Wasting time . . ..

Greg Crowther, an ultra runner with a life, is interviewed here by Scott Dunlap. I'm doodling this morning, reading, postponing my run.

6) How long have you been in the state of Washington? Do you ever train with the other ultra Gods up there (Steidl, Jurek, etc.)?

I came to Seattle for graduate school in the fall of 1995 and have been here ever since. I train alone for the most part, partly because of scheduling constraints and partly because my workouts aren't that appealing to others. For example, in preparing for a road 100K, I might log 30 or 40 miles at 6:25/mile pace around a 2.5-mile road loop that mimics the terrain of the race course. That's not the sort of training run that draws a big crowd, although Jurek did join me a few times leading up to Mad City.

7) Can you take us through a typical training week?

My most impressive-sounding weeks might include, say, a 15-miler with five or six miles of hard tempo (maybe 5:30/mile) on Tuesday, two runs of 6 to 7 miles on Friday with a few one-minute pick-ups during one of them, the above-mentioned long run on Sunday, and one easy 6- to 7-miler on each of the other days. The week after that would consist mostly of easy 6- to 7-mile runs, with a bit of extra speed or distance thrown in just for variety. Thus my weekly mileage is in the 80-95 range for my heaviest weeks and more like 60 for my recovery weeks.

8) What are your favorite foods/drinks, both before, during, and after a race?

In the last couple days before a race, I'll supplement the usual high-carb fare (pasta, bagels, etc.) with licorice or jellybeans, since 100% of their calories are in the form of carbohydrates. During races, I consume the usual sports drinks and gels, but none of them stand out in my mind as being particularly tasty. Afterwards, if the weather is cold, hot soup and hot chocolate are both very satisfying. Otherwise, I usually crave fried or grilled meat and other fatty, salty stuff, like potato chips. Pringles deserve special mention because, the way they are stacked, you can eat six or eight of them at a time.
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That just sounds like a healthy guy. Go long.