeeze in time between travel and kids.

RD: What are your favorite training foods?
Zola: I have never been on a special diet, but I love tea and toast with peanut butter and apricot jam.

RD: What’s the funniest or oddest thing that’s happened to you while on a run?
Zola: While on an early morning run I ran past a truck next to a road close to our house. It was an out and back route. I greeted the guys very friendly but I noticed they were a bit tense. When I came back on the same route they were still next to the road. When I got home my neighbour phoned and asked if I heard the shots. The guys in the truck just robbed a van from the bank which I had just passed a few minutes back. That is South Africa.

RD: Do you have a favorite brand of running shoe? Which model? Why?
Zola: I love my Newtons, the reason being that they simulate barefoot running. I love the Gravity the most because it really gets you on your forefoot and the fact that I can get about 1500k’s out of them!

RD: What’s your favorite race distance(s) today? Do you have a favorite race you run each year?
Zola: My favourite distance is an 8k. That’s why I love cross country so much. I would love to run our Free State Cross Country Champs every year back in Bloemfontein, SA, but alas it is not always possible.

RD: If you were speaking to a group of kids, non-runners, or runner wannabes and trying to encourage them to run, what would you say?
Zola: I would encourage each and everyone to find their own special reason why they want to run. Not everybody is competitive or want to be the best. A lot of kids enjoy the friendships that develop during running, for others it is the fact that you do not have to worry about your weight, etc. It is important for every kid to have his/her own goals and reasons to run and you as a coach should accommodate this and help the kid grow in his/her goals.

RD: We’ve covered a lot. What’s one more thing you’d like to say to the readers and your fans?
Zola: What I am most proud about my running is that after 30 years I am still active and running and competing in my age group. I started running seriously at the age of 14 and I turned 45 last month and I am still looking forward to running and racing.

RD: Zola, you’re an amazing woman and athlete and a true inspiration. We’ll be rooting for you as you achieve your goals of world masters cross country, a marathon at the end of the year, and possibly Comrades!

RunnerDude's Runner of the Week: Joe—Part 2

Yesterday I posted the first half of an interview that Lara from Saturday Morning Zen conducted with Joe, the amazing marathoner and blogger who is running two marathons in thirteen days as a cancer fundraiser for his friend Dom. This is the second half of the interview. When you’re done reading, please consider clicking over to Run For Dom and donate by sponsoring a mile of one or both of Joe’s marathons.

Lara: These are Dom’s Lessons, then. We can do so much more than we thought we could, because we’re healthy, and we’re alive. That seems like a pretty good message to impart.
Joe: Agreed, Lara. I think we all have times in our life that we thing about being a better “me”. This really was a wake-up call for me that life is really precious – the most precious thing that there is – and whatever I can do to honor Dom and help his family get through this challenge so he can see his kids grow up, help make a dent in their medical bills or contribute to the kids’ college funds… This is a small price to pay for the lesson I was taught this August.

Lara: People can support your efforts by sponsoring a mile in either Boston or Pittsburgh, or both. How would they do that?
Joe: We’ve had people donate anywhere from $26.20 ($1/mile) for one race, $52.40 ($1/mile) for both races and have sponsored an individual mile for a $100 donation and above. The “Sponsor a Mile” initiative has been really neat as a friend, family, sisters etc. can pick out a mile of either marathon that they want to “name”. The donors are listed on my blog and right now there are 7 miles that are unclaimed for Boston, and 9 unclaimed miles for Pittsburgh. I’m going to have the “Sponsor” lists with me on the course so I can think about the people who have donated while I race. Just today, a friend of mine from Alabama sponsored mile 24 at Boston. He asked if I would play the song “Maniac” on my iPod during “his” mile. It’s moments like that over the course of 26.2 miles or 3 hours and 20 minutes (give or take a few) that you draw on for a quick smile or some encouragement to keep pushing when the race gets tough. 26.2 miles is a challenging distance that really tests every runner at some point, and the more friends that I can have with me along the way, the better!

Lara: You mention “Maniac” will be on your Playlist; what else will get you through the miles? And, can someone suggest a song for you?
Joe: Absolutely! I am always looking for new music and would enjoy the encouragement. It’s funny; I have music I run to, and music I listen to – and their paths do not cross very often. I listen to faster, “louder” music when I’m running; Green Day, The Clash, Social Distortion, but I’m much more mellow when I’m just hanging around the house. Then, I listen to Bruce Springsteen and Pat Green. I have a funny story about music and racing. I’m originally from Philadelphia where Rocky isn’t just a character; he really exists in the collective minds of Philadelphians. For the Pittsburgh Marathon last year I wanted the theme from Rocky to come up in my list right around mile 20 based on my Boston qualifying pace. I hit it really perfect and was about .35 miles into mile 20 when it came on my Nano. I was running next to a guy for a couple of miles who was also trying for a Boston Qualifying Time, and we had chatted a bit. He was 10 years younger than me and needed to run a sub 3:10 to qualify (I needed sub 3:20, one of the few benefits of being a 41 year-old marathoner at the time). When the song came on he caught me smiling and asked me why. I told him that the theme from Rocky just came on my earphones. He looked me dead in the eye and said, “Dude, can I listen?” It was the funniest moment of that race and I remember it like it was yesterday. Unfortunately a BQ (Boston Qualifying Time) was not in the cards for him that day, even though he was a really strong runner. If he hasn’t made that time already, I know he will.

Lara: HA! I can just imagine him running next to you, wanting to share your earbuds! That’s a great visual… two hot, sweaty guys running along in silence, connected by a cord of technology that’s jammin’ out the theme song from Rocky…
“Runners are passionate people by nature, and nobody knows how to make a difference like runners do.”
Joe: That’s the part that is so great about races. There are only a handful of people actually competing against each other – everyone else is competing against themselves, which is what makes it such a great experience. I actually dropped one of my water bottles around mile 13 and knew I couldn’t go back for it because I was trying for that specific time. About 50 strides later a runner tapped me on my shoulder and handed me my water bottle. He had sprinted to catch up to me when he saw me clap my hands in a bit of anger when it hit the pavement… that’s what it’s all about. I think about him as well a lot. He helped me to my 3:17:43 time also. Marathoning is a sport that everyone thinks is a “solo-mission” but the fact is nobody is alone out there.

Lara: That’s pretty accurate for the adventure of life, as well… we all think we’re so alone, and we don’t always realize just how many people are truly supporting us. Which leads to my next question: You’re “Joe” from Joe_RunForDom. Are there other people out there who have offered to dedicate a marathon to Dom as well?
Joe: Great question Lara – I just got an e-mail this week from a young woman who is a friend of Dom’s brother Matt. She and three of her friends are going to run the Relay portion of the Pittsburgh Marathon and are going to be getting folks to support Run for Dom through their efforts. I’ll be getting another page set-up for them at www.runfordom.com under the “other fundraising efforts” tab, and donors will be able to keep up with them as well. I’m hoping that a few more runners or running groups want to get involved – with the races now 9 and 11 weeks away respectively – now is the time to get cracking if we are going to do it.

Lara: And what about people that aren’t able to run Boston or Pittsburgh? Can they run solo or form a Relay team in another race and have that count as a fundraiser for Dom?
Joe: Absolutely! That’s one of the amazing things about runners; we are always looking for a cause to run for. Runners are passionate people by nature, and nobody knows how to make a difference like runners do. I would love to have as many friends and supporters as we can find toe the line for Dom. He is truly a remarkable young man. I refer to him as “All-Time” because that is what he is. All-time. He’s had more than 9,700 visitors to his personal page that’s hosted by the Caringbridge organization. I wish more people could really get to know Dom as I do. I know that if our roles were reversed, there isn’t a thing in the world he wouldn’t do for my wife Dawn and me.

Lara: It sounds like you’ve known him a long time.
Joe: My wife Dawn has known Dom basically their entire lives. She and I have been together for 15 years and married for 10. I’ve known Dom since Dawn and I first started dating. I met him in the parking lot of a Pittsburgh Steelers playoff game. He was there with a ton of his buddies at the tailgate and I really only knew Dawn. Dom spent a couple of hours talking to me and getting to know me when he could have been hanging out with all of his buddies. I’ve never forgotten that about Dom; because Dawn was such a close and important person in his life, he wanted to get to know me, because I must be pretty special too. Funny thing is, it was Dom who was the special one.

Lara: You’re pretty humble about that. I have a feeling it was more about “kindred spirits” recognizing each other.
Joe: Maybe Lara, maybe. All I know is that I plan on him being around for a long, long time.

Lara: Is Dom going to be at the Pittsburgh race finish line?
Joe: (Laughs) I’m actually angling for his mother to cook my pre-race meal on Saturday night, too. With a name like D’Eramo, you know the pasta is legendary!

Lara: That’ll be the best pre-race meal you’ve ever had! (Laughs)
Joe: And her Christmas eve dinner this year was incredible.

Lara: Speaking of family, how’s Dom’s family doing with his illness? You said he has a wife and two small kiddos…

Joe: It’s been really hard. His wife, Val, is doing a great job keeping Dom’s spirits high, but when you’re recovering from such an aggressive surgery there are plenty of tough days. His kids provide a pretty big energy boost for him though. Sierra is 3 ½ and is completely adorable. She actually took my blood pressure with her doctor’s kit when I was there at Christmas! And Nico is 9 months old now is such a cute little guy. He was the recipient of the first baby bottle I’ve ever provided. True!

Lara: I can only imagine that there are so many family and friends rallying around this family. It seems only right that with all the good thoughts, energy, medical treatment and will, that he’s going to get better. It’s almost too much to think of the alternative. He HAS to get better.
Joe: Absolutely. On Christmas Eve a few months ago, when all his friends and family held hands to say grace it made a circle around the entire downstairs of his parents’ house. Kitchen to living room to dining room to hallway and back to the kitchen – it was pretty amazing to be a part of that circle of love.

Joe is raising money for Dom’s cancer treatment. People can sponsor a mile for Boston or Pittsburgh, or both. Donations have ranged from $1/mile in one race to $100+ for a particular mile in one of the races. People are putting together Relay teams and raising funds for Dom’s battle to kick cancer’s ass to the curb. All of this is so that in a few years, Dom will be there to pick his kids up from kindergarten.

You can visit Dom’s personal site on Caringbridge.com’s website and offer good wishes to him and his family. To sponsor a mile, visit RunForDom.com and Donate. [Click here] for more info on linitis plastica.

RunnerDude's Runner of the Week: Joe

This week's RunnerDude's Runner of the week interview comes from a guest blogger, Lara. Lara is a runner and host of her own blog Saturday Morning Zen. Lara interviewed an awesome runner named Joe. Joe is on a very special mission and he's using his running to help achieve that mission. Read on to find out more about Lara and Joe.

Sometimes you meet a person and there’s just something about them that strikes a chord. Maybe it’s the way they thoughtfully answer a colleague’s question, or how they offer sincere encouragement to their students, or even how they rush to hold the door when someone is fumbling with their heavy load.

With the advent of social media and the Internet, some people we get to know and love are folks that we’ve never actually met face to face. Social media is so inter-connected that you can become friends with someone through Twitter, Facebook, DailyMile, and the blogosphere. This is how I met Joe Marruchella.

I came across Joe’s blog by way of a comment he left on ChicRunner.com, a blog we both visit regularly. Struck by the thoughtful way he commented on a post, I clicked on his name, landed on his site, and started reading. After I finished reading the entry I got up to walk around and clear my head, then came back to read it again.

The premise of his blog is simple; Joe’s dear friend Dom was recently diagnosed with a horrible form of cancer. To raise money and awareness for Dom, Joe is running two marathons in thirteen days. He had already qualified for the Boston Marathon when Dom was diagnosed with cancer last summer, so Boston is the first of his two marathons. Dom lives in Pittsburgh, the place where Joe met his future wife who also happens to be a close friend of Dom’s. So it made sense for Joe to choose to run the Pittsburgh Marathon. All signs point to Dom being at the finish line in Pittsburgh this Spring.

A lot of people get cancer. Every person that is affected by this brutal disease has a compelling story. The first thing about Joe’s blog that stood out was the title; “Joe is Running for Dom”. His name on Twitter and DailyMile is Joe_runfordom. He has linked his online identity to Dom’s as a way of raising awareness and funds for his friend’s cancer treatment. I’ve seen this from parents whose child is seriously ill, but never from a friend.

Over the past two months I’ve been a faithful reader of Joe’s blog, following both his marathon training and Dom’s progress and set-backs. With Joe’s first marathon only six weeks away, I approached him and asked if he’d be willing to do an interview with me. He graciously accepted, and now I’m honored to share the content of the interview with the world at large. It is my hope that a few people will be as moved as I have been by this story and will sponsor a mile or two, for Dom.

Due to the length of the interview, this will be posted as a two-part story.

Lara: Joe, you surprised me when you said that you weren’t always a runner, and that there was a period in your life where you called yourself “Fat Joe”. How did you turn from “Fat Joe” into the amazing runner that you are now?
Joe: Well, “Fat Joe” made an appearance when I turned 34 (I’m 42 now). I was traveling for work about 35-40% of the time, eating late meals, not exercising and the food quality was not the greatest… lots of big meals, desserts and the like. I’m 5′ 8″ and at one point weighed 176 lbs. Not good! The worse part was I just didn’t feel healthy. I was always an athlete growing up, playing baseball, basketball, football – but never running. I didn’t even know how to start. But I was determined to do something about my weight and lose a few pounds before going on a vacation to the Outer Banks in 2005. I started walking on my lunch hour which gradually morphed into running 1/2 mile, walking 1/2 mile… by that fall I was running three miles about 4 times a week. I changed my diet (which included swearing off all fast food, which I am proud to say I have not had a single fast food meal in about 5 years). I stopped drinking Coca-Cola, cut a few other things from my diet, and the pounds came flying off. Now, my race weight is about 137 pounds and my body fat percentage is about 6.3 percent.

Lara: You sound incredibly healthy! You dropped 39 pounds and a lot of body fat; when did you decide to start racing?
Joe: Great question! I was on the road traveling with the CEO of my company, who is a great mentor and friend. He caught me coming into the hotel from my morning run in NYC and asked how my run went. I told him it was “okay”. He then asked why it was “only okay”; didn’t I enjoy it? I told him not really, I was only running because we had eaten a big dinner the night before and I needed to burn some calories. He said that the reason I didn’t enjoy running was because to me running was punitive. I needed to run for a reason OTHER than burning calories. That I should in fact run a race, and not any old race, a big race – a MARATHON! I honestly thought he was crazy. But when he talked about the experience that he had – it started to sound not only possible, but truly amazing. I flew back to Texas the next day and during the flight home I decided that I was going to train for a marathon. The second I walked in the door I told my wife what I was going to do, and dove headfirst into trying to figure out the first steps; how to train, who to listen to, etc. I remember my run that Saturday morning (my next run) – which in a lot of ways was really my “first run”. I had a purpose, I had a goal and I absolutely loved it. It was only 4-miles, but it honestly changed me from “a guy who runs” to “a runner”. I am so grateful that my CEO took the time to talk with me that day.

Lara: So you’re saying that it took a literal “Reason to Run” to make a difference in how you approached the thing that you did for your health.
Joe: Absolutely; having a reason really provided a great perspective. It was my ATTITUDE toward the activity, not the activity itself that needed to be adjusted. Don’t get me wrong; I like rest days – they are an important part of training and they help you get stronger and stronger as a runner. Without a break every now and then you are only tearing your body down and not giving it a chance to come back stronger. But I LOVE my run days. I could hardly get to sleep last night looking forward to this morning’s 16-miler. I know that sounds a little crazy, but 100% true.

Lara: And now, you’re running for Dom, a friend of yours who has cancer.
Joe: You bet Lara, and I’ll tell you that this one hit me like a ton of bricks. Up until this point I had been pretty fortunate that the people that I am close to are healthy. Other than a scare with my father about five years ago (who is doing great and turned 81 this month – Go Dad!) I have not had a lot of health-related challenges in my life. Last August my wife called me in tears because our friend Dom had just being diagnosed with cancer. He’s 39 years old and has a wife and two little ones at home. I felt like someone put a hundred-pound weight on my chest. I spent the better part of a week trying to make sense of it – but as you can imagine, there really is no sense to make of it. I felt like I had to do something to help Dom and his family as he was in literally the fight for his life. I was on a Sunday long-run of about 10 miles, not training for a race in particular (I had just completed the Pittsburgh Marathon three months before getting the news about Dom). He was actually one of the friends and family members to come to the post-race breakfast in Pittsburgh that day. On my 10-miler I kept thinking about how great it would be to go back to Pittsburgh in 2010 and run Dom’s hometown race. But with it being only 13 days after the Boston Marathon that I had worked so hard to qualify for.. what could I do? I remember the exact spot on the trail that I have run literally hundreds of times when I thought “Why not run them both? Why can’t I run Boston and then Pittsburgh 13 days later?” If you want big rewards you have to take big risks. If I could put myself out there and take on a challenge like that, surely people out there would be interested in hearing about Dom’s battle and support me in honoring him. That’s how Run for Dom started; on an August morning in Austin at Brushy Creek Park, down by the lake.

Lara: What kind of cancer does Dom have?
Joe: Dom has linitis plastica which is a rare, invasive cancer that attacks the organs. Dom’s stomach and spleen were affected the most. His initial diagnosis was very bleak; 100% mortality rate and not a long life expectancy. After visiting several specialists he found his doctor at Pittsburgh Medical who is a pioneer with this type of cancer. In December Dom underwent successful surgery that was quite invasive. His stomach and spleen were removed, along with parts of his intestine and parts of a few other adjoining organs. He had a Hot Chemotherapy Bath that bathed all of the areas affected, and is now approaching the second of three chemotherapy treatments and that will mark the end of his treatment course. His PET Scan three weeks ago was 100% clean. His doctor is extremely happy with the results from the surgery, but Dom is really struggling with nutrition now. He has a lot of pain and nausea when he eats and/or drinks, so since his surgery in December, he gets most of his nutrition through a feeding tube. It takes him about eight hours to take in 2,000 calories. After my 16 mile run this morning, I ate almost that much at breakfast… unbelievable.

Lara: I have to pause here because this is hitting me pretty hard. It’s incredibly difficult for a healthy person to imagine the intensity of this disease. Dom is 39 years old and is supposed to be in the prime of his life.
Joe: I know Lara; it makes me so thankful to be healthy and able to do pretty much whatever I want, whenever I want. What the hell was I doing eating McDonald’s Double Cheese-burgers and lying around the house. FAIL!

Lara: So this is a wake-up call of sorts; health can be pretty fleeting. When you go out on your training runs for the purpose of running two marathons in 13 days, is it possible that you’re giving yourself the health and exercise that Dom can’t have? If you BOTH can’t have it, at least one of you is living the healthy life?
Joe: That’s an interesting point Lara; I’ll tell you one thing that has changed about my training runs that I attribute to training for Dom. There is a hill along one of the routes I run, it is a really good hill to train on because it forces you to practice running downhill for almost a full kilometer with not a single flat place. It’s steep enough that you have to lengthen your stride, but not too steep that you have to “brake” the entire way down. It’s perfect practice for the start of the Boston Marathon where the early portions of that race can really destroy the quadriceps over the first few downhill miles. Up until I started training for RFD (Run For Dom) I had run up that hill exactly one time. It seemed unfair. Too steep, too long, no breaks, no recovery. Since I started my 16-week to Boston, 18-week to Pittsburgh training schedule I run up that hill every Sunday and I place it in the last 1/4 of whatever distance I am going. I run that hill now and think only about Dom. How if, given the chance, wouldn’t he relish that hill? Would he celebrate it? Run up it and at the top, laugh to himself at just how easy that was compared to the other things he is going through? So that’s what I do now once a week. That hill gets shorter and shorter, flatter and flatter every time I go up it. Heartbreak Hill in Boston at mile 21? I’ll have a little something for that one when the time comes.

For the 2nd half of the interview, [click here.]

RunnerDude's Runner of the Week: Bob

For this week's interview, we've traveled from Mexico all they way to New Jersey! Bob is a wonderful example of how even if you've been running for years, you can change it up and keep it fresh and fun! Bob has a great story to tell!

Featured Runner: Bob or @downtownrunner (on Twitter)

RD: Hey Bob, your Twitter username is @downtownrunner. Tell me a little about that.

Bob: I have a blog with a similar name http://www.downtown-runner.com/ where I talk about running (often barefoot) in lower Manhattan.

RD: Where are you from?

Bob: I was born and raised in San Diego, CA. But now I live in New Jersey (Joisey for short).

RD: Share a little about yourself. What do you do for a living? Hobbies?

Bob: I am 51, happily married to a wonderful lady, and am the father of four grown kids. I manage a technology department for an agency in Lower Manhattan, New York City. After God, my wife and kids, my two passions are running and photography. I'm your basic geek, from a long line of geeks.

RD: How long have you been running?

Bob: 35 years.

RD: When did you start running?

Bob: In high school gym class our coach gave a little talk about heart disease and a famous study about a group of firefighters. Those that ran were a lot healthier. So I decided to go out for the cross country team. I was never very good (read fast) but it was good for me and a lot of my friends were on the team too so it was fun.

RD: What do you enjoy most about running?

Bob: The feeling of accomplishment and knowing that I'm doing something that is good for my health.

RD: What are your favorite training foods?

Bob: This is a tough one. Does ice cream count? I like to eat (too much). So much to choose from. Let's see, some of them would be yogurt, almonds, chili, and chia seeds. Oh, and Clif bars, peanut butter crunch. :)

RD: Are you a lone runner or do you run with some buddies? What do you like about each?

Bob: I almost always run alone. It's not that I wouldn't enjoy running with a group, but my schedule and situation makes it difficult. I often run during my lunch break which is unpredictable from day to day. I don't mind being alone though. Usually I listen to music, think, clear my head, etc. Recently I've become much more aware of things like form, breathing techniques, etc. So there is plenty to think about and work on.

RD: What’s the funniest or oddest thing that’s happened to you while on a run?

Bob: I'm probably boring on this one. Although, there was that one time I almost got trampled. I live in a fairly densely populated suburb, far from any woods. One morning I was out running through town before dawn. I was crossing a tiny brook via a road bridge when out of nowhere came a big buck deer. He bounded across the road toward me. Just before he reached the sidewalk he turned slightly and then jumped the railing and disappeared. In 18 years of living here I've never seen a deer again. But probably the best thing that happens now is the looks that I get when I come running down the street or sidewalks of NYC with my winter gear on and no shoes. Everyone all bundled up with their earmuffs, over coats, and Ugg boots all wide eyed because they can't understand why someone would willingly be barefoot. And running. And smiling. And enjoying every second of it. Priceless.

RD: What’s your biggest running accomplishment? Why?

Bob: There are probably two equally important (to me) accomplishments. The first was my first half marathon. That was during college, back when there were very few races. My roommate and I ran the race. I don't even remember my time. But at the moment it was a major confidence builder, not only with running but in other ways too. Difficult things in my life seemed less daunting.The other accomplishment would be recently transitioning from shod to barefoot/minimalist running. It wasn't an easy thing for these feet and calves to adjust after 34 years of conventional shoes. I had daily pain for about 2 months as the muscles, tendons, and blood supply developed. I almost gave up. But I kept at it and studied how others had done the same thing. Now, on the other side of the transition, I feel like I've had an epiphany of sorts. Like a whole new world to explore. Like I've learned how to run all over again.

RD: Do you have a favorite brand of running shoe? Silly question, I suppose since you run barefoot, but do you have a favorite shoe or minimalist shoe?

Bob: Almost a year ago I heard about barefoot running. Along with thousands of others I then read Born to Run. So I bought a pair of Vibram Five Fingers. I've never looked back. I run barefoot when I can, in VFFs when I can't. I haven't worn conventional shoes in about 6 months or so. In fact, my old shoes don't fit now because my feet have grown stronger and my toes have straightened out.Recently I bought a second pair of VFFs which I wear almost every day to work. They are super comfortable and light, and help continue the process of the strengthening of my feet and ankles.

RD: What’s your favorite race distance(s)? Do you have a favorite race you run each year?

Bob: I'm probably best at 10K. I find I get a second wind at about 4 miles which serves me well at that race distance. My town here in NJ has an annual 5K that I always run. It's fairly small but its still fun. It's in April so its a good start to the racing season. I am starting training now for a half marathon in May and then hopefully my first marathon in the Fall.

RD: If you were speaking to a group of non-runners or runner wannabes and trying to encourage them to run, what would you say?

Bob: I'd tell them they will get back more from running than they put into it. That if they start out slow, stick with it for 2-3 months, there is no way they will regret it. But make it fun. Don't push it.

RD: Open Mike: Share anything you‘d like about your running experiences, past accomplishments, goals, dreams….anything you haven’t previously shared.

Bob: Not too much else, except thanks to the RunnerDude for his blog and this opportunity to say hi to his readers. If anyone has any questions feel free to contact me through my blog.

Thanks Bob!

If you'd like to be featured as a weekly runner or you know of someone that would make a good candidate, email me at runnerdudeblog@yahoo.com.

Happy Running!
RunnerDude