YOURSELF: Of all the people I’ve talked to, you’re still among the most alert and energetic, so I’m so impressed.
To dig: Yes, I don’t know how I actually function anymore (laughs). This is my fifth marathon. I have number six on December 1 in Seattle, and seven is Eugene in April, and eight is San Francisco.
I did my fourth two weeks ago and it was tough. I spent a lot of time alone on the course, and that was probably the first time I really had to push myself because I lost course support around mile 17.
What made you start running or marathons in the first place?
To dig: My wife. Someone had said to her that they didn’t think she could do the half (marathon), and it got her going, and I was like, “Yeah, I’ll do the half with you.” And then we finished and I saw it was half price for the next year, so I did it again. Our first marathon was in 2022. And she was so excited to do it this year.
What do you find rewarding about marathon running in general, as a physical achievement or as an emotional achievement, or both?
To dig: Both. It shows that I don’t give up. It’s really hard to do some of these runs, and when I get to mile 20 and I just want to stop and say, “No, I’m done,” I show myself what I can do. And that makes it absolutely worth it in the end. When you’re done, you have such a feeling of satisfaction, a rush of endorphins. It’s incredible.