Profession…I retired two years ago after many years as CEO of different technology companies, however I’m currently helping my wife Marsha with her rapidly growing company.
I started running in…1990 when Marsha and I entered a 5K/10K in Seal Beach. We trained for the 5K by running a couple miles a few times, but at the last second we went over to the 10K starting line. Mistake! Ha.
Favorite spot to be active…Used to be running along the water by my house, however some months ago I started running up Signal Hill every Monday with numerous AREC folks, and after up and down that damn hill twice for a total of 6.7 miles, it’s off to Joe Jost’s.
My running experience with AREC has been… Great, as for many years I did marathon training with Snails Pace in Huntington Beach. Instead of driving 25 miles to run with a group, I now go 2 miles.
I’ve been with AREC since… Almost two years now.
The best thing about AREC is… The beer at Limerick’s after the 5 mile Wednesday night run (just kidding). By far the best thing is the incredible people, as they care about you as a person, not by how fast you run.
I run because… I watched my father die at a very young age after three heart attacks. I never saw him exercise, however he smoked 2+ packs of cigarettes a day. I really think people didn’t know better 30 years ago.
When I’m not running I… Can be found working out at Frog’s at CSULB most every morning, or helping Marsha at her company here in Long Beach.
My pre-race meal is… One peanut butter energy bar if a half marathon, two bars if a full.
After a race I treat myself to… Nothing, as I’m never, ever hungry the rest of the day, especially after a full marathon. I think it’s all the Gu and Gatorade I consume that almost makes me puke by the end of the race.
My favorite race is… Wow, there are lots, but I always remember the inaugural Phoenix Rock n Roll Marathon in 2003. It was fun running through the different desert scenery from Phoenix to Scottsdale to Tempe.
My goal is… To always finish the marathons. I always finish, however it’s always in the last half of the pack, usually in just under 5 hours.
My running mantra… It’s not that I have the ability to run a marathon, but that I have the courage to start.
My best training tip… On your long training runs, run at a pace one to two minutes a mile slower than your race pace.
The best advice I ever got was… Go out slow, and leave fuel in the tank for the last half of the race.
I want to improve in… Showing my wife how much I love her. We’ve both worked hard all our lives, and have so much to be thankful for, including our healthy lifestyles.
I love… Half marathons. They’re easy to train for, the pain is over in a couple hours, and recovery is in days, not weeks. I’m trying to run a Half every month.
I hate… Full marathons. 26 miles, 385 yards is a stupid distance for a human being to run. I’m still doing a couple a year, and really hate my life starting about mile 22. My wife says I’m an idiot for doing them. I think she’s right.
I run marathons because… I’m an idiot (see above).
I wish… I had started running earlier, rather than at age 45.
My best running experience was… Three weeks ago when I ran the Silver Strand Half in San Diego in 2:12:13, breaking my PR by a whopping five minutes at age 60! I attribute this totally unexpected result to greatly improved quad strength as a result of chasing Bernard, Rich, Colleen, Kate, Steve, Chuck, Laura, Bob and others up Signal Hill every Monday.
Final thoughts: I’m in awe of the incredible amount of time that Todd puts into AREC, including the Long Beach Marathon training, as well as the unbelievable effort that Emmett puts forth each month to produce the Newsletter, including tracking every member’s race results. We all owe them a tremendous amount of gratitude.