PUBLISHED 01/09/2006
When did you start to run?
I didn't start running until my junior year in high school. I did it just to get in shape.
What's your typical run?
I run about 40 miles a week. Six years I ago I started having hip problems so now I combine fast-walking with running. I try and do this session five times a week: fast-walk for 30 minutes and then run for 45. My running pace is about seven minutes per mile.
Have you always followed the same regimen?
My regimen has evolved as my body had devolved.
Do you have a "running secret?"
Running is like my fetish, my addiction. It's always present. I'm constantly thinking about my next run.
Do you want to run a marathon?
I have no desire to run a marathon.
When do you like to run most?
I'm a night runner. Last night I went running at midnight. I don't want to see how far I have to go. I like to be cool. And you have the whole street to yourself. I just shut down and go on auto-pilot.
Do you listen to music when you run?
I don't listen to music. I don't want anything to hinder me or hold me back. The last time I listened to music I almost got hit by an airplane on a jungle runway in Belize. I was jogging on a jungle runway in the middle of Belize and I kept feeling this weird wind like every ten minutes that would blow by me--it was a plane trying to land--and all of sudden all these villagers came out shouting "Get off". The pilot was furious.
Have you ever had any serious injuries?
I've never had any knee or shin pain, but about six years ago my hip started to hurt, not bone stuff, ligament damage or tendonitis. I met a yogi in Nepal and he taught me some stretches, like yoga, and so I started integrating those. Then the pain returned. The pain comes on the minute. I know exactly when it's going to kick-in during a run. It's weird. So now I do the stretching and then combine fast-walking and running. I've had times when I've gone two weeks without a run--sometimes when I travel in Africa I can't run because things on the savannah will eat you--and you notice it. My heart rate goes from 62 to 68. The gains from running aren't necessarily permanent. Like anything you have to keep exercising that aspect.
Do you have a preferred sports drink?
I drink water. Gatorade is great for dehydration or a hangover. When I'm running I want something with less calories.
How about favorite sneakers?
I like Etonic and New Balance shoes. Simple. I don't like the fancy things, which make you look like you're moonwalking. I have no arch. I have the flattest feet. If it was the Vietnam era, they wouldn't have taken me. I always wear really thick socks with a lining underneath, almost like hiking socks. They reduce the impact on my hip and help me avoid blisters.
What's your favorite trail?
My favorite trail is an eight-mile loop near my home on the South Shore outside Boston. It's takes me through the marshes out to the ocean and back. It's mixed gravel and tarmac, country lanes and old homes. It's very quiet.
Tell me about some of your most interesting runs?
When I was in graduate school doing research on snakes in Central America I'd go jogging every night. I was doing an inventory of snakes and so if I saw one I'd catch it. But I would still finish my jog--I wouldn't turn around. I'd keep going and pull off my socks and put snakes in there and tie it up or carry them on my arms. Once I got four snakes on a single run. At the end of that summer I got bit by a coral snake and almost died. Now if I see a snake while I'm jogging I jump over it.
If you don't run, how does it make you feel?
If I don't go for a run I get really disappointed. It ruins my day. A run for me is both rewarding and allows me to reward myself. Running is a big part of my overall health. When I miss it I feel guilty. I'm always afraid, that I when I skip my runs it's like "Out of sight, out of mind." I get lazy and before I know it I'm out of my routine. So I make a point of writing down when I'm going to run--months ahead of time. I get my shooting schedules well in advance so I can pencil in when I'm going to run.
What are some other interesting place you have run?
I've run inside airports. I've jogged around the terminal at Heathrow in London when I had hours in between flight. Now they'll stop you because they think you're a terrorist.
How about the wildest places you have run?
The wildest places I've run? The rim of Ngoro Ngoro Crater in Tanzania. A Maasai chased me down and told me I was crazy: African Cape Buffaloes or lions could attack me. I also ran in New Delhi, India. You're trying to burn calories and everyone around you is trying to prevent him or herself from burning calories. I was jogging in stifling heat through traffic and around cows. The air pollution was horrible and a trail of kids were following and distracting me. It was at once the most unproductive run, but also the most fascinating. Once I did an out-and-back from my camp in Mbaracayu, Paraguay along a sandy road and on my way back I saw a jaguar's big paw prints on top of my tread-marks. It had stalked me. It was thrilling to realize I was close to the food chain.
What do you get out of running, other than fitness benefits?
I look at running as meditation. It allows me to decompress, download, and get rid of a lot of negative stuff. That's my secret. I go inside myself. I don't want to say into a coma, but like state of hibernation. I shut down and before you know it you're done. It's like driving. Have you ever been driving and you realize you're there and you don't remember turning or stopping? It's the same when I run. I have to be careful when I'm running on autopilot. Once I ran off a bridge and twisted my ankle.
Do you have any advice for other runners?
Just to run is a good thing. Every once in a while I'm not up for doing eight miles. So many people, including myself, think, 'I'm not going to run today because I can't run my usual distance.' Well run five, or run four and walk four. At least do something. Best running advice: get some new shoes. Sure they're expensive, but you need them. I used to hold onto my shoes until they were flapping and at that point it's counter-productive. The cushioning would be dead.
Do you pig out after a big run or do you have a treat for yourself for days you run?
What I look forward to is the big breakfast the day after a run. I'll have a four egg-white omelet with peppers, onion, and mushrooms. No cheese, butter, or oil. Really spicy with salsa. Then, I mix Fiber One and Special K with raw oats, dates, blueberries, bananas, and raisins with skim milk. It supercharges my metabolism. Running can also be counter-productive. I've gained weight running. I'd run and then go out to dinner and eat more than I should. If you burn 700 calories and then have a 1,000-calories worth of pizza it doesn't matter how fast you ran.
