

Pacer John
Hometown |
Madison, WI |
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Current P.R. |
2:53:20 |
Where were you born? |
Lafayette, IN |
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Number of marathons |
16 |
Birthday |
Dec 8 |
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Favorite marathon |
Chicago. It was my first. The
crowds are tremendous and it's an easy, flat course. |
Typical pace |
3:20 – 3:40 marathons |
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Favorite running music |
The stream of thoughts running through my head. |
Occupation |
Physician: orthopaedic surgery resident |
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Favorite running food |
Snickers marathon bar |
Any hobbies? |
Running, swimming, biking, basketball,
watching football, the bleachers of Wrigley Field. |
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Who do you train with? |
Just myself and the road. |
Favorite book, what are you reading now? |
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand |
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A quotation you like… |
"We don't stop running because we get
old. We get old because we stop running." |
Personal goals |
Complete 100 marathons, run a marathon in
all 50 states, finish an ironman tri(did this one already). |
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Why do you run? |
I am completely addicted. I love the solitude and the endorphin high. |
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Describe your best
marathon memory. |
Finishing Chicago for my first marathon in 2002 was both amazing and addicting. I had so much fun and the sense of accomplishment at the end was incredibly gratifying. |
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Why do you pace? |
Pacing is two-fold for me. First and foremost it provides the wonderful opportunity to meet new runners and help them reach their marathon goals. Secondly, I am very competitive by nature and have difficulty running a race for pleasure only. I always end up pushing myself to run the fastest time possible. Pacing forces me to run the marathon at a comfortable pace, and consequently allows me to run many more marathons throught the course of a year. |
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Tell us your best
pacing experience. |
Madison 2009. I actually had 5 runners stay with me start to finish. A couple finished their first marathons and 1 qualified for Boston. Often times you lose runners the majority of runners around mile 20. Some feel good and push ahead. Others have to drop back. But at Madison 2009, a handful of runners picked the perfect time for themselves and it was a pleasure to take them all the way from start to finish. |
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Why should someone run in your pace group? |
The most common mistake runners make is starting too fast. Running with a pacer forces you to keep a steady pace early in the race. I would advise any first time marathoner to run with a pace group for atleast the first 15 miles. I haveno superhuman qualities. I love to run but also enjoy swimming and biking. I have great cardiopulmonary reserve simply because I spend so much time doing aerobic exercise. I don't consider myself a great pacer. I just run a comfortable marathon at close to even splits and enjoy the ride. |
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Any running tips for
runners about to join your group? |
I'm not the most extroverted pacer, but I'm
happy to talk with anyone who has questions or just wants to chat. Feel
free to gab me up as we go. |
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Anything else you’d
like to share? |
Have a great run and enjoy it!! |